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Dyson W1 PencilWash: 30-second review
Dyson has updated its lightweight wet floor cleaner with a redesigned floorhead and extra-long battery life, without increasing the price. The second-generation PencilWash takes the best features of the original — its lightweight build, ease of use, and effective wet cleaning — and adds thoughtful features that add up to make it an even better everyday cleaning tool.
The cleaning head’s plush-feeling roller is now sprinkled with stiffer bristles to tackle welded-on stains effectively without scuffing your floor. The upgraded clean water tank is larger and fully detachable, and emptying soiled water is less messy too. After mopping, your floors will be dry and ready to walk on almost immediately.
It’s an excellent package, but before buying, note that Dyson has now cut the price of the original PencilWash to just $199.99 / £179 in the US and UK respectively. That’s great value, and it could be all you need if you want to spruce up a relatively small home.
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For me, the only real drawback of the W1 PencilWash was that hair tended to get wrapped around one of the wheels underneath the floor head, rather than sticking to the roller and being scraped off by Dyson’s new metal comb.
Note that the PencilWash isn’t a vacuum cleaner, and has no suction. If you’re looking for a slim and lightweight vacuum, take a look at the Dyson PencilVac instead.
Dyson W1 PencilWash: price and availability
- Went on sale in October 2026
- List price $349.99 / £299.99 in the US and UK
- Not yet available in Australia, but likely to be AU$549
Dyson announced the W1 PencilWash at its Dyson Unveiled event in September 2026, and the product launched globally in October the same year — nine months after the original PencilWash.
It has a list price of $349.99 / £299.99, which is the same as the original PencilWash at launch, though you may also be able to find it cheaper (for example, Dyson is offering a $100 discount in its US store at the time of writing). The W1 PencilWash isn’t yet available in Australia, but I would expect it to be AU$549 when it arrives.
That’s relatively expensive for a wet-only floor cleaner, and there are several excellent wet-and-dry vacuums available for about the same price. For comparison, the Bissell Crosswave HydroScrub wet/dry floor cleaner is $369.99 (about £280 / AU$540), while the Shark HydroVac Cordless WD201 / WD210 is $359.99 / £329.99 / AU$399.99.
What you’re paying for here is the light weight and compact design, which will be better suited to apartments and other small homes than a bulky wet-dry cleaner.
Dyson W1 PencilWash: design
- New stiffer bristles in microfiber roller
- Clean water tank is larger and fully removable
- Emptying waste water is less messy
At first glance, the W1 PencilWash looks very similar to its predecessor, with a slender handle (this time colored indigo rather than copper), and one of Dyson’s Submarine floor heads. A tank at the back of the floorhead dispenses water onto a microfiber roller, and a squeegee-like blade squeezes dirty water out, and dispenses it into a separate tank inside.
On closer inspection, however, there are a few significant differences. The most obvious change is the floorhead’s microfiber roller, which is now scattered with stiffer fibers to more effectively scrub away stubborn dirt. There is also a new metal comb designed to detangle and scrape hair off the roller. (Both of these features are borrowed from the bulkier Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene wet cleaner, which launched at the start of 2026.)
The head disassembles into more parts, as you can see below. Most significantly, the clean water tank is now fully removable, making it easier to fill at the sink, and has a significantly larger capacity so you can keep cleaning for longer.
Dyson PencilWash floorhead comparison
Dyson W1 PencilWash
Original Dyson PencilWash
The dirty water collection tank has also been reworked, and is now much less prone to spills during emptying. It’s still wise to hold the whole floorhead over the sink when removing the cassette, but I found the process much less messy than the original PencilWash.
Note that the W1 PencilWash has different docks in the US and UK. The UK model, which I tested here, has a charging stand that holds the PencilWash’s handle, and a separate holder for the floorhead.
The US model has a magnetic charging stand called the Dok, which holds the whole PencilWash with its floorhead attached. This seems slightly more convenient, and will save a few seconds during cleaning.
Dyson W1 PencilWash: performance
- Excellent cleaning on dried-on spills
- Much easier to fill and empty than previous model
- Battery lasted over two hours in testing
- Hair wrapped around wheel underneath floorhead
In use, the W1 PencilWash feels very much like its predecessor. The handle is light in the hand, and its plush microfiber roller propels it forward so you barely need to apply any force when cleaning.
I tested it with a variety of stains and spills, including dried-on juice, ketchup, dried toothpaste (to simulate spills in a bathroom), flour, and hair.
You can use the PencilWash with plain water, or a cleaning fluid. I tested it with Dyson 02 Probiotic Hard Floor Cleaning Solution (which is specifically recommended for the company’s wet floor cleaners) diluted according to the instructions on the bottle.
(Image credit: Future)
The W1 PencilWash fared well in all my cleaning tests, clearing up flour, dried juice, and ketchup on a single pass. Congealed toothpaste proved the toughest challenge, taking about four passes to completely remove, but I was impressed that the roller system removed all the mess and deposited it in the waste tank, leaving no streaks when I continued cleaning the rest of the floor. The new stiffer bristles work well to scrub away dirt that would normally require you to get down on your hands and knees to remove, and I was pleased to note their tougher fibers aren’t rigid enough to damage your flooring.
The floorhead is fully articulated for easy maneuvering, and the handle can be laid almost flat to clean under low items of furniture. I was able to clean right between the legs of my dining chairs, which have a crossbar just a few inches above the ground. The roller cleans very close to furniture and baseboards as well, leaving a gap only half an inch wide.
Ketchup cleaning test
Before cleaning ketchup
After cleaning ketchup
Your floors will dry exceptionally quickly as well; after a pass on the regular cleaning mode, my laminate flooring was dry within 10 seconds.
The new metal comb wasn’t quite such a success. It does catch hair, and the roller needs less hand-cleaning after use, but quite a lot of hair became caught in one of the small wheels on the bottom of the floorhead during my tests. This didn’t seem to affect performance, and I didn’t even realize while maneuvering the cleaner, but it was wrapped tightly around the tiny axel and had to be cut free with scissors.
Toothpaste cleaning test
Before cleaning toothpaste
During cleaning toothpaste
It’s worth noting that the microfiber roller takes quite a long time to air-dry. I placed it near a dehumidifier to speed up the process, but it still took two days before it was dry enough for me to feel comfortable storing it.
The big surprise was the battery life. Dyson’s specifications claim that the W1 PencilWash can run for 45 minutes on a single charge (up from 30 minutes for the original PencilWash), but during my tests it ran for an astonishing two hours and 13 minutes — and that was during active mopping, not just running the roller without resistance. I have contacted Dyson’s press office to ask whether that’s expected performance, but it’s safe to say that you shouldn’t have any problems cleaning even large homes.
(Image credit: Future)
Overall, I’m impressed with the W1 PencilWash. Dyson has clearly taken on board feedback from the first model (the detachable clean water tank and scrubbing bristles are highlights) while keeping the fundamentals the same. If you have a large home with lots of hard flooring, or live with pets or children, then this new model would be a great choice. If, on the other hand, your home is relatively small and you want something for everyday maintenance, the original PencilWash might be the smarter choice at its newly reduced price.
Should you buy the Dyson W1 PencilWash?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
Same price as the original PencilWash at launch. Relatively pricey for a wet floor cleaner; you’re paying for light weight and compact design. |
4/5 |
|
Design |
Redesigned floor head is a huge improvement — especially new water tanks. |
5/5 |
|
Performance |
Great cleaning performance on stubborn stains and remarkable battery life, but hair can get caught in wheels. |
4.5/5 |
Buy it if
Don’t buy it if
Dyson W1 PencilWash: also consider
If the Dyson W1 PencilWash isn’t the right wet floor cleaner for you, here are two other options to think about.
How I tested the Dyson W1 PencilWash
I tested the Dyson W1 PencilWash on sealed laminate flooring, using Dyson 02 Probiotic Hard Floor Cleaning Solution and tap water. I used it on common household stains including dried juice, dried toothpaste, ketchup, flour, and human hair.
I emptied the floor head cassette, and cleaned the tank, comb, and microfiber roller using plain water.
I fully charged the W1, then used it to clean the floors, moving it backwards and forwards as in normal use, and timed how long it took for the battery to run flat.
First reviewed November 2026
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catherine.ellis@futurenet.com (Cat Ellis)
