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. Look closely and you’ll see rows of small red bristles embedded in the W1 PencilWash’s upgraded microfiber roller (Image credit: Future) 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. 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. Value score: 4/5
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 UK version of the W1 PencilWash has a charging stand for the handle, and a separate holder for the floorhead. The US model has a magnetic charging stand called the Dok that holds both together. (Image credit: Future) 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. Design score: 5/5
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…