There's a certain stage in life where suddenly, without warning, you care about vacuum cleaners. If you're reading this, you're probably well into it.
As the owner of two cats - and thus the occupant of a house full of cat hair - I find the latest vacuum news of great interest, particularly this most recent development.
Dyson has created the "world's slimmest vacuum cleaner", and it's set to arrive in Aotearoa soon.
It's only 3.8cm in diameter, and at first glance, looks more like a weapon wielded by Darth Vader than a dust-destroying machine.
But destroy dust it does, apparently. The 'PencilVac' features Dyson's smallest and fastest vacuum motor, a hair-detangling cleaner head and a no-touch ejection system so you never have to get your hands dirty emptying it.
In my house, I'm not only tackling cat hair, but also my own. The new 'Fluffycones' cleaner head has four brush bars that rotate in opposite directions and eject hair as it's picked up, hopefully forever banishing the unpleasant process of cutting your own hair out of a vacuum head.
Adding to the whole Star Wars effect are the laser-like lights that illuminate both in front and behind the vacuum to reveal all the invisible dust you might normally miss. Founder James Dyson says the head "simply floats on the floor", which also sounds like something from a galaxy far, far away.
The PencilVac can also lay on the ground, flattening down to under 10cm to get under your lowest bits of furniture. Add on the 'rotating combi-crevice tool' and you should be able to clean even the most awkward gaps, as well as reaching up high.
If you really want to geek out, you can connect your new vacuum to the 'MyDyson' app, giving you access to additional settings and maintenance alerts, including how and when to clean the filter.
The downsides? You're only gonna get 30 minutes of suction before it'll need another charge, which takes 4 hours. You can get a second battery pack, but it'll cost you. There's no set price for the new vac yet, but knowing Dyson's prices, it'll be a hefty investment.
Dyson has confirmed the PencilVac is on its way to NZ, but we don't know quite when yet - so if you're a vacuum enthusiast, you'll have to keep an eye out.
