We put the new ultra-compact Dyson Car+Boat handheld vacuum through its paces

The first thing that grabs you about Dyson’s new Car+Boat is how compact it is. The company’s newest handheld and wireless vacuum is aimed at small households looking for a convenient and easily stowable tool, and those with more expansive requirements, such as a garage full of cars or, as the name suggests, a small yacht.

We’ve visited Dyson’s UK HQ before and marvelled at the lengths the company goes to develop, prototype and product tests its domestic devices. It’s a world of laboratories and annual global dust studies, of robotic test beds and obsession with particle sizes and air purity.

The Car+Boat builds on this rich engineering heritage. At its heart is a motor that spins at 110,000 rpm, producing class-leading suction power that belies the cleaner’s small size. Portability means flexibility, and as such this multi-functional device needs to be able to pick up everything from dirt, debris and discarded raisins from the floor of a car, to tiny allergens and fine pet hair from your favourite bedding.

It works beautifully on stairs as well, thanks to the well-balanced and compact form factor and attachments include a motorised compact brush bar, a combination nozzle and a crevice tool for getting into nooks and crannies. On top of all this, there’s a 50-minute run time. Over a week of light cleaning (mostly cat hair and staircases) we didn’t manage to deplete the unit at all, implying Dyson’s claim to market-leading run time are correct.

As with all contemporary Dysons, there’s also a focus on filtration. Just like the fiendishly powerful flagship Dyson Gen5detect cordless vacuum, there’s advanced filters on board (the Gen5detect has HEPA filters that snare 0.1 micron-sized particles, whereas Car+Boat owners will have to make do with 0.3 microns and above).

With Car+Boat, this is particularly beneficial on mattresses and bedding, where fluff, dust mites and pet dander tend to accumulate. Physically, the cleaner follows the established Dyson playbook of robust grey plastic with purple details. As always, the bin is transparent which satisfies and horrifies in equal measure, and the various attachments clip on and off using the prominently sited red tabs.

Proving that small can also be powerful, the Dyson Car+Boat provides deep cleaning capabilities with convenience and style.

Dyson Car+Boat, available from Dyson Demo Stores and Dyson.co.uk, £249.99