The Dyson DC26 was engineered to solve this problem. The vacuum cleaner is small enough to sit on an A4 piece of paper – with no loss of cleaning performance.

Although DC26 weighs less than some laptops, it’s incredibly tough – withstanding 5,318 drops onto a hard floor and 10,000 pummels against a metal wall from Dyson’s test team.

All 275 parts of DC26 were re-engineered by Dyson specialists to miniaturize the technology while keeping the performance of a full sized vacuum. Dyson’s patented Radix Cyclone technology - condensed to fit into the machine - spins dust and dirt out of the air using centrifugal force, so there’s no loss of suction. 13 small inner cyclones deliver superior efficiency in as little space as possible – keeping air velocity high and energy consumption low.

James Dyson explains:

“It took us five years to painstakingly compress and rebuild every single component before we had a machine that was a third smaller than its predecessor, yet could still tackle dirt like bigger machines.”

Asthma and allergy sufferers can breathe cleaner indoor air, as every component and seal in DC26 is engineered so allergens are retained. The machine wears the Asthma Foundation’s Sensitive Choice butterfly, a seal of approval for products that reduce asthma and allergy triggers in the home. Its dual channel floor tool also means that two separate airflow channels can direct suction power evenly. As with all Dyson vacuum cleaners, the air expelled from DC26 contains up to 150 times less bacteria and mould than the air you breathe.

While suction can drop by half in some bagged vacuum cleaners, DC26 retains the same high level of suction, room after room.

The Dyson DC26’s RRP is $699 and is available from stockists from October.

Product specification:

• Radix Cyclone™ technology with no loss of suction

• Dual channel floor tool + Swivel hard floor tool

• Lifetime washable filters. HEPA post filter

• Hygienic bin emptying

• Lightweight: 3.25kg body weight

• Compact – 25(H) x 32(D) x 21(W)

• 2 year guarantee