Dyson's DC35 Multi Floor cleaner is a handheld vacuum with a lightweight floor-cleaning attachment that's designed to take up little room as possible without losing out on power. When Dyson offered to send one over for us to review we jumped at the chance as Pocket-lint Towers was definitely in need of a spring clean.

After correcting the delivery man when he said he was here to drop off a "Hoover", we swiftly plugged the charger in to get the ball rolling. The DC35 needs 3.5 hours for a full charge and that gives you 13 minutes of cleaning time using the floor attachment, or 15 minutes using the handheld accessories (but only six minutes if you're using the max power mode). Although that might not sound like much, it's longer than you think. If you've got fair-sized house then you might well need to give the DC35 a charge along the way, but if you're cleaning a modestly sized studio flat then you should be able to do the whole job on one charge.

Like all Dyson products, the DC35 is a lovely piece of design work and a masterclass in how to make something as dull as vacuum cleaner look cool. Sporting a similar, but updated, design to Dyson's first handheld cleaner (the DC16), the DC35 sports a lygrey finish with a silky blue/purple panel on the top which lends a definite touch of class.

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The cleaner fits into a wall-moutable charging dock so that you can use it without tripping over a pesky power cable. The DC35 is supplied with a short nozzle as well as a brush cleaner attachment so that you can use it as standard 'dust-buster'-style handheld cleaner. It also comes with a 663mm aluminium "wand" with a motorised floor tool so that you can clean the floor without having to scoot around while bent over double. The floor tool pivots around so that's easy to clean corners and around furniture.

The trigger-style power button is simple to use and also makes it feel like you're holding some sort of sci-fi-style weapon, making the housework a tiny bit less tedious. However, it needs to be held down the whole time that you're cleaning, so it can get a little tiring on your hand if you're giving the floor a thorough going over, but then this cleaner is really only designed for short burst of vacuuming. We found it really easy to use, particularly as it's so light and much less cumbersome than using a traditional cylinder cleaner or an upright. Part of the appeal is the fact that you can can just grab it from the charger and get stuck into the cleaning straight away without having to untangle a power cable or change a cleaner bag.

Like all Dyson cleaners, the DC35 features the manufacturer's Root Cyclone technology which is designed to vacuum without losing suction. The DC35 also has a max power mode which kicks in when you press the button on the back of the cleaner (and turns off when you press it again). This ups the cleaning power for grimier areas that need a little more effort. It works really well, although the extra power means that the cleaner pumps out a fair bit of heat , so you probably wouldn't want to use it on the max power mode for too long.

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The mechanism for emptying the dust container is simple to use - you just pull the red lever down and the bottom pops open (make sure you're holding it over a bin at the time, otherwise you'll end up having to clean up all the dust that you just collected). This was something that wasn't quite so well thought-out on the the DC16, as the dust tended to collect in the flip-out base of the dust container and then fall out on the floor during emptying. However, on the DC35, the base is entirely flat so that the dust and grime slides neatly into the bin.

At £199.99, the DC35 is quite expensive, but then if you're considering a Dyson we're guessing that getting a wallet-friendly cleaner isn't your top priority. If you want a handheld cleaner, or a vacuum that can be busted out for a last-minute tidy up before your guests arrive then the DC35 should fit the bill.