Dyson Hot+Cool Air Purifier review: this device is a godsend for all seasons — save £150 for Black Friday
ONE of the downsides of a big fan is that it can be hard to store in the winter months.
Dyson seems to have solved that problem with its Hot+Cool Air Purifier, which has heating functions for winter, cooling capabilities for summer and air purifying abilities that can be used all year round.
Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09, £699 £549 from Dyson
However, in a world where you can pick up a cheap desktop fan for under £20 from most supermarkets, you might be unsure whether this Dyson is worth the considerable extra cost.
At nearly £700 the price alone can make you hot under the collar — thankful Dyson is running a Black Friday sale that takes that down to £549.99.
Pros
- Doesn’t need any assembly
- Works as a heater, fan and air purifier
- Quiet
- Can be controlled via app and remote control
- Distinctive Dyson style
- Safe to be used near young children
- Won’t tip over
- Provides useful air-purifying information
- Removes pollutants from the air
Cons
- Expensive
- Some filters need replacing at an ongoing cost
- Doesn’t cool like air conditioning
Rating: 4/5
Dyson fan review: how we tested
I used the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09 Purifying Fan Heater in my home over several weeks to test its functions.
My testing coincided with some of the hottest days of the year so far, so the fan was put through its paces keeping me cool while I worked and slept.
Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09, £699 £549 from Dyson
I also used it in my living room while watching TV to see how quiet the fan was, and in the kitchen when cooking to test whether the fan was powerful enough to make a difference when I was standing in front of a hot hob.
I also tested the heating and air purifying functions to see if they were valuable extras on this fan, or gimmicks that I would never use.
Plus, I downloaded and set up the accompanying app to see how easy it was to install and how helpful it was when operating the fan.
Dyson fan review: quick summary
This is an excellent fan that uses Dyson’s top-notch technology to keep you perfectly chilled.
It’s a breeze to use (sorry) and can be operated via the remote, a simple app or even voice control.
Better still, it works as a heater and an air purifier as well as a fan, earning itself a permanent place in my house, rather than being a brief summer fling.
However, you will need to be sure you’ll use all three of the fan’s functions to make it worth the high initial cost.
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Dyson fan review: full review
First impressions
I expected the fan to be a lot bigger. I already use another older Dyson fan which is around 30cm taller than this model, but I much preferred this size as it didn’t dominate the room.
Though shorter, it wasn’t as slimline as I expected. The base houses the air purifying filters so it’s chunkier than a standard tower fan, though I liked the contrasting bronze colour.
It’s still very easy to carry around and I had no problem doing it on my own. Just be aware that the instructions advise not to carry the fan using the loop amplifier (the oval bit to you and me), which I didn’t see until I had – er – carried it using the loop amplifier.
Of course, Dyson’s distinctive bladeless lozenge shape is not to everyone’s taste but if you do prefer a contemporary look, this fan will look stylish in the corner.
I didn’t feel like it stood out too much so I’d be happy to keep it on display all year to make the most of its considerable air-purifying capabilities.
How do Dyson fans work?
It’s immediately noticeable that Dyson fans don’t have any blades.
In fact, when the fan is switched on nothing seems to be moving at all, making them a great choice if you have curious young children in the house.
Instead of blades spinning quickly to cause a draft, Dyson fans use Air Multiplier technology (stay with me here).
This draws in air around the machine along a tube, powered by a brushless electric motor, which is then pushed out of small slits around the frame of the fan.
Using scientific wizardry, this process increases the output of airflow by around 15 times, compared to the air taken in.
This creates a smooth, steady breeze rather than the short blasts of air usually created by fast-moving blades slicing through the air.
Performance
Fan
It couldn’t be easier to get this fan up and running. It arrives in one piece ready to go, which is ideal for a DIY dunce like me.
All that needs to be done is to fit the two filters — the permanent catalytic filter and the replaceable HEPA and activated carbon filter. These slot easily into the base and click reassuringly so you know they’re in the right place.
It’s simple to then start using the fan with the remote control. The buttons are self-explanatory and I didn’t need to check the instruction manual to figure out what function each one served.
To make life even easier, the digital display on the fan itself clearly shows every setting when each one is pressed.
I was especially impressed at how easy it was to install the accompanying Dyson app. It connected to my fan in seconds so I could control it using my phone, while providing more detailed information about air quality levels.
It also ramped up to high speed when I cooked bacon and when I sprayed a cleaning product.
The air purifying function would be even more useful if you lived near a busy road, smoked or suffered from severe hay fever.
It’s definitely made me think more carefully about what I use in my home after noticing how the air around me can be affected.
How to clean a Dyson fan
This couldn’t be easier. If you’ve ever tried to dust the blades of a standard fan, you’ll find cleaning a Dyson an absolute joy.
The whole machine can just be quickly wiped with a damp cloth and the instructions also point out that you can use a soft brush to remove other dust. Polishes and detergents should not be used.
Are Dyson fans silent?
Sadly, there’s no such thing as a completely silent fan. On the highest setting, there’s no question that you can hear this fan and it’s about as loud as a typical dishwasher mid-cycle.
However, I’m a light sleeper and I was surprised to find that the noise didn’t bother me as much as I suspected it might during the night.
As there are no blades, the noise is very steady rather than the choppier noise from standard fans, so I had no trouble tuning it out and sleeping through it.
If you’d prefer it to be even quieter, the fan also has a night mode, which continues to respond to changes in air quality but operates on a much lower setting while dimming the LCD screen.
This makes the fan almost whisper-quiet, although I found the lower setting wasn’t quite cool enough for me on very warm nights.
How much does a Dyson fan cost to run?
If you’re happy to part with almost £700 for this fan, you probably don’t want sky-high running costs on top of that.
Even basic desk fans use around 35W of energy and the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09 Purifying Fan Heater uses a maximum of 40W depending on the setting.
Using the current UK energy price cap of 22.36p per kWh of electricity, that means this fan costs less than 1p to run per hour, or 10.7p for 12 hours straight at the highest setting.
This fan costs less than 1p to run per hour, or 10.7p for 12 hours straight at the highest setting.
This price can be cut further by running the fan for less time, on a lower setting, or by using the automatic mode so it adjusts once the desired temperature has been reached.
Unfortunately, that’s not the only cost you’ll need to bear in mind. The glass HEPA and activated carbon filter will also need replacing intermittently, and Dyson suggests doing this every 12 months to avoid it becoming clogged with pollutants.