This year, I moved into one of those gorgeous older terrace houses in Melbourne’s inner east, and unlike the warm, insulated room I inhabited at my parent’s humble abode, I quickly learned that these brick terrace houses have a knack for turning real mouldy and damp, real fast during the winter seasons.
So, other than shooting off a prompt email to my landlord begging for her to fix the terror ensuing in my bedroom, as well as buying a tonne of bleach to treat the affected areas, I frantically started searching for anything and everything to help me keep the nasties in the air out of my lungs. That’s why, when Dyson offered to let me road-test their renowned Purifying Fan, I jumped at the chance to give this baby a whirl.
If you’re in a similar boat, or perhaps, just here to find out whether investing in a Dyson air purifier is right for you and your home (especially come hay fever season) — you’ve come to the right place. After putting this purifier to the test for a month, here’s everything I learned.
But first, what does a purifier do?
Every day, humans breathe in up to 9,000 litres of air, and in many countries, we spend as much as 90% of our time indoors. Therefore, generally speaking, an air purifier can be a godsend when it comes to removing harmful and allergy-inducing contaminants (like pollen, pesticides, dust, pet dander, dust mites, mildew, paint fumes, and second-hand smoke) from a room to enhance the quality of the air you breath in.
“The build-up of dust on furniture gives insight to a few things in the air you were breathing before they had the time to settle on your surfaces…[Dyson’s] latest purifiers host an array of intelligent sensors that can tell you about potentially harmful pollutants before you can sense them yourself, in real-time,” Ben Lowson, the Associate Principal Engineer in Environmental Care at Dyson, said.
A device that gets rid of the nasties I don’t even know about yet? Yep, consider me sold.
So, how did the Dyson Cool Auto React Purifying Tower Fan stack up?
Specifications
To kick us off, let’s start with a few important specs.
FILTER TYPE
- HEPA
FEATURES
- Timer: Yes
- Remote Control: Yes
DESIGN
- Fan Speed: 10
DIMENSIONS
- Width: 204mm
- Depth: 120mm
- Height: 1050mm
WEIGHT
- Weight (Kg): 4.65
IN THE BOX & WARRANTY
-
- Warranty (Years): 2
Easy setup
From the moment I pulled it out of the box, this baby didn’t have a million moving parts, nor did it come with instructions that required me to ask five different people how to put it together. Everything was straightforward, and it literally took me less than a minute to configure. The smartphone connectivity was also foolproof and self-prompted, all you have to do is download the app, sync your device and add your home WiFi, and then, voila — Bob’s your uncle.
It made me feel more confident in my environment
This purifying fan claims to remove 99.95% of particles as small as 0.1 microns in the air, so as a hypochondriac, knowing that this gem of a device had my back helped me to stop spiralling about the mould spores and mildew that previously overtook my room (and could still be lingering), which made me feel more confident that the air I was breathing in was actually healthy.
I also have a small window that backs onto a little garden, so I felt comfortable leaving it open from time to time without the fear that a million bits of pollen (or whatever other dust particles are lurking out there) were going to take over my room and give me the worst hay fever of my life, so if these are the kinds of things that also keep you up at night, a purifier is a great way to alleviate your concerns.
A bunch of other people also say that these purifiers have worked wonders when it comes to keeping those watery eyes and runny noses at bay (and I can totally see why), so it might not be a bad idea to look into one for the spring season.
It doesn’t help prevent mould and mildew.
Sadly, while the fan will capture harmful airborne pollutants (like mould spores) and ensure they stay trapped in the HEPA filter and cannot escape, I need to clarify that it won’t help prevent mould and mildew from growing. You’ll need to invest in a dehumidifier for that, so make sure you keep that in mind if your sole aim is to keep your mould away.
Gold stars for the lack of noise
I have tried a bunch of devices in my time as an Ecommerce writer, but never one as quiet and unassuming as this bad boy. It’s barely makes a peep, which is great if you want to leave it on while you sleep. The only time it gets a little loud is when you have the cool air on max, but even then, it’s not loud enough to be annoying, it just sounds like a regular fan at that point.
The design makes it unassuming and easily tucked away
The design is so typically Dyson with the sleek and elegant oval shape that looks like it’s come straight out of 2030. But that’s precisely what makes it so easy to tuck away into a corner without it being all clunky, heavy and annoying — especially if you want to keep it on theme with your minimalist space.
According to Dyson engineer Mr Lowson, the shape is as aesthetic as it is effective.
“The unique shape of the Dyson air cleaner is designed to effectively project purified air to every corner of the room using Dyson’s Air Multiplier technology. The airflow that passes out of the machine is smooth, as there are no blades chopping the air, which causes unpleasant buffeting,” he said. This means your fresh air constantly circulates evenly, which is great if your room has high ceilings like mine.
It’s very low maintenance.
Other than turning it off and on, this device needed nothing additional from me. I hear the filter sometimes needs replacing (though I haven’t encountered that yet), but it’s apparently super quick and easy to change. You’ll get automatic filter-life notifications on the LCD screen or your MyDyson app that tell you when it’s time anyway, so until then, kick back.
Smartphone connectivity
On that note, I loved being able to access the device’s data from my phone as it tells you the temperature in your room as well as the humidity and quality of air from wherever you are. You can also control the fan level from your screen, but you need to be in the same room as the device to do so. Otherwise, it doesn’t like to listen to your commands.
The benefit wasn’t as tangible as other appliances
When I told my friends and family I was reviewing this, their first question was always, “does it actually do anything?” I know it does something because I spent hours reading about its benefits. If I was just sitting in my room taking it for face value, it’s hard actually to see any of its tangible effects. I mean, it does have a cooling function which is handy on some of the warmer nights and also helped my allergies stay put, but other than that, it’s very much what’s going on behind the scenes that matter.
That’s why I’d probably buy the Dyson Hot+Cool one if I was going to invest in it myself to get the most bang for my buck. That way, you have the added bonus of being a cooling fan in summer and a heater in winter, all while it keeps your air clean. It helps to justify having it on around the clock because you’re killing two birds with one stone (the stone being your electricity bill).
Overall verdict
I don’t think this Dyson air purifier made the biggest difference to my life, but it definitely made me feel safer and more comfortable in my mould-ridden room and during hay fever season. Is that worth forking out $599? Well, that’s a choice for your needs and budget.
Here’s exactly where to get your hands on one below.
Where to buy: eBay via Dyson’s official store ($599), Dyson ($599, usually $899), Harvey Norman ($599), Bing Lee ($599)
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