I’m a big fan of a big fan that effectively moves air around my space to keep it feeling airy, fresh and temperate. A lover of white noise, it’s important to me that any heating or cooling device has a well-pitched ‘hum’ about it and bonus points are awarded from me if the fan or heater purifies the air too.
Though I’ve gone without air conditioning or home heating my entire life, I will indulge in using a heater or fan when the situation really calls for it. In an effort to avoid running up the electricity bill or using unnecessary energy, I’ll always try natural cooling and layering up first, but one seriously good purifying fan heater is putting my self-enforced rules to the test. Why? Because it’s that good.
The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde arrived at my home at just the right time. Winter had well and truly settled in and I had just got a brand new couch. I’d read up about the capabilities of the $999 device and was pretty keen to see what its integrated sensors would pick up in real-time and display on the LCD screen. With the knowledge that new furniture can be a huge culprit and contributor to airborne formaldehyde, I was expecting to see a pretty significant spike when I turned it on for the first time.
Below is my honest review of the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde — taking into accounts its technical features and biggest pros, all in an effort to answer the question we know you’re asking: Is the Dyson Formaldehyde worth it?
Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde review
How does it work?
What makes the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde different from other purifying fans in the range is its advanced filtration system. The HEPA 13 standard filtration removes 99.95% of particles as small as 0.1 microns and these include allergens, bacteria, viruses, pollen and mould spores. The catalytic filter at the core is what continuously traps and breaks down formaldehyde molecules into water and CO2. Unlike the other filter, it never needs to be replaced.
In a release, Dyson explained: “Formaldehyde is a colourless gas pollutant, released by furniture and wooden products containing formaldehyde-based resins like plywood and fibreboard, insulating materials and products such as paint, wallpapers, varnishes and household cleaning products.”
Upon turning on the device for the first time, I noticed the little bar graph climb. As I have suspected, my new couch was indeed off-gassing into my home and thus, my lungs. It was comical almost to watch the bar graph jump as I sat down on the sofa — a sign I had made the right choice in getting a device that could filter out this toxic chemical.
Dyson Formaldehyde in action
Quite frankly, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde’s technical features speak for themselves. I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of the Dyson engineers behind the cult brand and I fully trust these geniuses to make products that use the latest and greatest in tech to look after our homes and our health.
Sure, I like to know that integrated sensors will analyse the air and diagnoses pollutants at a molecular level. I like to know that nasty chemicals are being filtered and destroyed. But since I know these things are going on anyway, I want to know how the device will actually work in the space. Will it effectively heat or cool my whole room? Does it fit in with my existing decor? Can I control the device easily, via a remote, app or even my voice?
The answer to all of the above is yes. The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde has a chic white and gold exterior that blends in pretty seamlessly with my minimal home aesthetic. At 1.8m tall, it’s pretty big, but the size is necessary for an open-plan home like mine. Its cute little rose gold remote magnetically sticks to the top of the fan, but the device can also be controlled through the Dyson Link app (which provides a more in-depth breakdown of your home’s air quality), and via voice control.
It oscillates up to 350 ̊ to effectively heat a whole room for every angle and surprisingly quickly too, and there’s even a ‘diffused mode’ that diverts airflow through the back of the machine to purify, without blowing on you. It’s actually perfect for nurseries or for those who like to sleep accompanied by white noise (and fresh air) — but it also has a night mode too with a dimmed screen and quieter settings.
Is it worth it?
There’s no denying $999 is a small fortune to fork out on a heater. But the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde isn’t just a heater. Nor is it just a fan. Nor is it just a purifier. It’s all three and then some, and so if you were to think about how much you might expect to pay for three top-of-the-range devices, which you’d somehow have to find room in your house for, then I would say that yes, the Dyson Formaldehyde is worth it.
We’d always suggest seeing out the life span of a device you already own before upgrading, but if you did have a heater on the fritz and have the means, then we’d imagine an upgrade to the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde would be a wise next step.
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