Dyson has been making a name for itself in the cordless vacuum-cleaner market, but it's also doing some good work with fans and heaters. Its Hot + Cool range combines the best of both worlds, all in a bladeless fan that has a bit of a space-age look to it.
In short, it’s something that you can display with pride in your living room instead of trying to hide it away like a shameful secret.
The latest version, the AM09, has just hit the market, and while it may look a lot like its predecessor, the new kid on the block has a bit to make it stand out.
The good
First off, it’s quieter than the AM05. According to Dyson, it’s 75 per cent quieter, and while a fan is never going to be silent, it’s certainly less intrusive than the last model, at least to our amateur ears.
The AM09 has two settings: a jet focus option that will allow you to heat or cool a specific spot – ie the person sitting right in front of it – or a wider setting that will sort out the temperature in the entire room. That personal setting is quite powerful, so the AM09 will work quickly to sort out whatever temperature issues you are currently experiencing.
If you are using it as a heater, you can set a temperature that, once the heater detects the room has reached, it will turn itself off. Likewise, if the room drops below that temperature, it will turn itself back on.
In our tests, it took only a few minutes to get a rather chilly room up to a liveable temperature, without having to resort to turning on the central heating in May. It’s particularly handy if you want to heat only a single room, although it’s easily carried around the house if you need to move it.
Another consideration is the fact that, like its predecessor, it’s bladeless. If you have small children or pets, this might be a good selling point; although we wouldn’t recommend leaving them alone with the heater switched on, at least if they make a lunge for it, there’s a lower chance of serious injury.
As a fan, it works reasonably well too. You can dial the temperature right down and plant yourself in front of it to cool yourself down in minutes, or choose to share with the rest of the room. But bearing in mind that it’s Ireland, you could get a similar effect 50 weeks of the year by opening the window and letting in the inevitable cold breeze. It’s just a bit less stylish.
The not so good
If you want Dyson’s AM09, you’ll need to be willing to invest a bit of cash in it. You could probably buy a couple of fans and a small blow heater for the same price, although they won’t be nearly as nice to look or, and probably less effective too. The product doesn’t come cheap, although it will certainly deliver the performance you want for that sum. And it’s an all in one device, so you won’t have several cluttering up your home.
The rest
The AM09 comes with a handy remote control that allows you to switch between the heat and cooling settings, the personal and room options and set a sleep timer to knock the entire thing off after a specified time has elapsed.
The remote control, incidentally, is magnetic so it will attach to the AM09, meaning it should (in theory) always be there when you need it. And the device also has an automatic cut off so if it’s upended by a pet, child or clumsy adult, it will turn itself off. That’s another reassurance if you decide to use it at night on a timer.
The verdict
HHHH Let’s face it: we live in Ireland so chances are most people will use this a heater rather than a fan. But at least the option is there if summer decides to eventually show its face. dyson.ie
