My hands-on experience with the Dyson Pure Cool
Young Lim, editor of Home & Decor Singapore, decided to get the Dyson Pure Cool purifying fan for his new home. Find out more about his experience below.
Having just moved into my new apartment, I was faced with the arduous task of unpacking the boxes laying around the rooms. It wasn’t a pretty sight, and to my dismay I’d realised that in my haste to pack up my belongings I had unwittingly also packed in a lot of the dust from my previous house. This, along with the dirt left over from the recently completed renovations, made the air in my new home extremely dusty. It got to a point where I actually had to wear an N95 mask just to keep my over-sensitive nose from constantly running and sneezing.
(This is just a portion of the boxes being delivered to my new home.)
I think it’s fair to say that both me and my new home were not pretty sights to behold.
(Check out the amount of dirt left behind after the renovation.)
Aside from trying to put up with the dustiness, I was also perspiring from all the unpacking. That was when I realised my new abode needed to have two essential items, a strong fan and an efficient air purifier.
Along came Dyson Pure Cool purifying fan
Now I had heard of Dyson’s purifier fans before. I remember being quite impressed with Dyson when it launched the first purifier fan in early 2016. Not only did the fan look pretty sleek and sophisticated, it also generated cool air and trapped fine air particles.
However back then, I wasn’t impressed enough to get one for myself but now that I was in dire need of a fan and air purifier, Dyson’s Pure Cool seemed to tick all the boxes in what I was looking for. Coincidentally, Dyson also just released the latest version of the Dyson Pure Cool (a 2018 update) in April, so I decided to give it a try.
What’s different with the new Dyson Pure Cool?
Among the new things included in the 2018 update, is a new LCD display that reports pollutants in the home in real time, double-layer filters comprising activated carbon and HEPA filters capable of capturing 99.95% of microscopic allergens and pollutants as small as 0.1 microns, and a 350-degree oscillation to circulate clean air all around the room. I must admit it sounds pretty impressive.
First Impressions
One of the issues I have with conventional air purifiers on the market right now is the fact that they only indicate how clean your air is through a series of different coloured lights. Usually, green means the air is clean, blue for average and red for above-average amount of dust. Those indicators are at best an approximate value, leaving users with more questions than solutions, such as what was the cause of the change in air purity and what kinds of contaminants there are in the air.
The LCD display in the Dyson Pure Cool is a total game changer, because the sensors within the fan start measuring the amount of VOC (volatile organic compounds), nitrogen dioxide and particular matter that are 0.1 and 2.5 microns in size. Finally! A domestic purifier that actually shows you, in figures, how clean your air is.
(You can find out the exact amount of VOC, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter just by looking at the LCD display.)
Why it’s important to know how clean your air is.
The air you’re currently breathing in at home may seem clean, but in a study involving 27 households in Singapore, researchers actually found that one gram of dust contains a potent mix of bacteria, mould and dust mites allergen. Now one gram may not seem like much, but the average household is actually filled with as much as 18kg of dust every year.
(You can read more about the Singapore household dust and allergens research report here.)
How did the Dyson Pure Cool fare in terms of its purification?
In normal circumstances it might be hard to determine how well the air purifier performs, but in my case the difference was night and day. When I switched the purifying fan on, it went to work immediately to clean up the air. The LCD display originally indicated 100 units of particulate matter in the air (the average for a reasonably clean room being around 15-25) and within the span of an hour, the number dropped to 25.
It was also interesting to see how my body reacted to the difference, because I had stopped coughing and sneezing by then. Another interesting change was I couldn’t detect the smells of new paint in the room as well.
Next up, I tried out the smoke test (refer to video above) to see how sensitive the sensors were at detecting other contaminants in the air. Within seconds of lighting the incense, the figures on the LCD panel rose, at one point it reached an alarming level of 155. Getting the level back to normal was just as fast after putting out the incense. Seriously, I haven’t seen a home purifier work as effectively before.
The Dyson Pure Cool works just as well when cooling the air.
Another thing I was really impressed with, is the 350-degree oscillation capability of the fan. While most fans can only turn from left to right, or 180-degrees, the Dyson Pure Cool oscillates all around the room, effectively releasing 290-litres of clean air into the room. So you no longer have to place the fan in a corner, instead consider placing it near the centre so it can help to cool all around the space.
When using the Dyson Pure Cool in the master bedroom, I placed it in the center of the room, near the bed. Funnily enough, I noticed my dog Milky also preferred to hang out near the fan as well. I suspect it’s because she enjoys the cool, clean air as much as I do.
(Milky seems satisfied with the Dyson Pure Cool.)
The Dyson Pure Cool can also be used as a standalone purifier without the fan function for air-conditioned rooms. It has a diffused airflow or purification-only mode (the former diverts air through the rear and at a 45-degree angle while the latter activates only air purification). I switch to this mode for the times when I’m not around but still want the machine to continue cleaning the air.
The Dyson Link App
Of course, for something as innovative as the Dyson Pure Cool, you can expect it to come with smart home features as well. This comes in the form of the Dyson Link app, which you can download onto your mobile device. While the fan can still be operated without using the app, it does enable you to track indoor and outdoor pollution, temperature and humidity levels. You can also use it to control the machine and receive alerts when it’s time to change the filters.The best thing is, the new fan comes with full Over The Air capability (OTA), ensuring that users receive the latest Dyson software after purchasing the machine, so you never have to worry about missing out on the latest updates.
The verdict:
I would definitely say the Dyson Pure Cool is a good investment and something worth considering if you are looking for an effective fan and purifier. You can sleep easy knowing that you and your family are breathing in air of pristine quality. If you’re prone to waking up in the mornings with sinus issues, or are just sensitive to smoke or smells, then you’ll know why I’m giving this fan a full score. Dyson really hit the ball out of the park with the Dyson Pure Cool, try as I did I couldn’t find anything to dislike about this invention.
The Dyson Pure Cool purifying fan is available from www.shop.dyson.com.sg and also at all major department and electrical stores.