Dyson Cool review

Dyson is an expert at moving air from one place to another.

Its bagless vacuum cleaners are designed to suck air, its fans are designed to blow it. And both collect dust more prolifically than a Nintendo Wii circa 2009, some by design, others... not so much.

It's been making its Air Multipliers for a few years now, and if you've not met one before they're bladeless fans designed to keep you cool in a toasty summer living room or a sweaty office.

I tested the original Dyson Air Multiplier four years ago and while I liked it, I felt it was too expensive and too loud to be really worthy of a wholehearted recommendation.

After all, you can buy a desk fan to blow your face for £20, right? So spending more than ten times that much on a Dyson is not something you're going to do without good reason.

But you can't deny that the bladeless design is unique and far more practical than the traditional one. And the amount of air the Dysons move has always been impressive.

Since 2010, then, Dyson has expanded its range to include the Dyson Hot fan heaters and the Dyson Hot + Cool all-in-ones. And now arrive some more additions to the original Air Multiplier range, now branded Dyson Cool.

It comes in various shapes and while the decibel levels are a bit lower... but the price tags are even higher.

How it works

The new Dyson cool range comes in two different forms, the Dyson AM06 12-inch desk fans which start at £220 and the AM07 tower fans for £300.

The original Air Multiplier cost £200 on launch so the prices have gone up which is disappointing. It's a huge amount of cash to spend - we'll come back to that.

They all work in the same way, by drawing air into the base and then blowing it out of the circular or tower-shaped ring on top. By creating a ring of moving air, you also end up dragging the air in the middle along too, effectively multiplying and amount of air blown in relation to the amount sucked.

Smarter features

The original Air Multiplier had an analogue dial to change the level of air flow. But the new ones come with a remote control. You can choose a setting between 1 and 10 while also setting sleep-timers and oscillation on/off.

There's only one button on the device itself which is the power switch, but a long press will change the setting. The only way to toggle oscillation, though, is using the remote, so don't lose it - it's small.

During the recent UK heat wave I took the AM07 away for a weekend and forgot to bring the remote. This was almost a disaster but luckily I was actually able to take control of it using my smartphone instead.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3, like many phones, has an IR blaster built-in. I installed the ZappIR Pro app and luckily there was a Dyson profile available which gave me full control of the device. If Dyson is smart, it'll make its own app for this.

Really, though, I'd have liked to have seen a Bluetooth connection and a proper Dyson smart app. It could give you far more control over oscillation and power. And if you pay premium prices, you expect to get premium tech like that. If toothbrushes can have companion apps and Bluetooth functionality, so can fans. It feels like a missed opportunity.

Performance

The new models have been redesigned so that they make a lot less noise. It's been achieved by making the airflow through the base more efficient and while moving air will never, ever be a silent affair, the new Dysons do a pretty good job of it.

The sheer amount of air this thing moves is amazing. It's a real luxury to have around, and I've found myself using the AM07 every night on a low setting. I find the noise levels are low enough not to disturb me, but the sleep timer is good if you want it to join you in dreamland after you've nodded off.

You do need to ensure that you buy the right model for your needs though. If you're sitting at a desk and want to be cooled, the AM06 is certainly for you. Stick the AM07 on a desk, though, and the air flow will be far too high and narrow.

The AM07 is very much designed to be floor-standing and to move the air from there.

Verdict

It's hard to get past those asking prices. They're cheapest on the Dyson site itself, but even the £220 desk model is a lot to ask for a device that just moves air from one place to another. £300 for the AM07 is another step up again, especially when you can buy a decent tower fan online for £50.

But there's a lot to be said for going the whole hog and splashing out on the Dyson. It's quiet. It moves more air. It's remote controlled and it's smaller and lighter than the equivalents. It's a truly luxury item in summer especially and If you can afford it, I doubt you'll be disappointed. Still though, £300?