Dyson Pure Hot + Cool air purifier review: Expensive but worth every penny

Struggling for a breath of fresh air in a polluted city? The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool all-season air purifier may be a worthy product, but does it justify its premium price tag of Rs 54,900?

Air pollution is not a seasonal issue anymore. And, the World Health Organization says, unlike what we believe, air quality indoors could sometimes be worse than outdoors. Most air purifiers do help minimise exposure to polluted air, at least indoors, but not all of them provide all-season utility. That is one gap that the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool seeks to plug.

Designed by British home appliances manufacturer Dyson, the Pure Hot + Cool claims to be one-of-its kind air purifier promising all-season use: It doubles up as a fan and a hot air blower while simultaneously removing pollutants and harmful gases in the air. These promises give this device an air of versatility, especially for cities that witness varied weather conditions — Delhi, for instance. But does the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool’s all-season utility justify its price tag of Rs 54,900? Let’s find out:

Design

To those unaware of Dyson’s design philosophy, the Pure Hot + Cool might not look like an air purifier, thanks to an unconventional form factor. It has a tower-shaped design with an elongated ring-shaped blower on top and a circular base. On the forehead of the base is a circular colour display which uses the device’s built-in sensors to show air quality information in real time. For ease of use, the air purifier comes with a tiny remote control, with magnets to help place it at a dedicated spot on the head of the blower.

The air purifier may look complicated, but its minimal form factor makes it easy to place even in the most crammed rooms. But do note that it works best without any obstructions near its base, where the High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA), Active Carbon filters and suction fans are fitted. The air purifier supports an oscillation movement (up to 350 degrees), so it circulates air across the room, not just in one direction.

Features

Designed for indoors — living room, bedroom or large lobby areas — this one is a technologically advanced air purifier. Beside filters that clean the air, it also has inbuilt sensors to detect pollutants like particulate matters (PM 2.5 and PM 10), volatile organic compounds like benzene and formaldehyde emitted by paints, burning candles and materials in furniture, and nitrogen.

Based on the sensors’ readings, the machine automatically adjusts (auto mode) its fan speed to suck polluted air passing through the filters (HEPA and Active Carbon). The clean air is then pushed back in the room through the elongated ring-shaped blower, which has vents to diffuse air either from the front or back.

Performance

Being an air purifier, the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool circulates the indoor air and cleans it in the process. Contrary to its advertised claim, the air purifier does not cool the air, as it lacks components like condenser and compressor. So, don’t expect it to be substitute an air conditioner during hot summers. For winters, it does have a heating membrane that allows it to push out warm air, so you consider it for a safe alternative to room heaters.

As an air purifier, the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool works remarkably in cleansing the air of pollutants and odours. It is suitable for small to moderate room sizes (150 sq ft to around 300 sq ft). In the auto mode, the machine works quietly when the indoor air quality index (AQI) is within permissible limits. Beyond that, it makes some noise because of its fan speed; you can manually set it to a lower level to reduce the noise. However, note that the air purifier would take more time to clean the room air at a lower fan speed. The air purifier also has a night mode, which dims its display brightness and makes it operate at a lower fan speed.

Complementing the machine’s performance is the Dyson Link app, which you can download on smartphones based on Android and iOS operating systems to remotely operate the air purifier. The app also shows room air quality data through various visualisations, and gives an explainer with each data point for ease of understanding. Using this app, you can also link your air purifier to Amazon Alexa and operate it through voice commands. Besides powering the air purifier on and off, you can also ask Alexa for air-quality information the air purifier gathers through its sensors.

Verdict

At Rs 54,900, the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool might seem expensive, but it is worth the price. This air purifier is different from other similar machines in both its looks and performance.