Geek Review: 2021 Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde

We’ve seen our fair share of Dyson’s bladeless fans and air purifiers in the past few years – the Dyson Pure Cool Link Air Purifier, the Dyson Pure Cool Tower Purifier Fan and even the unique Dyson Pure Cool Me, and all have stood out with features that many have attempted to clone, but none have been able to replicate. And copying this one is likely to be a challenge, as the British technology company is offering an upgraded return with the new 2021 Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde is what crime shows tell us is used to preserve dead bodies, but it is also a colourless pungent gas that is used in building materials and furniture, and prolonged exposure can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the nose, and throat, coughing, wheezing, nausea and skin irritation, among other things. It lingers in the air and can be found in furniture, wooden products, paint, wallpaper and varnishes. 

With the world shifting to a state where we spend more time at home, the air quality matters more than ever, especially for those who have little kids at home and now you have a tool to protect against it.

Much like its predecessors, the product itself is of pretty standard design, and this specific model comes in two colours – white gold and nickel gold, and both provide an elegant touch to their surroundings. Weighing 4.85kg, at a height of 1050mm and a width of 220mm, the Purifier Cool retains the compactness compared to other fans and air purifiers, making it a unit that doesn’t take up too much space in your home, thereby allowing for a more unobtrusive placement at home. The bonus is a 1.8m power cord, which allows it to be moved a distance away from a power point.

Although the box that it comes in may look huge in comparison, it’s due to the fact that the unit itself comes with filters that have yet to be attached. However, just like Lego, it is a quick snap-on that makes the set-up a breeze, in our case, approximately three minutes or less. Simply snap the filters onto the base with the cylindrical grill covers on top of it and you are done.

The primary purifier here is the HEPA+ Carbon Filter, which captures air pollutants and 99.95% of particles, and regurgitates clean air that is safe to breathe in. According to Dyson, the filter is not the only section that’s sealed to HEPA standard, as the whole unit itself is built to prevent pollutants from leaking back into the air in the process. What goes inside, stays inside.

Hence, the real question is, how do you know if it’s turned on and working? Well, it’s actually not easy to tell. The fan and the filter work as one unit and there’s the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde mobile app that gives homeowners the ability to track the air quality around the fan conveniently. Whilst the fan does have a built-in screen that states the levels of air quality, it is rather small and hard to monitor at a far distance so the Dyson Link, available on both iOS and Android devices, is much more efficient and effective.

We put the purifier to the test and almost triggered the smoke alarm in the office with our massive cookout. The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde was able to detect the impurities found in the air after some extensive frying and according to the air quality scale, the room was filled with an extremely high level of microscopic particles and VOCs. Using the auto mode, it took about an hour and a half for the air quality to return back to its normal, and for the device to clean the whole area roughly the size of a living and dining room in a 4-room HDB flat. If you are looking to speed the process by a couple of minutes, you can always run your purifier at a high speed.

Air cleaning aside, there’s also the fan and since it’s app-controlled, you can use it as how you would with the remote it comes with – make it oscillate, adjust fan speed and level, and even turn the fan-out or schedule night mode which automatically turns off the fan at a certain time. Yet, having an old-fashioned remote that can power the unit on and off is still unbeatable at the end of the day, but to unlock the full features of the fan the app is the way to go. 

There’s also the IoT option of linking the fan to the app, which allows users to activate voice control, making it compatible with voice services such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and even Apple’s Siri.

As for the cleaning factor, it is easier than traditional fans due to its bladeless feature. A quick wipe down of the unit with a cloth would do the trick. The filters are also a breeze to disassemble – just push down the latches on the side of the grills and it will pop out automatically giving access to the filters. Once retrieved, just wash them with cold water and dry them thoroughly before placing them back into the unit. The current state of the filters and whether they need cleaning or replacing, are available through the app, or you can also monitor it from the product’s built-in screen.

One prominent complaint of early Dyson bladeless fan models was its noise, but with this new range, it seems like it is not an issue any longer. It’s not entirely silent, but the churn of the motor is tolerable up to a speed level of 6. However, running it a 7 or higher does produce an obvious hum that can get quite distracting in the long run.

The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde is a nice upgrade from prior models, even if we didn’t have the equipment needed to test the cleaning of formaldehyde in the air – we’ll just have to take Dyson’s word for it. If you’re home in your study, working or studying for extended periods, this specific model offers ventilation and purification, and while it works well in the living room, the smaller size of a bedroom will allow the device to run its purification more efficiently. 

The Dyson Air Purifier is available for purchase on Dyson’s official store for S$999, and it comes with a two-year warranty and a free 14-day return in case of any issues with the product. For more Dyson products, you may also check their products out on Lazada, Shopee and Amazon.