Around 1 year ago, amid the scorching summer heat, I decided that it was time to invest in a fan that claims it can do it all - The Dyson AM09 Hot and Cool Fan Heater.
While Dyson are usually known for the vacuum cleaners, more recent innovations by them include the fan, hairdryers and even specialized lighting! The AM09 promises to be effective all year round, by providing sustained cool streams of air in the summer, and room regulated heated during the winter. As I have had it for quite a while now, now I feel is a good time to determine whether you could do better than its £300 asking price.
The first (and for many most important) feature I would like to discuss is
its appearance. Famed for a bladeless design, the AM09 doesn’t look out of
place even in the most futuristic of homes, with a contemporary yet simple
stand that lets the fan swivel around in a typical motion. Unlike rival tower
fans, it is actually quite small in comparison, making it portable enough to
move around the house or place on a desk, while still being large enough to
pack a punch.
However, the Hot and Cool fan is not intended to be some form of
decoration, after all its sole function is to either heat or cool a room. In
winter it performs amicably. The temperature gauge that features on a small
screen at the front of the fan makes it easy for one to make the room as hot or
cool as they please, and thanks to an A++ energy rating, won’t break the bank
when the radiators are not doing their job well enough.
Unfortunately, the praise for the AM09’s performance ends there, as its
role in cooling a room on a boiling day ultimately disappoints. The temperature
control does not work anywhere near as well when cooling a room in comparison,
leaving even my small bedroom almost inhabitable during peak summertime as the
heat would not disappear.
Furthermore, should you strain the fan at its peak performance ranging
from 1 (barely noticeable) to 10 (full power), suddenly any room that contains
one of these fans will be subject to the sounds of a loud motor, meaning you’ll
be forced into a slight bellow if you wish to converse in its presence. The fan
also comes packed with a small controller, which is vital for changing any
settings. You need to be careful not to lose this, as there are no buttons other
than on/off on the fan itself.
Overall, despite being a pretty piece of kit, I would probably not recommend this to a friend. At the same price point, you could afford an Air Conditioning unit which would do a much better job in the summer, as well as a small heater, which would do an equal job in the winter. It’s a shame that it ultimately falls short, and perhaps in the future it continues to develop into a year round house essential.
