Bladeless fan and air purifier in a cool machine

The Dyson Pure Cool is a bladeless fan and air purifier rolled into one. It features Dyson's Air Multiplier technology, which directs air up through the sides of the fan to create a blast of air. Coupled with air filters and a 350-degree oscillation capability, it is said to be able to circulate purified air to all corners of the room.

It comes in two versions - a tower version ($899) for floor placement and a shorter version ($699) for tabletop placement. I tested the black tower version in the living room of a four-room 90 sq m HDB flat. It is also available in white/silver and grey/blue colours.

Design-wise, it looks like one of those snazzybladeless fans that Dyson is famed for, but with a thicker cylindrical base that houses the air filters.

The filters come in two semi-circular parts that clip into either side of the base. Each part consists of an inner carbon filter and an outer high-efficiency particulate air (commonly known as Hepa) filter. Do not force the part into the base - insert carefully until you hear a click sound.

In front of the base is a small LCD screen that displays the amount of air pollutants in real time with a simple graph. Above the display is the power button.

A magnetised remote control, which can be neatly stored at the top of the machine, lets you power it up and control functions such as degree of oscillation, fan speed, night mode and timer.

  • SPECS

    PRICE: $899

    CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

    WEIGHT: 3.7kg

  • RATING

    FEATURES: 4/5

    DESIGN: 5/5

    PERFORMANCE: 3/5

    VALUE FOR MONEY: 3/5

    OVERALL: 4/5

I prefer to use the Dyson Link app (available on Android and iOS) to control the Pure Cool. Once paired with the app via Bluetooth and connected to my home Wi-Fi, I can remotely control the machine even when I am outside.

The app lets you see at a glance the temperature, humidity and air quality of your room. Key your location information into the app to get the external temperature, humidity and air quality for comparison.

You can also see the levels of PM2.5, PM10, volatile organic compound (VOC) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with the app. PM2.5 are fine air pollutant particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less, while PM10 are particles with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less.

As a test, I sprayed some insecticide in the room, causing the app to showspikes in PM2.5, PM10 and VOC levels, though they were still within the good quality limit. The device seems to do its job as the readings went back to their original levels in about 20 minutes.

On the downside, the Pure Cool's fan is not as powerful as conventional fans. The breeze it generated at the highest setting felt like that produced by the lowest setting of my $100-plus bladed standing fan. But it does help in circulating the air when the air-conditioner is turned on.

Costing close to $900, the Pure Cool is quite expensive, even for an air purifier and bladeless fan rolled into one.

• Verdict: The Dyson Pure Cool is a cool-looking and capable air purifier fan that can be controlled remotely. It probably works best with air-conditioning.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 15, 2018, with the headline Bladeless fan and air purifier in a cool machine. Subscribe