Are Dyson fans worth it? Here's why you should consider paying the premium for one…

If you've been thinking of buying a Dyson fan, we would not want to stop you. In fact, while there are a few fans on the market that move air around even more efficiently and a very few that are more stylish, overall Dyson fans pack the best combination of looks, effectiveness and exciting bonus features, from app control to air purifying and heating. There's even one that humidifies the room, even as it fans you. 

There are plenty of cooling fan designs on the market – usually in pedestal, desktop, tower or ceiling form – and they all have one thing in common. They are almost universally butt ugly to look at and about as inconspicuous as a pink elephant in a tutu. And don’t even get me started on tower fans. 

These tasteless dark plastic menhirs sit in the corner swaying from side to side while emitting a feeble puff of breeze that couldn’t even blow out a cake candle. Granted, they are at least slimmer in stature and cageless in design but nonetheless, what today's young people call 'ugly AF', whatever that means.

Granted, some companies like Swan have produced some fairly decent retro-style fans but they’re still very much in-yer-face and, if I’m honest, a wee bit cheap looking and, as it turns out, cheaply built, too. Even the one I'd call the very best fan when it comes to efficiency – the Meaco 1056 – is hardly a picture of elegance. Oh, and another thing, have you seen the filthy state of a fan’s blade after two weeks of use?

Clearly the best option for keeping cool is to have a bona fide air conditioning system – or at least the best portable air conditioner – installed in the home. But I’m writing this in northern Europe where the sun don’t shine six months of the year, so I haven't dabbled with that yet.

So what’s the alternative, then? Well, at least one company has managed to reinvent the humble fan as we know it. You know full well who I’m talking about because it’s emblazoned across the top of this page. 

Whether you like Dyson products or not, you have to admit that the British-born company’s fan range is a cut above the rest in terms of technology, build quality and elegance. Indeed, every time I get one in to review, I’m always impressed by the way it sort of disappears amongst the furnishings. As do the little remotes they come with, but that's another story.

So let’s rip open the company’s brochure, take a closer look at its current roster of air cooling wares and try come up with as many reasons as possible why your next fan should be a Dyson. If you would like to move straight on to shopping, we also have a handy buying guide to the best Dyson fans and the best current prices on them as well asa  more general list of the best Dyson deals. We have a lot of Dyson content, frankly.

• More air improving products for your pleasure
• Best air purifier – remove allergens and pollutants
• Best dehumidifier – rid yourself of excess moisture 
• Best humidifier … and then put it back again

Why you should buy a Dyson fan: design ethos

When it comes to inconspicuous elegance, the Dyson fan roster takes some beating. This is because Dyson fans don’t have any visible blades spinning around in your face and they are, on average, extremely svelte in appearance with Apple-like design simplicity. 

When the company launched its first air multiplying fan in 2009 I, like most intrigued consumers, wondered how the hell it was able to produce any form of air movement without any visible fan blades. Even close inspection failed to show any signs of where the breeze was coming from. What’s more you could put your whole arm right through its portal and it miraculously remained firmly fixed to the shoulder. Well obviously there is a spinning fan blade in there somewhere or the air multiplier would be considered a thing of magic. So how does it work? 

Why you should buy a Dyson fan: the invisible blade 

The answer is, according to the experts, a simple case of fluid dynamics. In essence, about 20 litres of air per second is drawn in through small slats in the base and pushed through a channel and up a curvy ramp where the physics of inducement and entrainment combine to multiply the effect so that what the user feels is akin to a steady, smooth breeze.

If you want to dig deeper into the science, I suggest a quick visit to the clever clogs at How Stuff Works who break down the whole process in greater detail. 

When your head has stopped imploding, do come back so we can get to the heart of the matter and take a closer look at the models in Dyson’s current catalogue.

Why you should buy a Dyson fan: what’s so good about Dyson fans?

As you must surely know by now, Dyson fans work in an entirely different way to most anything else on the market. But it’s not all expensive style over substance because a Dyson fan is genuinely efficient for the task in hand, not too power hungry and pretty damn quiet as well as elegant to look at.

The key thing to know is that the breeze that comes out of that magic portal doesn’t batter you with inconsistent gusts like the average bladed fan. Instead, it’s more like a smooth, steady sea breeze that unswervingly wafts in your direction, keeping you cool and comfortable in the process, sometimes without you actually realising it.

All Dyson fans feature side-to-side oscillation and come with a magnetic remote control that attaches to the top of the unit. This remote must no be lost because most of the fan's functions are controlled by it.

Another really excellent thing about Dyson fans is that they are an absolute doddle to keep clean. If you already have a standard fan you’ll have doubtless noticed that the fan tips soon turn a darker shade of black as dirty air is drawn in through the rear. Cleaning the blades requires removing the cage and carefully wiping each blade in turn. By extreme contrast, to clean a Dyson fan, you simply run a damp cloth around the inside of the portal. And that’s it.

Dyson fans are also inherently quiet, especially at lower air speeds. That said, full speed does tend to create a higher pitched tone that can interfere with the frequencies of a television, so you might want to lower the fan speed when watching your favourite box set.

Dyson Fans: which model is best for you?

There are currently five cooling models available for your perusal and most of these include some kind of air treatment technology like air purification and humidification. Every model is equipped with ten air speeds and an oscillation feature which spreads the breeze evenly around the room. The company’s flagship Pure Humidify + Cool model even mimics the feel of a natural undulating breeze to remarkable affect.

Dyson Cool Tower & Desk Fan

Available in two styles – a tall tower and a desktop version – this is Dyson’s most basic model. Like all Dyson air coolers, they come with magnetic remote controls and feature side-to-side oscillation. This is the model to opt for if budget is an issue.

Dyson Purifier Cool

Many companies are jumping on the air-cleaning bandwagon and Dyson is no exception. This model not only blows a cool breeze, it purifies the air in the process using a fully-sealed HEPA filter said to be capable of capturing 99.95% of ultra-fine particles, including pollen and allergens. What’s more, it uses three sensors to detect the level of air quality in the room and then reacts accordingly. Again, this model comes with oscillation and a remote control which you must not lose. You can also control the fan with your voice using the Dyson Link app.

Dyson Purifier Hot + Cool

This model is the same as the Purifier Cool, only it also comes with a heating element. For just £50 more for the white version, I would recommend opting for this model if air purification is important to you because, come winter, you can keep your tootsies warm at the same time.

Dyson Pure Humidify + Cool

This triple-function machine represents the pinnacle of Dyson air treatment tech because it not only blows a breeze that’s been purified by a carbon and HEPA filter combo, it also humidifies the room at the same time. Simply fill the large three-litre container with water and a mist so fine you can’t see it is ported out of two oscillating slats at the front. This model has a brilliant oscillating feature that mimics an undulating breeze and it works amazingly well. 

Another major bonus with this model is that the air coming out of it is cooler than a standard fan so if money’s no object then this bells-and-whistles option is clearly the best model in the entire Dyson fan roster.

Dyson Pure Cool Me

This small desktop model is designed for cooling the face and torso from just a few feet away. The Pure Cool Me features 70˚ oscillation, a very cool roller-action dome for controlling the angle of vertical flow and ten fan speeds, from an almost imperceptible flutter (perfect for bedside use) to a full-blown micro gale.