Dyson has been always known for producing pricey premium products, similar to Apple’s offerings in the smartphone and laptop world. They even have the same design philosophy as the products are clean, minimal and easy to use.
The new Dyson AM11 Pure Cool Link is probably the most expensive compact air purifier for home use. There’s been a lot of skepticism about the product and most people don’t want to pay that much for an air purifier. Is the product really worth the huge investment? Let’s check it out.
Review
Design & Features
The Dyson Pure Cool Link looks very similar to Dyson’s tower fans released a few years ago. The product consists of just 2 parts, which are the base and the top loop. Therefore it’s extremely easy to assemble the purifier, just align the top part on the base properly, push it down, and it’s ready to use.
Although the purifier looks like a tower fan, you can still distinguish the two by looking at the base. The base of the air purifier is a lot bigger because it houses a 360-degree glass HEPA filter inside. The product is an air purifier but it also doubles as a stylish bladeless fan. I’m very impressed with the slim and tall design of the tower, moreover, it is easier to clean and safer for your kids.
Good to know: You still can’t tilt the loop to direct the outpouring airflow, Dyson explained that tilting this part will make the product unstable and it may tip over.
The Pure Cool Link also comes with a familiar remote control, and I love that they no longer use soft touch finish on the control. My remote control for the Dyson AM06 Desk Fan looks terrible now with chipped coating.
As there is only one button on the purifier, you will need to use the remote control to make some adjustments like power on/off, fan speed, sleep timer, night-time mode, auto mode and oscillation. If you lost a remote control on previous Dyson’s products, you wouldn’t be able to control the fans and you must order a replacement.
That’s not the case here as the Pure Cool Link is a smart product with the companion Dyson Link app. You can use this app to control the purifier easily without the need of the remote control.
Besides, you can also see air quality in your city, see the current air quality in your room, set air quality target, view filter’s life, keep track of the air quality daily and weekly, and schedule to turn on the purifier automatically.
Good to know: You need to connect your smartphone and the purifier to the same Wi-fi network to control the purifier. That means you won’t be able to turn it on/off or view data when you’re away from home.
Performance
Before testing the Dyson air purifier, I’ve tested the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier 2 and I was quite satisfied with its performance. The Mi one is a lot cheaper but can’t compete with the Dyson one in terms of design and functions.
As a fan, the AM11 has 10 airflow settings and it runs very quietly. I can only start hearing the noise when turning the fan speed to level 7 or higher. If you set it to the Auto mode, you might not recognize the fan is running. The fan is quite powerful but of course, it is still noticeably weaker than traditional fans with spinning blades. The airflow is more directed and it is just about 70% as powerful as on my current bladed fan.
Opening the door on the base will reveal VOC and particle sensors which are used to monitor particulates and gases. In the auto mode, the purifier will adjust fan speed based on the info provided by those sensors.
The Dyson Link app says the current air condition in my room is ‘Fair‘, that means there are some ultrafine particles including pollen, bacteria and pet dander. There is no other indicating number, so it’s very difficult to tell how bad the air is. However, after turning on the purifier for a couple of days, the engine became idle and the app told me that the air is ‘Good‘. The A symbol on the LED display will turn green when the air quality target is met.
Good to know: Seemingly the purifier works better when all doors are closed. When I opened some windows, the air condition came back to ‘Fair’ and the engine starts running again.
It’s very difficult to tell the difference before and after using the Dyson air purifier. I’m not really sure it could remove all allergens and pollutants from my room but it manages to remove smells pretty well. Moreover, the app tells me the air quality is actually better, and I see some dirt trapped on the filter, so I think the product is legit.
The filter life is pretty long and you won’t need to change it anytime soon. If you run the purifier continuously, it could last up to 6 months. And of course, the filter life could reach a couple of years if you just use it for a few hours per day.
Conclusion
Pros
- Minimal design
- Easy to use with remote control or Dyson app
- Quiet in Auto mode
- Fan is quite powerful as compared to any other bladeless fan
- Air quality is improved after 1 day (according to the app)
Cons
- Expensive
- The airflow is directed to 1 person only
The Dyson Pure Cool Link is just $100 more expensive than Dyson’s tower fan. Therefore, I highly recommend you to consider the air purifier. This is a 2-in-1 device that performs well in both of its functions, and it looks more intriguing than any purifiers out there. If you buy the 2 products separately, you might end up having 2 bulky ones and your living room or bedroom might turn into a mess.
Jamie says
Hey, is the purifier expensive to run as in electricity costs?
Cheers
Tuan Do says
No, the power consumption is just 51 watts at the highest setting, so it costs just a little more than a normal fan.
Georgie says
Hi- have you noticed, in the time since your review, how it goes with dust particles? I want a purifier which basically sucks up all the dust that floats about in the air.
William says
Cat hairs stick outside mine all the time since the airflow moves a lot of air i have less dust/hairs to clean and my black glass table seems cleaner. 2 days of.use
3 cats
Randy says
I was most attracted to the “cool” benefit. My ac went down, and I thought this would at least help in one room. Alas, not the case. How do I get the fan to operate at it’s coolest? Should it be put in front of an open window?
PK says
It does not cool the air. It has a “cooling effect” which is simply the movement of air. In a hot room it will make zero difference in air temperatures
Shirley L Shaffer says
I made a mistake and picked up a rag that had been sprayed with Enddust to dust off the inside and outside of the loop thing. The book says not to do that. Will it hurt the ability to clean the air?
Lynn says
You can contact Dyson to check, maybe aerosols shorten the lifespan of the carbon filters. I have to say I love my Purecool, we bought it to clear the air in our NZ home during episodes of ashcloud haze from the current Australian bushfires crisis (2019/20) and it quickly made a noticeable difference. I use it in the main living and bedroom with walk-in robe and ensuite. I close off each room and run it until it achives my target (comfort) rating. Will def. be recommending to family and friends.