Ever since catching sight of a Dyson Hot + Cool fan keeping the Queen comfortable in Buckingham Palace, we’ve been wondering just how effective these super-stylish fans are – and there’s no better time to test one out than a British summer heatwave. Because, let’s face it, as much as we all love the sun, UK homes (with a lack of aircon and a lot of windows) are not suited to heatwave temperatures!
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The Queen's Dyson fan was spotted inside Buckingham Palace
Turns out the Queen has a purifier version that’s no longer on the market but the upgraded equivalent is the HP04 Pure Hot + Cool Fan Heater Air Purifier – a piece of home tech that is stunningly designed, like all Dyson products, but at £549, has quite a hefty price tag attached.
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Dyson HP04 Pure Hot + Cool Fan Heater Air Purifier, £549, John Lewis
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So what is it that makes this fan a royal-approved item? Well, first of all the ease of use is really impressive. A single on/off button at the base of the unit makes it sleek and elegant to look at, and all other options are controlled either via your phone (the entire unit is WiFi-enabled) or using the small remote control which is magnetic and fits perfectly on the top of the fan so you don’t have to worry about losing it.
The current temperature is displayed on a small screen on the fan (not always a good thing! Knowing your room is currently 30 degrees does instantly make you feel hotter!). But it’s just one flick to engage the cooling function – or if you’re using it as a heater, you scroll up and down to select your perfect room temperature.
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Instantly the fan kicks into action and this is where the Dyson products really come into their own. The lack of rotating fan blades is a bonus for many reasons (little fingers, noise and general distraction) and the jet of cool air that’s expelled is really impressive. Of course the temperature doesn't actually go down. It's important to remember that this is not an aircon unit, although it looks as if it should be, so you can’t expect to shut the door and cool the room down to a comfortable temperature in minutes. But on a very hot day, with a bit of a through-breeze from outside you do feel undoubtedly cooler when the air is blowing in your direction.
You can fix the fan so it flows on just you (highly recommended) or let the whole unit rotate a full 350 degrees (and there’s various other options in between). And the fan can be set from 1 to 10, the latter being the strongest – and therefore loudest – option, but even at this setting it’s no problem chatting or watching TV. For bedtime you can set it to be slower and pretty much silent, and there are auto options which allow you to set it to turn off when you’re asleep. There’s also a night mode which uses its intelligent sensors to keep your room at a set temperature and your air pure all night.
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This brings us onto the other benefits of this high-tech fan. The air purification is as intelligent as it gets. The Dyson HPO4 senses particles and gases and reports them to your phone app in real time – its carbon filter (you’re alerted when it needs replacing) gets rid of pollution, pollen and all the allergens in your home that can cause asthma and other allergies.
For us the main benefit was my son’s hayfever which greatly reduced when he spent the night with it running on low. One criticism from those using the fan in the bedroom is that the remote has no screen or glow for using in the dark, but since ours was set into night mode and didn’t require altering, this wasn’t an issue.
We haven’t had a chance to test the heating function, other than by mistake when it did prove to be instant and effective, but we love the way you can set your temperature even if you’re not in the room by using the remote app – meaning you can warm up your bedroom before you go upstairs or get your house feeling toasty on the way home from work – great!
It is a big investment, and if the purification of your air isn't a big issue for you, there are other, less pricey hot and cold models available.
Dyson AM09 Hot + Cool Fan Heater, £399, John Lewis
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But if you live in London like I do, the added benefit of helping the whole family breathe healthy, pure air seems worth the additional cost. The fact it's so nice to look at and combines cool and hot functions means it can sit permanently in place in your main living area and you don't have to hide it away. Hey - if it's good enough for Buckingham Palace....
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