My Honest Review of the Dyson Hot+Cool Air Purifier (Spoiler Alert: I’m Obsessed)

First, a quick look at the general specs. The Dyson Hot+Cool is designed as a three-in-one fan, space heater and air purifier. And because it’s Dyson, it looks pretty damn chic, too. It stands 30 inches or 2.5 feet high and comes with a wall cord that’s 5.9 feet in length. There is no cordless option, but really this just means you never have to stress about charging your Hot+Cool, and I’ve not had any issues with navigating where to plug in the power cord. There are ten speed settings, applicable to both heat and cooling, and you can make adjustments either on the included remote control or via an app on your phone.

Speaking of the app, this is also where you can see a plethora of stats about the air in your home compared to the air outside. It gives you details about the air quality in general, the temperature and humidity, as well as numbers regarding the levels of VOC (volatile organic compounds), NO₂ and particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and 10 micrometers in size. (That last part is worth noting because matter that small can penetrate deeply into your lungs, according to the California Air Resources Board.) All this is to say, it gives you a lot of information to parse if you want to get into the nitty gritty of the air quality in your home. The only thing the app doesn’t do is turn on the heating mode—you need to use the included remote to do that, for safety reasons.

But does the Hot+Cool really live up to all it promises? In short, absolutely yes.

It’s Efficient—And Surprisingly Portable

My apartment is about 650 square feet, and while the air flow and layout don’t allow for my Hot+Cool to work the entire space at once, it is incredibly effective in whatever room I do place it in. And because it’s really not very heavy (11.6 lbs) and the looped design makes it handy to pick up, I can easily move it from place to place without much trouble. The heating feature definitely helps keep me feeling comfortable on those chilly nights in later summer/early fall before the radiators are turned on without even needing to turn it up particularly high. If I really want to warm up fast, I find an 8/10 on the speed setting is more than enough, and if I plan to have it on overnight, then a 4 or 5 is both comfortable and quiet.

As for the cooling mode, Dyson makes it clear that this air purifier is not an air conditioner. It’s merely a very powerful fan that packs all the innovative air flow technology you’d expect from Dyson. On super-hot summer days, I’m still very grateful to have access to an in-window A/C unit. But the Hot+Cool still works remarkably well at cooling down my bedroom or kitchen. (In the larger living room you can notice it having some effect, but it can only do so much in all that space.) I’ll also say, whether you’re heating or cooling, this machine is not totally silent. It’s far less noisy than classic stand fans I’ve owned in the past, and the whirring of the fan isn’t particularly annoying or grating, more like a soft drone in the background. It won’t distract me from a TV show (especially on lower settings), but some online reviews disagree.

The air filtration really got put to the test last summer when wildfires in Canada caused heavy smoke and air pollution all the way down in NYC. For those few days I had my trusty little Dyson running 24/7, checking updates in the app to see how the air both inside and outside my apartment was doing. But even without the app I could tell it was making a real difference. Moving from the kitchen on the west side of my apartment to the bedroom on the opposite east end where I had the machine running, there was a noticeable change in the air. The fact that my cats barely left the bedroom the entire time served as further proof to me that their animal instincts saw the bedroom air as cleaner and safer, too.

There Is One Downside to Note

Dyson typically recommends replacing the air purifying filter just once a year. Which is good news, because one of the major downsides of this appliance is the fact that those filters don’t come cheap—each replacement costs $80. I also don’t find them particularly easy to swap and have always had some frustration getting one side or the other to slide into place. Of course, if you live someplace with higher levels of air pollution you may need to change the filters more often, but the app will also alert you when you’re getting close to needing a replacement.

The Bottom Line: Is It Worth It?

While I do find myself cursing under my breath on the rare occasion I need to replace the filter, I’ll happily go through the (albeit very minor) pains to keep my Dyson Hot+Cool running smoothly for another glorious year. It may be pricey, but this is one splurge I can say with absolute confidence has had incredible returns on investment.