Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link {review}

A review of the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link air purifier

We got a Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link air purifier a few weeks ago, and we’d like to share our experiences from the latest new device from the company that revolutionized the common home vacuum back in the late 1990’s / early 2000’s.

And since their vacuums literally disrupted the market, they’ve released many other innovative products, including Hand Dryers (best I’ve ever tried), Hair Care (blow dryers), high-end LED Lighting, “Air Treatment” (i.e., fans and purifiers), and more.

We reviewed one of the early Dyson Air Multipliers over six years ago – with mixed results. You sort of had to “re-think” the status quo to understand what it was all about.

So what exactly IS the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link air purifier?

Well, for starters – I would call these devices mostly air purifiers. That would be their number one strength. And the main reason you should consider buying one.

However, they also push / blow air around if that is your desire. They make “tower” models (40″ tall) – which only blow air (for a “cooling effect”) while purifying the air. Cost around $400 for the standalone model and $500 for the “Link” model – which includes a WiFi interface that “talks” to an “app” you need on your phone.

The “Pure Hot + Cold Link” models are $600 (this review) – and are the smaller (non-tower, 25″ tall) versions. They also include the WiFi / App interface. But they also act as space heaters – which may be good for many people who live in certain (cooler) apartments in Hoboken. Certainly, if you live near one of the main roads like Washington or Observer and the diesel fuel smells you’ll encounter!

Air Purifiers are a tricky nut to crack so far

We’ve dealt with MANY air purifiers in our day. Way back to Honeywell activated charcoal HEPA models (which ended up smelling up the rooms worse if not exactly maintained), to electrostatic ozone generating machines (which provided a nice, calming smell – but questionable efficacy), to mega-fan, multi-filter cleaners like the Rabbit Air Cleaner (which we reviewed back in 2009.)

Shoot – we should branch off into air cleaner reviews one of these days..!

Most air cleaners (sans the ozone ones) required expensive and frequent filter changes. Hundreds of dollars per year – with results that were fairly weak. Made you wonder if you could buy a $10 fan at Walmart and just tape some foam padding on the back for similar results.

The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link claims to have a filtering mechanism that can remove 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. And the filter, based on average use of 12 hours per day – is expected to last on average of a year. New filters are only $70 each. Not bad. Especially with lesser use!

Real world test – How did the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link work?

This is a three-part section. This first part is the effectiveness of the air cleaning feature – the second will cover the app. And the third part will look at operational modes, and so on.

Let’s get this clarified right away: The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link is a phenomenal air purifier. Incredibly effective. Better than all other air purifiers we’ve ever used. Feel like I’m in a clean room in some computer lab or medical facility. I think any of the Dyson Air Purifiers (depending on your needs) will satisfy the toughest of customers.

The fan is extremely quiet (almost inaudible at low levels) and it cleans the air rapidly (at higher levels).

It is designed as well as all other Dyson products. Ergonomic, smooth-operating, and slick. Plus, you’ll never have an instruction manual so nicely printed on heavy card-stock paper! A refreshing change from some manuals that are folded like Origami on rotten tissue-paper. A+ for that!

Since we’ve had it under a month – we cannot vouch for how effective the filter is long-term but will update a year from now to see how that pans out.

But what about the rest of the features…?

Hot + Cool + APP

Here’s where some criticism may help Dyson improve this product. (I wish they had me in their focus groups when designing it!)

There are some peculiarities that need to be mentioned.

For starters – the “LINK” in the product name refers to WiFi access – which provide “enhanced” functionality via the Dyson Link App (available only for smartphones in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store). No tablet-specific app (yet).

We downloaded and installed the app (apprehensively – due to the crazy permissions they requested like photos, contacts, and location – why? This app only needs WiFi access. That is it!)

It interfered with the included remote and did not work intuitively out of the box. Numerous people also had issues with the app. I uninstalled it quickly, and the device worked fine via the remote only.

The “app” provides a few things “gadget tinkerers” might like – such as an air-quality chart and other scheduling functions. But the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link works just fine without the app. I just wish they provided a “non-LINK” version of this smaller model for $100 less. I think a lot of people would prefer that as well. The unit functions the same without the app.

Companies really should “vet-out” their programs / apps in the real world much better before releasing them in the wild. They’d avoid a LOT of one-star reviews if they were a bit more prudent about it.

[EDIT: We tried a 2nd time to give the app a chance. And we had slightly improved results. Maybe it was a version update or just better luck, but the app seemed to work better. But it was still intermittent at best. It could be some finicky settings that have to do with each home’s network settings. Like we said above – the added “enhancements” of the app don’t seem worth it. I’d rather have a “non-app” model for $100 less…]

But there are other things we’d change…

Hot + Cool + AUTO

This is another intuitive aspect of this product that is a little off-base in my opinion.

They use basic words like HOT – COOL – and AUTO. Something must have happened in the past decade. Those don’t necessarily mean what they used to.

Let me try and explain.

For one – the “COOL” is not an air conditioner. It doesn’t necessarily COOL the air. It simply BLOWS the air around. For instance, if you placed this near your awesome wood-burning stove at home, it would BLOW (hot) air around. Yes, it is a FAN. Not a cooling machine. They should have labeled that button “FAN” or “FAN ONLY.”

The “HOT” part definitely warms the air. But a better (more traditional word) should have been “HEATER.” It heats the air until the ambient temperature reaches the level you set on the thermostat. It will not blow hot air around in perpetuity unless you set the thermostat at the max (99 degrees). Running any portable “heater” at the max temperature for an extended period of time is not a good idea (unless you love visits from the Hoboken Fire Dept.)

Now “AUTO” is another story. Has nothing to do with the “FAN” mode at all. The “auto” function is simply for air purification. You’ll run into problems if you want a 73-degree heat at all times in auto-mode. Especially if you live in a clean house. Once the air is considered “clean” by the unit – it will stop – regardless of what the thermostat is set at in hot mode, or if it’s in the “cool” mode. So the “AUTO” button should be re-labeled: “AUTO AIR CLEAN ONLY.”

Or better yet – you need TWO “Auto” modes. One solely for air purification – and another that keeps the “wind” blowing at all times, but adjusts the heat on and off depending on the thermostat level. This is something they can definitely program into the next app release (which would be the only benefit for then having the app at that point – since the remote is fixed in its functionality).

Maybe fellow Dyson owners will get this – but many of you might not understand unless you have the opportunity to actually use it.

The cheat sheet – how to use the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link

I’ll re-align what I just said in a different way. And give you a few “simple tricks” on how to best use this device:

• If you want a “FAN,” set the unit to “cool” and just adjust the speed to what makes you feel comfortable. It will be cleaning the air constantly (but will wear out your filter faster).

• If you want to warm yourself up, set the “hot” (red, warm) button to a temperature higher than the room temperature. It will run until the ambient temperature reaches that level. The thermostat goes as high as 99 degrees. Note that it will automatically shut off after nine (9) consecutive hours of heat for “safety.”

• In either mode – adjust the fan speed to your preference.

• If you just want to clean the air – first decide if you need warming or cooling (cooling is always the better option). Press the “auto” button and the unit will operate until it (the internal robot brain) thinks the clarity of the air in the room meets the “clean” threshold (i.e., no more pollutants).

That’s it! I think for the most part we’ll use this unit only in the “cool” (i.e., fan) mode unless we get a major cold snap with sub-zero temps for an extended period of time (or if our heat goes out!)

The unit works well (and heats amazingly if that’s what you need – just be sure to follow the numerous common-sense safety precautions!)

Tips & Recommendations

Here are a few logical things to consider if you’re in the market for a Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link air purifier:

• NEVER rely on a home air purifier to “eliminate” obnoxious, heavy smells such as cigarette or cigar smoke. The best bet to keep your apartment clear of that “icky” smell, is not to smoke inside. Your filters will become ineffective and clog so much faster. However, they may help still. Just keep extra filters on hand (every three months is probably a better idea if you’re an indoor smoker.)

• Be prudent when it comes to portable electric heaters. NEVER rely on them for your sole source of heat in the winter. Just plain dumb.

• The “app” is not a make or break deal. However, if you dig “apps,” then reach out to Dyson for improvements. Perhaps you can also get included in their focus groups?

• Lastly – this device relies on “remote” control. It might make sense to buy a backup remote in advance to keep as a spare. Especially if you don’t have a smartphone.

Bottom line on the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link

Despite the intuitive issues or the lack of a perfect “app,” I think this air purifier and air blower is a fantastic product worthy of consideration for anyone in the market.

The “app” will eventually get worked out (as well as the firmware on the device.)

The functionality issues are not deal-breakers – and don’t take more than a day to “get used to” and understand.

We really should expect better from an established, billion-dollar company. But we do live in the world the Millennials are taking over – so perhaps everything will perpetually be “IN BETA” for the foreseeable future. Maybe if these companies stopped firing people with experience in exchange for “cheap labor,” some of these issues wouldn’t be here today.

Regardless – the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link is a winner. And we breathe easier because of it!