We’re having a heatwave where I am. Typically here no one has air conditioning because it doesn’t usually get hot enough for long enough to justify it for most families. But when conditions do change and it gets up to 34°C or 94°F, something must be done.
Fortunately for me a demo model of the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link arrived for testing and this review a few days before the worst of the heat.
What is Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link?
What is Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link?The Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link is a multi purpose heating and cooling device. It’s a fan, heater, and air purifier all built into one tall narrow cylinder-shaped device. The major difference in this device from all other fans and heaters is that it has no blade.
The model I received is a wickedly cool cobalt blue and charcoal color and looks super modern and definitely stands out in my home.
First impressions Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link
The first thing I noticed about this while I was unboxing it is how large it is. But where traditional fans are very wide and squat, this fan/heater is tall and lean. It’s also quite heavy for its size, which gives me confidence it’s going to stay put and not rattle around.
There’s not really any set-up to speak of. You plug it in and turn it on and that’s about it. The device is controlled with the included Dyson remote control.
The remote will stick to the top of the fan unit with magnets, meaning it’s always going to be findable when you need it so long as you remember to put it back. The remote turns the fan on and off, allows you to control the level of airflow, can change exactly how the air gets blown into the room, using “focused mode” it’s also got buttons to change it from heat to cool, to turn oscillation on and off, and to set a sleep timer or at night Mode. More on those later. You can also download the Dyson Link app on iOS or Android. Using the app gives you a few additional features.
No blade? How does Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link work?
The big question on many minds is, how does a bladeless fan work, and can it move air as effectively as a bladed fan? 
Dyson uses what it calls its Air Multiplier technology where air is drawn in evenly through the base. A doohickey called the Hemholtz cavity captures and dissipates motor noise, while an “eccentrically aligned loop” allows air to enter with less turbulence, further reducing noise. Then a diffuser smooths the airflow and channels it into the two sides of the fan loop. Pressure in the loop builds and it’s then forced out of the narrow opening at high velocity. More air is drawn into the loop as the air exits, multiplying the airflow.
What’s so great about a bladeless fan or heater? Dyson points out they’re safer since there are no spinning blades or moving parts, and without blades or a grille either Dyson fans and fan heaters are quick and easy to clean. Plus they operate much, much more quietly.
Focussing on the Cool
As it was summer, I focussed mainly on the Dyson’s cooling properties. You can tell which mode your Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link is in by checking the small LED light on the lower front of the unit. A blue light indicates cooling or more accurately fan function, while a red light let you know it’s heating. This brings me to a point worth mentioning. While the name implies the device has cooling properties like air conditioning, it definitely does not. The cool from this device comes from the velocity and volume of air blown through it not from any specific cooling properties.
The strength of the air blowing through the fan is controlled on either the app or the remote control, and it can either crank up the fan to high or keep it on a much lower less blustery setting. Smartly the fan always remembers the last target temperature you set and will resume that function if you turn it on and off.
Dyson will Heat too
This unit is also pretty smart when it comes to heating. You set the target temperature for the room, and the unit will turn the heating on and off based on the reading of the built-in thermostat. If you set 20° for example for your room heat, the Dyson will continue heating until your room reaches that temperature then shut down. If the temperature drops below that number on the thermostat again the fan will come on again.
Controlling the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link with the app
Things really got cooking when I was able to get the device connected via Wi-Fi to my smart phone. You download the Dyson Link app, and then get the machine set up. This involves a bit of back-and-forth between the Dyson app and your smart phone’s Wi-Fi settings menu, but the app walks you through it clearly enough that it’s pretty straightforward.
Use the app to monitor air quality & VOCs
Once it’s connected you’ll be able to get instant data on the air-quality and temperature in your home at any given time, and over certain time periods. The app also allows you to set schedules for air purification. The app will give you a green-yellow-red indicator as to the overall air quality in your home. What is it checking exactly? The machine measures the level of microscopic particles or VOCs or volatile organic compounds in the air.
What are indoor VOCs?
What’s that? The US EPA says, “volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing and hobby products. Fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of these products can release organic compounds while you are using them, and, to some degree, when they are stored.”
Read more on VOCs and indoor air quality here.
Dyson Link app is also a remote control
The app also lets you use your phone as a remote control to turn the air flow up or down, adjust temperature or air pattern or anything else that you can do on the machine itself.
The app keeps tabs on the included purifier filter in the device and can let you know when it’s time to change it too.
Night mode & sleep timer
A handy feature of this device is the ability to set up night mode. This setting allows the display to be dimmed and the fan to run more quietly making it ideal for use while sleeping. In essence it sets the fan at air flow level four; among it’s lowest settings.
The sleep timer function is also handy since you can have the device turn off after a certain amount of time. This is controllable via the app or the remote control.
Airflow modes and oscillation
An interesting option on this device is the ability to have either defused or focussed air which changes how the air is pushed into the room. In defused mode the air is pushed out into the room in a wide angle and can more easily spread across the room. In focussed mode, air is blown in a more direct and targeted straight line, meaning you’ll feel it more directly, and more like a regular fan.
You can also adjust this function further by choosing whether or not the machine will oscillate while in operation. If you like that feeling of air blowing on you directly from the fan, you can get it, but if you just want a more general room cooling effect that’s less blustery and direct, you can have that too.
Overall impressions of Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link
I found the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link to be super easy to use. Despite all of the technology packed inside, it’s not complicated and it still gives you manual control options in case you need them.
I love the versatility of having both a heater and a fan plus air monitoring and purification all in one unit as I don’t have a ton of storage space.
I found the app very easy to use and intuitive, and it gives you options and visualizations that you can’t get just by using the remote control.
While I didn’t find the schedule function to be super useful for me personally it’s still good that it’s there as it might be necessary for some people. For me, it’s not too much of a stretch to just turn on the fan when I need to get cool or if the place needs warming up, in response to the current temperatures.
I also appreciate the air purification feature. While I have tested the air quality in my home through various devices and at various times of year, and I don’t seem to have any recurring problems, it’s still good to know that it’s cleaning what impurities there may be in the air. I’d love to hear some feedback from people that do experience for indoor air quality and how it affects them.
I also love the fact that you can completely change and customize the airflow on the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link; whether it’s defused or direct air, or choosing the speed I have many options for using the device.
Plus I really appreciate the fact that I don’t need to move it into storage in the winter and then out again in the summer or vice versa. That means the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link has a place in my home 365 days a year. Add to that it comes in some pretty cool colours and looks super futuristic and I’m proud to have it on display in the house.
The Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link will set you back $699CAD and it’s available at places like Best Buy and Amazon (link below)
Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Purifier with Remote
