Dyson’s new desktop fan is an oddball. Part sculpture, part next-gen wind generator it’s as far removed from the typical design of a desktop fan as the first iPod was from the MP3 players it kicked into touch, and that’s the point. Yes it looks different, but it works differently too. This is a game-changer for the permanently perspiring, a shot in the arm for stuffy offices, and a godsend for dust-phobic windseekers. Read our full Dyson Air Multiplier review for all the details.
Dyson’s been experimenting with wind since its first vacuum cleaner hit the upholstery. And the shagpile. And the lino. In that time it’s learnt more about dust dynamics and air movement than most companies know about their profit margins, and the Air Multiplier represents the culmination of its research.
See, the Air Multiplier is designed to take a relatively small gust of wind and turn it into a roaring gale. It uses a system dubbed inducement to create a low pressure zone in the middle of its ring (stop sniggering at the back) which draws air from behind, and pushes it out towards your mush.
Unboxed: Dyson Air Multiplier
The result is a 15x increase in windspeed between the effort the Dyson Air Multiplier puts in, and the result you get blasted across your desk.
There’s the fringe benefit that Dyson’s blade-free design pushes air towards you in a smooth, continuous stream too, rather than with the traditional thud-thud-thud of rotor-based air-pushers.
Add to this neat design touches, such as being able to pivot the Air Multiplier without it drooping, and the smooth automatic oscillation, and it’s far and away the best bit of office kit we’ve seen. Is it worth the pricey tag that comes attached to such innovative styling? It depends how hot you get at your desk, and what premium you place on clever design.
For us, the Dyson does its wind-shifting in a clever way that’s frankly better than the competition. Sure, it’s an investment, but great products that perform more than the sum of their parts allow are few between.
We’ve formed an emotional bond with Dyson’s bonkers blower, and that’s enough to part us with a few extra pounds, as well as making sure we’ll point it out to every colleague as they pass by.
