I’m not going to jump straight in here and tell you how great the Dyson Hot + Cool (AM05) is. No, the first thing you need to be aware of is just how much this unit costs. The Dyson retail price is between £350 and £370 depending on the colour/finish you choose so this is one seriously expensive piece of kit.
So, is the Dyson Hot & Cool (AM05) really worth that much money? The Dyson AM05 fan heater is a heater and air cooler (not an air conditioning unit) and you can buy a decent heater (that also cools) and still have change to spare.
In the table below we show several stylish heaters that not only look good but cost considerably less than the Dyson Hot + Cool, as well as offering very similar features!
Stylish heaters comparison
Last update on 2023-06-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Dyson Hot & Cool Review
Technology
The first feature is “bladeless technology”. Most fans/heaters rely on fan blades to push the air into the room but the problem with blades is that they “chop up” the hot/cold air which results in an uneven airflow coming from the heater. Hot air rises, so unless the fan is very powerful (and noisy!) the heated air will begin to rise shortly after leaving the unit and long before it reaches the other side of the room.
The other problems with fan blade units is safety. I have seen for myself instances where an inquisitive child or pet has got too close to a heater or fans blades only to get a painful surprise. Instead of these traditional fan mechanisms the Dyson Hot + Cool use “air multiplier technology” – great, but what does this mean? The Dyson AM05 basically sucks air in through base inlets and then a fan unit pushes the air up to the ring surface and is blown through a slot at the back of the round opening; the surrounding air is drawn into the heated/cooled airflow and is therefore “multiplied”. Clever stuff.
Design
It’s not just all about the technology. This is a very modern and smart looking unit, especially in the full nickel-coloured finish. To be honest, I did expect it to be slighter taller (it’s 60cm in height) but I guess that a good thing as the unit can be used in tight spaces due to its small footprint (compared to other heaters) and height. One thing I did notice was that the unit felt a little lightweight and “plasticy” (especially for its high RRP price).
Safety
As mentioned, the fact that the Dyson AM05 does not have external fan blades makes it reasonably safe to use around children and pets. However, in heat mode, the air outlets can actually get very hot so it’s not 100% “child proof”. A nice safety feature is that the unit will automatically shut off if the unit is tipped over.
In use
Its easy to assemble straight out of the box – just screw in the base and that’s it. The power cord is only 6 ft (1.8meters) long though so you have to position near to a plug or use an extension lead – something you will have to consider.
The controls are also simple to use and nicely laid out on the front control panel – just on/off, temperature, fan speed and fan direction control are present (plus a nice temperature setting display). The Hot + Cool also comes with a very handy remote that controls all the main functions; a nice touch is that it attaches by magnets to the top of the fan so is less easy to lose (which is good because it is quite a small remote unit).
In heating mode, simply set the desired temperature and the Dyson AM05 will heat the room to that temperature (or close to it as the thermostat is mounted in the unit) and then shut off. It will restart once the room temperature falls below your set temperature.
For cooling, you have to take the temperature down to 0 degrees C and the AM05 will then blow unheated air into the room. This is not an air conditioner but as a cooler the Hot + Cool offers nothing over and above a normal (cheaper) portable fan.
The Dyson Hot + Cool can be tilted back and forwards 10 degrees and can also rotate through 80 degrees. One thing to mention though is that in the back tilt position the unit does wobble quite a bit when rotating so you need to be careful where you position (not on the edge of a table!)
The bladeless technology also means no dust burning smell normally associated with electric heaters plus the Dyson AM05 is also very easy to clean.
Our verdict
To be honest, I would not personally buy the Dyson AM05. As a cooling fan it offers absolutely nothing over a £20 fan and as a heater, yes it’s not bad, but (much) cheaper units will do a similar job. It does look smart and has some nice features but not nearly enough to justify the very high price.