If you’ve ever seen one of the bladeless Dyson products, you’ll know exactly why this company has taken the market by storm. Many of their products end up on “top ten” lists in their category — in fact, I even mentioned them in several of my previous articles. Today, we’re going to focus on Dyson fans in order to answer the key question: are they really as quiet as people say they are?
Now, I’ve already talked about one of the fans from the Dyson lineup in my article about quiet fans for bedrooms. Because I’ve already written about these products to some extent, you may already know about some of the information in this article. However, if you’d like to know more about this brand, the products they make, and their fans — this article is for you.
Dyson: The Wave of the Future
The Dyson company takes its name from its founder — Sir James Dyson, who actually invented the bagless vacuum cleaner. His invention used cyclonic separation to maintain the suction that would usually be lost as the vacuum picks up more dust, clogging the dust bag. However, by the time his vacuum was out of the prototype stage in 1983, UK manufacturers had decided that producing it would severely affect dust bag sales. No one would produce his vacuum cleaner!
So Sir Dyson decided to release his product in Japan, to begin with, selling it for the equivalent of $2,000. In 1991, bagless vacuum cleaner won the International Design Fair Prize — prompting Dyson to turn his success into a brand. That very same year, Dyson Appliances Ltd. was born, almost 20 years after James Dyson noticed the major flaw in the design of vacuum cleaners that required bags. About 10 years later, they changed the name to, simply, Dyson Ltd.
Dyson Company History
The first Dyson vacuum produced in England was made in a Phillips Plastics facility in 1993. Those machines cost about £200 — almost a tenth of what the original vacuum had cost in Japan! Soon, Dyson had its own production facilities. They also started entering markets around the world, becoming a truly global brand.
Soon enough, the company started building on their products and coming out with new ones. For example, did you know that the transparent dustbin many vacuum cleaners now have started with Dyson? Despite consumer tests indicating that people didn’t want transparent dust bins, Dyson implemented them anyway. Nowadays, they’re probably one of the most popular features of vacuum cleaners across the board.
As I’ve mentioned, the business continued to expand in the UK, even moving to a larger production facility in the years since the invention of the bagless vacuum. Eventually, they also launched a plant in Singapore, which can produce millions of digital motors per year. Earlier this year, the company announced that they would be moving their headquarters to Singapore, following the UK’s failure to reach a Brexit deal with the EU.
So how did this company become the industry giant it is today? Well, that all has to do with its impressive product lineup.
The Dyson Product Lineup
As we have seen, the Dyson product lineup really got its start in the world of vacuum cleaners. After creating the first bagless canister vacuum cleaner, Dyson continued to perfect their formula. However, they didn’t stick to canister devices.
Indeed, they’re now much more famous for their upright and cordless stick vacuum cleaners, as well as their smaller, handheld units. In fact, their lightweight stick vacuum, Dyson Cyclone V10, is one of the quietest vacuum cleaners on the market. The device even has sound dampening materials around the motor. So at least we know the company is devoted to reducing the amount of noise their products make.
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After the company spent about a decade focusing primarily on their vacuum range, they experimented with other products. In 2000, James Dyson also invented the ContraRotator washing machine which had two rotating drums that spun in different directions. However, the company quickly discontinued the product after it proved unprofitable.
Later, in 2006, Dyson came out with a fast hand dryer. Instead of heat, the Dyson Air Blade uses a thin blast of air to force the water off your hands. This product laid the groundwork that would result in the company’s Air Multiplier bladeless fans, which we’ll discuss later. After releasing the first fan in that line in 2009, they also experimented with humidifiers and air purifiers.
In 2016, the Air Multiplier technology became a crucial part of the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer. These devices have taken the beauty world by storm, not only because of their interesting design but also because they’re so quiet. Seeing the kind of success they were getting with their hair care product, Dyson came out with another one with the Airwrap styles, which curls your hair using circulating air.
What Makes Dyson Fans so Special?
Now that we know more about the company behind the products, we can take a look at their fans and the Air Multiplier technology they use. In order to figure out exactly how loud they are, we should first understand how they work.
As I have mentioned, Dyson’s line of air treatment products started with the company’s hand dryer, which also used Air Multiplier technology. The sharp blast of air would create an air squeegee which would force the droplets off of your hands.
However, the Dyson fans that use the same technology have different designs, so they don’t work in quite the same way. All of the fans have a stable circular base which usually allows the product to oscillate side to side. On top of that base, you’ll have a circular or elliptical donut-shaped head (so, it’s empty in the middle) through which the air blows.
Unlike regular fans, these ones don’t have exposed rotating blades. Instead, the blades are inside of the body of the device. That makes it safer than regular fans, especially for people with kids or pets.
Still, even though Dyson fans are the most recognizable products of that type on the market, they’re actually not wholly original. In fact, there might have been a similar design as far back as the 80s, according to the Intellectual Property Office. The original design was patented by the Tokyo Shibaura Electric company — now generally known as Toshiba.
However, since the company never attempted to manufacture and sell its devices, Dyson was free to perfect and package its design. So how do these machines work?
So How Quiet Are Dyson Fans?
We still haven’t explained what Air Multiplier technology entails. Basically, Dyson fans can pull about 27 liters of air per second into the grid at the base. Once inside the machine, the air passes through a HEPA filter which removes all pollutants. Most of the newer models have this feature, so they’re all air purifiers as well — in a way.
After the air goes through the filter, it flows into the head, which is crucial in creating the low pressure that expels the air. The air comes out at 405 liters per second. Now you can see why they called these fans “Air Multipliers” — the amount of air that goes in is 15 times smaller than the amount that comes out. And, of course, there are different speed settings as well — which takes us to the noise levels.
Because each Dyson fan has about 10 air speed settings, they can also produce various amounts of noise. The lowest speed setting is pretty much inaudible, but the faster settings can be fairly loud.
For example, the Dyson AM07 produces just over 60 decibels of noise when running on the highest setting, which is equivalent to a normal conversation between two people. Smaller models, like the AM06 desk fan, are even quieter and make around 50 decibels at full speed. Here’s a video that shows how higher speed settings influence the noise:
Personally, I’m not too bothered with the amount of noise these devices make, even at the highest settings. After all, you can always keep them at a low hum until you need to really cool down a room.
In addition to the speed settings, most of the Dyson fans can also rotate on their base. Furthermore, some of them also have a timer setting as well as remote control features. Overall, between their futuristic design and their quiet operation, I can see why people rave about these products.
The Most Popular Dyson Fans Will Blow You Away
As I’ve mentioned, even though Dyson fans aren’t the first bladeless units ever invented, they are certainly the most recognizable ones on the market. The one I recommended in my article about quiet fans is just one in a long line of products.
However, the AM07 fan is certainly about the most basic thing you can expect out of these products. At 53 inches tall, it’s definitely one of the tallest products in the Dyson lineup, and it’s got all the features you’d expect it to have. The ring-shaped head can rotate on the stationary base, and the machine has 10 airflow speeds.
Additionally, there is also a timer you can set in 15-minute increments up to 9 hours. All of these settings are accessible through the LED display on the device itself as well as from the remote control. When you’re not using the remote, you can just leave it on top of the fan, where a powerful magnet will hold it to the device.
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I chose to feature this unit in my aforementioned article because it’s actually one of the quietest models Dyson’s come out with. According to the company, it’s about 60% quieter than the AM02 fan, which is the tower fan that came before it. Another area in which this model is better than its predecessor is its energy consumption. After all, it uses about 10% less power than the AM02 unit.
Still, as impressive as this unit is, it isn’t really the most well-rounded device in the Dyson lineup. In any case, not everyone can accommodate such a large appliance in their homes. Fortunately, the company has plenty of other frontrunners for the most popular fan title.
Personal and Table Fans
Dyson has two smaller fans that are worth noting — the AM06 and the BP01 table fans. Like most of these fans, these units are bladeless: or rather the rotating blades are concealed inside of their bases. Moreover, the first unit I mentioned is pretty similar to the tower fan I just told you about. So if you want that, but under 20 inches tall, this would be perfect for you.
The other product I mentioned has a slightly different design. Namely, it was Dyson’s first personal fan that also contains a HEPA filter. So it’s capable of capturing and removing pollutants from the air it takes in. But that’s not the only extra feature the Dyson company has attached to one of their fans.
Hot + Cool Line of Fans
Dyson’s Hot + Cool line of fans also introduced fans that can act as space heaters, in addition to having cooling and air purifying features. The HP04 model is the perfect example of such a product. Like the first Dyson tower fan I mentioned, this device has a sleep timer and remote control.
Alternately, you can also control it with the Dyson app. Or, if you don’t feel like moving a muscle, you could also change the settings with your Amazon Alexa.
The Dyson AM09 is another unit that can expel hot and cool air in a focused, narrow stream or a wide and diffused flow. However, unlike the previous product, it doesn’t have a built-in HEPA filter or app connectivity. Still, you can always just use the remote control.
The Pros and Cons of Dyson Fans
There are so many things that have made the Dyson fans as successful as they are. Aside from using the truly innovative Air Multiplier technology, they are also:
- Incredibly safe and easy to clean
- More energy efficient with each new iteration
- Easy to control via LED displays, remote controls, or app connectivity
- Full of useful features such as sleep timers, airflow speed, and oscillation
- Quieter than most regular fans, because the rotating blades are encased in the base
Still, some things might make you think twice about getting a Dyson fan of your own. For one, they are more than a little pricier than regular standing fans. But then, that makes sense when you take into account the technology you’re getting and its numerous benefits.
At this point, I am of the firm opinion that the pros outweigh the cons in this case. However, there is one final question that may tip the scales.
Is the Difference in Noise Levels Substantial Enough to Invest in Dyson Fans?
Throughout this article, we’ve learned more than you probably thought you would about the history of the Dyson brand. But does that answer our main question? Are Dyson fans are really as quiet as people say they are?
Well, as we have seen, the Dyson company has really prioritized the acoustic features of their products since early on. Several of their devices have landed on my lists of the quietest products in their respective categories, that includes the fans.
The fact that the rotating blades have been moved into the base of the fans is certainly a factor. However, as we have heard, the machines are also capable of making quite a bit of noise, up to 60 decibels. You can’t have 405 liters of air per second without hearing some whooshing sounds.
So ultimately, it’ll be up to you. If you’re prepared to keep the airflow speed on low, you should have no issue with noise whatsoever. But if you were hoping that it’ll be as quiet on high speed, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a few more years for the fan of your dreams. In the meantime, you might want to get used to the white noise.
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- By Soundproof Living