Is Dysons new fancy air purifier worth the investment?
We reviewed it by putting it through the ultimate test - and were surprised with what it picked up! To join their existing family of quality vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, and hair tools, Dyson recently released a fancy new purifier that is promised to be the best theyve ever launched. Dysons new Hot + Cool Formaldehyde air purifier hit the market just in time for winter, so households can enjoy a bit more warmth in areas around their home as well as clean air to breathe. We gave it a go to help you decide if its something for you. Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. We reviewed Dysons new Hot + Cool Formaldehyde air purifier. Image: Leah Goulis  RELATED: I vacuumed my mattress and will never sleep again  All about Dysons new Hot + Cool Formaldehyde air purifier  While their previous models have certainly been worth boasting about, the new Hot + Cool Formaldehyde unit takes air purifying to the next level as it detects nasties in the air that other models havent been able to do. Clean air is the hero here... the cooling and heating option makes it a bonus extra for all seasons! As the Dyson experts tell us, pollution isnt just restricted to outdoors, its in the home as well. And its in our closed-off environment - where weve been spending a lot more time in these days thanks to COVID - that is most worrying as we breathe this air in the most. As the others before it, the appliance captures dust and allergens  including 99.95 per cent of particles as small as 0.1 microns2  but the biggest new feature this time is the units ability to destroy formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a colourless, strong-smelling, flammable chemical that can be found in building materials such as wood products. In a home, youll find it leaching from furniture, glues, and other adhesives. And while we cant see it (its said to be 500 times smaller than 0.1 microns) its definitely a chemical you dont want to be breathing in. I realised how common it is for nasties to be hidden in our furniture only recently when I sent off a Dyson filter from another unit off for testing in the Dyson lab. Expecting a heap of dust to show up in my results, I was surprised when the lab test came back. The VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that were at the higher end of the usual range included:  Benzene (cigarette smoke, fuel, wood smoke, plastics, pesticides)  (cigarette smoke, fuel, wood smoke, plastics, pesticides) Butyl acetate (lacquers, inks, adhesives)  (lacquers, inks, adhesives) Limonene (citrus fruit, cleaning products, fragrances)  (citrus fruit, cleaning products, fragrances) Tetrachloroethene (lubricants, fabric finishers, adhesives)  Sandy Lam, Analytical Scientist at Microanalysis Australia, confirmed with me at the time that things like candles and incense, which I was burning around the home was polluting the air. She also added that Butyl acetate could be a result of increased glue in my home or recently polishing furniture. Depending on your recent activities, Butyl acetate could be showing up due to higher use of glue in your home, or from lacquering your table or furniture. Nail polish remover is another contributor, Sandy said. We hit it with the real test  As I said before, when you invest in a Dyson purifier like this, youre not getting it for the cooling and heating option. In my opinion, its just not cool enough for summer and not warm enough for winter. The real reason is the purifying aspect, so I put the unit to the test with the big guns. After opening up the oven door while grilling lamb chops for dinner (coz, #straya), the house was filled with smoke and, well, that not-so-pleasant, lingering grilling chop smell! Naturally, to mask the stench, I lit my best, sweet-smelling Glasshouse candle. Knowing I would likely be smelling chops in the bedroom while trying to sleep later on, I decided some more work needed to be done to clear the air. With the Dyson purifier in the master bedroom, I used the remote function to switch the machine on  another handy feature worth bragging about. Both smells of the chops grilling and the candle didnt take long to waft upstairs and after just 10 minutes, the unit detected some nasties. Not exactly the message you want to receive. The warning of the air quality being extremely poor was displayed with PM2.5 being detected. Without getting too scientific, the particulate matter included exactly what I was using at that time. Microscopic particles smaller than 2.5 microns. These include smoke, industrial emissions and burning candles, the description on the app read. Yep, Id say that was pretty bloody spot-on! And its worth mentioning the air quality went back to a normal flat line after just 15 minutes of blasting the unit. Whether it be the hairdryer, straightener, one of the air purifiers, or other, I always tackle any purchase from the Dyson range with the same approach that I would take when buying any big white good for the house. Dyson products are an investment that should last just as long (if not longer) than a washing machine or fridge. So once youve come to accept this, you can then really think about whether or not you need the item. With bushfires being a regular feature of an Aussie summer and pollution not getting any better, I think adding a purifier to the essential list for household appliances is something every family should seriously consider. Sure, its $999, but it will be something that will be used regularly and give you peace of mind knowing that your family is breathing in clean air in the place thats most important  their home.