I tested the new Dyson Hot+Cool air purifier for a month, and it left my kitchen free of cooking smells in seconds

One thing I love is a home appliance that promises to do it all. And that’s exactly what you get with the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1: an air purifier, space heater, and cooling fan, all wrapped up in a sleek tower design. If you’re like me and lacking space at home, then having three separate appliances in one unit is utter perfection, saving on the hassle of finding space and storage. But with Dyson’s premium price tag, I was intrigued to find out whether it really lived up to the hype.

I live in a Victorian terraced house, and as much as I love older homes like mine (full of character, as I like to try and convince myself), they can be prone to damp and mold, which is far from ideal. Throw in two terriers that smell of 'eau de wet dog' and shed hair everywhere, and an air purifier is more of a necessity rather than a luxury.

Since the best air purifiers can help to remove allergens, pet dander, dust, and even lingering odors, they are a great addition for most households. Especially if you suffer from allergies, have pets, or live in a slightly damp home.

I tried the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 out for a month, putting it through its paces to really test whether it’s worth the investment. I moved it between my living room, home office, and kitchen to see how well it tackled everything from cooking odours to dog dander. I monitored how quickly it heated and cooled the room down, and of course, the air quality. The big question is, can it really do it all and do it well, or is it a case of style over substance? Here’s what happened.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Review: Price and availability

The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 has been around in the US for a couple of months and is currently retailing at $659.99 direct from Dyson. You can also purchase the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 via Amazon, for the same price.

It launched this September in the UK and you can buy it for £549.99 from Dyson. It also comes with a two-year guarantee that covers parts, repairs, and replacement if your unit is unrepairable.

Whilst you won’t need to think about it for the first year, Dyson does recommend changing the 360° glass HEPA and activated carbon filter every 12 months or when notified by your machine if it’s needed sooner. This is going to set you back $79.99 or £75 if in the UK.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Review: Design

If there is one thing that Dyson does better than any other company, it’s make household appliances look good. And the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 has the signature Dyson look: modern, sleek, and instantly recognizable. It follows the same oval loop design as other air purifiers and fans in the Dyson line-up, so it’s certainly a design you’ve seen before.

I was taken aback at how big it first appeared. I’ve never owned a Dyson before, so looking at the photographs, I thought that it would be a little smaller. Standing at 77cm tall, this is a machine that will get noticed, but it does have a slim, sphere base, which means it doesn’t take up too much floor space. It’s not heavy either, at 5.3kg, it’s light enough to be able to move it from room to room or between floors with little effort.

It comes in a white finish, although black is available in the US, and there is a small LED display to the front which will give you everything you need to know, including air quality, filter life, fan speed, and temperature. The controls are kept to a minimum with just an on/off button, as it can be controlled via the remote or the MyDyson app. The remote is small, but if you’re like me and forever losing remotes, you’ll be impressed to hear that it’s magnetised and attaches to the top of the purifier, so when it’s not in use, it’s much harder to lose. The remote is straightforward to use with all the buttons clearly labelled.

Another standout design feature is its wide oscillation. This machine can rotate up to 350º, meaning air will circulate to all corners of the room. You can also tilt the loop to be able to direct the airflow where you want it, but this feature isn’t really needed with the oscillation being so wide.

The filter sits inside the base and is completely sealed. It can be opened up by pressing the two push buttons on either side of the base, making changing the filter completely hassle-free.

Whilst Dyson hasn’t had a design shake-up with this air purifier, you’d be hard-pushed to tell the difference between other models. It does tick both the stylish and functional boxes. I was impressed at how seamlessly it blended into each room I placed it in.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Review: Set-up and use

The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 arrived in a simple, but branded cardboard box. The box is quite big, but I was easily able to lift it out. I was impressed by the packaging too, apart from a couple of plastic coverings, everything was recyclable and fit in my main recycle bag at home, so total win if you don’t want boxes hanging around your house for weeks.

The main unit was already attached, so the only thing to do was to place the filter inside. These go into the base of the unit, so once the stickers holding the base together are removed, just clip the filter in, plug in the machine, and you’re ready to begin the set-up.

Set-up was surprisingly easy. I always dread anything you have to set up with an app because for some reason, it takes ten times longer, but this was a really quick process. I scanned the QR code on the front of the machine and downloaded the app, once the Wi-Fi was connected, it instantly detected the fan and connected it to my devices.

You can, of course, just control it with the remote control, this already has batteries included, so it’s just a case of turning it on and switching to the setting you want to use. To be honest, if you’re going to enjoy the full benefits of it, download the app so you can control it from anywhere, which is handy if you want to warm up or cool down a room before use.

Having tested other air purifiers in the past, including the Mila, this is the easiest and simplest set-up I’ve experienced, taking under five minutes of coming out of the box. Probably the biggest hurdle was learning what all the functions are, and even that didn’t take too long.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Review: Performance

Testing air purifier

I put the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 to the test in the four main areas of my home: the living room, my home office, the kitchen, and the bedroom, to really test its performance.

I’ve been using the Mila air purifier for a while, and that usually tells me that the air quality isn’t very good, so I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the air quality came up as good in each of the rooms I tried it in. With all rooms reading as good, I initially started to worry that the air purifier was faulty or I’d left plastic on the filter (something I’ve done before), but I realised that’s not the case.

The Dyson purifies the room with an activated carbon filter which has been enriched with Tris, a chemical that captures gases and 99.97% of pollutants. And this air purifier works so fast, it brings the air quality down to good in mere minutes.

I tested this theory in a couple of ways. First, I lit two large, scented candles and left them by the machine. This didn’t spike the air quality as much as I thought it would, but having looked into it, the Dyson has the sensors on the bottom, so it would’ve already filtered the air by the time it had sucked it in.

My next test was with room spray. I gave my living room a good spritz around, and the air quality went instantly went into the red zone, which is very poor, and the fans kicked in to start bringing the air quality back to green. It took just seconds to go from very poor to good, and I felt the difference in the air too. Normally, the room spray will make me cough and splutter, but it totally neutralised it and left the air feeling fresh.

Another test was during cooking. I grabbed my cast iron pan, which creates a lot of smoke, and started to fry an egg in oil. Usually, that smell lingers for hours, but the Dyson ran throughout. Not only did it limit the smoke but also neutralized cooking odors, leaving the kitchen feeling fresh and clean. Checking the history on the app, you can see where the PM2.5 and PM10’s rose during those times, before the fans kicked in on auto function to keep the air quality in a good range.

Testing heater and cooling fan

My next tests were for the heater and cooling fan performances. It has 290 litres per second of powerful airflow and it really does feel like it, but because of the bladeless design it feels more natural.

Again, I tested it in different rooms, and the results didn’t disappoint. I’ll start with the cooling fan which can bring the temp of your room down to 33 degrees Fahrenheit. When I first tried it, I didn’t think that it really got that cold, but the trick was putting it on top speed and then reducing it when the cold air kicked in.

The fan speed affects how strong the cooling sensation feels rather than being able to set a certain temperature. The great thing about this cooling fan is that it feels more like a breeze (especially when the oscillation is on) rather than it just blowing directly onto you.

Similarly, the heat setting can get your room up to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Trust me when I say, it heats up quickly and it maintains the temperature for ages. This is because the heat element uses ceramic plates, and the heat felt more like a nice, warm breeze rather than oppressive heat like when using a space heater. I set it up in my living room, which is a little compact to say the least, and it heated up within five minutes. This is good news as it means that it’s more cost-effective than putting the central heating on for the whole house.

Whether it’s air purifying, cooling, or heating, the Dyson works really quickly and efficiently. The built-in sensors and automatic adjustments make it so convenient and efficient. Plus, having the option to control it from anywhere via the app is a really nice touch.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Review: App

The app is where the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 really excels. In fact, it’s the key to getting the most out of this machine.

Downloading the app is quick and easy, and it’s available on all platforms. The only thing I found was that sometimes there was a little bit of lag between my app and the machine, but that is most likely down to my Wi-Fi signal rather than the machine itself.

Inside the app, you’ll find everything you need to know about the air quality in your home. It updates the air quality every 30 seconds, so you get a real-time view of what’s going on. Although, I will say that the purifier works so well with this machine that you’ll rarely see anything but “good” pop up on the screen.

Additionally, it gives you the overall air quality report, which ranges from severe to good. There’s an auto-target setting, which when in auto mode means your machine will automatically increase its fan speed and start purifying the air when it notices air pollution going above a certain level.

It monitors the PM2.5 and PM10 levels. PM2.5 is when microscopic particles are smaller than 2.5 microns, this is usually smoke, cooking smells, candles burning, or room sprays. Then PM10 is when microscopic particles are smaller than 10 microns, this includes pollen, pet dander and other allergens. It also gives a chart of the indoor temperature in your room.

The app allows you to fully control your machine. It has an on/off button and night mode. Night mode is great if you want to continue to use the air purifier whilst you sleep, it dims the LED screen and reduces the fan speed so that you’re not disturbed whilst you try to sleep.

You can turn the heater or the fan on and set it to a desired temperature. Once it reaches the temp you’ve set, the machine will auto switch off and only turn back on when it drops below that level. My favourite feature is how you can control the oscillation. The machine can oscillate up to 350º and you can set it in increments of 45º, 90º, 180º and 350º. But the clever thing the app allows you to do is drag the oscillation to where you want it to be directed. So whether that’s direct in front of you or a certain area of the room. It’s a really clever feature because it gives you more control over where you can place your fan, instead of having to have it close to you.

There is a timer function. You can time it to switch off anywhere between 15 minutes and 9 hours. If you want to create a schedule for your air purifier, this can also be done in the app. You can choose to turn your machine on at specific days and times.

If you use a voice assistant like Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Siri, then you can pair it with that. I tested it out with Siri and you can add a variety of different commands such as Turn on the heat, Turn on cooling, Say goodnight etc. You can set these commands up to be whatever you want and it was really easy to do, just add the settings and record the phrase you want to use in conjunction. This worked really well some of the time, but that’s mostly down to Siri as half of the time it doesn’t understand me anyway (not sure if it’s the Welsh accent or I just don’t speak very clearly).

The app is optional but in my opinion, it’s absolutely essential to ensure that you can use your machine in the best way possible. It’s free to use and if you have a smartphone, there’s no harm in downloading it and giving it a try.

Plus, if you have other Dyson products, they’ll all be in one place. We have the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine wet and dry vacuum and that can be monitored and controlled via the same app.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Review:Noise levels

One thing I hate about having a fan on during the summer months is the noise. I can’t stand the sound of a fan whirling away in the background, and would actually prefer to just be too hot. So when I read that the Dyson had ten fan settings, I thought there was no way that I’d be turning it up to ten, no matter how hot or cold I was, purely because of the noise.

Well, I’m happy to admit that I was wrong. Even at full speed, this unit doesn’t get too loud. Dyson say that it reaches 63dB but at full speed I didn’t have to turn the TV up, of course I could hear it for anyone out there worried about my ear health but it just wasn’t that annoying. At the lower speeds, it was barely noticeable. This makes it a great choice for anyone who likes to have the fan on whilst they sleep or work because there are no distractions at all.

Not the most scientific test, but I popped my Apple Watch on and sat next to the fan to see what kind of sound level it picked up. At the lowest fan setting it didn’t even register, but I was not too shocked to see that even at full speed it was as Dyson states just 63dB.

If you’re a very light sleeper, then maybe it would be too disruptive, but for the average person, you’ll hardly notice it on other than feeling that rush of warm or cold air.

It is worth noting that whilst it monitors air quality, it doesn’t make any noise, so if you want to keep an eye on your stats, you don’t have to have the fans running, it will just keep a check on the quality but not actually purify the air.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Review: Storage and maintenance

When it comes to maintenance, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 is pretty straightforward. Even though it doesn’t have blades, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t still attract dust, so it is important to regularly wipe the outside of your machine with a slightly damp, lint-free cloth. I personally do this every week because it just stops dust from building and causing any blockages, which can affect the performance of the machine.

The major maintenance comes with the filter. It comes with a 360° HEPA + Activated carbon filter, which needs to be replaced every 12 months or sooner if needed. Once the filter needs replacing, the LED screen to the front of the unit and the App will send a notification. In the app, if you navigate to machine settings, it will tell you how much of your filter life is remaining, this is handy as you can at least get a head start on when you need to start budgeting for a new one. You can also order a new filter via the app so you know you’ll be getting the right one for your machine.

The process of changing the filter is also simple. The side of the unit has two push buttons, which will release the outer cover. Once that’s off, you’ll see the filter has two tabs which, when pushed down, removes the filter. Push the replacement filter in its place and replace the outer cover. It does feel like the outer cover isn’t quite on when you replace it, but you’ll know it is because it clicks into place.

The filters aren’t the cheapest, coming in at $79.99, but it’s really important that you commit to changing them every year. If you don’t, then the purifying function just won’t work, and instead of trapping pollutants, it will potentially push them back out into the air.

When it comes to storage, you’re probably not going to want to put this unit away. After all, it can be used all year around so it’s not really a case of having to pop it in the cupboard until the appropriate season rolls around. It’s not the smallest but it’s curved design does mean that it will fit neatly in to any space even when not in use. The great thing with this machine is even if you don’t want to use it as a fan or heater, you can leave it just run in the background to purify the air.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Review: How does it compare?

The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 is a step up from the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool HP01. The HP1 has a few differences, including an upgraded activated carbon filter, which is enhanced with a chemical called Tris that can capture more gases, odours, and VOCs.

It also has a real-time air quality display via the LCD and the app, showing the different levels of pollutants, which the HP01 lacked. The HP1 also has an automatic mode which uses enhanced sensors that can automatically detect the changes in air quality and adjust its fan speed to keep the air healthy. This makes a huge difference as it can save plenty of energy - which is always good during a time of rising energy costs.

Oscillation is another huge change with the HP1; this one now oscillates up to 350º, whereas the HP01 only went to 70º. Finally, the HP1 uses Air Multiplier Technology; whilst other models offer this, this one has a powerful airflow of up to 290 litres per second, which means it can heat and cool a room quickly and effectively.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Review: Verdict

The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 is a brilliant air purifier that also has the added benefit of having a heater and fan included. Although it’s marketed as an air purifier first and foremost, it works just as well for anyone looking for an easy way to heat up or cool down a room.

At $659.99/£549.99 it’s not a cheap option, but is it worth the money? I certainly think so. After all, you’re putting three machines in one unit. It delivers HEPA grade filtration, rapid heating via ceramic plates, cooling tech for the summer months and plenty of smart technology and controls via the MyDyson app.

If you have a large space then this is a great option, this air purifier can reach up to 81m³. Plus the 350º oscillation really spreads the heat and coolness to all corners of a room.

There’s also plenty of unique touches, such as a magnetic remote, bladeless fan design, and automatic settings, so you can relax knowing your room will be kept at an ambient temperature, and the air quality will also be good.

It is a premium air purifier, and whilst pricey, it does offer great value for money. It’s also light enough to move from room to room so you don’t have to have multiple fans to cover all bases. I’m also really impressed by the connectivity too as it kept well connected and never dropped out. Plus, with plenty of stats to keep on top of how well the air quality in the house is doing, it’s a brilliant machine that in my opinion is worth the high price tag.