Dyson Air Multiplier

By Richard Trapunski

Vacuum cleaner revolutionaries, Dyson, have just unveiled their latest innovation – a bladeless household fan. With winter approaching and people getting out their fur-trimmed coats, the first thing on your mind is a new fan, right? Especially a $300 fan? That's okay, this isn't a fan – it's a Dyson Air Multiplier. Huge difference.

To be fair, it doesn't look like a fan. A fan tends to have blades. The Dyson model just has an empty cylinder. Air is drawn in at the base and through technology I can't profess to understand, it's then multiplied by fifteen times and forced out through the ring. Without blades, it looks like the air is coming from nowhere. It's also much cleaner and "less choppy" than a traditional fan, whose blades have a tendency to slow down as they collect dirt.

If your mind is more on staying warm than keeping cool, the Air Multiplier also acts as an air distributor. Just place it in front of your heater in order to spread and multiply warm air around the room. With no blade, it's also much safer, but if you're routinely putting your fingers in the blades, perhaps a fan is too sophisticated of a device for you.

The Dyson device does have some legitimate practical benefits, but it seems the British company is banking on novelty and cachet. Not only is it a fancy new invention, but it looks pretty damn sleek. That makes it as much a furniture accessory as it is a cooling device. Let's hope so, because $300 ($330 for the 12 inch version) is a lot of money to keep cool.

You can purchase the Dyson Air Multiplier from Dyson's Online Store.