Dyson AM07 Review
After testing the Dyson AM07 against four of the best tower fans on the market, we’re confident the Dyson AM07 is an amazing design. However, we’re not confident it’s even close to worth the $400 price tag when the $60 Seville Classics Slimline delivers comparable cooling power and overall performance.
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After testing the Dyson AM07 against four of the best tower fans on the market, we’re confident the Dyson AM07 is an amazing design. However, we’re not confident it’s even close to worth the $400 price tag when the $60 Seville Classics Slimline delivers comparable cooling power and overall performance.
Table of contents
- How the Dyson AM07 compares
- Breaking down the Dyson AM07
- Dyson versus the field comparison chart
- Why you really pay $400 for a Dyson
- The final word on the Dyson AM07
The Dyson AM07 will blow you away — both literally and figuratively. Its innovative design allows it to move more air without making a lot of noise, and the understated-yet-bold styling makes this a fan people want to own.
However, Dyson has made it clear that their luxury positioning is no joke. The price of this model is so far beyond the point of diminishing returns that it’s hard to recommend for anybody other than a cooling connoisseur (those exist?).
How the Dyson AM07 compares
To determine the true cooling power of the five units, we used an anemometer to measure the wind speeds generated off each when sitting approximately two feet from the unit.
We did this because the units have varying opening sizes and true total distribution of air, which warranted looking at the total output. This way, we can measure if the fan is actually capable of cooling a room and not just you. The two-feet height is about waist level, and depending on the person, four feet is chest/face level when sitting.
The Dyson AM07 tied for top place, generating consistent air flow over the full height. Other fans had higher peak airflow in specific places, but lost a lot of power at the edge of the airstream. The Seville Classics was the only fan capable of pushing as much air at the top of the fan, though it had to run faster to do so.
Next, we looked at noise level, measuring the sound pressure level of noise (in decibels on an A-weighted scale) generated by each fan on the highest setting. If you’re considering using the fan as a bedside unit, this is an important attribute.
The Dyson AM07 really showed its engineering excellence in this area, capably generating its consistent, smooth airflow without much noise. The difference between the Dyson and the more powerful Seville on this loudest setting is equivalent to the difference between normal conversation and using a hair dryer.
However, on the grand scheme of things, the Seville isn’t really loud. It’s not going to remind you of a library, but it probably won’t bother you, either. One great thing about a high-output fan is that you don’t have to sit right next to it to take benefit of the high-speed airstream. The attributes Dyson is banking on is the seven decibels of sound difference, and we didn’t find it a compelling difference.
After noise levels, we tested the fans for degrees of oscillation. In addition to the total area the fan air covers, a fan’s ability to move also improves its performance in cooling multiple people — and a room overall.
The Dyson performed as you expect, with 90 degrees of oscillation coverage that allows it to sit in a corner and move air through the whole room. A few models, including our top pick, the Seville, had slightly more range, but the difference isn’t noteworthy.
Finally, we tested the Dyson’s energy usage against the field using a KillAWatt monitor. The Dyson, while not an energy hog by any means, didn’t perform any better than the field. For context, the difference in usage for the lower-end models would at best result in a savings of a dollar or so per month if you are using the fans heavily.
Breaking down the Dyson AM07
In addition to its cooling power and rotation, there are other things about the Dyson that impress. The controller feels a lot like an Apple remote in terms of comfort, size and aesthetics, and it’s by far the best option amongst the finalists. But on the negative side, it means there’s a good chance it’ll end up in your couch cushions.
However, Dyson does have an impressive feature to counteract that — the unit is magnetic, and the remote sticks to it when you place it on the top of the fan.
The bottom of the unit also functions as the all-purpose control if you don’t happen to have the remote handy. You can cycle through all ten fan levels by holding the power button.
Dyson versus the field comparison chart
While the above attributes are the ones we consider the most important, they are by no means the only ones. Compare other differentiating characteristics by viewing the below chart, which you can click and view at full size. We also recommend that you read our full review of the best tower fans and if you’re starting to think a tower fan isn’t for you, check out our general fan review.
Why you really pay $400 for a Dyson
The Dyson is an amazing fan, but for most people, you don’t pay $400 for a Dyson AM07 because you really want the cooling power. You pay $400 for a Dyson because you’re a tech geek who loves amazing products and must have the best possible product on the market.
Or maybe you pay $400 because you want to impress. When you have house guests over, you want to start a conversation. Or to be cool (in multiple ways). The Dyson is capable of doing all of those things.
When you think about the Dyson as a standalone fan in a vacuum, it’s not worth anything close to its $400 price tag. But if you’re willing to think more about what the Dyson stands for, and what it says about you, you can see how some people are willing to chalk up the cash to pay for it.
The final word on the Dyson AM07
Overall, the Dyson AM07 is an incredible act of engineering. Most of us can’t begin to comprehend how the Dyson manages to generate the air flow it does — and most of us never will — but it does. And it looks amazing. And it works.
Still, after all that, it’s almost $400, and a comparable, amazing unit, the Seville Classics UltraSlimline, is only $60. So if you’re thinking more with your rational mind, instead of the wow-that’s-shiny mind, the Seville will be your pick. And if your wow-that’s-shiny mind comes first, there’s no fan shinier than the Dyson AM07.
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