Dyson Hot + Cool AMO5 Air Multiplier review

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound 9000, Smeg coloured refrigerators and the Dyson Ball vacuum cleaner: all appliances (well, two and a sound system) that are iconic designs in modern industrial design. Dyson will be hoping to add to that list with the Hot + Cool AMO5.

Dyson’s Air Multiplier fans were launched a few years ago with their iconic bladless design but now comes the AMO5 model which adds a bit of magic that Dyson likes to call heat. I could write a few pages on this and give you a blow by blow rundown of what essentially does the job of a pedestal fan and fan heater in one but that would waste both my time and your time. After all, if it is any more complex than a few paragraphs you really shouldn’t be investing in it. So as briefly as possible (the briefer the better for Dyson), here we go.

The AMO5 out of the box is simple to put together. Two parts, join ‘em up and you’re in business. It comes with a very basic remote control as well that takes care of all your functions. Once up and running you can change the temperature from 0 (fan only) up to 37. The power ranges from 1 (still a fairly strong breeze) to 10 (not quite tornado but fast enough).

Dyson’s AMO5 is able to oscillate automatically about 120 degrees give or take so you can heat or cool your whole room. It has a small digital display which gives you all the information you need.

It’s great for smaller rooms like an office or a bedroom. But anything over that size and it will struggle to heat the whole room. I tried it in our open plan lounge/dining room and it couldn’t beat the cold. But let’s be fair, something its size isn’t meant to. In a small room, once it has heated the space to the desired level, which happens impressively quickly, it cuts out and then starts up again when the temperature drops.

Aside from the cool bladeless design, the Ace card here is that it is the most child friendly device you could get to heat or cool. No blades – tick. No severely hot parts – tick. No real drama if a child or pet knocks it over because it cuts out- tick.

So far so good. Any downers? Well, there are a couple, but I am clutching at straws a bit. The biggest one is the noise. It’s not silent. In fact, it’s far from silent. You would be hard pressed to fall asleep with the AMO5 on. Even on 1 it’s like a remote control car going around and around and around and around and around and… you get my point.

Secondly, the remote control. It’s not really Dyson. In fact, it’s a little naff. It’s tiny so is a big contender for getting lost easily and it just doesn’t look the part – nowhere near as cool as the AMO5 itself. It’s like the guy that turns up wearing a dinner suit and sneakers – something isn’t right. When you look at what Bang & Olufsen can do with remotes, you get a feel for the standard of premium device remotes. Dyson is a premium brand, the remote isn’t.

But that’s all we can come up with. It’s a cool device, looks the part and is ideal for families with younger kids. It comes in four colours (blue, silver, chrome and dark grey), is simple to clean and is pretty energy efficient to boot. It will also set you back a nice little sum of $599 – not cheap.

Love: Design. Safety. The fact it’s a dual purpose heater in winter and fan in summer.

Unlove: Price. Remote. Noise

Buy it?: I would if I had deep pockets and a smaller living room.

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