Updated 10/10/2021
The Dyson Airblade V HU02 is Dysons 2nd offering to the hand dryer market. Rather than relying on a single jet of air or multiple air jets, the Dyson V configures its air outlets into two angled blades of air to literally scrape water from the hands. The Dyson V is an ultra-slimline (10cm deep) dryer available in a White or Nickel finish, fitted with a HEPA filter as standard. It is into its 2nd generation now, what does our expert think?
From £615.00 + VAT
Value
The Dyson Airblade V is the lowest priced Dyson hand dryer available from £525 + VAT. It is the most expensive ‘hands under’ dryer on the market and at over £200 more than a Mitsubishi SMART or £120 more than the Machflow Brushless hand dryer which is covered by a 20-year guarantee, there is probably better value to be found elsewhere.
Dry Speed
The manufacturer states a 12 second dry time, and we recorded a consistent 12 seconds for a thorough dry, making it one of the quickest hand dryers on the market. To put this into perspective the Dyson AB14 measures at 10 seconds and the Warner Howard Airforce 20+ seconds. The way that the Dyson V dries is quite problematic. You will see from the video below that the Dyson V tends to spray water against the wall which eventually drips to the floor. The evapor8 plate solves this issue .
Energy Efficiency
Calculating the energy efficiency of a dryer depends on 2 things, rated power and the dry speed.
The Dyson Airblade V HU02 has a rated power of just 1k so the consumption per dry is just 3.33 watt/hours. To put this into context, the Dyson Airblade AB14 uses 4.44 watts per dry, a traditional uses 20-30 watts per dry and the best available uses 1.9 watt/hours.
1500 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels, this is a 97% saving against paper towels.
Quiet Operation
The HU02 looks the same as an earlier version (AB08/12) however it is considerably quieter. 2 seconds were lost off the dry time but it’s a compromise worth making as it now has a tolerable, smooth sound output. The official noise output at 1 metre is 79 Db(A) and in use we found it only went a little above 80 DB(A).
Vandal Resistance
It’s a really solid, compact bit of kit that would be very hard to inflict damage or remove from the wall without the right tools. We would give it a higher mark but we have heard of them being removed from the wall, that is more because it is a Dyson and therefore has perceived value to a thief.
Life Expectancy
The Dyson Airblade V HU02 has a digital brushless motor that will last. It probably deserves a better mark but Dyson only say they have tested the motor to 240,000 uses and their 5-year warranty is limited by this use level. In reality, we think this dryer will go on much longer. In our experience, they are extremely reliable.
Environment
We estimate the embedded carbon in the Dyson Airblade V HU02 to be around 21.36kg/CO2, this is on the low side for a hand dryer. To put it into perspective this is the same carbon creation as driving 90 miles in a small petrol car.
At about 1300 uses this hand dryer will be producing a net carbon reduction vs paper towels. When you consider the lifespan is probably in excess of 480,000, the lifetime emissions savings will be huge!
Conclusion
There is no doubt this is an excellent dryer. It is fast, energy-efficient, not too loud and in our experience extremely reliable. The only downside really is that it is quite pricey and there are dryers that perform just as well for less. We also recommend you purchase a wall guard to go with the dryer as it does seem to make marks on the wall. If you want a Dyson and can’t afford the wash and dry taps this is the next best option.
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