How do air blade hand dryers work?
'Jet blade dryers', as they are often known because they force airflow through a single or series of thin air outlets, usually from both sides, creating a powerful ‘blade’ of air. They are a hands in hand dryer that rather than blowing the water off the hands, this technology scrapes water off in a consistent, downward motion. The water is then collected in a trough and usually drained into a water tank. There is some difference between models, for some reason, the Dyson Airblade AB14 has no collection tray, therefore you need to buy an optional extra drip tray to stop water from ending up on the floor. Mitsubishi, Biodrier, Mediclinics, and Dryflow models all have water catchment trays with anti-microbial plastics and are designed to prevent water splash down the side.
What are the benefits of hands in hand dryers?
Advantages
- Blade hand dryers dry consistently faster than hands under models
- Often create less noise as they have more anti-vibration technology built-in
- Water (on most models) is collected into a tray meaning dry floors and walls
Disadvantages
- More expensive
- Larger footprint makes them harder to install, clean and maintain
- Powering dual motors means they have higher energy consumption than most single airflow models
- Water needs emptying regularly
- Internal cleaning necessary
HEPA filters in air blade hand dryers
Air Blade hand dryers were the first designs to integrate a HEPA filter. The air inlet pulls the airflow across a HEPA filter removing 99.99% of airborne particles and removing dust, bacteria, and viruses. All our blade hand dryers now include either a HEPA filter or a high-quality anti-bacterial filter. The Stealthforce and Jet force junior include UV-C lights to sterilize particles captured on the filter.
Are hands in hand dryers expensive?
They are more expensive because there is more material and they often need more powerful motors to create the airflow to dry from both sides of the hands. We have talked about the advantages of dry floors and often the performance is faster and more consistent, due to the back and front drying process. The reality is that fast regular, models will be comparable with most jet air blade hand dryers so it's really a matter of preference. Our entry-level option blade hand dryer is the Jet force Junior, at £269 + vat vs approximately 79.99 + vat for the Slimforce, which is our entry-level high-speed dryer. The running costs of blade dryers are negligible. If price is the deciding factor please see our low-cost hand dryer section.
Environmental impact of Jet blade hand dryers
Jet blade hand dryers are obviously bigger than normal wall-mounted units, so they require more material in manufacturing. If you are interested in the environmental impact of a product, then it is worth noting that a jet dryer is likely to have at least twice the carbon emissions associated with its production and transport. Comparing the Slimforce with the Jet Force Junior, the former creates 18 kg/co2 in its creation and end-of-life disposal, and the Jet Force 95kg/co2. Both will save a huge amount of emissions vs disposable, single-use paper towels, in the region of 95% per dry, however, we are keen to point out that reducing material use is a key part of the global environmental strategy and we would urge you to consider products with less material where possible.
If you are going for pure looks, the Vapordri blade is the most pleasing and has excellent performance and features. The Vapordri has an excellent motor for a brush motor model. If it's price, then the Jetforce Junior won’t disappoint, it looks great and performs really well, it just won’t last as long under heavy use.
If the dryer is being fitted in a very high-traffic location, then look at the Mitsubishi Jet Towel Slim which has the best water capture, best reliability, and uses the least energy, The Dyson Airblade ab14 won’t let you down but you will need to add the water collection tray in high traffic areas or your cleaners will need to be constantly mopping the floors. As a budget option in a high-traffic area, the Jet force Pro will cope with the demands but you will take a margin hit on dry time (15 secs as opposed to 10 secs).
If noise is an issue, the Jet force Pro is listed by the Quiet Mark and has undergone stringent acoustic testing, as has the Stealthforce. The Mitsubishi Jet Towel slim is also in the quiet hand dryer section, in keeping with Japanese cultural norms of quiet, well-engineered products.
The Jetforce junior is under £270 which makes it more in line with the pricing of a standard dryer. It’s a great dry and one of our best sellers.
Our top recommended hands in hand dryers
- Mitsubishi Jet Towel – Quietist, longest lasting
- Vapordri – best looking
- Steelforce – high quality appearance
- Jetforce Junior – best economy option
Not sure whether blade hand dryers are the right option for you? Please call one of our experts on 0114 3540047.
Most Reliable
