ELastly, formaldehyde could be a companion to the whole renovation craze. And that’s, that’s for sure, not a good companion. It can evaporate as gas from many pieces of furniture, especially those with glued wooden materials, floors, carpets or the components of prefabricated houses. Because studies indicate a carcinogenic effect if one is exposed to it for a long time and the gas irritates the eyes and nose for a short time, a limit of 100 micrograms per cubic meter of room air has been in effect since 2016.
In order to comply with it, Dyson has given its Pure Cool air purifier a formaldehyde update. In addition to sensors for particles, nitrogen oxide, temperature, humidity and volatile organic compounds (VOC), there is now one that specifically measures formaldehyde – without confusing it with VOC, according to the manufacturer. A catalytic filter that looks like ultra-fine perforated metal sits behind the Hepa unit and splits the gas into water and carbon dioxide.
However, it does not get really much to do in our test. The sensor shows maximum values of twelve micrograms per cubic meter in the apartment. Well below the recommended limit value, so if in doubt, short, regular ventilation is also beneficial. Dyson sees the strength of his new technology in the long haul anyway. Instead of a gel sensor, which, depending on the manufacturer, has a lifespan of two to six years, the British rely on a solid matter sensor. It doesn’t dry out and will last the life of the device.
In addition, like its predecessor, which has been on the market since 2018, the device is a relatively low-noise cleaner. Even if it is running on a higher level and passing a lot of air, it does not really disturb conversations at room volume. Like most devices from various manufacturers, it offers a particularly quiet sleep mode for the night. The Hepa filter corresponds to class H13, which means that it can filter 99.95 percent of the particles in the air that are larger than 0.1 micrometers.
The only reason why Dyson wants to point out a problem with its “Pure Cool Formaldehyde” that is often caused by cheap building materials, and then wrap its 649 euro device in hard plastic, which at least looks cheap, remains a secret.