Review: Dyson AM10

€700

In Ireland, there’s one thing we’re not short of: moisture. So when it comes to home devices, you might be more familiar with a dehumidifier, the type of thing you bring out to solve that lingering damp problem in the spare room, or dry out your living room after a particularly cold winter caused a burst pipe to leak everywhere.

Warm weather is a notable event in these parts, and you can usually pinpoint summer to a specific week each year.

But Dyson has brought out a humidifier, and it's on sale in Ireland. Who needs more moisture in the air here? A lot of people actually. If you suffer from skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, you could benefit from a humidifier.

In fact, it will even help less severe complaints such as chapped lips and dehydrated skin. If you work in an office with air conditioning, for example, you might stash one of these under your desk to make sure your office isn’t drying you into a desiccated husk of a human being.

It looks very similar to Dyson’s fan/heater range, only a little wider. There’s also the tell-tale water reservoir underneath, and when you switch the humidifier on, you can see the mist being released into the air stream. It’s a bit mesmerising to watch.

The good

On a warmer day, you can really feel the benefit of the AM10. It uses Dyson’s air multiplier technology that you find in its fans, so you get the benefit of the fan with an extra shot of cool air from the water vapour. You can control the level of humidity with the included remote control, so if you just need a little extra, it’s easy to dial down the settings. If, on the other hand, you feel you’re living in desert-like conditions, you can whack it up to full and watch the mist spread.

It’s got an auto mode, which means the AM10 will sense the temperature and humidity of the room and set everything automatically. That’s especially useful for a complete humidifier newbie (ie, me) who has yet to discover the difference between “pleasant” and “big hair danger”.

Dyson has also built-in ultraviolet technology, which eliminates much of the bacteria that can live in these type of devices. According to the official statistics, it’s 99.9 per cent effective, so you won’t be blowing bacteria around your living room in the mistaken belief that you’re actually helping your family or office health.

And when you aren’t pumping out cooling mist, you can use the AM10 as a regular fan.

The not so good

Dyson doesn’t do cheap and cheerful. It does stylish tech, and that often has a price tag to match. While the average consumer might be persuaded to spend out on the vacuum cleaner or Hot & Cool fan range, the humidifier might be a harder sell. Its price tag is a little steep but if you fit into the target market of people who need the device for medical conditions, you might just stretch to it.

The rest

The Dyson Am10 has a three-litre water storage capability, which means it can run for about 18 hours before you’ll need to refill it. Unlike the regular fan, it can all be taken apart so it’s easy to refill and you can give it a clean every now and again too. Dyson recommends a monthly cleaning, but with the ultraviolet light at least you know it’s not filling your room with bacteria if you go over that by a few days.

The verdict

HHHHH

Dyson may have converted me to the humidifier cause. The AM10 is pricey but it works.