I've used every Dyson fan and I would buy THIS one for the heat and 'super pollen'

There's a heatwave coming in the UK, and in parts of America and southern Europe, extremely hot weather is happening right now. Sun and heat can be very pleasant, but you can have too much of a bad thing. Air pollution in cities is also bad right now, with the UK suffering what is known as a 'super pollen event', which spells very bad news for hay fever sufferers. It's not just pollen, either. Already this summer, we've seen warnings not to exercise outside due to air that is laced with particles and noxious gases. Now, then, is a great time to consider buying a fan that's also an air purifier. It’s cheaper than moving to the countryside.. 

I think I am right in saying that I've been sent every fan Dyson has ever made, over the years. T3 has an entire buying guide to the best Dyson fans – and because we are not totally biased, there's also a guide to the best fans by manufacturers other than Dyson. There is one Dyson fan that does a lot more than just move air around, and it is the Dyson fan I recommend above all others. And if there are any in stock – with the temperatures soaring, there may well not be soon – now is a great time to consider buying one…

• Mistakes everyone makes with fans

Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool

The first great thing about the Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool is the name of it is extremely descriptive. This is an air purifier, humidifier and fan – and it's one of the best products you can buy in all three of those fields. 

As a fan, this chunky unit of a device is superb, particularly in 'breeze' mode. This does what the name suggests, with the fan oscillating in a more random, natural way that is reminiscent of a cooling breeze. With 10 power settings and an auto setting, the Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool can summon up anything from a light zephyr to a howling gale. Well, I say 'howling'; while this Dyson does get a little loud at its very highest speed settings, it is generally very quiet. 

Another neat little feature – although it's less useful in summer – is that the Purifier Humidify+Cool can also reverse its airflow, so air is pushed out of the back. This is great when the weather isn't hot, because it means the device can carry out its air moving, purifying and humidifying duties without directing a jet of cold air at you. 

Humidifying your room also makes the atmosphere much more pleasant. Depending on what research you read, your home humidity should be somewhere in the 30% to 60% range, with the sweet spot generally considered to be 40%-50%. With its powerful fans and very light water vapour – it's invisible to the naked eye – the Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool is able to humidify even larger rooms. 

The fan's water tank is kept hygienically clean with UV light and the whole system can be easily cleaned with just a scoopful of citric acid and the press of a button. Okay, citric acid is probably not something most people keep lying around the house, but it can be easily bought from Amazon and other online stockists., and is very cheap. Full marks to Dyson for resisting the temptation to sell it under its own branding for twice the price! 

I can't overstate how much of a great addition humidifying is to the cooling process, if the air in your home is usually too dry. Modern homes in particular tend to be too dry in winter, because the central heating is on, and too dry in summer, because the sun is out, and a humidifier helps you feel more comfortable. It's got demonstrable health benefits as well.

Speaking of which, Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool is also, as the name states, an air purifier. It's nice at any time of year to have clean air, but particularly in summer during what's rightly known as 'allergy season'. Even more so if, god forbid, you live anywhere that's prone to summer wild fires; at that point, keeping an air purifier running 24/7 becomes essential. This one is able to capture 99.95% of particles as small as 0.1 microns, as well as sucking up gases and quelling odours.

Dyson says the Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool is the only air purifier, 'fully sealed to HEPA H13 standard'. This apparently means that pollutants sucked into it cannot leak back out again. So that's a bonus, I guess. From my experience, the filters in this Dyson last for a year with 'normal' use – in my case, being on every day for 6-8 hours. Of course, if you are near a wild fire, have severe allergies and are using it in a room where you cook, the filters will last for less time, but their longevity appears to be slightly above average in general, I would say.

As well as all these nifty features, the Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool has a very useful smartphone app. This lets you remotely adjust settings and set timers (after which it turns off) from anywhere. With Google and Alexa compatibility, you can also voice control it, and set scheduled times for it to turn on and off. 

The Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool may not be cheap, as such, but it is extremely well built, and able to do the job of no fewer than three devices, to a very high standard. With supply issues ongoing and a heatwave a-coming, I say you'd be well advised to snap one up while the temperature is still at a manageable level…

Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool: price and availability

The Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool is on sale now at £600 or for $800 in the USA. Shockingly, it is not yet available in Australia, despite that being a very hot and dry country indeed. On the plus side it's currently winter there, so there's less need for it. Make sure you check our Dyson discount codes page for the latest offers. 

The bad news is, this super air-mover routinely sells out at Dyson's own webs store – apologies if those links currently lead to a page saying 'Out of stock'. The good news is that other retailers do have stock, and you can see the best prices near you in this handy pricing widget below. Please note that the fan is also sometimes sold under its old name, which is Dyson Pure Humidify+Cool.