Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Cryptomic review

Dyson has upgraded its flagship Pure Hot+Cool air purifier in India with the new Pure Hot+Cool Cryptomic that gains the additional ability to eliminate Formaldehyde fumes from your home.

Formaldehyde fumes are a common household pollutant that can build up in poorly ventilated spaces resulting in irritation in skin, eyes, nose, and throat, and also in breathing problems for kids and the elderly.

In our  Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Cryptomic review, we will discuss how effective it is as an air purifier and as compared to the regular Pure Hote+Cool that it supplants. Let’s get started. 

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Cryptomic Price in India and Specifications 

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Cryptomic review: Design and Filters

In terms of design, the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Cryptomic is similar to the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool that we reviewed earlier, save for the matte gold finish on the metallic inlet vents and on the remote control. The gold finish doesn’t feel gaudy but it’s a bit mismatched to the dark grey of the polycarbonate section that houses the LCD display.

Dyson has put a lot of thought into the design and we’d say the Cryptomic looks remarkably elegant and appealing.

The revolving base houses three pollution detection sensors and two air purification filters. No additional sensor is required to monitor Formaldehyde as it’s sensed using the VOC sensor that also detects NO2 and other odors and gases. The particulate sensor uses an IR laster to detect PM10 and PM 2.5 concentrations and there is a third sensor to monitor temperature and humidity.

For effective purification, Dyson Cryptomic takes in air from all sides (360-degrees) and passes it through a set of good quality filters. These filters are vacuum-sealed to ensure that no untreated air escapes into the air projection channel through the edges.

To make room for the additional Formaldehyde filter within the same design, Dyson combines the Hepa glass and Carbon filter into a single unit, a ‘Combi filter’. The Formaldehyde capture filter is next and it breaks harmful formaldehyde fumes into carbon dioxide and water.

The filter life (for both filters) remains unchanged as compared to Dyson Pure Hot+Cool – that is 365 days if you use the purifier for 12 hours per day. The filters are now more expensive, though. 

Next, the clean air is evenly circulated using the patented Air multiplier technology. Dyson’s rotating bladeless fan can propel a stream of purified air farther away than usual purifiers, resulting in better circulating through the entire room even with the ceiling fan turned off.

If you don’t want the purifier to directly thrust cool air in winters, there is the option to channel the clean air through rear slits from where it’s pushed in a diffused manner.

For more effective circulation, the fan and base can rotate and sweep an area ranging from 45-degrees to 350-degrees. The base can also tilt forward and backward for targeted air propulsion. The heating plates are present on either side of the blade-less fan tower and the purifier can evenly heat up a standard room to any desired temperature up to 37-degrees.

The purifier also has a topple-free design, which is to say that it’s really difficult to accidentally knock it off when it is placed on the floor (immensely helpful when you have kids running around your home). 

Lastly, the slick remote has all the required functions and can magnetically cling to the top of the purifier.

Also Read: Best Air Purifiers to buy in India

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Cryptomic review: Dyson Link App and Connectivity

The purifier connects to the gorgeous Dyson Link companion app that’s available for both Android and iOS. The app detects the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Cryptomic as Dyson Pure Hot + Cool due to the functional similarities between the two models.

It can be used to remotely control the purifier, to schedule it to run at particular times, to monitor filter life, and to analyze air quality stats. Users may also turn on continuous air monitoring.

As for connectivity, Dyson Cryptomic supports dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The Wi-Fi range isn’t as wide as on our phones which poses a limit to how much far away you can place it from your router. 

The Purifier can be controlled using Amazon Alexa on Echo devices and Dyson is also working on adding Google Assistant integration.   

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Cryptomic review: Performance

Dyson tests its purifiers to rigid standards using its POLAR test which is more stringent than the CADR test that is the current industry standard in India. In the POLAR test, the purifier is positioned in one corner and runs in auto mode without any assistance from a ceiling fan. Pollutants are then added from the far corner. 

We got our review unit before Diwali and got to test Dyson’s claim in Delhi’s peak pollution season when the city transforms into a gas chamber with the AQI ranging between 700 and 1000! 

To start with, the Dyson purifier seems to have very effective sensors that can efficiently register changes we introduced. For instance, VOC levels went up as we heated body wax in the room or burned incense candles, Air quality dropped when we burned incense sticks, and the pollution index swiftly registered changes as we kept the door open.

This might not look like much, but to have air quality detection sensors functions properly entails a certain peace of mind. At the very least, an air purifier needs to be able to sense and relay the gravity of the air situation.

As with all purifiers, you will have to keep the doors shut for effective filtration. The air still leaks from doors and windows, but Dyson Cryptomic can handle such slippage when the ambient air quality is moderate. 

During the peak pollution days, however, the purifier really struggled to maintain the Green level (0 – 35 µg/m3) for particulate matter and mostly ran in Orange (54 – 70 µg/m3) or Red (71 – 150 µg/m3). That’s still impressive because the peak pollution season in Delhi is an extreme case that no home purifier can effectively deal with.

On normal days, when Air was still in the ‘severe’ zone, Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Cryptomic took around 30 minutes for PM 10 and PM 2.5 readings to drop in the Green Zone.

We noticed that the air purifier is more effective when placed on a slightly raised platform and when the air is channeled through the primary fan slits (and not the diffuser). 

There is no way to check formaldehyde levels and VOC readings at my home were almost always in green. So it’s hard to determine how much more effective the Cryptomic is as compared to the regular Pure Hot+Cool. 

It takes around an hour for the purifier to heat up our bedroom from 18 to 28-degrees, but the room was evenly heated and we didn’t experience any suffocation. Come winters and this should be the most impressive feature of this purifier.

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Cryptomic review: Verdict

The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Cryptomic is a thoughtfully designed premium product with a price to match. It’s as effective as air purifiers get and should appeal to buyers willing to shell out the premium price for the assurance of quality from Dyson branding rather than those seeking value.

It’s also quite effective as a room heater and can double as a modest table fan if needed.   

Compared to the regular Pure Hot+Cool, Cryptomic has the additional ability to remove formaldehyde. Formaldehyde levels are likely to be high only if you have entered a new home with new paint and varnishing or if tobacco consumption is common indoors. Or if you need to install the machine in a professional setup that’s likely to have high formaldehyde concentration – for instance, a beauty salon or an office overlooking an industrial shop floor. 

For a regular household, you may as well opt for the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool and cut-down on the budget and maintenance cost. 

Pros 

• Elegant design that adds to the home decor
• Effective Air purification and the ability to remove formaldehyde fumes
• Even room heating in winters 

Cons 

• Expensive 
• Ocassional Wi-Fi signal drop