Dyson Cool CF1 Desk Fan Review

Introduction

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a new desk fan from Dyson, but if you ever started to doubt the company’s prowess in this area, the Dyson Cool CF1 has arrived to put those thoughts to rest.

Let’s face it, whenever there’s a heatwave, most of us tend to look for the cheapest solution so that we can get some relief at a price that doesn’t feel like too much of an investment. Sure, it would be nice to have a super sleek Dyson fan in your home, but can you ever really justify the price? Well, with the Dyson Cool CF1, I think you can.

At £249.99, it’s definitely not the most affordable desk fan in the world, but it is comparatively affordable against some of the larger fans that Dyson manufactures, and when you consider all of the features that you get with this model, in particular its wonderfully silent operation, I’d argue that it’s a luxury worth buying into.

Design and features

• Dyson’s iconic bladeless design returns
• Physical controls have been added to the main body
• Remote and app control available

At first glance, it might be a bit difficult to tell that the Cool CF1 is actually a new release, but that’s far from a bad thing given just how iconic Dyson’s bladeless fans are. The key giveaway that this is something new is the small row of physical buttons that let you control the fan without needing to reach for the included remote or the accompanying app. It’s a small addition but one that is helpful, particularly given that, as a desk fan, the Cool CF1 is almost always going to be within reach of your hands, and it saves you always needing to keep the other methods of control nearby.

Those controls include a power button which can be twisted to increase the intensity of the airflow, a night-time button which immediately brings the airflow down to level four (which is nice and quiet), and a button for oscillation, which lets you choose between 15, 40 and 70 degrees. A small LCD screen lets you know which modes are currently active.

Much like previous Dyson desk fans, you can tilt the frame forwards and backwards so you can accommodate for having the fan sat at an elevated position, or if you need an upward trajectory when using a standing desk.

While it’s been said plenty of times before, I still think that Dyson’s bladeless design is ideal for those with small children, as it just means that you can enjoy having a cooling device in your home without the worry that it might cause unintentional harm when your back is turned.

I was amazed to see just how simple it is to set up the CF1 once you take it out of the box. The whole apparatus is separated into two components, the ring and the main body, and all it takes is for the former to be pushed down at an angle into the latter, and then twisted to lock it all into place. That’s it. Strangely, there’s no instruction manual included to explain what all of the different buttons mean – for that you’ll have to pair it with the MyDyson app to see a digital ‘how to’ guide.

Speaking of the MyDyson app, you have immediate access to all of the same controls that I’ve mentioned before alongside a timer function that lets you choose from one of six options, going from as little as 15 minutes, all the way up to nine hours, before switching off. This is great to have if you also plan on using the CF1 to keep you cool as you sleep, although I did notice that you don’t have quite as many timer options when using the included remote control.

Even though the remote control is very responsive and wonderfully matching in its design language, you can only use it set timers from 30 minutes to eight hours, so you may need to dive into the app more often if you want a greater amount of choice.

Performance

• One of the most quiet fans we’ve tested
• Airflow is more spread out than other desk fans

The first thing I couldn’t help but notice as soon as I switched the Dyson Cool CF1 on is that it runs at a mind bendingly quiet state when operating at the lower levels of airflow. At the lowest setting, the CF1 provides just the lightest touch of a breeze, so light in fact that it didn’t even register on the anemometer.

In that same state, I could only register 37dB from 15cm away, and that dropped to 34.8dB when I moved to a metre’s distance from the fan.

When kicking things up to level five, right in the middle of the fan’s range of intensity, I did pick up an airflow of about 2.2m/sec and 1.0m/sec, when checked from 15cm and 1m respectively. On paper, this is definitely less than what you’ll find from something like the MeacoFan Sefte 10, but what you have to bear in mind is the way in which the CF1 distributes its airflow.

Instead of a standard desk fan that has a somewhat limited spread when stationary, because of Dyson’s circular frame, the CF1 provides a cooling effect to both your face and the air around you. In addition, because the airflow isn’t coming from the centre of that circle, but rather the perimeter, there is a slight chasm of about 11cm where you won’t feel anything, so there needs to be some distance to get the full effect. That might be a turn off for some, but I did like the fact that if I shifted in my seat in one direction or another, I could still feel the impact of that airflow.

Where the CF1 really excels however is in just how quiet it is at all levels. I’ve already mentioned those test results at the lower end, but at 15cm away, both at level five and at the maximum of level 10, I only picked up 46.5dB and 59.5dB. You can easily work away and have the CF1 gradually fade away into background noise.