Hand Dryers, The Latest & The Best


Hand Dryers Continue To Evolve
Just when you thought they couldn't do anything more with the humble hand dryer, three of the leading manufacturer's in the sector remind us that they haven't been sat twiddling their thumbs while everyone else was busy copying their original innovations.
Airflow Eco Dry
Airflow Eco Dry Hand Dryer
This new dryer from Airflow arrived without too much fanfare (compared to their Eco Loovent Fan launch which was accompanied with massive amounts of promotional material, media advertising and the best track day at Silverstone I've ever seen). The lack of trumpet blowing from the manufacturer incorrectly prepared me for another 'me too' product in what is becoming a fairly crowded market sector. Man was I wrong!
Very Eco, Very Quick
The reality couldn't be further from the truth as this is an incredible piece of kit. Not only does it achieve the 10-14 seconds hand drying time that we're all looking for now, but it does it using only 550w of power which makes it one of the most economical hand dryers to run (approx 2.3w per cycle). It achieves this by using well placed 'blade' shaped jets of air to scrub the moisture from your hands. To help you get the drying position right, Airflow have included the now customary blue LED light.
Squeaky Clean
Airflow have really gone overboard on the hygiene as well. Not only have they 'silver impregnated' the case, but they have also added a HEPA filter to completely remove any bacteria from the process (well 99.997% anyway).
Vent Axia Jet Dry 3
Vent Axia Jet Dry 3 hand Dryer
VA have been making traditional dryers for decades and when Dyson shook the market up with their Airblade, they followed up with both a wall mounted high performance dryer (Tempest 1.6KW) and their Jet Dry which was similar a design to the original Airblade. Now we know everyone copied the Airblade style (who in turn had copied the idea from Mitsubishi decades earlier of course), but I must admit I was a tad disappointed when Vent Axia brought their original Jet Dry to market without any additional discernible design features. It now looks like perhaps they fast-tracked a clone through to avoid missing out on the initial surge in interest in the sector while they busied themselves in the background on their latest creation.
Genuine Innovation
The Jet Dry 3 invites you to push your hands through its enlarged 'letterbox' style aperture where it drys your hands in 10-15 seconds with 3 powerful air outlets situated in the sides. Vent Axia have worked hard to deal with the surface water issues that have plagued some of these 'Airblade' style dryers in the past. A ceramic plate system facilitates the almost complete evaporation of surface water, leaving any small residual moisture (possible during very high usage times) to collect in a drip tray.
Controllable Energy Usage
Not only does the Jet Dry 3 allow you to lower the motor speed and save even more energy (increases drying times slightly) but you can also turn the heater on or off. After all the heater doesn't increase the drying time, but some users may prefer it to be on in the winter for comfort.
The NEW Range Of Dyson Airblades
My, We Have Been Busy Mr Dyson……
I think many of us thought that James Dyson might be done with the hand dryer (as a concept anyway), but no, he was just getting started it appears. Not only has the incredibly popular Dyson AB03 been replaced with a new improved MK2 unit called the AB07, but they've brought out another two completely re-designed hand dryer concepts.
The New AB07 Mk2 Airblade Dryer - Quieter, Cleaner, Faster
Dyson Airblade Mk2 AB07
The original Airblade was loud, like standing too near a runway loud - Dyson have vastly improved this by adding high quality silencers to reduce the decibel levels. Hospital quality anti-microbial filters have been introduced to kill off bacteria. The motor has been reduced in size but delivers faster air flow rates to help achieve that magical 10 seconds drying time more often.
V Blade Hand Dryer - Compact, Fast
Dyson V Hand Dryer
Who would have thought Dyson would have bothered with a 'hands under' dryer? Makes sense I suppose as not every washroom has the vertical room to fit a full height Airblade easily. The V dryer, has a similar very high speed motor and also claims drying times from 10 seconds using 'blade' type jets emanating from the V shaped underneath of the unit, giving you a slightly higher drying position.
The Tap That's Also A Hand Dryer??
Dyson Airblade Tap
A fascinating new concept that saves you walking from the basin to the dryer area. The water is delivered from the centre stem and then blades of air from the side-bars dry your hands for you at the basin in 12 seconds. Imagine the patent lawyer fees now accruing as Dyson attempt to stop the world copying this one!