By Jim Rossman, Tribune News Service

I sleep with a fan blowing to move the air in my bedroom.

Over the years I’ve had all sorts of fans, but for the last few years, my choice has been a Dyson fan sitting on a small table.

The Dyson fan I’ve been using was the Pure Hot+Cool. The Pure meant it had a HEPA filter, and Hot+Cool means it’s a heater as well as a fan. I loved that the HEPA filter meant I was cleaning the air in the bedroom as I was being lulled to sleep by the cool breezes.

Earlier this year, Dyson asked if I wanted to review the latest version, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde ($849.99, Dyson.com), which is quite a mouthful. It has a model number of HP09, so let’s call it that for this review.

What is it?

The HP09 is a beautiful machine, it is silver, gold and white.

If you are not familiar with Dyson fans, they are cylindrical at the bottom, where the air is drawn in and passed through a filter before being forced out through the oval-shaped exhaust at the top. So, when the fan is taking in air, that air is being filtered.

The Dyson HP09 Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde, a fan/heater/air purification system, can be controlled with an app on your phone. (Dyson/TNS)

When I had non-filtering fans in the past, I’d turn those off when I was not in bed, but now I leave the Dyson on all day.

The HP09 has integrated sensors to analyze the air, displaying the live results on its LCD screen.

The HP09 has an app that lets the user run an air quality report showing the monthly average of your room’s air quality index. The air quality report will also show you the day with the highest average pollution and list the dominant pollutants and their exact levels.

Formaldehyde filtering

According to the EPA, formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas at room temperature and has a strong odor. Exposure to formaldehyde may cause adverse health effects.

The EPA says formaldehyde is found in resins used in the manufacture of composite wood products like plywood, particle board and medium-density fiberboard. These are very commonly used wood products found in many homes and offices.

It is also used in glue, paint, permanent press fabrics, lacquers and finishes, as well as in some paper products.

Formaldehyde is also a byproduct of combustion and can be found in the emissions from gas stoves, kerosene space heaters and cigarette smoke.

The HP09 has a catalytic filter that continuously traps and breaks down formaldehyde molecules into water and carbon dioxide. This filter never needs replacing.

HEPA filtering

Besides the formaldehyde filter, the HP09 has a replaceable HEPA filter that captures 99.97 of particles 0.3 microns in size and it has a layer of activated carbon to remove odors and gases.

The filter is not hard to access or replace, and the app displays the amount of filter life remaining.

I’ve been running the HP09 for almost three months and my filter life is showing 61 percent remaining.

Replacement filters are available from Dyson for $79.99.

Room temperature

Besides the excellent filtering, don’t forget the HP09 is a whole room fan and heater. There are 10 fan speeds, and because of the air flow method used, the noise level is low.

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In heat mode, you can set a target temperature and the HP09 will automatically turn on and off the heat when its needed to keep you comfortable.

There is an automatic mode, which changes the fan speed to keep the air clean as needed.

Light sleepers will appreciate the night mode, which purifies the air with the quietest settings and dims the display.

Finally, if you just want the HP09 to purify the air and not be blowing on you constantly, you can reverse the output direction, so that instead of blowing the air out the front, it blows out the rear of the machine.

Other features

The HP09 can oscillate up to 350 degrees, to heat or cool an entire room. The oscillation is also customizable, so you can set the angle you need for your situation.

There is an included remote control, with a built-in magnet so you can keep it on top of the HP09, but I keep mine on my nightstand.

You can also completely control the unit from the Dyson app on your phone or tablet. You connect the HP09 to your home’s Wi-Fi network, so you can use the app to control it from anywhere, even when you are away from home.

It is compatible with voice control from Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Google Home, so you can make adjustments with just your voice.

Conclusions

The Dyson HP09 is a little on the expensive side, but people with serious allergies or sensitivity to pollutants and chemicals will find it does a terrific job at keeping the air clean. Just knowing your room’s air quality is a huge step in keeping the air clean.

It is a room-sized fan. It is not a whole-home solution. It can heat or cool relatively large rooms, but it works best if it can concentrate on one area. I found it perfect for our bedroom.

We like to burn incense occasionally, and when we do, the HP09 has no problem detecting the increased smoke in the air and jumping into action.

The app control and voice control are both super convenient, and I love the fact that the formaldehyde filter never needs changing.

There is an ongoing cost of changing the HEPA filter once or twice a year, but that’s not too much to pay for better air.

Jim Rossman is a tech columnist for Tribune News Service. He may be reached at jrossmantechadviser@gmail.com.

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