Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: the purifying fan with a HEPA filter

Dyson are no strangers to airflow. The market-leading brand is famously known for producing some of the best vacuum cleaners, as well as hair care products and commercial hand dryers that all surround their understanding of air.

So, it makes sense that they have a strong footing in the world of the best air purifiers. Their range includes air purifiers with other functions, like purified cooling or heating. 

Here, I've tested the Dyson TP09 - a purifying tower fan that is said to provide full room coverage, remove 99.95% of pollutants from the air, and destroy formaldehyde. Read on to see how well it performed in my weeks of testing it.

Tested & reviewed by

Tested & reviewed by

Dan Fauzi

I tested the UK version, the Dyson HEPA Cool Formaldehyde TP09, for over a month in my city-centre home in Bristol, UK. The US and UK models are the same except for the power cord & name. During these weeks, the TP09 was the primary fan and air purifier used in my home. 

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09: Specifications

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09: Unboxing & setup

The TP09 arrived in classic Dyson packaging, with a visual of the product's design on the outside. Inside the box, the fan and the two filters were each packaged in their own plastic.

Little setup is needed; following the instructions stuck to the fan, I removed the 'shrouds' (the panels that cover the filter) to secure the filters inside. Then, the TP09 is ready to turn on and you can control it using either of the remote controls.

If you want a bit more information, you can connect the purifier fan to your smartphone using the MyDyson app. All you have to do is pair with the device by turning it on and selecting it from the app, then connecting to your home's wi-fi router. You'll then see information and live updates on your room's air quality, and you can even set your location to compare your home with the air quality outside.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09: Design & features

The Dyson TP09 is designed differently from how you'd typically expect a tower fan to look. Most of the fan's area is empty space, and the fan itself is an almost oval-shaped ring. I'm curious whether this design helps to promote better circulation or not, but it's thoughtful that Dyson has designed it to be a lot more stylish than most other purifiers and tower fans out there. 

A key advantage of Dyson's purifying fans is the two-in-one function. It's a fan that blows purified air while removing up to 99.95% of pollutants and allergens from the room. The HEPA filter helps to trap super-fine particles down to PM2.5 (2.5 micrometers or less in diameter). The fan also aids the purification process by circulating air around the room, collecting further away particles while moving clean air toward you.

At first I was critical of an air purifier that will only be useful in the summer, but the TP09 has a backward airflow mode to avoid exactly that. This mode sucks air from where the fan would usually project from, then releases it behind the fan and diffuses it into the air.

The speed settings (1-10 or auto) and 5 oscillation angles (0°, 45°, 90°, 180°, 350°) can be controlled using the remote, as well as switching between fan and backward airflow or selecting sleep mode. There's also an info button that'll change the LCD display on the purifier, switching between screens like air quality over time, particle counts, temperature and filter health.

The price might be off-putting, but this may be explained by how comprehensively the TP09 tracks air quality. This is never more evident than on the MyDyson app, where you can see how the air quality, temperature, humidity, and individual particle counts have changed over time. It even stores a week's worth of data at a time. 

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09: Performance

After using the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 for over a month, I can confidently say that it does a much better job at purifying than it does at cooling. Because the fan circulates air, it's great at collecting pollutants from the corners of the room, and can improve the air quality pretty quickly. 

After leaving my windows open a little too long, I turned the purifier on to find the air quality was the worst I'd ever seen. It managed to get it back to a comfortable green in less than 40 minutes, and I could notice the difference in my bedroom's air.

But where the TP09 falls short is in its ability to cool you effectively. Tower fans are popular for a reason: they provide a strong airflow, but quietly, so that they don't distract you. The Dyson purifying fan only provides effective cooling at a high speed (6 or higher). At these speeds the fan becomes quite loud - I imagine because it's simultaneously purifying the air while blowing it over you. This can be somewhat distracting when watching TV or trying to sleep, and it makes me wonder how much power is being used if it makes that much noise at relatively low airflow.

That being said, having 5 different oscillation options is a blessing. 45° is the perfect angle to keep the fan exclusively covering my double bed, and 350° is ideal for when you need to purify the whole room quickly.

I'm personally a huge fan of the app. The information is clear, and you can keep it as general or granular as you want. I particularly like how Dyson tapped into the data from your local area so you can compare it with the air quality outside. You can also do everything the remote control can (good news for anyone who can never find their remotes). 

But to be completely honest, much of this data isn't essential. Sure, it's interesting to see how the number of PM2.5 particles has changed over the course of a few hours or days and to see how exactly different activities affect your home's air quality. But it isn't information that brings about any action; it's just enlightening to see. If this is one of the reasons why the TP09 costs so much, I'd say it isn't worth it.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09: Cleaning & maintenance

The purifier fan will very helpfully let you know when it's time to change your filters. You can even view your filters' health at any time using either the remote control or the app, so it doesn't have to be a surprise when it's time to replace. 

Removing and replacing the filters is simple. All you have to do is remove the side panels (or 'shrouds'), remove the filters, and slot new ones in. In the meantime, you can even give the filters a shake for gentle cleaning.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09: Price

The Dyson TP09 retails for $749.99 at Dyson but is often on offer for around $600. You can also find it for $650 at Walmart, $661 at Amazon, or $750 at QVC and Best Buy.

In the UK, the TP09 purifier fan is available for £549.99 at Dyson, John Lewis and Marks Electrical.

Considering the cheapest air purifiers sell for around $100, with the more feature-packed options starting at around $200-300, the TP09 is not cheap. The price tag does, to an extent, reflect the amount of data that's being captured and the dual 'fan and air purifier' function. But realistically, it's an expensive appliance with the same core functions as many others that cost half as much.

How does the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 compare?

The TP09 is slightly more expensive than other models in Dyson's range of purifiers. The Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 is available for $429.99 while the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07 costs $649.99. Neither of these alternatives can destroy formaldehyde, but otherwise have similar features. The biggest and most powerful option, the Dyson Big+Quiet, goes for $999.99.

But fan/air purifier combos aren't exclusive to Dyson. Dreo's Air Purifier Tower Fan sells for $249.99 - much more reasonably priced than Dyson's offerings considering the core functions are largely the same.

If you're looking for a fan, I found that the Levoit Classic 36-Inch Tower Fan did a much better job at cooling me, and stayed quiet up until the super-high fan speeds. 

Pairing a reliable tower fan with an air purifier could potentially be a better (and more cost-effective) approach. The Shark NeverChange Air Purifier MAX has large coverage (1,400 square feet!) and an anti-odor cartridge, that the Dyson TP09 doesn't have, and a fan could help with circulation in the same way. It'd also give you the option of turning on the fan or purifier by themselves without always having both at once.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09: Verdict

There's no doubt that the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 is an impressive appliance. It circulates purified air around the room, capturing pollutants and allergens while cooling you when needed. The oscillation options are great, and the sleep mode and backward airflow come in handy. The data tracking is comprehensive, with an app that gives you full access to the past week of air quality, temperature and humidity info. 

But this level of data tracking isn't necessarily essential. Other dual-function air purifier fans can clean and cool your room in a similar way without you ever needing to know this information and without the $600+ investment that the Dyson TP09. 

If you can afford it, it's a stylish and impressive way to purify your space while gently cooling you, but if you don't need the fancy features, then other fans and air purifiers might be a better choice.