# Is The Dyson Desk Fan Worth $350? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 19, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819 "2011-09-19T13:26:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/41 "2011-09-21T06:45:09Z")
I wouldn’t pay a plugged nickle for that thing. Scares me shitless. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/42 "2011-09-21T11:56:08Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > The first question should be how much $350 is worth to you. IMO, the first question should be how much a fan is worth to you. Period. The second question is whether there is a more economical alternative. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/43 "2011-09-21T14:47:43Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > IMO, the first question should be how much a fan is worth to you. Period. The second question is whether there is a more economical alternative. So I take it you drive a Kia with no air conditioning? Only the desperately poor and the most skin-flintish people in the world look for the absolute cheapest solution to a particular problem. For example, I find fans tacky. Even if I could install a fan for $30 bucks, I’d much, much rather add a central air conditioner to my existing HVAC system for $2000 just to avoid having tacky fans. If I couldn’t afford $2000 for an A/C, but could afford $350 for a non-tacky fan, I’d go for the non-tacky fan. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/44 "2011-09-21T18:05:01Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > So I take it you drive a Kia with no air conditioning? Only the desperately poor and the most skin-flintish people in the world look for the absolute cheapest solution to a particular problem. Dude. Not spending money on frivolities such as $350 desk fans is how one becomes WEALTHY. FTR, I drive a 2004 Toyota Sienna, which I bought for $28,000 in December '03. It’s cost me approximately $200 per month to drive (assuming I could sell it today for 10% less than its reported Blue Book value), which I believe is as cheap as I could have driven a Kia, after resale value and lifetime maintenance costs are considered. It’s gotten me from Point A to Point B with no quarrels for nearly 8 years now. What a stellar buy! [Quote=Balthisar] For example, I find fans tacky. Even if I could install a fan for $30 bucks, I’d much, much rather add a central air conditioner to my existing HVAC system for $2000 just to avoid having tacky fans. If I couldn’t afford $2000 for an A/C, but could afford $350 for a non-tacky fan, I’d go for the non-tacky fan. [/quote] If you spend $350 on a desk fan, it’s not a stretch to figure out why you can’t afford the $2000 air conditioner. As far as the coolness factor goes, I can’t begin to address that because I have no coolness barometer for fans. I’m rather amused that other people do. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/45 "2011-09-21T20:02:11Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Has anyone ever been buffeted by any fan smaller than a wind tunnel? Hello everyone. My name is drewtwo99, and I am a survivor of buffeting. I was buffeted by a large box fan in 2004, but through extreme perserverence, and the love of my friends and family, I am making it through each day as a stronger individual. Thank you. _takes a seat_ ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/46 "2011-09-22T00:26:24Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > You’re not alone. Dyson’s stuff have a “cool” factor but tend to be overpriced in my humble opinion. We’re not the demographic Dyson’s selling to. (full disclosure: I have a Dyson Vacuum) ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/47 "2011-09-22T02:55:40Z")
It would be worth it to me if the blades didn’t get soiled. When the design first came out I thought there were no blades and was pretty excited. Since then I’ve discovered that the blades are really in the outer housing and they will get just as gunky as my $20 fan. Fan gunk is a pet peeve of mine. Most fans are not “clean-friendly” in that you have to disassemble the damn thing from stem to stern to get to all of the dust. Every single spoke has to be cleaned inside and out. Ugh. Why not make a sealed motor that I can just plop in the shower and hose it off when I want to clean it? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/48 "2011-09-22T02:59:54Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Dude. Not spending money on frivolities such as $350 desk fans is how one becomes WEALTHY. Well, yeah, if you’re not already wealthy or at least of enough means that $350 be not all that important to you. That’s what **obfusciatrist** meant by saying, > [@](#): > > The first question should be how much $350 is worth to you. But you came back and said, > [@](#): > > [T]he first question should be how much a fan is worth to you. Period. The second question is whether there is a more economical alternative. …which makes it sound like the only consideration should be price and function. In a wealthy society, form and art and pleasure are equally (and often more) important. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/49 "2011-09-22T06:22:18Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > It would be worth it to me if the blades didn’t get soiled. When the design first came out I thought there were no blades and was pretty excited. Since then I’ve discovered that the blades are really in the outer housing and they will get just as gunky as my $20 fan. > > Fan gunk is a pet peeve of mine. Most fans are not “clean-friendly” in that you have to disassemble the damn thing from stem to stern to get to all of the dust. Every single spoke has to be cleaned inside and out. Ugh. Why not make a sealed motor that I can just plop in the shower and hose it off when I want to clean it? Me too, I think the biggest problem with fans is cleaning them. Current fans are ok because you can totally disassemble them (grills, blades). The Air Multiplier looks even HARDER to clean because it’s not meant to be opened. I’m waiting to see if mine gets dirty, or the dirt gets left on the casing (the intake holes get quite dusty). ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/50 "2011-09-22T11:23:30Z")
The fact you can’t do the Darth Vader voice with it proves it’s not worth the cheap Chinese plastic it’s made from. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Not\_Appearing\_on\_This\_Site](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Sir\_Not\_Appearing\_on\_This\_Site](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Not_Appearing_on_This_Site)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/51 "2011-09-22T23:35:52Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > If I’m going to pay Dyson $350 for something it better be a Sphere. I would think that a Dyson Sphere would cost a little more than $350, considering they envelope an entire star… ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/52 "2011-09-23T00:10:13Z")
You all can keep your Dyson’s. I’ll stick with my Vornado I got off Woot for 25 bucks. No worries about buffeting whin the fan is 20 feet away, everything smooths out into a nice smooth wind by then. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/53 "2011-09-23T11:00:53Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > How many square feet is it supposed to heat? A quick Google search shows a space heater for around $350 designed to cover 1,000 square feet. A space heater designed for a normal sized room is less than $100. So, no. Unless this heater was spectacular in some way I would not pay $350 for it. > > I’ve read some reviews the Dyson fans because I was genuinely curious to see if they were worth the price. Almost universally, the reviews boiled down to whether or not lack of buffeting was worth the price. Almost universally, the answer was no. the dyson website says small to largish room. won’t give a numberish. the big sell is that is will evenly heat the room because it moves from side to side. heaters under 399.99 also move from side to side. the only advantage i can see is that you could possibly train small animals to leap through the “hoop”. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/54 "2011-09-23T16:22:21Z")
I saw one on display in a store, and thought the cool factor was relatively high, but I couldn’t justify the price either. The buffetting effect on a regular blade fan doesn’t bother me, and I ended up buying a desk fan for $10. Suited me perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/55 "2011-09-23T16:57:05Z")
How does the Dyson fan work? Like a hair dryer, sort of? ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/56 "2011-09-23T17:24:18Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > How does the Dyson fan work? Like a hair dryer, sort of? > **[How the Dyson Bladeless Fan Works](https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/home/dyson-bladeless-fan.htm)** > > The Dyson Air Multiplier works like a fan, but it has no blades. Can it be as effective as a traditional fan? What's so different about it? > [@](#): > > While the tube doesn’t have any blades inside it, the pedestal of the fan contains a brushless electric motor that takes in air and feeds it into the circular tube. Air flows along the inside of the device until it reaches a slit inside the tube. This provides the basic airflow that creates the breeze you’d feel if you stood in front of the fan. More at the link. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/57 "2011-09-23T18:19:02Z")
Well, it is worth it if you have to transport [carefully balanced helium balloons](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WNcjkZ6d0w&NR=1). Try THAT with your conventional fan!!! ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/58 "2011-09-23T19:01:29Z")
> [@brewha](#): > > Well, it is worth it if you have to transport [carefully balanced helium balloons](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WNcjkZ6d0w&NR=1). > > Try THAT with your conventional fan!!! I love this > [@](#): > > Disclaimer: This was created and executed by trained Dyson engineers under a controlled environment. Do not attempt to duplicate. This is a cleverly embedded suggestion that you actually DO try to duplicate this. Some of those setups used 40 or 50 fans. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MobiusStripes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@MobiusStripes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MobiusStripes)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/59 "2011-09-23T19:05:53Z")
> [@Sir\_Not\_Appearing\_on\_This\_Site](#): > > I would think that a Dyson Sphere would cost a little more than $350, considering they envelope an entire star… I’m sure the star is sold separately. They’re always trying to nickle and dime you. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819/60 "2011-09-23T22:26:32Z")
> [@MobiusStripes](#): > > I’m sure the star is sold separately. They’re always trying to nickle and dime you. Not to mention all the solar winds buffeting you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-dyson-desk-fan-worth-350/596819.md?page=2)