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Editor’s Note: The Sans Summer Sale is live (get £50 off right now)
In Our Industrialised, Over-Polluted World… Clean Air Is Hard to Come By.
And that’s why keeping our homes as fresh and clean as possible has never been so important. Thankfully, just as industrialisation and technology have led to more bulls*** in the air… they’ve also led to state-of-the-art devices to mitigate that pollution and purify our spaces.
And that’s where the Sans Air Purifier and the Dyson Purifier Cool™ PC1 come in: two of the top air purifiers on the market utilising gold-standard HEPA filters, modernist design, and top-drawer power and efficiency. While Dyson is an established industry player in household appliances, Sans is a more recent upstart harnessing the scrappy and forward-thinking energy of a young company.
Air purifiers that will actually make a difference in your home aren’t cheap, so we did a side-by-side comparison of these two industry leaders to see which one might be worth the investment. Here’s what we learned.
Old School vs. New School: Dyson & Sans
- When you hear Dyson, you probably think of a vacuum cleaner… or the world’s most famous £330 hair dryer. Dyson was founded in 1991 with the idea of a bagless vacuum and has since expanded into other appliances like, of course, the air purifier. The Dyson Purifier Cool™ PC1 uses a HEPA filter and circulation power to filter the airflow in the whole room. The catch? It costs a whopping £449.99
- Sans, on the other hand, was founded much more recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, when so many of us were trapped indoors. Founders John Fanelly and Adam Bedford wanted to engineer a way for us to breathe clean and pollutant-free air through a machine that looked as good as it worked. The Sans Air Purifier made an impression right away for its medical-grade, HEPA filter effectiveness and chic, modernist design. Forbes, Architectural Digest, and countless customers have flocked to the Sans bandwagon, instantly making it one of the most sought-after devices on the market.
Both of these air purifiers are at the top for a reason. But in the interest of healthy competition, we broke it down into three categories to see which deserves the (legally non-binding and entirely unofficial) title of “Best Air Purifier in the World.”
Price: Sans
While the Dyson Purifier Cool™ PC1 costs £449.99, the Sans Air Purifier only costs £369.99, which is £80 cheaper. And with the summer sale knocking £50 off, that gap stretches to £130. Both units come in white and black colourways and feature similar technical and purification specs, while the Dyson offers a cooling fan component. (Though it’s worth noting that some reviewers reckon the Dyson works more like a fan than an air purifier.)
When it comes to price, we also need to consider the cost of replacement filters. Sans’ replacement filter costs £35.99 £32.39 when you subscribe & save, while Dyson’s replacement filter costs £85.00. Sans recommends changing the filter after 3 months while Dyson recommends changing theirs after a year, but both units will indicate when they need to be replaced.
Despite the potential for a slightly higher annual cost on filters, Sans strongly stands out here as the better value in terms of price.
Effectiveness: Sans
Price, of course, is not the only consideration in the purchase of an air purifier. If you’re going to spend the money, you want something that will actually have an impact on your home… and both Sans and Dyson are sure to make an impact.
As we mentioned earlier, these units are relatively identical in terms of technical specs. They both utilise medical-grade HEPA-13 filters and an additional carbon filter (with Sans even using an entire pound of activated carbon in theirs) to absorb odour, chemicals, and gases. They’re both engineered to move huge quantities of air, purifying the whole room.
Sans, however, also includes a final layer of defence in the process: UV-C light. Plus, Sans states its purifier covers up to 1,854 sq ft every hour, while Dyson quotes its coverage as a room volume rather than an hourly figure, which makes a like-for-like comparison tricky. Given this edge, we’re naming Sans the winner in terms of effectiveness.
Reviews & Customer Love: Sans
The Dyson Purifier Cool™ PC1 has 368 reviews for a 4.0 out of 5 average rating, with just 48% of reviewers saying they’d recommend the product. Sans, conversely, has 2,534 reviews for a 4.9 out of 5 average rating. With nearly seven times the number of reviews and a far higher rating, Sans stands out as the winner here.
While many reviews for Dyson claim it does what it’s supposed to do, some mention an obnoxious, high-pitched sound coming from the unit, and the fact that the cooling aspect doesn’t really work. Sans reviewers call out its effectiveness in eliminating dust and pet dander, and how quiet the unit is. Some mention that the filters didn’t get as dirty as they expected.
All in all, we think the people give another edge to Sans in this category.
We Definitely Know Which Air Purifier We’ll Be Choosing…
Dyson is a beloved company for their marquee products, but it seems that their air purifier might not be quite on the same level. Sans, on the other hand, a brand focused exclusively on purification (be it via air or water), seems to have all but perfected the art of the air purifier.
If you’re looking for the quietest air purifier in its class, medical-grade filtration, and state-of-the-art features with a price that keeps more money in your pocket and takes all the dust, dander, pollutants, and allergens out of your air… Sans might be the right choice for you. It’s worth mentioning that Sans comes with a 30-day home trial, free delivery and returns, and a 3-year guarantee, while Dyson offers a 14-day returns window and a 2-year guarantee, so there’s little risk in testing Sans out for yourself.
Editor’s Note: The Sans Summer Sale is live (get £50 off right now)