We are surrounded by air pollutants and greenhouse gases: some of their sources include transportation, cement, iron and steel. There are also naturally occurring pollutants that originate from forest fires, soil erosion and sea spray. Of course, life may not be possible without some of these, but it puts an added pressure on our respiratory system—especially for those of us who tend to suffer from allergies throughout the year.

Things are also not as good as they used to be: a report that was released by the Conference Board of Canada in 2016 ranked our country 14th among 16 peer countries in terms of environmental performance. The report stated that with 20.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emitted per capita on an annual basis, our greenhouse emissions were extremely high.

Another report that was released in June this year by the International Institute for Sustainable Development explored the variety of pollutants and how they are continuously damaging our health: for example, smog, which is very common in big cities, consists of fine particulate matter and its particles are capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory tract. “They can cause a number of health effects, including cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses,” the report explained. “In extreme cases, smog exposure can lead to premature death.” The institute estimated in 2015 that the number of premature deaths caused by air pollution was approximately 7,700 people.

But enough of bad news—the logical resulting question is: what do we do about this? Certainly, there are many ways to help improve the environment but these are long-term solutions. What do we do for our health in the meantime? How do we improve the quality of air we breathe in on a daily basis—in the office or at home, during the day or at night? How do we take care of the most vulnerable members of our society—the children, whose respiratory systems are just forming, or the elderly, who often have weakened respiratory systems due to their age? And what about those of us who have asthma or whose allergies are no longer seasonal and last all year long?

A few months ago, we decided to monitor the air quality in our immediate surroundings and, simultaneously, improve it. We looked into many options: humidifiers, air filters and air purifiers of all kinds. Subsequently, we decided to test out Dyson’s Pure Hot + Cool Link™. Out of all the items on the Canadian market, this seemed like the most effective one that would deliver a variety of results we were looking for.

Following our 6-week testing period, we concluded that this machine is a solid investment in your health. It’s also perfectly suitable for Canadian weather, considering that this purifier is engineered for all conditions: fast, even room heating in winter, powerful personal cooling in summer and intelligent purification all year round.

Once the Link is placed in your home or office, it automatically purifies the pollutants it detects, whilst simultaneously reporting the live indoor and outdoor air quality to the Dyson Link App. Although the machine is accompanied by its own remote control, the app is very handy since you can control it from either. Plus, the app provides a lot of additional information; developed for iOS and Android, it allows you to:

• Remotely monitor the inside air quality, even if you are outdoors.
• Review air quality inside your home or office (wherever the machine is placed), and set a new target before “very poor” levels are reached.
• Keep track of the air quality history in order to oversee peak pollution times (for example, during pollen seasons, or when cleaning or cooking). If auto-mode is selected, the machine can then automatically react to the monitored air quality.
• Gain live insights into the air quality indoors, but also outdoors in a location of your choice.

Air purifiers can help capture pollution, pollen, mould, bacteria and odours. However, some purifiers rely on motors to force air through filters to capture particles, often allowing pollutants to pass through and back into the air you are breathing. The Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link™ uses Dyson’s 360° Glass HEPA filter. This technology captures 99.97% of potentially harmful particles as small as 0.3 microns, trapping them in the filter and eliminating them from the air you breathe indoors. And it doesn’t stop there: sensors inside the machine detect changes in conditions before automatically adjusting airflow to maintain the target air quality.

If you have bad allergies all year long, this machine is a true miracle. In addition to all the pollen outdoors, just think of the air surrounding us at home and all the potentially harmful gases and particles it contains. Although we can’t see them, we are still breathing them all in, and they include:

• Volatile organic compounds: Some household air fresheners and cleaning products can contain VOCs, which can be released into the air. Additionally, some carpets, rugs and their backing materials can emit VOCs when new and potentially throughout their lifetime. Gas stoves and the food-cooking process itself can emit fumes and VOCs into the air.
• Carbon and coal dust: Wood-burning fireplaces and stoves emit particulate matter during combustion.
• Dead skin and disintegrated feces: Cats, dogs and other household pets can spread this microscopic material around the home.
• Pollen: Plants and flowers can release microscopic pollen into the air.

The Link is engineered to use Dyson’s Jet Focus Technology—a technology inspired by the Coanda effect, a phenomenon in which fast-flowing air follows the direction of the surface it is flowing over. For concentrated personal heating and cooling, air is released from a jet and accelerated over an airfoil shaped ramp to produce a focused flow of air. For whole room use, a second jet of air joins the first, broadening its angle to produce a wide stream of powerful airflow.

There are some other handy things too: you can set the machine between one and 10 airflow settings and set the sleep timer, with intervals ranging from 15 minutes to nine hours. The Link oscillates to project and circulate purified air across the whole room. And, it includes a two-year parts and labour warranty.

Last but not least—and we really want to stress this because it’s important—most air purifiers are, how can we put this, not attractive-looking. You can have the most stylish home or office, but add a purifier, a humidifier or a heater, and the machine immediately puts a shabby touch to your surroundings. The Dyson Pure Hot+Cool™Link is available in several colours and it looks like it’s been shipped to you straight from the 22^nd century. Its futuristic look makes it a welcome addition and complement to any décor.

Good investment over the holiday season and a solid start to 2018.

The Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link is priced at CAD$699.99 and available on the Dyson website at dysoncanada.ca.