This situation is made even worse by the fact that there is fierce competition for the sales of Dyson Airblades online, so unless you are happy to buy one second hand or one with ‘dubious provenance’ you may be able to get them at below the list price, but they will still be expensive.
However, since Dyson made the ‘blade’ hand dryers popular, several other manufacturers have produced dryers which have the same function in that they are 'hands-in' hand dryers. They may not have the same warranty as a Dyson, they may not have the same build quality as a Dyson, and they certainly won't have the Dyson name on the front, but they will certainly be cheaper than the Dyson.
So although the Dyson is not a cheap hand dryer, before choosing an alternative, you should be sure that you will not be hitting reliability or durability issues with your new purchase. For example, the Dyson motor is built to withstand many thousands of uses, and this is why they are common in very high-usage areas, such as motorway service stations or sports stadiums. There is no doubt that the cheaper alternatives are not built for such continuous use, nor do they usually carry 5 year warranties.
So if you are looking for a ‘hands-in’ dryer which is cheaper than the Dyson Airblade, consider the following. With each suggestion, we have explained WHY it is cheaper:
1. The Mitsubishi Jet Towel – Save nearly £100
A fantastic dryer – we have many extremely satisfied customers of this product, and in fact it was Mitsubishi that invented the ‘hands-in’ blade dryer in the first place – before Dyson. It has a drip-tray, is better on power consumption and is much quieter (the motor power and heating element can also be adjusted to suit the environment). It is ultimately cheaper because you are not paying for Dyson brand name – but still buying a world-renowned brand name.
2. The Biodrier Business2 – Save nearly £200
Not many people have heard of Biodrier, but we have found that there is no better way to save approaching £200 + VAT per dryer, particularly when it comes with a 5 year warranty, the first 3 years of which are on-site, and the remaining 2 years still cover both parts and labour – that is a huge difference over the Dyson and should give everyone peace of mind about the reliability. And as well as being quieter and having much lower running costs, you can load it with air freshening gels to freshen your washroom every time it is used.
The reason for the excellent value? Well, the reason they are not well-known is that there is virtually no money spent on marketing this brand – its success has come about through word of mouth – and that is reflected in the price.
3. The Gorillo Ultra – Save over £300
A very well-priced blade dryer, the Gorillo Ultra has become extremely popular at the entry level of the market. Amongst the cheapest blade dryers currently available in the UK market, its specification and performance is far better than its price tag would suggest. With both an adjustable power setting and an adjustable heat setting, it can be configured for almost any environment, and is exceptionally quiet. If you have a high-usage environment, even though this dryer has a 'brushless' motor (i.e. no motor brushes to wear out and therefore a longer life motor) we would normally recommend something more expensive.
So although there are other hands-in ‘blade dryers, if you are looking for a cheap Dyson Airblade alternative, these are our favourites. Of course, you can find all of these and more at our hand dryer page, and if you feel the need to talk to a hand dryer nerd, we’re always on hand at 01934 253600.