Affordability over quality?
Winter is upon us, and as we all scramble to keep warm this winter- would you rather? Spend the big bucks on a quality heater? Or do you want to spend a fraction of the cost just to stay warm?
As a family we’re big fans of Dyson, we have all sorts of Dyson products from vacuum cleaners, hair driers to air-purifying hot/cold towers. So, I instinctively wanted another Dyson product to do the heating around the house as it’s a trusted brand in our family. But all I wanted the product to do was the heating, and to live under my office desk. So, when it’s that inevitable time to log into a work MS Teams meeting with cameras on, I’m not seen sitting in my shabby home hoodie, but looking professional in only shirt sleeves (when we don’t have central heating in our apartment).
For the 2020 and then the 2021 winter seasons, working from home was huddling in the home office, with a beany on and the hood of my hoodie pulled low over my head. And I’d still be cold and suffering with chilblains throughout winter. But now with a new manager who has mandated a camera on policy, so Winter 2022 I needed to look presentable in all meetings and wearing an outdoor puffy jacket in every meeting just wouldn’t cut it. Not to mention, someone would inevitably point it out in each meeting, that I looked like I was ready for an outdoor expedition.
So, I started on a search for a fan heater to go under the desk, the criteria were that it couldn’t be too large as I didn’t want to lose too much leg room under the desk. I wanted it to be fan forced, rather than heat elements or an oil heater as I didn’t want to wait to be warmed up. And I wasn’t too fussed on price, my justification was if I spent a bit more, it just meant that it would last longer. And the most important point, was that I wanted a heater first and foremost, I didn’t need it to do 6 different things, I just wanted it to blow heat. Is that too much to ask for?
Online searches showed that Dyson sells a fan heater, but when we visited the various major department stores in the city all they seem to stock were air-purifiers. And we already have one, it’s tall and it takes up too much space to be living under my desk. But literally everywhere we looked, every brand was selling hot/cold air-purifiers at $500 or upwards of $800. Sure, I said that cost wasn’t an issue, but spending upwards of $800 didn’t make sense either. Especially if I was settling for something that I didn’t really want.
So, my wife suggested that we check-out K-Mart or Bing Lee, sellers who were more likely to stock a simple fan heater.
And Bing Lee had exactly what we were looking for, a fan heater, no taller than 20cms, and no wider than 15cms. And this fan heater came in the shape of the Delonghi 2400W Steal Elite Fan Heater (in Chrome). And at $119, there wasn’t much need to ponder. So, I got my under desk fan heater!
And you know that adage, ‘You get what you pay for’? And that is exactly what I got! Straight out of the box, the Delonghi fan heater reeked of noxious fumes. For the first 2 weeks as soon as you walked into the study you’re hit physically by the odour of the plastics used to manufacture this product. And fortunately, after several weeks the odour does subside, but you’re reminded of it each time you turn it on though. As the heat releases the worst of the odour, and the fan inevitably spreads it out for all to enjoy. So thus far I’ve found myself using it very sparingly, just to get me through those coldest of meetings and when I’m no longer shivering I reach down and turn it off.
The fan noise is kind of loud, but because it’s a low purr, it’s not too annoying. The fan force is quite strong even in the mid setting, I probably look like I’m squinting in each of my team meetings now, as the heated air does come up and hit you in the face. Haaha. And it’s dead simple to use, a single dial to select from the various fan speeds, and a slider to turn up and down the heat. I still don’t understand the thermostat feature though, it’s meant to cut off when it reaches the desired ambient temperature. However, by the time you’re shivering again, the fan still doesn’t seem to kick back in. So, to date I’ve never had the patience to wait to see it turn back on automatically, perhaps it does? But it feels like it’ll allow you to freeze first before it comes back to life.
It has a safety button on the base, so as soon as it’s knocked or moved in the slightest, it will automatically switch off. So, that’s super re-assuring, safe to have around the house if you have kids or pets. And in the end, I guess it does its job. A $800+ Dyson would also keep you warm, but if you’re not prepared to pay 4 times as much , especially in this current climate of rising living costs. Me-thinks, the Delonghi 2400W is a good little buy.
To read more about the Delonghi 2400W, just click HERE! Bring on the winter months! Come-on! I’m ready for you!
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