Dyson Zone Review
Let's just say that the Dyson Zone air-purifying and noise-cancelling headphones isn't the next Dyson Airwrap. I wore the futuristic headset for travel and commuting and it didn't go as expected. In this full Dyson Zone review, I reveal what went wrong.
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00:00We need to have a little chat about the Dyson Zone, the $950 air-purifying and noise-canceling
00:08headphones.
00:09Now, I'm guessing that if you're watching this video, you might have seen Marques Brownlee's
00:13review called, This is the Dumbest Product I've Ever Reviewed.
00:16And after using the Dyson Zone for a little bit now, I mostly agree.
00:20But there were a couple of things from my experience that I think are worth talking
00:23about.
00:24Let's take a closer look.
00:32The Dyson Zone was first announced in 2022, but that was already well after the peak of
00:36the pandemic.
00:37Mass mandates had definitely eased up, and in general, people were out and about in the
00:41world again.
00:42Still, the product came out specifically saying that it's not for airborne viruses like
00:47COVID.
00:48Instead, it promised this futuristic experience of having air pollution filter out for things
00:52like city commutes.
00:53Plus, the noise-canceling headphones aspect of it meant that you could also filter out
00:57sound.
00:58If you've been watching my videos for a while, you might know that I'm not a fan of noise-canceling
01:03headphones anywhere where I might need to be aware of my surroundings for safety's
01:07sake.
01:08So, on a city commute to work.
01:10I use ANC for working in the office or on flights, so I actually took the Dyson Zone
01:14on a cross-country flight, and let's just say it didn't go great.
01:18There was something ironic about sitting in a seat that cost significantly less than my
01:22headphones, but anyway, the first issue I had was with packing.
01:26This is a bulky product.
01:28The best way to carry it around is with this chic little purse thing.
01:31For the city, I love this.
01:33It's just functional enough to feel cool.
01:35But to keep these safe, I personally didn't feel comfortable just throwing them in a bag,
01:39which isn't the case for my other headphones.
01:41I had to leave my other headphones at home for this trip because the Dyson Zone took
01:45up so much space in my bag.
01:47That leads me to the awkwardness of this product.
01:49The visor is detachable so that it can't be snapped or broken, but it's a lot of
01:53parts to think about.
01:54Getting it all on the plane on my lap was very uncomfortable.
01:57Add in a neck pillow, eating, and drinking, and it's just not ideal.
02:01I do really like how the visor flips down while staying attached magnetically.
02:05This also switches the headphones to transparency and pauses my music when the flight attendant
02:09comes by.
02:10This would be good if I stopped to order food on the way to work, too.
02:13But it's still just a lot to bring around.
02:15Maybe if these weren't so heavy, I'd feel different.
02:18These basically weigh one and a half pounds, and that's a lot to have on my head and
02:21to walk around with.
02:23Both the AirPods Max and Sony Mark Vs are well under a pound for comparison, so I do
02:27think that these are just too heavy.
02:30I bet you my headphones weigh twice as much as hers.
02:34I'm sure it needs the space for the air purifiers, but maybe other parts of this design
02:38and the headband are just trying too hard to follow Dyson's design language.
02:42I feel like the heft is in the headband and these parts that attach the cups to the band.
02:46The materials on the headphone itself actually feel very premium, but by contrast, this visor
02:51feels cheap.
02:52It's mostly plastic and it looks like it could snap.
02:55The visor also attracts mad fingerprints and is also kind of noisy.
02:59But I guess if you want the air purification, you can deal with that.
03:02I will say it's pretty impressive how Dyson packed all of this technology into the earcups.
03:07It's also smart to have this easy filter replacement system and include an extra set of filters
03:12in the packaging.
03:13Plus, the app tells you when your filters need to be replaced, so there's no guessing
03:16involved.
03:17The app is also how you see the air quality around you, both in your broader location
03:21and actually what the headset is picking up around it.
03:24It reads the level of nitrogen dioxide in the air.
03:27Nitrogen dioxide gets into the air from burning fuel, so think of places with a lot of buildings
03:31or industrial parks or big trucks and buses, even just a ton of cars in traffic.
03:36It's true that breathing in excess nitrogen dioxide can lead to health problems or aggravate
03:40existing ones like asthma.
03:42If these are things that concern you, personally, you know what, I think that this is smart.
03:46I also think the answer is for greater action against air pollution and burning fossil fuels
03:51so that we don't get to the point of needing to breathe through something like this in
03:54the first place.
03:55Again, despite looking like a mask, the Dyson Zone is not a mask that prevents viral illness.
04:00I am worried that no amount of emphasizing that point will prevent this kind of misconception
04:04when you see someone out and about wearing the headset.
04:07Luckily, when I posted a somewhat joking TikTok about wearing it on a plane, several people
04:12pointed out that I wasn't getting protection and that the HEPA filters on the plane were
04:16doing enough work.
04:17But I did still want to wear it because I do like the feeling of fresh, cool, and odorless
04:21air reaching my face.
04:23It almost feels like I'm getting a direct oxygen line.
04:25It's honestly a nice sensation.
04:27If I were to start moving around or running to catch a train on auto mode, it'll automatically
04:31kick up the amount of air being pushed through the visor.
04:34Otherwise, the Zone has three settings that can be adjusted either in the app or directly
04:38on the headset.
04:39The airflow poses a major setback, though.
04:42With the whole operation going, the Dyson Zone only lasts about 2-2.5 hours max.
04:47That means on a 6-hour flight, I need to keep them plugged into an outlet most of the time.
04:52It also means that if your commute is longer than that, you're going to be SOL carrying
04:56around this lifeless, heavy contraption.
04:58You'll also be charging the Zone alone.
05:00I mean, maybe the fancy carrying case has room for a portable charger?
05:03I really had higher hopes for this product.
05:06In the short demo sessions, I felt so cool and futuristic.
05:09But I quickly realized that it lacks enough practicality to justify the high price.
05:14Forget concerns about how other people might think I look, and forget the audio quality
05:18because honestly, it's fine for most people.
05:20It's actually pretty good considering that this was made by a company that doesn't
05:23do audio.
05:24And if you actually have a situation where you think or know that your health is harmed
05:28by air pollutants, if this gives you peace of mind or ultimately improves your life quality,
05:33that's fantastic.
05:34Maybe I'm even a little jealous.
05:36I feel so cool that I wish I had a real reason to own these.
05:39But for the masses, this isn't it.
05:41I think a lighter, more portable design and a better battery life is an absolute must
05:45if Dyson comes out with a version 2.0.
05:48Those are things that someone shouldn't have to struggle with if they're basically
05:51spending $1,000.
05:52What's your take on the Dyson Zone?
05:54Be sure to let me know in the comments.
05:55We've posted some additional content with these on social if you want to check it out.
05:59It's at Tom's Guide on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
06:03As always, I'm at Kate Kocic.
06:04I'll catch you next time.