The cost of a hand dryer is quite a significant factor when it comes to making a purchasing decision. Hand dryers can start from around £50 and can really range up to figures like £1,000. This is a huge range in prices, and it can be daunting trying to figure out why one hand dryer is more expensive than the other.
The pricing of hand dryers depends on factors such as:
- Performance
- Motor life
- Enhanced features
- Manufacture and brand
This blog post will take you through these factors and hopefully answer the question on why hand dryers differ in price.
What you get in a hand dryer as price increases:
- Dryflow® Slimforce hand dryer: Price £84.99 - (for low traffic use, slim 10cm depth for space saving, 1-year guarantee)
- Dryflow® Turboforce Junior PLUS hand dryer: Price £117.30 - (for low traffic use, high speed, intelligent heating system, internal UVC cleaning, 3-years guarantee)
- Dryflow® G-Force Eco hand dryer: Price £169.95 - £199 - (for medium traffic use, high speed, intelligent heating system, 3-years guarantee)
- Dryflow Viper hand dryer: Price £259 – £269 - (for medium traffic use, High speed, HEPA filter, adjustable settings, Quiet Mark approved, 3-years guarantee)
- Turboforce® hand dryer: Price £269.95 - £289.95 - (for high traffic use, very high speed, adjustable settings, 5-years guarantee)
- G-Force MKII hand dryer: Price £269.95 - £309 - (for high traffic use, very high speed, adjustable settings, plug and play installation, 3-years guarantee)
- Dryflow® Classic PLUS II hand dryer: Price £279.95 - (for high traffic use, exceptionally long motor life, low noise, 7-years guarantee)
- Dryflow® Vapordri hand dryer: Price £519 - (For high traffic, blade style hand dryer, very high speed, intelligent heating system, HEPA filter, low noise, 5 years guarantee)
- Mitsubishi Jet Towel hand dryer: Price £529 - £549.95 - (For high traffic, blade style hand dryer, very high speed, adjustable settings, well-known brand, NSF approved, brushless motor, 7 years guarantee)
- Dyson Airblade AB14 hand dryer: Price £749.95 - £789.95 - (For high traffic, blade style hand dryer, very high speed, well-known brand, HEPA filter, NSF approved, brushless motor, 5 years guarantee)
Prices are ex VAT, not including sale price and correct at time of posting.
Factors that determine the price of a hand dryer
Motor life
The performance and motor life of a hand dryer is arguably one of the most important things customers look for when buying a unit. Yes, you may find a cheaper hand dryer that states it’s a high use unit, but then you find that the motor just isn’t cut out for the use levels.
Each space is different. A shopping centre is going to need a different hand dryer to units going in a small office.
We recommend suitability of hand dryers based on whether they are:
- Low traffic (under 100 uses a day)
- Medium traffic (100 to 300 uses a day)
- High traffic (300+ uses a day)
As well as this, some hand dryers also have different types of motor – a brushed motor or a brushless motor. A brushed motor is more common but a brushless motor is the more superior of the two. They carry advantages such as: less need of maintenance, greater efficiency, works quieter, and an increased product life.
Enhanced features
A pretty given rule for hand dryers (and most products) is that the better the specification, the higher the cost price, so the higher the retail price.
Blade style
Blade style hand dryers are more expensive than your typical hands under units due to their advanced design and technology. They come with their own water capture features, which protects the wider space from residual water. Most of these blade style units are made for medium to high use spaces.
HEPA Filter
HEPA filters work to remove bacteria and particles from the air being taken into the unit, so that the air being released back into the space is clean.
Examples of units with this filter include: Stealthforce® Plus, Dryflow® Vapordri, Dryflow® Viper, and Dryflow® EcoSlim.
High speed
There’s always going to be a higher price point on units that have fast drying times. We test all our units on their dry times and evidence this on video. There are few hand dryers that have the ability to dry hands in around 10-12 seconds!
Adjustable settings and intelligent heating system
Most hand dryers come with the option to operate the unit without heat and adjust the speed of the motor – reducing the energy consumption of the unit.
Some units also have an intelligent heating system, where the dryer will automatically add heat to the airflow if the room temperature drops below 25 degrees. A feature which also serves to help with energy use, making these dryers even more energy efficient.
Quiet Mark accreditation
A quiet hand dryer is sometimes a key factor when purchasing a hand dryer, especially for locations that require minimal noise, i.e spaces with small children.
You can find most of these dryers accredited by the Quiet Mark. This means they’ve been put through third party testing to show that they are some of the quietest dryers. The award is a good indicator in getting a low noise but also still good performing unit.
Enhanced installation methods
The G-Force MKII Hand Dryer is a good example of how a plug-in hand dryer has made installation so much easier for facilities managers and contractors. The installation of the electrical back plate has meant contractors can get in and out of the unit without messing around with other parts of the space.
It allows means anyone can safely remove or replace the unit, without having to wait for a professional to come in. So, a much more speedy and efficient process!
We also have hand dryers in the form of taps. These allow dryers to be installed at the actual sink, so that people can wash and dry their hands in the same place.
Manufacture and branding
Branding is always going to play a big role in a product’s pricing. As expected, Dyson and Mitsubishi hand dryers are in the higher price range due to their brand. But, also due to the fact they’re made to the highest standards and a customer knows what they’re getting with their units.
However, there are still some really well designed and built hand dryers that perform just as well as the bigger brands. For example - G-Force MKII Hand Dryer and Dryflow® Classic PLUS II hand dryer.
We hope this blog post has cleared up the reasons behind why hand dryers differ in price, and also what to look for when comparing prices. If you do have any questions, however, please do get in touch with us – we are always happy to help.
