How to Choose an Automatic Hand Dryer

For most people, choosing a hand dryer is not something they have experience with, so it can be challenging selecting which electric hand dryer, or hand dryers, are best suited to a business. To help you understand which elements to look out for when choosing the best hand dryers for your project, Washroom Hub have identified and broken down popular brands and key specifications to help guide you in your decision making.

Watts = The watts used equates to the energy consumed to run the hand dryer. The wattage on hand dryers speaks volumes about how much energy this hand dryer will use and how cost effective this hand dryer will be to run. The lower the number of watts shown, the more energy efficient this hand dryer will be. Hand dryers that produce warm air as a drying method tend use more energy to than if an equally efficient cool, jet hand dryer was used. This is because it takes more power to generate warm air to evaporate water off the hands, than it does to project powerful streams of cool air to blow water off the hands. In particular, if you are choosing commercial hand dryers, we recommend that you check the energy consumption, as this will help you keep your running costs down. The lowest wattage hand dryer offered in Washroom Hub is the Diamond Dryer.

High Speed/Jet = High speed, or jet hand dryers mean these hand dryers when activated, blast out powerful streams of cool air to blast water off the hands. These electric hand dryers offer very efficient and simple technology, so not a huge amount can go wrong. While these hand dryers work very well they do use cold air which means in mild environments these hand dryers may not be a first preference. However, many hand dryers offer both warm air drying and jet cool air cooling, so there is flexibility and the option of benefitting from both. View all the jet hand dryers we offer here.

Blade = Blade hand dryers work by employing advanced technology which strategically directs powerful streams of air onto hands and effectively scrapes the remnants of water off the surface of the skin. Blade hand dryers tend to be premium, top of the range hand dryers and tend to feature additional safety features and hygiene components which other types of hand dryers don’t. Blade hand dryers often are designed as “hands in” hand dryers, to collect the excess water and avoid slippage. To explore these hand dryers in more detail, view the Blade Hand Dryers category.

Hot/Cold Air = There are three categories of automatic hand dryers. Those that produce warm air, those that use cold air and those that have the option of generating both. Both hot and cold air hand dryers have their positives and negatives. Warm air hand dryers often feel more pleasant to use than cold air, especially when the ambient temperature is low to begin with. However, warm air hand dryers uses more energy and tend to take longer than cold air dryers to dry hands as they work by evaporating water off the skin. Cool air hand dryers don’t require much energy to generate the high speed blasts of air which propels water from the hands. This is a very effective method both in efficiency and in energy consumption. The down side is in colder environments this drying method is not as comfortable as using warm air.

Drying Time = Drying time is pretty self-explanatory. As a general rule, when it comes to the speed of hand dryers, the faster the better. A fast hand dryer means users are more likely to spend the time to dry their hands properly, resulting in increased hygiene.

Decibel Rating = Decibel rating indicates the noise levels produced. The lower the decibel rating, the quieter the noise generated from the hand dryer. Hand dryers always produce some level of noise, as it is their motors spinning to power the unit that causes the sound. Quiet hand dryers are usually classified as 70dB (decibels) or lower. 70dB roughly translates to the noise levels of a busy office or the inside of a car travelling at 60mph. For many, the decibel rating may not be a concern as hand dryers are often detached from noise sensitive areas and the sound is muffled by walls and distance. However, other businesses and locations such as libraries, health facilities, places of worship and theatres may be more perceptive to noise and require a quieter hand dryer. To view the quiet hand dryers offered by Washroom Hub, click here.

Motor Type = The hand dryers available on Washroom Hub often include brushed and brushless motors. Brushless motors last longer than brushed motors, are quieter and they tend to use less energy than their brushed motor counterparts. Brushless motors are more likely to be installed in hand dryers that have a larger price tag, which is reflective of their enhanced capabilities. This being said, brushed motors don’t result in poor quality hand dryers and they aren’t extortionate to run. They are tried, tested and reliable.

Size = The measurements supplied on hand dryer listings are there to help you establish whether the hand dryer will fit comfortably within your space. Hand dryers range from compact “hands under” designs to bulky “hands in” styles.

Brands = There are countless hand dryer brands on the market, some of which you may come across more often than others. But how do you know which brands are better? Washroom Hub has selected a number of well-known brands to help you decipher which you should choose.

• Biodrier - Biodrier produces a range of reliable, quality hand dryers which are designed as either jet hand dryers or blade hand dryers for high speed drying. Biodrier hand dryers are reasonably priced and come with a 5 year warranty which consists of an on-site repair service for the first 3 years, followed by replacement parts supplied within the last 2 years. Biodrier hand dryers offer a safe choice when it comes to selecting an automatic hand dryer you know will last and perform to a high standard.
• BlueDry - BlueDry hand dryers are affordable and reliable with cool and warm air hand dryer options. BlueDry hand dryers are some of the best-selling hand dryers within the country. These hand dryers additionally come with a 2 year warranty, making them a great choice for those looking to economise.
• Diamond Dryer – Diamond Dryers are polished, small, and highly efficient hand dryers. Available in three beautiful colours and at a compact size, these electric hand dryers are ideal for small, cubicle bathrooms and are perfect choices for locations such as boutique hotels, hair dressers and spas. This hand dryer comes with a 7 year warranty and uses just 300 watts to power this high speed device. These hand dryers are presented at a higher price, however their quality, guarantee, cost and performance efficiency make this a good value purchase.
• Airdri – Airdri hand dryers were first manufactured in 1974, meaning Airdri have extensive experience and technology to back up their products. Airdri tends to be more expensive than some of their competitors, however with their 7 year warranty and years of experience and innovation, they are trusted suppliers.
• Warner Howard – Warner Howard offer hand dryers that are designed to meet architect and contractor specifications, which is part of the reason they have become a well-known brand. These hand dryers tend to sit at a higher price-point than some of their competitors, however they manufacture good quality all round hand dryers and provide a 3 year on-site guarantee, making them solid, hassle free purchases.
• Dyson – Dyson is probably the best known manufacturer of hand dryers within the UK. They provide top of the range technology and are a household name, however they are generally more expensive than other hand dryer brands.

We hope this guide will help you establish which is the best hand dryer for your business, however if you still need help deciding, visit our blog for more advice and information or make sure you get in touch with the team on 0800 023 4937.