I tried the Duux smart heater and it's saved me turning on my heating
It's a debate going on up and down the country and, in my house at least, has increased in frequency since the clocks changed - is it time to turn the heating on? As someone who works from home full time I spend my life in an Oodie unless I'm on a video call, especially since we got a smart meter this summer with a display that flashes angrily when it thinks we've used too much electricity for the week - usually by about Wednesday.
I am doing everything in my power to avoid turning the heating on until absolutely necessary, but this week has seen me get close to cracking and reaching for the Hive app to start an hour's heating boost on several occasions. A compact smart heater has become an unexpected saviour that means, for now, my heating remains firmly off.
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The Duux Threesixty is a small but mighty heater that, at first glance, looks more like a smart speaker than a traditional fan heater. All sleek curves and in shiny tech white - although it also comes in a subtle grey version - it stands at a petite 29cm high and is best placed on a table top, shelf or window ledge, although I realised quickly with it doing exactly what its name suggests and heating from all sides the best thing to do is put it in the middle of the room as otherwise you're losing half the benefit by heating the glass of a window.
While perhaps it's not quite as stylish as other premium fans like the Dyson fan heater, the ThreeSixty comes in at less than a third of the price and takes up considerably less space, although at 2090W the Dyson is slightly more powerful. One major difference though is to get warmth across a wider area the Dyson oscillates, whereas the Duux by definition emits heat from all sides, meaning that depending on the size and shape of your room this small gadget can pack a mighty, warming punch.
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There are many reasons why investing in a heater may be a good idea during the winterI put it on a coffee table in the middle of my room to put it through its paces and was surprised at both how quickly it heated the living room that doubles as my work space and is one of the larger rooms of our house and therefore often the hardest to heat.
The Threesixty talks to both Alexa and Google Home devices as well as working through its own app. The best and most useful functionality comes when you use that, so the first thing to do is to take some time and set it up properly although rest assured if you don't have the time or inclination to faff about with your phone you can turn it on using buttons on the front and warm before you know it. That said, you're not going to get the best out of this gadget so I'd recommend only using that functionality when your phone isn't with you.
Having been a long-time user of the firm's Dyson style smart fan, the Whisper, I already had the app installed which meant connecting the ThreeSixty to my Wi-Fi and setting it up was relatively straightforward. Using the app you can turn it on and off and even specify a particular temperature you want to get the room to, at which point it will automatically turn off.
This is incredible useful and worked reliably. I was able to use the gauge on my central heating controls as an independent way of checking the temperature and it tallied to show the heater was working correctly, increasing the temperature in my room from 11 degrees to 19 in a speedy 20 minutes or so.
Duux says that the Threesixty will heat a 30m2 room twice as fast as a standard heater and while I wasn't able to confirm that exact timing as I don't have one it was notable how a quick blast of full power heat from the 1800W machine quickly made the room feel cosy, all for a cost of mere pence - meaning I can stop wincing at the smart meter display while shivering at my desk.
Putting it on a coffee table meant there was a trailing cable that looked a bit unsightly for testing purposes but I was pleased to see the heater cuts out if it's knocked over - perfect for when children, or pets are running through. That said, having tried it in that position I've now tucked the wire away and left the heater there as its permanent home as a central position helps the heater really come into its own.
The other really striking thing about the ThreeSixty is how quiet it is. There is a gentle hum, but it's nowhere near as noisy as other fan heaters I've used which sound almost like hairdryers. I was able to use it without the noise being distracting or meaning I had to turn up my TV or video call volume to hear them over the Duux.
The heater has two settings, and at current energy pricing costs between 20p and 61p an hour to run. While I wouldn't be happy having that on for extended periods of time alongside my heating, it's brilliant for using at points where heating the entire house feels like a waste of money. So I can keep my heating timed to go off during the day when everyone but me is out of the house and instead use this to give me a quick blast of warmth as and when I need it.
Keeping the Threesixty at a steady 19 degrees, which is what our central heating is usually set at, means that for now at least it's on for less than an hour at a time and - keeping the doors closed - the warmth stays in long enough that I don't need it on for extended periods. Right now in practical terms what that means is I've gone another day without turning the heating on at all - and long may that continue.
The Duux Threesixty smart heater has a recommended retail price of £99 and is available through retailers including Amazon, Argos and John Lewis in both colours.
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