It’s tempting to think that price and drying time are the only factors you really need to consider when you’re buying electric hand dryers, but the reality is that not all hand dryers are created equal.

Which hand dryer is right for you depends very much on the environment in which it is going to be used and other considerations specific to your requirements, not only the price. In this blog post I outline some of the most important things to be thinking about when you’re deciding which hand dryers are right for you.

How loud is it?

Here there can be some very significant differences between different brands of dryers. Noise should always be a consideration but there are certain environments – universities, museums, theatres and so on – in which keeping noise to a minimum is really critical.

Here the Mitsubishi Jet Towel really comes into its own. In every head-to-head comparison, it has been declared the quietest hand dryer, just one reason why Cambridge University selected the Jet Towel to be installed in the washrooms next to its exam rooms.

Every aspect of the Jet Towel has been develop with noise impact in mind. For example, the lower air speed means that the operating volume is reduced by 3 dB.  The air ducts of the Jet Towel have been designed to reduce noise and the units are lined with special noise absorbing material.

To facilitate hand drying, air is accelerated to speeds of up to 106 m/sec and then pushed through specially designed ‘wave’ nozzles onto the user’s hands. These nozzles use fluid control technology to further reduce air turbulence and the resulting noise. Inside the unit there’s a built in triangular silencer  which directs the existing airflow to reduce noise further.

All this means that even at full power the Jet Towel operates at a level of 61db – about the same as a normal conversation.

How much power does it use?

Other dryers use 1,400 + watts to dry hands in 10 seconds using cold air. With heated air the Jet Towel requires only 1250 watts, 10% less than comparable dryers. With the heater turned off, the Jet Towel uses only 730 watts, almost 50% less than dryers at a comparable setting.

How reliable is it?

The product life of electric dryers is largely determined by motor operation. The Jet Towel has a digital brushless motor which will last for over 1 million cycles. In practical terms this equates to a tested life expectancy of at least seven years, assuming an average usage rate of 400 times a day.

In addition to being brushless, the motor is also completely sealed which prevents the entry of dust or water that could interfere with its operation. This means this unit is suitable for extreme traffic areas of 500+ uses per day.

How clean is it?

The key consideration here is what happens to the water that’s removed from users’ hands. After washing, your hands are typically coated with 1 ml of water. This might not seem very much per person but when you consider that an average restroom hand dryer is used over 200 times per day then this can add up to 4 or 5 cups of water every day. Many electric dryers simply spill that water onto the walls and floor of the washroom which then creates a mess for cleaners to deal with, as well as creating an environment in which mould and bacteria can grow. As use increases, water damage and pooling on the floor becomes more severe that without frequent cleaning damage to walls and floors require frequent scrubbing to maintain a clean appearance and safe hand drying area.

The Jet Towel, in contrast, has a number of features specifically designed to stop water from getting onto the floor. For example, a lower trigger sensor means that the airflow only starts once the user’s hands have fully entered the dryer. Other dryers start drying as soon as fingertips enter the dryer, blowing water back up the wrist as hands enter the dryer. Additionally the Jet Towel has a drip tray and drain tank that contains all the water collected during the day, water that other dryers simply disperse around the washroom.

The Jet Towel’s drip tray means that water dripping from users’ hands is collected within the unit rather than dripping onto the floor. This water then drains into a specially designed drain tank that can hold the water from up to 800 uses. This can be easily removed at the end of each day and is takes less than one minute to clean.

Is there a choice of colour and style options?

As we’ve written about on this blog before, design is becoming an increasingly important consideration in washrooms. It’s not enough for products to be functional – they also need to look good. That’s why the Jet Towel offers a number of different style, colour and design options to fit with the required washroom ambience.

The unit design also has a number of other features that make it suitable for virtually every washroom environment. Sometimes children can struggle with automatic dryers because they’re too short to reach the top opening. That’s not a problem with the Jet Towel as its open-sided design and child sensors mean that one mounting height can meet the needs of every user, including users with disabilities. In restrooms where only one hand dryer is needed, this avoids the problem of a lower height that might be uncomfortable for some users.

Find out more

Check out the video below which explains how the Jet Towel works.