Shark Takes on Dyson with New All-Year-Round Appliance
Following the success of its innovative bladeless fan, Shark has upped the ante in the home appliance market. The new Shark TurboBlade Cool + Heat TH200UK is a 2-in-1 product designed to serve households throughout the entire year, directly challenging premium rivals like Dyson. Priced at £349.99, it brings powerful heating into the mix, but does this addition justify the significant cost?
Design, Features and Performance Under the Microscope
Much like its cold-only predecessor, the Cool + Heat model boasts a sleek, modern design. It doesn't arrive fully assembled but clicks together in just a couple of minutes. The fan stands on a tall base with a telescopic pole and two highly manoeuvrable bladeless arms at the top. These arms, along with their separate pivoting vents, can be tilted in almost every direction, allowing you to direct cool air precisely where it's needed.
The key new feature is a heating element. A vent situated between the two arms emits hot air up to a seriously toasty 32 degrees Celsius. This allows the unit to function as a room heater. However, a notable design choice is that this heat only comes from the static central vent, not from the movable arms themselves, which some may find limits its flexibility for warming a space.
Control is comprehensive. A small switch on the fan itself toggles between hot and cold functions, and the heater vents must be opened manually. The included remote control, which magnetically docks on the fan, is where you'll adjust most settings. A digital screen on the remote lets you manage 10 fan speeds, temperature (from 20°C to 32°C), 180-degree oscillation, and special modes. There is also a touchscreen on the base for basic adjustments, though the six special modes—three for cooling and three for heating—are exclusive to the remote.
Our Verdict: Powerful but with Premium Compromises
After rigorous testing, the consensus is clear: the TurboBlade Cool + Heat is an excellent fan, but its heating capabilities come with caveats.
As a fan, it excels. The cooling performance is powerful and highly customisable. The ability to angle the arms provides fantastic room coverage. On its most powerful setting, it is quite noisy, but the mid to low settings are comfortable for work. Special modes like Sleep Mode (a gentle, quiet breeze) and Natural Breeze add valuable flexibility.
As a heater, it's powerful but has limitations. The air from the central vent is indeed very warm, effective for taking the chill off a room. However, it warms a space more slowly than a dedicated heater and the fact that the heat is fixed and doesn't emanate from the movable arms is a missed opportunity. For the premium price, one might expect more innovation, such as app integration or remote control of the arms.
When it comes to value, this is undeniably a premium product. It performs superbly as a fan, but the heating function doesn't feel quite as revolutionary. It is a slightly cheaper alternative to the Dyson hot and cold range, which costs £399.99. If you desire an all-in-one appliance with a premium look and feel and can find it on sale, it becomes a more compelling purchase. For those who need the most powerful fan experience, Shark is a strong bet, but for quieter operation and smarter controls, Dyson still holds an edge.
Online, the product has been well-received, with an average user rating of 4.8 out of 5. Customers frequently praise its sleek design, ability to maintain temperature, and child-friendly exterior that stays cool. Less positive comments note that the heat isn't as powerful as a standalone heater for larger rooms.
