It feels like an eternity ago that the Dyson Zone was making the rounds on social media in the spring of 2022. Back then, this noise-canceling-headphone-air-purifier combination device was listed for $949.99, but you can now get it for $399.99, less than half of its original price and the lowest it has ever sold on Amazon, according to price-tracking tools.
Back in the spring of 2022, when the Dyson Zone was announced, the world was still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic—unsurprisingly, air purifiers were very popular. Unfortunately for Dyson, the official launch kept getting delayed, and—although the headphones were never marketed for COVID-19 purposes—the Dyson Zone didn’t hit stores until the Spring of 2023, two months before the U.S. government declared the pandemic over.
As you can probably imagine, $949.99 for ANC headphones that can blow purified air on your face in 2023 was going to be judged harshly, and they were. The so-called “Bane mask” was getting “average” reviews like PCMag’s mainly for their price. But today at $399.99, how do they fare? Much better than before, if you think you can rock this out in public.
The best ANC over-ear headphones hover around this price range, so it’s hard to justify it if you’re purely on the hunt for ANC headphones. But if you like the idea of the clean-air feature, it can be worth it, especially if you commute in a city like New York City and ride the subway during rush hour (the smells in the summer can get offensive).
Keep in mind there is no seal on the visors, so you’re still exposed to the air outside. However, the visors do theoretically reduce your exposure to harmful particles and gases as well as odors and doubles as a cooling fan. The app also has a sensor for harmful gases, so you can put on the air-purifier visor when it makes sense.
