As the cooler autumnal temperatures set in, Simon Wittenberg puts the new release from DREO’s Solaris Series to the test.
The domestic heating and cooling arena is a highly competitive and crowded market, and therefore, standing out from the crowd in the spheres of both form and function is essential to winning over today’s discerning consumers who can shop around with ease.
Established in China in 2020, and with the UK arm only founded in 2024, DREO is a relatively young company, but has been a veritable success story with its line-up of premium products. In only five years, the brand has amassed over 20 million users and is a leading tower fan and heater brand online. The marque is also an official partner of the Los Angeles Kings ice hockey team in the USA – another core market for this burgeoning business.
DREO’s expertise is not solely limited to ‘temperature control’, as it also encompasses the likes of kitchen appliances, such as a water filter, an air fryer, and milk frothers. The brand recently launched its winter line-up for the UK in the cosy surroundings of the luxury Shangri-La hotel at The Shard, and one of the latest additions to the now five-strong heater range is the plug-in DREO Tower Heater 718 – found within the Solaris Series, and the subject of this Luxurious Magazine review.
Design and versatility
The 718’s eye-catching perforated conical design is more akin to that of a luxury audio speaker than a heater, blending seamlessly into its surroundings, and is very much a part of the furniture. Its style even becomes a point of conversation, such is its elegance and uniqueness that is rarely seen for this kind of product.
Backed by a 12-month guarantee, the 718 model comes in a silver finish, and is currently priced at £139.99 for UK customers (there’s also a matt black shade in the US) – a competitive offering when looking at tower fans from rival marques that are vying to catch the eye of buyers.
The DREO 718 Tower Heater stands around 76cm (30 inches) tall, and carries a circumference of 18cm (seven inches), so it is a statement piece, but similarly, its size is not overly imposing. The 718 has been engineered for well-insulated spaces and larger rooms – providing coverage up to 25 square metres (300 square feet), thereby making this fan heater ideal for domestic settings, such as lounges, home offices, and bedrooms.
This model is versatile and easy to move around depending on where it is needed most, as the DREO 718 weighs in at only 3.5kg (8lb). Furthermore, there’s the added benefit of a built-in ergonomic carry handle, which sits underneath the clever light-sensitive backlit control panel at the very top of this Tower Heater. This circular interface is intuitive and simple to navigate, with six functions accessed literally at the touch of a button. However, they are not labelled once the shipping sticker is removed, so it’s a matter of remembering what each one does once you become familiar with this product.
Dual purpose
Although this is marketed principally as a heater, the 718 has the secondary benefit of also being a cooling fan, as the output temperature can be taken down to five degrees, making this product an all-year-round performer, and a decent return on what is a nominal up-front investment. There are three speeds when it comes to cooling, and the air outlet delivers a refreshing cool breeze, which will be most welcomed during the summer months, which are seemingly getting hotter with the evolution of the climate.
With the 718 model, the temperature can be increased in one-degree increments to set it at the optimum temperature, and can be taken right up to 35 degrees. Thanks to the built-in thermostat, the heater will shut off once it reaches the desired level, and will only be set back in motion should the temperature in the room drop below this. If the heater is turned off, it will also return to where it was. In addition, a timed shutdown can be set from one hour to 12 hours, so that the DREO 718 is not running continuously as the room goes in and out of the realms of the desired ambient temperature.
Safety first
As well as the use of flame-retardant material and cool-to-touch housing, there are a number of built-in safety features for the 718, which is particularly reassuring if there are children in the vicinity. A built-in lock prevents little fingers from changing any settings – activated by pressing down on the timer and oscillation button for a few seconds. Should the heater tip over, it will automatically cut out, which is another clever addition.
Also, it’s possible to clearly see the desired temperature via the front-facing and crystal-clear LED display, but equally from afar, the 718 model indicates the level via illuminated coloured rings on the perimeter of the control panel, spanning yellow for cold, to a deep red for when the heater is operating to its maximum heat potential.
Performance and tranquillity
Sitting inside the honeycomb-like exterior of the 718 model is DREO’s patented ‘Hyperamics’ tech, which combines a ceramic heating system and a heat funnel design to quickly heat up the vicinity and distribute warm air at a greater distance. This is a particularly welcomed feature, especially on a cold, dark morning, as it avoids paying out in electricity for a more gradual rise in a room’s temperature that can plague other appliances.
With rising energy bills never too far away from the headlines, the DREO 718 Tower Heater has another clever trick up its sleeve to deliver greater efficiency, in that there’s an ECO mode. This means that the heater will automatically draw its optimal level of power (between 800 watts (low speed) and 2,000 watts – high speed) – determined by the difference between the temperature selected by the user and the actual level of the surrounding area.
What is also noticeable about this product is just how discreet it is from a sound perspective, thanks to DREO’s TurboSilent technology. According to the official blurb, the noise generated when this heater is in full flow is 25 decibels. To put this volume into context, this is lower than a typical whisper and the equivalent of the sound of quiet breathing. There is also the added function of turning off any of the sound for button notifications to deliver silent operation.
With this product, there’s the option to leave the fan in a non-moving sedentary position to direct air in a single direction, but there is equally the possibility to use the four incremental oscillation angles, ranging from 30 to 120 degrees, effectively guiding how far the fan turns to reach other areas of a room.
Control at a distance
The DREO Tower Heater 718 comes with a handy lightweight black brushed remote control, and is a handy accessory, as it allows the activation at distance of six different functions for the 718, including power, the timer and the degree of oscillation.
In summary…
DREO is a brand that stands out from the crowd and offers an enticing proposition that challenges the status quo, with the latest Tower Heater 718 being no exception. It’s a brilliant all-rounder, and is a fine example of where style, performance and functionality have been intelligently combined to deliver a superb product that can be used across the seasons for an added degree of comfort in the home.
DREO Tower Heater 718 – Where and How?
For more information about the DREO Tower Heater 718, visit https://uk.dreo.com/products/tower-heater-718.
See a video of the official DREO winter launch on the Luxurious Magazine Instagram page.
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