Introducing the latest from BLO, the AIR-S. The AIR-S is a compact forced air vehicle dryer that really packs a punch. At first glance, it might look more like a very popular vacuum for your home, but this is the most powerful hand-held dryer in its class.
The AIR-S is constructed of durable plastic, similar to that of the AIR-RS and AIR-GT. BLO designed this unit with portability in mind, a “handy” dryer that provides plenty of power for both professionals and enthusiasts alike. See my full review below and my BLO AIR-S video review is at the end of the article.
The AIR-S has a simple switch operation with an OFF setting, a LOW setting, and a HIGH setting. At its highest setting, the AIR-S puts out an impressive air velocity of 21,800 FPM (feet per minute). When compared to similar dryers in its class, its competitors don’t even reach the 20,000 FPM rate. Producing the whopping 21,800 FPM is a lightweight but powerful 1,200 watt 1.5 HP motor. This motor increases the ambient air temperature up to 25 degrees, providing faster drying.
At the back of the unit is the housing for the dual filters on the AIR-S. With a simple twist of the rear cap, it unlocks the cap to access the filters.
Once accessed, the dual filters can be easily removed to be hand washed and cleaned to maintain optimum performance of the AIR-S. These filters provide clean air to safely and effectively dry engine compartments, grills, mirrors, wheels, motorcycles, trim, etc.
The AIR-S comes with 3 nozzles to gives you added flexibility in your drying. A round focus nozzle, a narrow high-speed nozzle, and a wide mouth nozzle. I personally found the round focus nozzle to be most useful with the AIR-S. The AIR-S comes with a 16-foot long cord to help give you maneuverability when drying. It also comes with a 1-Year warranty from BLO.
AIR-S Performance Thoughts
The first thing I noticed was how lightweight the AIR-S was. weighing in a 2.5 lbs. the unit is lighter than other similar blowers I’ve used before. The cord is long but I did find it a little difficult to wind and store. I highly recommend a Velcro strap or something similar as the cord is a little stiff. With its pistol-like design, the AIR-S feels comfortable and is pretty ergonomic. Once I switched on the AIR-S, I switched it to the highest setting and it was laughable at how strong the unit was.
Could it be that something so lightweight and portable is so powerful? To me, it’s a resounding YES! I ran the AIR-S through all of the usual paces of a dryer blower. This unit checks a bunch of boxes for me. If you didn’t know it, you would almost think you were using a unit that is much larger. In fact, I even took the AIR-S outside to see how it would fare against a pile of leaves in my backyard. It blew them better than my leaf blower and you can see it in the video review.
So why have the AIR-S if you already have the AIR-RS or the AIR-GT? Portability is my answer to this question. This unit fits perfectly in my storage cases for those projects that require me to go mobile. Allowing me to pack lighter and leave my AIR-RS unit at home while going mobile. At the $100 price point, its also a great entry-level unit for those who are detailing enthusiasts or the professional that needs an additional dryer in the shop.
Perhaps you need some air to blow those pads while polishing, the AIR-S does a great job of blowing wool and microfiber cutting pads for those situations where an air compressor is not available.
In quick time, I found various uses for the AIR-S in my detailing studio. I highly recommend it for those of you who are on a budget but need a great performing vehicle dryer. Check out the video on the BLO AIR-S below to see this lightweight powerful air dryer in action!
BLO Car Dryer Air-S Video Review
Video Transcription
(00:05):
Hello, everyone. Mike Cardenas with Forza Detailing and Detailed Image here to give you the rundown on the latest from BLO the AIR-S. The AIR-S has three settings has an off button. Then you have a low setting and a high setting for when you need more power. Accessing the filters is pretty easy. You have an unlock just twist this, and now you can access all your filters, you can pull these out, clean them, and then be certain when they’re clean and dry twist the cap, and you’re ready to go. They give you more versatility in your drying. It does include three nozzles. You get a round focused nozzle, the narrow high-speed nozzle, and the wide mouth nozzle. The AIR-S is lightweight and comfortable, and at only two and a half pounds, it’s extremely lightweight for something this powerful. With a 1200 watt motor, the AIR-S is the most powerful handheld dryer in the market today. It also has 30% of quieter than or other dryers. The AIR-S is small, compact, but powerful. And if you’re looking for a forced air vehicle dryer around that a hundred dollar price point, and then consider the AIR-S. You get the filtered heated air and plenty of power to go with it. And they are now available at DetailedImage.com.