Carbon Collective - Air Force 1 Dryer Review

So.... what's the hype with contactless drying?

Contactless drying is becoming ever more popular, from drying with water to the use of dedicated driers like the Air Force 1 from Carbon Collective.

I love a good drying towel, who doesn't? but in the quest for the safest wash & dry techniques, dedicated dryers surely have to be the way forward?

The Carbon Collective Air Force 1 is back in this stunning blue colour, on trend with their branded bottle holders, machine polishers and buckets, but what do Carbon Collective state are the benefits of the Air Force 1?

"Air Force 1 Dryer delivers powerful, effective and contactless drying; whether you are at home, or on the go. Contactless drying ensures the prevention of swirls and scratches as opposed to traditional methods of drying. Perfect for soft paint, classic cars, motorcycles and hard to reach areas.

I got my hands on one just before the product launch and from first impressions I was very impressed with the packaging, branding and overall feel of the product. As to be expected Carbon Collective are one of the brands who's branding is always on point!

It's fairly lightweight and is easy to move around, even on the vented tiled flooring. Once the drier is turned on, the hose extends which paired with the long cable makes it super easy to be able to move around a vehicle without having to continuously move the unit.

Our first test was to help shift some residual dust from door shuts and trims along with some light dusting from the engine bay and trims of a car we had just finished correcting. With variable-speed controller it is easy adjust the airspeed and volume, for the task at hand.

Our second test was to attempt to dry the entirety of a ceramic coated BMW M340i, which in direct sunlight is a task in itself, while the Air Force 1 was incredible at shifting water from wheels, trims and those hard to reach places, I did find that it struggled on some of the larger panels, maybe due to the heat and testing the Air Force 1s efficiency at a lower speed, It would be quicker to run a drying towel over these areas, unless you wanted to use the dryer on full speed.

For the third test, we solely used the Air Force 1 on fiddly trim pieces and wheels on a VW Polo, which, on the older models, are know for the fiddly trims which can be a nightmare to dry. As expected the Air Force 1 took this challenge in its stride and effortlessly rid the trims of excess

water.

The fourth test, was our regularly maintained Mercedes A200, which in the cooler evening temperature was an absolute breeze to solely dry using the Air Force 1!

Since our initial testing, this pice of kit has become a very valuable part of my kit. It's often stolen by others in the unit as being able to dry, remove dust or simply blow all of the dust and leaves from underneath our vented tiles, which has all become easier with the addition of the Air Force 1.

I love having the option to dry vehicles contactlessly, especially ones that have been corrected (if you are a detailer that washes between polishing & coating) or help lessen the chance of inflicting swirls at any time, then I would say this is a piece of kit worth investing in.

Carbon Collective do also stock replacement parts for the Air Force 1, so in the unexpected event something breaks, it's easy to replace.

So... you're probably asking me what the down sides are, well it can become noisy. Especially when you are moving the nozzle around areas such as wheels and trim, which I think is to be expected.

I think some times, a drying towel can be slightly more efficient when it comes to drying verses a dryer, but I think that it's a product where you would individually need to weigh up the pros and cons. For me, it's a decision made on which one is better for which application but when it comes to those pesky trims and the need for contactless drying the Air Force 1 would come out as the better option here.

The price point is something I wanted to talk about, Initially you would think it had a high price point at £169.95, however when you do some market research prices for car dryers range anywhere from £94.99 to £230 + , I think the price point is pretty spot on and even better when you use our discount code to save 10% (SCC10)

If you are looking to add a contactless drying option to your kit, I would really recommend the Air Force 1, It's a product we've continued to use over the last month or so, and the option to be able to contactlessly dry wheels, trims, cars, blow dust away or even speed up the process of cleaning our floor, its slowing becoming one of my favourite bits of kit.

If you want to see more videos of this in action, check out our Instagram or Tiktok page!

Product Link - Carbon Collective Air Force 1

Product Spares - Air Force 1 Spares

Check out the product features below:

• Powerful and effective contactless drying.

• 30% energy saving over traditional dryers.

• 2 silicone coated interchangeable nozzles to adjust air pattern.

• Variable-speed controller to easily adjust the airspeed and volume.

• Neoprene coated handle to prevent heat transfer.

• Heating range of 56 degrees celsius.

• High impact, insulated ABS housing.

• Air filter (washable & removable).

• Filtered air to ensure the safest possible drying.

• Contactless drying to prevent swirls and scratches.