Redmond RF-534 is positioned as a compact travel hair dryer. It will also be in demand in circumstances where it is inconvenient to use a standard “big” hair dryer.
The foldable handle makes the dryer even more compact and thus more convenient for travel. The nozzle concentrator and two operating modes with different air temperature and air jet power functionally bring the device closer to conventional hair dryers. It should be noted the unusual design of the device and a very attractive price.
Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Redmond |
|---|---|
| Model | RF-534 |
| Type | electric hair dryer |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Estimated service life | 3 years |
| Claimed maximum power | 1400-1600 W |
| Case color | grey |
| Housing material | plastic |
| Heating element material | metal wire |
| nozzles | concentrator |
| Control type | mechanical – one switch and a cold air supply button |
| Indicators | No |
| Temperature conditions | two |
| Airflow power modes | two |
| cold air function | there is |
| overheat protection | there is |
| Peculiarities | hanging loop, folding handle |
| Network cable length | 1.8 m |
| Handle/body length | 13/14.5 cm |
| Nozzle diameter | 5.7 cm |
| Concentrator Air Hole Size (W×D) | 1×7.1cm |
| The weight | 430 g |
| Shipping Weight | 0.58 kg |
| Packing dimensions (W×H×D) | 13×25×11 cm |
| Retail offers |
Equipment
The hair dryer arrived in a small black cuboid cardboard box. After carefully examining and examining the packaging, you can get a complete impression of the device inside, its characteristics and capabilities. The box is not equipped with a carrying handle. If there is a need to fold the hair dryer back, the procedure will take a few seconds and will not take any extra effort or time.
Inside the package, as is often the case with hair dryers, there are no limiters or other devices that organize the internal space, i.e. the device is in a free position. It does not hit the walls due to the dimensions of the package matching the size of the hair dryer itself. The case is protected from scratches and other external damage by a plastic bag. After opening, the following were removed from the package: the body of the hair dryer with a fixed concentrator nozzle, the instruction manual, the warranty card and several advertising and information leaflets.
At first sight
Hair dryer Redmond RF-534 has an interesting shape and design. In two words, it is minimalism and simplicity, which is even somewhat unexpected for Redmond. The device is designed in dark gray color, the entire body is treated with soft-touch coating. A handle is attached to the center of the wall of the cylindrical body. The diameter of the body and handle does not change along the length. Thanks to the rubberized coating, the handle does not slip and fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. The folding mechanism is extremely simple: the handle is parallel to the body when pressed in the direction of the nozzle. The transformation takes place in two steps – in the first step, the handle freezes in an intermediate position at about 45 ° relative to the body.
On the inside of the handle there is a mode switch and a cold air supply button. The power cord is attached to the bottom of the handle. The cord is thin and light. The connection point is protected by a flexible plastic casing 6 cm long, in which a loop for hanging is highlighted. Technical information about the device is printed on the side of the handle.
Let’s take a look at the hull. The air intake is protected by a fine-mesh metal grill, under which you can see the plastic fan blades. The grid is not removable.
The outlet nozzle is equipped around the perimeter with a detail for fixing the concentrator nozzle. The diameter of the outlet nozzle is almost 6 cm. A three-centimeter plastic plug is located in the center of the air outlet. Under the protective plastic cover, the metal heating element fixed on the plates is easily seen.
The Redmond RF-534 hair dryer is equipped with a concentrator nozzle – the only nozzle that we really need, in our opinion. The part is made of transparent darkened plastic, has, in general, a standard shape. To mount on the body, it is necessary to align its edges with the insert around the perimeter of the nozzle and press until a slight click is heard. The hub is removed by pulling on it. It is not rigidly fixed on the body, rotates around the circumference with a certain effort, does not slip.
A visual inspection of the compact Redmond RF-534 hair dryer left only one question: how will the design of the device, in particular the large diameter of the outlet nozzle, affect the airflow rate? In all other respects, the device is quite standard. No flaws in the quality of workmanship or assembly were found.
Instruction
The user manual is printed in A6 brochure format on high quality glossy paper. The information is presented in three languages – Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh. On six pages, the user gets acquainted with safety measures, the design and equipment of the device, as well as the rules of operation and maintenance.
Reading the document is unlikely to take more than three minutes. A single study of the manual will be sufficient for safe operation. But for some reason we assume that many users will not open the instructions at all.
Control
Two control elements – the mode switch and the cold air supply button are in the usual place – on the inside of the handle. The switch conveniently fits exactly under the thumb, so that during operation the user can effortlessly change the operating mode of the hair dryer.
In total, there are three modes of operation, as indicated by the designations opposite each of the switch positions:
- snowflake – a powerful jet of cold air
- I – weak jet of hot air
- II – powerful jet of hot air
Thus, the hair dryer is equipped with two modes of blowing speed and two temperature modes. When turning on the “Cold air” mode, press and hold the corresponding button. After a few seconds, when the heating element cools down, air at room temperature will begin to flow from the nozzle.
Exploitation
Preparing the hair dryer for use involves removing all packaging materials and wiping the body with a damp cloth. All. After the device dries, you can begin to dry and style your hair. When we turned it on for the first time, we did not feel any specific or foreign odors.
The operating rules of the Redmond RF-534 are no different from the operating rules of any similar hair dryer. You connect the device to electricity, then set the desired mode of operation, if necessary, fix the styling using the “Cold blow” function.
The handle fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. The coating of the case and the handle is extremely comfortable and pleasant to the touch. One switch, in our opinion, is generally ideal for controlling hair dryers. To change the mode of air supply and temperature, it is enough to move the regulator to the adjacent position. The power of the air flow changes instantly. It takes some time to change the temperature of the air leaving the nozzle.
The concentrator is intuitive to put on and take off from the body. The accessory is securely fixed on the body, does not try to fly off or rotate around the circumference while drying the hair.
The length of the cord is comfortable enough. The cord is thin, but during the tests it did not twist and did not interfere with the procedure for styling and drying the hair.
Storage comfort is ensured not only by the ability to fold the hair dryer, placing the handle parallel to the body, but also by the presence of a loop for hanging. The loop is medium in size, so the hook on which the device is supposed to be placed does not have to be small.
The hair dryer is equipped with an overheat protection function. If the protection is triggered, you need to turn the switch to the “0” position, turn off the hair dryer from the electricity and let it cool completely. After the protection has been triggered, the hair dryer can be used after about five minutes.
Care
Periodically, the hair dryer can and should be cleaned. The housing should be cleaned with a damp soft cloth. The hair dryer must not be placed in water and do not use abrasive sponges or rough cloths for cleaning. The concentrator must be removed before cleaning.
During the tests, there were no hand marks on the body or handle of the hair dryer, the air intake grille is clean, the hair dryer has completely retained its original appearance.
Our measurements
Measurements and calculations of the performance of the Redmond RF-534 hair dryer were made using a wattmeter, a thermometer and a vane anemometer that measures the speed of the air flow passing through the hair dryer.
The maximum temperature of the air flow directly at the outlet of the nozzle was:
- temperature reached 40 °C in cold air mode and in non-heating mode
- in the “I” mode – 85.3 ° C
- in mode “II” – 110.5 ° C
When operating in different modes, the power of the device was:
- without heating – 258 W
- “I” – 645 W
- “II” – 1260 W
Power consumption for 5 minutes of operation is:
- in the minimum energy-intensive mode (powerful air flow without heating) – 0.021 kWh
- in the most energy-intensive mode “II” (powerful hot air flow) – 0.105 kWh
The results of measurements of the air flow rate are presented in the table. The air velocity was measured directly at the nozzle exit.
| Nozzle | Air flow exit speed, m/s | |
|---|---|---|
| minimum blowing speed | maximum blowing speed | |
| without nozzle | 8.7 | 12.7 |
| with concentrator | 8.3 | 11.5 |
Taking into account the size and compactness of the hair dryer, the air flow rate can be assessed as very high.
The calculation methodology and the conditions for conducting the experiment with measuring the volumetric air flow (how many liters of air the hair dryer passes per second) are given in our previous articles, for example, here . Having carried out measurements and calculations, we obtained the following results:
- in the minimum blowing speed mode, the hair dryer “drives” 21 l / s
- in the maximum blowing speed mode – 30 l / s
These are excellent results for a hair dryer that is marketed as compact and travel-friendly.
The noise level can be assessed as standard for hair dryers – the device does not buzz like a jet plane, but it is unlikely that you will be able to hear the interlocutor.
The overheating protection test is carried out as follows: the device is placed in a cardboard box measuring 27 × 11 × 18 cm. Then it is turned on in the most energy-intensive mode – in this case, in the “II” mode. We cover the box with a lid and fix the time after which the hair dryer turns off.
At the 18th second, the tone of the sound of the running motor changed. The motor began to hum. There was no smell or smoke coming out of the slots in the box. At the 29th second from the beginning of the experiment, the hair dryer turned off. The body surface temperature closer to the nozzle averaged about 58 °C. Move the switch to the “0” position and disconnect from the mains. Five minutes later they tried to turn it on – the hair dryer worked as if nothing had happened.
practice tests
As always, we use the blow dryer for a week as usual to dry and style our hair. Subjective impressions from the experience of operating the Redmond RF-534 completely coincided with the opinion formed on the basis of the results of inspection and measurements.
The hair dryer lies comfortably and without slipping in the palm of your hand. Its weight is minimal, so that the hand does not get tired even during long work. The power and temperature of the outgoing air stream are such that normal drying takes the same amount of time as with more powerful and impressive hair dryers. It is extremely convenient to switch operating modes – for this you do not need to interrupt drying at all, remove the hair dryer from your hair and look at the switch. The case does not heat up, the cord does not get tangled under the hands, and its length is sufficient for comfortable work.
The concentrator nozzle does an excellent job of directing a narrow stream of air to a section of hair or individual strands. By putting on the nozzle, you can stretch and straighten your hair when drying with a brush. We mainly used the maximum air flow mode, both without heating and with maximum temperature. The mode without heating was used when there was enough time, and it was not required to go outside immediately after laying. Drying at maximum temperature allows you to quickly dry your hair, and, most importantly, is comfortable for the scalp. Hair after treatment was not electrified and did not get tangled.
findings
The test results of the Redmond RF-534 hair dryer pleasantly surprised us. Rarely does a compact hair dryer achieve such high airflow and volumetric airflow rates. In addition, the device is distinguished by accurate manufacturing, assembly and a very attractive appearance. So minimalistic and beautiful in its simplicity, we also liked the design.
We note the low weight of the hair dryer and the soft rubberized coating of the body. Thanks to this, as well as the presence of two speed and temperature modes, the device is practically not inferior to larger comrades in operation. The hair dryer is equipped with an overheating protection function, a “Cold air” mode and a concentrator nozzle. The undoubted advantages of the device include its cost – from 1500 rubles at the time of writing.
pros
- compact size and foldable handle
- quality workmanship and neat assembly
- excellent test results
- nozzle concentrator included
- low cost
Minuses
- the design may seem simple
