Dyson's new drying tap

Sir James Dyson's £999 hand-drying tap goes on sale

Hands being dried by tap
The new Airblade Tap is on sale for a cool £999 Photo: Dyson

The Malmesbury-based inventor Sir James Dyson has unveiled his latest product - a tap that can dry your hands in 12 seconds. It has a small digital motor inside to power the dryer and is priced at £999. The company claims the tap will avoid the problem of wet floors, as there is no need to move to a separate drying area.

It also claims it is environmentally friendly, because of the short drying time and avoidance of paper towels. It builds on the technology of Dyson's Airblade hand-dryers; instead of heating air, it blasts cold air over the hands to scrape the water off. The tap goes on sale today (Tuesday 5 February).

A cross-section
A look inside the Airblade Tap Credit: Dyson

Sir James Dyson's company has its headquarters and research centre in Malmesbury, Wiltshire.