July 12, 2024
Have it blend in or stand out, as you wish.
When it comes to buying an aircon unit, the main things homeowners look out for are upfront cost, energy efficiency and British Thermal Units (BTU; cooling capacity vis-à-vis size of a room).
Aesthetics have, unfortunately, long been considered something there isn’t much choice for, given that most aircon units are in a similar boxy silhouette and white in colour, with the occasional grey or black variants. Until now, that is.
Introducing Toshiba’s latest line of Japanese-designed aircons that come with changeable fabric covers to suit your interior: HAORI.
Inspired by traditional Japanese outerwear, these covers are made in Europe using quality Acacia fabric for a timeless, elegant look.
Traditional Japanese outerwear (left) and a closeup of HAORI’s Acacia fabric (right)
Minimalist flat-fronted silhouette aside, what makes HAORI stand out is that its covers come in 20 colourways, affording homeowners a myriad of possibilities from a design perspective.
Examples of colours HAORI’s fabric covers come in
So, instead of sticking out like a sore thumb (as most conventional aircons do), you now have the option of camouflaging your aircon such that it blends in seamlessly with the rest of your interior. Alternatively, have it stand out as a textured, decorative accent – a practical one at that!
Plus, because these covers are easy to remove and reattach, you can routinely take them out for a quick clean, or change them up with a different colour. Red for festive seasons like Christmas or Chinese New Year, perhaps?
On the topic of cleaning, these fabric covers are machine washable and fade resistant, which means they’ll always look good with minimal effort on your part where upkeep is concerned.
Needless to say, features of an aircon matter just as much as looks do.
Utilising Toshiba’s powerful Plasma Ionizer, HAORI aircon units capture and neutralise air pollutants, which means you won’t have the entire house smelling after cooking a meal, for instance.
This is coupled by an Ultra Pure filter, which eliminates up to 94% of PM2.5 particles (such as dust, pollen and smoke) which, in our opinion, is a major selling point for those with allergies or nose sensitivities.
Speaking of sensitivities, HAORI comes with different modes for various needs, such as:
As the gold standard for aircons, HAORI has a 5-tick energy efficiency rating (the highest given by the NEA), which will help you save on energy bills in the long run. Plus, it also emits less carbon dioxide emissions of up to 72%!
For example, a System 3 unit (i.e. 3 indoor units to one compressor; the most common setup in Singapore) will set you back to approximately $626 annually*, averaging out to $1.75 per day. Think about it: that’s even cheaper than getting a teh peng these days!
*Based off 8 hours daily usage; actual energy cost will depend on usage.
But of course, each model’s energy consumption differs. For a clearer estimate, do keep a lookout for the energy label on each unit.
Example of an Energy Label; source: National Environment Agency
Meanwhile, each unit also has the technologies for it to be as low maintenance as possible.
Diagrammatic illustration of HAORI’s self-cleaning function
For one, it’s fitted with Aqua Resin-coated coils that allow impurities to drain away easily. The self-cleaning function, on the other hand, leaves the fan on for 20 minutes after the unit is switched off, to dry any moist air and prevent mould growth.
After all, ain’t nobody got time to be climbing up a ladder to wipe down the aircon weekly!
Voice control is available by connecting HAORI to your Google Home Assistant or Amazon Alexa ecosystem
Lastly, think about how nice it would be to step into a nice, cool home after a day out in Singapore’s heat and humidity.
With HAORI’s smart-home features, you won’t need to keep the unit running all day just to enjoy this. Simply start cooling your home via the Toshiba Home AC Control app minutes before you arrive and voilà!
In today’s economy, we’d all like to save where we can. Good news for existing Toshiba aircon users: you can trade in old units and enjoy up to $1,000 off your HAORI purchase.
Different setups at HAORI’s showroom to help you visually how it could look like in your home
All other homeowners will get a free fabric cover (worth $188) of your choice with any HAORI system purchase.
HAORI aircon units also come with 1-year warranty for all parts, a 3-year warranty for installation and a 5-year warranty for the compressor.
Have a look and feel for yourself at HAORI’s Jurong East showroom (#08-01 Perennial Business City, 1 Venture Avenue, Singapore 608521). Alternatively, contact them via WhatsApp or email, or find out more via the link below.