The epic £40 gadget every nerd should own (XPower A-2)

Dust can cause your PC, laptop, console and other gadgets to overheat and die sooner. So ditch cans of compressed air and buy something like the Xpower A-2 Airrow Pro instead.

Anyone who has built a PC, attempted to overclock a CPU or Googled why their old laptop or PS4 sounds like it’s about to take off will know that heat can be a problem. Maximising airflow is essential – and that means fighting dust.

Because dust, which is a combination of various lovely things, can impede airflow given a long enough time and enough of it. Why does that matter though?

At some point your gadgets will be struggling for air. Fans will then have to work harder to keep things cool and, if unable to do so, those vital electrical components will be subjected to higher temperatures. Higher temperatures can reduce longevity.

It is not just dust blocking airways that can be a problem. Fan blades covered in dust, for instance, become less effective and suffer from higher levels of turbulence, making them noisier. Meanwhile, dust can create a thermal blanket on circuit boards.

The simple fact is that gaming PCs routinely get hot. Consoles also get hot. Keyboards get crumbs, dust and whatever else stuck under the keys. Cameras and other gadgets get dusty (though do not blow strongly on any sensor). The following gadget can combat all of that.

So why this gadget?

Imagine a vacuum cleaner in reverse, that’s how a blower works. The one I bought is known as the XPower A-2 Airrow Pro (available in green, blue or black). For between £40 and £50, you get 500w and up to 90CFM of dust-blowing bliss.

There are two speeds. One for when you want to push things off your desk and another for when you want to never see them again.

The 1.043kg (2.3lb) XPower A-2 Airrow Pro is one of the cheaper options yet as powerful as its more expensive competitors. Plus it comes with nine useful attachments, ranging from the normal nozzle to detail brushes, adaptors and others in between.

I have had mine for more than three years and it still works flawlessly. All you have to do after each use is remove the foam filter at the bottom and remove the accumulated dust. Either by hand or you could use a vacuum.

But compressed air cans are cheaper!

Yes, you can buy compressed air cans as these do the same job. But they can cause a liquid build up and drip. If you remember those electricity plus water safety videos as a kid this is not a good thing. For you or your gadget.

Said cans are also pricey, with three of them costing a tenner. If your laptop, Xbox, PlayStation or computer is caked in dust that will mean using at least one. After four or five cleans and you are spending more than a blower.

You also have to keep a can upright for it to work, which is a pain when cleaning a computer as there will be nooks and crannies you cannot reach in this way. With the blower, angle is irrelevant.

Not only that, buying compressed air cans to use for a short time is hardly environmentally friendly. You can, of course, refill them but do many people bother? Probably not. Hence why many of them end up in the sea.

Honestly, you might not think a blower is that useful. But from cameras and speakers to car air vents, toys, curtains, microphones, Hi-Fi amplifiers – there are many uses to get your money’s worth.

It’s also a satisfying job watching years-worth of dust being ejected. Just remember to wear a mask to look after your lungs. Ideally, you should be dusting things outside or at least in a well-ventilated room. Or have the vacuum running nearby.

Also remember to hold any spinning fans to prevent them spinning too fast resulting in bearing damage or electrical damage if the component is old enough (most modern-day PC componentry is protected).

So how good is the XPower A-2 Airrow Pro?

The XPower A-2 Airrow Pro looked to offer the best power to money ratio and to be honest it is mighty powerful even on the weaker ‘1’ setting. Really old dust that’s caked on will still need some old-fashioned elbow grease and a duster.

For a general clean, however, and ensuring you never have to deep clean again a blower is worth every penny. With between 3 and 4 horsepower, just do not expect it to be particularly quiet.

Some blowers are said to overheat, but in the UK where it’s typically cooler the XPower A-2 never skipped a beat. Even after 15 minutes of solid use. Any dust that fails to come off in that time would need more physical effort anyway.

As for a warranty, you get one year, which could be better as you may need more time to recuperate your initial expenditure. But then just how much money are you saving if your gadgets last longer?

So, yes, a reverse vacuum / mini leaf-blower is not usually something I get excited about. But the XPower A-2 Airrow Pro has proven highly useful time and time again.