The ‘Progress’ hood hair dryer has been a top seller for decades. Its striking design is a common sight in many a pool locker-room. Franke Aquarotter updated the ‘Progress’ in 2019. The new line called Franke F5 was exhibited for the first time at the ISH 2019 trade show. It impressed not only by the new ion technology, but also with its new styling and cool color accents.
“It was important to us that the new F5 hair dryer should look like its predecessor,” says Franke Aquarotter product manager Torsten Foels. “The dryer enjoys a high recognition value among our customers.” So the new generation also features the familiar color-contrasting drying tray. It is now available in the modern colors pearl gentian, basalt gray, signal red, lemon yellow, and white.
Long-standing cooperation
Franke’s technical cooperation with ebm-papst goes back to the 1980s. ebm-papst helped integrate the fans into the previous Franke hand and hair dryer models, supplying the fans too. In 2015, Franke decided to convert the old brush-driven motor in the hair dryer, at the time branded ‘Progress’, to a brushless EC motor. “The old motor needed a lot of maintenance. We opted for a better technical solution that also offers added value to our customers,” explains Foels.
Another feature was also integrated into the new product. “The secret ingredients are ions,” Foels reveals. After bathing, damp hair is positively charged, and would curl. Drying under the F5 hood hair dryer nourishes the hair with millions of tiny, electrically negatively charged ions. They not only ensure that the surface of the hair is smoothed, but also that the hair dries significantly faster – and at lower temperatures.

The new generation F5 hooded hair dryer from Franke Aquarotter: beautiful thanks to color accents and stylish shapes, efficient and low-maintenance thanks to EC technology from ebm-papst. Photo: Franke Aquarotter GmbH
The negatively charged ions are generated inside the hood hair dryer by a two centimeter sized high-voltage generator. A powerful R1G133 blower from ebm-papst driven by the new EC motor blows them onto the hair. Franke Aquarotter benefits from the durability of EC technology, as it guarantees long maintenance intervals.
“A brush-driven motor has a service life of about 3,000 to 8,000 operating hours,” explains Jens Duchow, ebm-papst’s Berlin regional manager. “Whereas an EC motor will run for about 45,000 hours.” In addition to the motor, the F5 was also fitted with a new compact impeller to optimize air flow and provide users with a feeling of comfort and well-being.
Retro in design, digitally state-of-the-art
The new F5 hair dryer is also well adapted to modern-day needs thanks to some other features. A height adjuster, offered as an accessory, provides infinitely variable adjustment over a total of 60 cm, and comes with protected cable routing. The hair dryer is conveniently activated by an infrared sensor, so it switches on as soon as someone is standing under it.
Also cutting-edge: Its statistical data can be read out and analyzed remotely. That allows continuous monitoring of the dryer’s performance. After all, pool users need to know they can keep on enjoying the experience of standing under the drying hood, and emerge with perfectly blow-dried hair, every time.
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