eXtreme Air

( Chris Borrelli/Chicago Tribune )

Manufacturer: American Dryer
Where: Whole Foods markets, Arby's, Maisano's Italian Restaurant (Novi, Mich.)

What they said: American Dryer's Ebbing showed me a knob on the back, which lowered the speed of the air jets slightly, thereby lowering the volume of the hand dryer: "We're in your library," she said, gradually making it louder, "we're in your restaurant, we're in your airport." Models can also be requested that throw warm or cold air.

We say: The name makes us giggle. Quieter than other models we tried. Resembles a towel dispenser.