Air Purifier GO!

While there are plenty of choices in air purifier these days and most have rendered to be far more sophisticated than most, most people would often go for value for their money.  Even more would look for the most affordable ones and one of the brands that comes to mind is Holmes air purifier.  With prices ranging for as low as just over 10 dollars, it is no surprise that Holmes air purifiers are worth looking into.

With an affordable price range, you have to make it a point to check the specifications of air purifiers and see how and if these affordable products can indeed meet your needs.  Holmes air purifiers are cheaper than most because it covers a smaller space than its hundreds of competition.  Does this necessary relate to quality? The good thing is that HEPA filters have standards these days and it is safe to say that Holmes can pretty much perform, if the user uses it as the brand intends, as most air purifiers.

Holmes® Smoke Grabber® Ashtray with carbon filter absorbs smoke and odor

Holmes air purifiers have very modern designs with much flexibility as to its positioning options; most of the designs can be placed horizontally or vertically.  Holmes also has very interesting niche products like the Smoke Grabber Ashtray, Pet Odor Purifier and Desktop Air Purifier.  The rest of its product lines go by the standard HEPA-type filter that removes up to 99% of airborne particles as small as 2 microns from the air passing through it.  Other models feature remote control capabilities, ionizer, and Arm & Hammer^® Baking Soda added to the filter to help remove common household odors.

One of the few known problems associated with Holmes air purifiers is that they’re very difficult to clean and most would just buy new filters altogether which can be quite expensive in the long run.  Others say it is rather loud in the small spaces they are intended for.  In the end, it all boils down to what you, the customer, values most in an air purifier.

See larger image Vornado Whole Room Air Purifier (Kitchen)

• A consistent 4-5 star Amazon rating

• Vortex air distribution technology

• Amazingly low price
  

Just like so many other companies during this last recession the Vornado Air Purifier company scaled its production line way back. So far back, that as far as I can tell, they currently only have one model that they manufacture and that's their model AQS 500.

Not to worry though because this company has been around for decades and is heavily diversified into several other types of environmental and airflow control systems. Also this one model that they have scaled down to is very highly rated with more than its share of positive attributes.

Vornado Air Purifier Vortex Technology Explained

Vornado AQS 500

The main selling point of all Vornado airflow products is that they incorporate vortex technology. This is true but I do believe that in this case, the technology is a bit over rated. Does it help? Yes it does but not to the extent that the people at Vornado would like to have you believe. So then just what is vortex technology.

In a nut shell, it's the means by which an air current is induced to spin as it flows. Picture a tornado in your head and that is a picture of a classic vortex. Vortex technology in the Model AQS 500 forces the air to spin as it leaves the machine, for a far wider distribution pattern.

Even so, in my mind it takes a lot more than spinning air to make a great air purifier and this machine does in fact have them. To start out with, at $100 which is the listed for it on the companies main site, the model AQS 500 is a great deal, considering all that it has and does. It also garners consistent 4 and 5 star ratings on Amazon.com

This Vornado air purifier is rated for 255 square feet, which is almost unheard of in a unit in its price range. Under normal circumstances you can expect to easily pay twice that much for a machine that can process 255 square feet. So then what kind of actual CADR numbers does it deliver? Would you believe 149 for dust, 102 for smoke and 185 for pollen?

It delivers these types of numbers by way of two “not one” electrostatically charged hepa filters. Electrostatically charged means that the filter fibers themselves have a slight static charge that enables them to better capture and hold onto ambient particles. It is proven technology that's in wide use by a number of manufacturers.

For features the Vornado air purifier model AQS 500 also delivers a lot for its price range. They include personal setting that are displayed with LED lighting, three fan speeds and an automatic filter change indicator. Now its one drawback is that it's not as quiet as other competing units. This is due to its vortex fan being mounted on the top surface. It also comes with a 5 year warranty.

See larger image Bionaire BAP1412-U PERMAtech Mini Tower Air Cleaner (Kitchen) List Price: $69.99 USD New From: $49.95 In Stock Used from: $35.00 In Stock

• Find out about combined ionic and hepa technologies

• Check out pricing on their three models

The Bionaire air purifier line occupies its place in a very competitive market. The air purifier business has always been competitive but this years long recession has only served to make it more. Hence; just like so many other manufactures, Bionaire has scaled its product line back rather extensively.

Beware of Fake Online Negetive Reviews

Tower no remote $159

Now one problem you may have is fake product reviews that have been posted online. They're pretty common in all online product and business genres but they seem to have picked up in recent times. They can at times leave you scratching your head with the astounding negative claims that contain.

Bionaire Air Purifier Consumer Approval Ratings

In the end, the quickest way to find out what previous buyers thought of an air purifier, is to click to Amazon.com. Just type in what ever it is that you're interested in checking out and up will pop a whole selection of them, along with their “Amazon consumer approval star rating”.

What About Replacement Filters?

Now as stated above, this company has trimmed its line back extensively. Even so, you can still find their discontinued air purifiers being marketed on sites that specialize in clearance products of this type. Now for the time being, Bionaire Air Purifiers still stocks and sells replacement filters for all of them but this can't go on for ever.

Their Filters are Reasonably Priced

It's only a matter of time until they stop stocking them in the hopes of forcing consumers to buy a new Bionaire air purifier, or they'll simply jack the prices up on their replacement filters. That's the more likely scenario and it would be a shame too because their filters tend to be quite reasonably priced, comparatively speaking.

It's Basically Just the Permatech Line Now

Permatech Tower with remote $139

Now when I checked to companies main website, it shows them carrying basically three air purifiers and all of them are in their Permatech line. This means that they no longer make any of the nifty smaller units that they used to. It's a trend that seems to be pervasive throughout the industry as a whole.

The Permatech Tower Models

One noteworthy feature of these Permatech air purifiers though, is that they combine both ionic and hepa filter technology. Even so, the largest of them all is their Permatech Tower model that covers 170 square feet. They also have another model listed as simply The Permatech Tower that has a remote control. It's also listed for 170 square feet.

The Permatech Mini Tower

The baby in their lineup is simply called The Permatech Mini Tower and it in fact has no listing showing how may square feet it will cover. This of course can be taken to mean that it must not be much. Even so, as small as this unit is, it too comes with combined hepa and ionic air filtration technology built into it.

Just whats so different about the Austin Air Healthmate?

• How about a unique four stage filter?

• How about a free 30 day trial period?

• How about a whopping 15 pound charcoal filter?

The Austin Air Healthmate series, if you can call two duplicate machines a series, really does appear to be a breath of fresh air. (pardon the pun) You see in all the years that I've been researching and reviewing consumer products, I have noticed an all too familiar pattern.

Finally a Truly Different Air Purifier

That is that each new brand and their lineup of models all too often seems to be just a reshuffling of the deck. That all the competing brands really resembled one another in their functions and features far more than they differ. Different prices and different shapes but basically the same offerings in different packages.

The Total Simplicity of the Austin Air Healthmate

So it sure is nice to see an air purifier like the Austin air line that truly has something new and interesting worth reading about. At the same time, these head turning machines offer not one convenience feature option. In fact all you get is a big black knob to turn it on and adjust the flow rate with.

You Do Get to Choose Your Color Though

Sound enticing? Hardly not! Just keep on reading though because it gets real interesting from here. Also before I get into the technical end of things, I might as well give you the desert first. That is that this company is the only one that I know of that lets you choose what color you machine is.

Don't Call Your Interior Decorator Just Yet

You get to pick from a selection of sandstone, black, white, silver, and midnight blue. Now before you get all excited and call your interior decorator I might as well tell you now that these machine have all the designer cache as your average kitchen garbage container. They're basically rectangular boxes on a set of wheels. With a knob on it.

Now Who Else Offers Color Choices??

So the think tank that came up with the concept of the Austin Air Healthmate has left their competition in the dust as far as color choices are concerned but there has to be more to it than that. After all they have to offer something, just in case someone decides to turn theirs on. Something more than a knob on the side.

Count Em! - A Four Stage Filter System

They do and would you believe that these machines actually operate with a four stage filter system. That's right! While all their competitors were busy gloating over their three stage filter systems, the folks at Austin Air snuck another fourth stage onto theirs. Sheer genius! What brazen individual though of going beyond three stages??

An Arm Bending 15 Pounds of Activated Charcoal

It doesn't end there though because their third stage in this four stage system, is a carbon filter that contains a full 15 pounds of activated charcoal. You read that correctly! That's a whopping 15 pounds of gas trapping activated charcoal in one filter system! Here all the while the other companies had you so impressed with their whimpy disposable carbon infused blankets.

A Full 60 Feet of Medical Grade Hepa Filter - Pleated of Course

Now if that sounds impressive then read on because the fourth stage of this four part filter system, is a medical grade hepa filter (traps germs and viruses) that's a full 60 feet long. The way that they fit 60 feet of hepa filter into the machine is by pleating it. It's arranged in a folded framework.

So Just What Does a Large Particle Filter Catch??

Now of course there are to more stages to this filter system on steroids and the first one is what they call a “large particle filter”. It filters out large particles, (as its name suggests). The second filter in the four stage system is a medium particle filter. It filters out medium particles, (as its name suggests).

An Air Purifier With a 1500 Square Foot Rating?!?

It's all just too sensible! So now you're probably wondering how many square feet this unit is rated for and the fact it has a massive 1500 sq foot rating. The Austin Air Healthmate is also rated for 250 square feet of air per minute when its turned up to its highest setting.

How Much Pollution is in Your Square Feet Anyway?

If you stop to think about it square footage ratings really are a bunch of hot air. (pardon the pun). This is because they completely fail to take into account how much actual air pollution and dust is being generated in a home or business. That's what really matters!

So how many sq feet is your machine rated for??

Just Like Ordering Drinks at Burger King

Now that 250 square feet of air rating only counts for their large Austin Air Healthmate. You see I completely failed to mention that they're the only company that offers their air purifiers in “large and small models” No confusing model code numbers. Just large and small. It's just all too simple! I love it!!

A 30 Day Money Back Trial Period

So now you're wondering if this all sounds “too crazy”. After all, like the old adage goes, “if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is”. Well not to worry because the makers of the Austin Air Healthmate offer a complete 30 day money back satisfaction guarantee. If you don't like it just send it back!

Not Really the Cheapest Machines Out There

The one catch is that these machines really are not your most affordable option. The larger model sells for around $500 and the Austin Air Healthmate Junior retails in the area of $350. There is just one thing to consider though and that is that the filters on these machines are guaranteed to last 5 years, which saves you heck of a lot of money of filters.

Breaking the Air Filter Habit - Just Say No!

By the way, while were on the topic of filters, I might as well inform you that filter purchases are one of the biggest scams running today. Go ahead and do the math on what replacement filters will cost you on a cheaper competing model and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it adds up to some $300 over a five year period.

Fan and Motor:

Centrifugal fan 3 Speed control switch
Motor type: permanent split capacitor, rated for continuous high RPM , long life duty
Power rating: 1.3 amps, 120 volts
115 Watt power consumption at Max setting
CSA, UL and CE approved
Five year warranty (parts & labor)
Fan: 400cfm on max setting: rated for up to 1500 ft.
Fan Rating: 400cfm on high setting: cleans a room area of up to
1500 sq ft

Filter Assembly:
Weight: 23 lbs
14.5" height 13.5" diameter
60 sq. ft. true HEPA medical filter
15 lbs mix of solid activated charcoal & zeolite

See larger image Blueair 402 Air Purification System (Kitchen) List Price: $449.95 USD New From: $499.95 In Stock Used from: $250.00 In Stock

• Full Ten Year Warranty

• Dual Hepa Filter & Ionic Technologies

• No Frills Problem Free Operation

• Advanced Smokestop Filter Option

The very first thing that should be pointed out about the Blueair 402 air purifier is that it's rated for a whopping 365 square feet of room space. Now that really is not that big a deal because there are similar units out there that will handle more square footage, just not in its $450 price range.

The Blueair 402 Air Purifier is Affordable in its Class

Now combine those two facts with a consistent 4-5 star Amazon customer review rating and you have what on the surface appears to be a a very affordable air cleaning workhorse. So then lets take a look at some of its features, to see how it stacks up in those areas.

It Uses Both Hepa Filter and Ionic Technologies

To start out with, it incorporates both hepa filter and ionic technologies, which means that it captures even the smallest particles that a standard hepa filter system might miss. Add to that that the hepa filter itself is made from non shedding, mold resistant polypropylene.

Captures Pollution Particles Down to .01 Microns

The ionic chamber in this system is located in front of the hepa filter, so the charged particles cling to the filter far more readily than in a standard system. So while a regular hepa filter air cleaner can be expected to capture particles down to .03 microns, this units goes all the way down to .01 microns.

Blueairs Unique Smokestop Filter System

You also have the option of installing their Smokestop filter system. This filter system uses a revolutionary combination of advanced filter media technology to more efficiently capture smoke and noxious gasses. For homes or business with smoke or odor problems this is the ultimate solution.

A Rare Ten Year Warranty

Now if you're in the market for an air cleaner that's loaded with convenience features, you'll have to look elsewhere because the Blueaire 402 purifier is pretty much a base no frills solid steel machine with four fan speeds. No auto adjust etc. However; there can be no doubt that the lack of so many features, that can in the long run become problematic, plays in heavily with its full ten year warranty.

What's the Problems with Ionic breeze Air Purifiers?

Your Questions are finally answered!

Ionic Breeze air purifiers were one of the first to dominate the market. Heavy advertising of what for a time appeared to be an amazing new technology, paid off well. Easy payment plans on perfectly silent air cleaners that captured even the smallest of pollution particles, were a shoppers dream come true.

Then things began to change and the first thing to change was that people began to become more informed. For instance, people began to become aware that there is no official governmental or industry standards governing how much actual air volume an air purifier must process.

An Air Cleaner that Has No Fan??

You see these new, so called amazing air cleaners that were being promoted as having the capacity to scour any rooms air in your home, have no fan! Yes they're completely silent because the ionic inertia was supposed to be enough energy to move the air through the unit in sufficient quantities.

Well lo and behold, along came competing ionic air cleaners that do have fans. More affordable models that not only do just as good a job of cleaning air but they've also done a stellar job of angering Sharper Image customers. You see all along Ionic Breeze air purifiers were anything but inexpensive.

So as it stands today several lawsuits have been filed and the maker of these air cleaners, Sharper Image, is now tied up in bankruptcy court. Now you're wondering if it's even smart to buy any product from any company that's bankrupt. The simple answer to that question, is no it's not smart.

Discounting the fact that there's a massive selection of more affordable air purifiers that in fact do a better job of cleaning your air, parts and services for Ionic Breeze Air Purifiers may not even be available in the future. Then what about your guarantee? Well you can just forget about that too.

In Defense of Ionic Breeze Air Purifiers

Now in their defense, it must be noted that many firms have emerged from bankruptcy over the years and in fact have gone on to achieve great success. In fact, far from throwing in the towel, Sharper Image in 2006 introduced an ionic air cleaner that does in fact contain a fan. It's rated at 125 cubic feet per minute!

They call it their Hybrid GP version and it even contains ozone removal technology, so this is definitely a huge step in the right direction. There is just one glaring problem with this unit though and that is that it carries a price tag of a whopping $400. This adds up to almost twice the cost of similar competing models.

See larger image Ionic Breeze Quadra Silent Air Purifier SI867 SI867 (Kitchen) List Price: $349.00 USD

See larger image Hunter 30245 Quietflo Three-Speed, HEPA Air Purifier (Kitchen) List Price: $149.95 USD Used from: $85.00 In Stock

Check out all five models in the Hunter lineup

• The QuietFlo 85

• The QuietFlo 90

• The QuietFlo 245

• The QuietFlo 401

• The QuietFlo 402
  

Hunter air purifiers currently consists of a lineup of five models and none of them are ionic air cleaners. They have had them in the past but virtually all of them are now on their rather extensive discontinued list. Hunter only manufactures standard hepa filter air cleaners and none of them have an air sterilization feature.

They do continue to stock and sell filters for some 47 models that they no longer sell and they make that list available on their main website. So then why so many discontinued air cleaners? The answer is simple. They've been in the business since the late 1800s.

Hunter has also been making quality electric motors for over a century as well, so that has given them plenty of time to build up a reputation. All of their air purifiers make use of Hunter motors and as a results are known for quiet operation and also come with solid guarantee.

Retailing at $264, is the Hunter QuietFlo 401 model. Both this and the next 4 down form it (402, 245, 90, 80) in the QuietFlo line are programmable and they also have an auto air flow adjustment feature that automatically checks and resets air flow four times a day, to account for increased or decreased air pollution. It's also rated for a whopping 403 sq feet.

The next model in line and retailing for $229 is their QuietFlo 402. All their air cleaners have a secondary carbon filter for removing smoke, cooking and pet odors but only the 402, 401 and the 245 have an LCD filter change indicator. The others use a mechanical indicator. This model, just like the 401, is also rated for 403 sq feet.

Next in line, with a price tag of $194, is their QuietFlo 245. With this model the coverage rating drops substantially to 225 sq feet but there is a big trade off. That is that this model is 33% more energy efficient than their other standard models. It does however, come with LCD lighting and there's no compromises on the 99.97% particle removal rating.

The next model, the QuietFlo 85 carries a price tag of $190, which you may note is surprisingly close to the 245. ($4 difference). Just like the 245, this model is rated at 225 sq feet but it is missing some features, such as a filter change indicator and the energy efficiency of the 245. On the plus side it has substantially higher rating numbers for smoke, dust and pollen.

The budget model in Hunter air purifiers QuietFlo line and priced at just $85, is their model 90. This unit does come with a mechanical filter change indicator but no LCD lighting. Of course along with the lower price comes a lower 155 sq foot rating. Its ratings for smoke dust and pollen also drop down to 100. The lowest of all of them.

• The ionizer/filter comparison

• Which type cleans more air?

• Which type is the quietest?

• Which is the cheapest to buy?

• Which is the cheapest to run?

It really was only about three decades ago when the ionizer air purifier began to make the big splash that it has in the general consumer marketplace. The fact is though that this technology has been around for about 100 years.

In fact the very first of these types of air cleaners were built in the early part of the 1900s for use in metal smelting plants. They were used to remove toxic particles, such as lead and sulfides from the exhaust before it was sent out the chimney.

Now who today hasn't seen household models advertised at malls or on TV? Then when you search online, there they are. Right alongside standard home air purifiers. Units that clean air by forcing it through a standard mesh filter to capture pollution that's suspended in it.

So then here's a short list of some of the basic pros and cons that pop up when these two types of air cleaners are ran through a side by side comparison test. Now one thing to bear in mind though, is that many people actually end up choosing both types and use them for different purposes.

They Tend to Be a Lot Quieter

As an example, ionic air cleaners always tend to be a lot more quiet. The reason for this is that they don't have to force air through a filter system, so their fans tend to be less powerful. This is precisely why so many people prefer this type of machine in their bedrooms at night.

Then again, an ionic cleaner just won't process near the same volume of air that a comparable standard hepa filter unit will. You see the fact that they draw pollutants out of the air with an electrical charge, rather then a filter means that the air must move slower.

No Filters to Buy and Change

No Dirty Filters

Then again the fact that they don't require filters. Combined with the the fact that they use far less electricity and it means that the ionic air purifier is by far the most affordable long term option. Bear in mind that many of the better standard filter units use two types of filters. One long term and one short term that needs frequent changing.

There's also a sterilization effect when air passes through an ionization chamber. An effect that means that an ionizer air purifier actually kills germs and bacteria as the air passes through it. Better quality forced air cleaners also now have a sterilization feature though.

Now as far as the actual price of the units is concerned, the two types are running about neck and neck. All types of air cleaners in general come in a wide range of styles, sizes and prices. Although on the very low end, you can find small filter air cleaners priced as low as $15, while the ionizer air purifier bottoms out at around $30.

See larger image 3Q AP04S Twin Pack Electrostrostatic Ionic Air Purifier, Cleaner ()

See larger image Honeywell 50250 99.97% Pure HEPA Round Air Purifier (Kitchen) List Price: $210.99 USD New From: $164.89 In Stock Used from: $89.99 In Stock Release date September 15, 2005.

• Priced between $150 & $200 online

• Price of LifeTime Filter pak between $45 & $60 online

• Price of three month carbon filter Between $15 & $20

• 250 Clean Air Delivery Rate & Rated at 350 sq feet

The 50250 is the most powerful of all Honeywell air cleaners. It's one of a total of four in their 50000 series that also includes the 50100, 50150 and the 50200. Now to start off with, this powerful workhorse registers a clean air delivery rate of 250 and it's rated for 350 sq feet.

Even so, it's important to understand that there is no uniform standard for rating square footage capacity of air cleaners. You see it's basically ran on an honor system, where each maker assigns a number that it feels is adequate after testing. What this means then is that customer reviews definitely have to be taken into account.

What Do Previous Customers Think?

Well it just so happens that the user opinion average at the highly respected consumer product review site opinions.com is 4.5 stars, with 5 being the maximum. Another quick check at amazon.com shows their average coming in at 4 stars, out of a possible 5. So people who have bought and are using this machine like it.

The one thing that really jumped out at me when I first laid eyes on this workhorse of an air cleaner was the size of its air filter. It is huge! You see it's not flat like most machines out there. Instead this one is round and it wraps completely around the unit. It really does cover a lot of area. There are bulldozers with smaller air filters!

Pay close attention though because only the newer 50250N model Honeywell air cleaners now come with their newer upgraded LifeTime hepa filter. It does the same job as their older filter does of removing 99.97 of pollutants down to .3 microns. It's just made to last longer.

Understand that LifeTime is a trade name and should not be taken to mean that it's a permanent filter even though it's marketed as such. Lots companies market permanent filters but personally I thing that they're a sham. You see I've vacuumed clean enough air cleaner filters over the course of my life and I can tell you than even the best of them eventually get worn out and need replacing.

Accessing its Air Filters is Just Too Easy

When it does come time to clean this filter you'll love the way that this sturdy machine comes apart and goes back together again. A big thick plastic nut that's located on the top of the machine has to be unscrewed by hand and that's it. The hood lifts off and and plunks right back on when you're done. Now make sure to remember to replace the universal carbon filter every 3 months.

I Just love the way that they've redesigned the new stacking filter system for Honeywell air cleaners. It's a one size fits all round filter and how many stack on, is dependent on the machine that you buy. The 50250 happens to be their largest machine, so it takes three but other smaller Honeywell machines use one or two.

What About Noise?

Now as far as noise is concerned, this machine is rated at 35 decibels on low, 45 on medium and 57 on its high setting. To me this machine seems a bit louder then I would prefer but I suppose it's a fair tradeoff, considering the workload it handles. It is definitely too noisy for my bedroom at night when I'm sleeping though.

What works best for me, is the little Ionic Pro compact air purifier in my bedroom at night. It's quite and handles the square footage nicely. Besides, as portable as my Honeywell 50250 is, it's still a hassle to to roll it through my home in the evenings then back out in the morning. I just keep it parked in my living room.

See larger image Ionic Pro 90IP01RF01 Turbo Ionic Room Air Purifier (Kitchen) List Price: $199.99 USD New From: $172.38 In Stock Release date September 1, 2006.

• Turbo powered for maximum particulate containment

• Easy Removal front loaded collection plates

• Filter free for convenience & economical operational

• 13 pounds shipping weight & limited warranty

• Maximum air cleaning coverage – 500 sq feet

There's just no doubt about it but that the market for ionic air cleaners is a crowded one. Now I'll be the first to admit that the technology that goes into these machines was definitely amazing when they first hit the market a couple of decades back. However; that was then and this is now. The Ionic Pro Turbo Air Purifier better have something different to catch my interest.

The Ionic Pro Turbo Air Cleaner is Truly Silent

So how about the fact that this machine is the only air cleaner on the market with triple action air scrubbing technology, that's truly silent? Or what about its unique germicidal chamber that actually traps and kills bacteria, mold spores and germs? Or its amazing oxygen plus filter that turns ozone into pure fresh oxygen?

Still More Questions that I needed Answered

OK, so this machine is definitely different but what about its cost? After all, if it carries a sky high price tag I may be just as well off buying a larger model without all the whiz-bang technology or even buying more than one lower cost air cleaner. Then again is it just as simple to operate as my last one because one thing I don't need is more complex machinery in my life.

Costs Less that its Competitors and is So Simple to Operate

Would you believe that the Ionic Pro Turbo Air Purifier actually costs less than the vast majority of its competitors. Machines that are louder and clean less air! Also imagine my surprise when I first got mine out of the box and saw that it in fact one of the more simple to operate of all the air cleaners that I have seen in my life.