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VentiFresh small space air purifier review

Do you have any small spaces in your home that are stinky? Maybe it’s a trashcan in the kitchen, a closet where you keep your sneakers, or maybe it’s your cat’s litter box? How do you get rid of odors without burning candles or spraying aerosol air fresheners that just cover up the stink with a new odor? That’s what I was wondering until I received the VentiFresh air purifier.

What is it?

The VentiFresh is a very small air purifier that uses photocatalyst technology which is the same tech used on the international space station. According to the VentiFresh website:

Put simply, the UV catalyst core inside VentiFresh decomposes odor through natural photosynthesis and produces clean air as a result.

What’s in the box?

VentiFresh air purifier
Mag dot steel mounting button
micro USB power cable
USB AC adapter

Design and features

Compared to 99.9% of the air purifiers that I’ve seen, the VentiFresh is absolutely tiny at only 2.5 x 2.0 inches.

It has a white plastic housing with a light sensor on the front and on top is an open blue covering over the built-in fan inside the unit.

On the back of the air purifier is a micro USB connector for power and a power switch.

The VentiFresh air purifier is so small, that it can be placed almost anywhere. You can set it on a flat surface or you can use the magnetic base and the included metal button to mount it on thin material like a trashcan lid or a litterbox cover.

It looks cute, but does it actually work?

I was excited to see if the VentiFresh air purifier would help with cat smells. To give you a little background, I share a house with a 15lb cat named Max. Max is mainly an indoor cat so we have a litter box in our spare bathroom which is now his bathroom. I don’t like going in there because he kicks litter on the floor. That is when he actually takes time to dig in the box.

Jeanne and I spend evenings downstairs on the couch in front of the TV. We’ll be watching a show and all of a sudden we’ll hear Max running around upstairs like a maniac and then he’ll come flying down the stairs. This is his “I just pooped and I’m amazing” celebration.  At this point, we will almost immediately notice the smell wafting its way downstairs because he almost NEVER covers up his mess. In the past, we’ll have to stop what we’re doing, go up the stairs, clean the litterbox, and spray a bunch of air freshener to cover up the poo smell which only masks the smell and doesn’t truly get rid of it. Ick!

As soon as the VentiFresh arrived, I plugged it in and set it up in Max’s bathroom.

We don’t have a cover over the litter box so I just hung the VentiFresh from an outlet next to the box like you see in the image above.

The VentiFresh didn’t come with much in the way of instructions. Just a small business card sized quick guide that showed how you can mount the unit using the magnetic base and that the unit is supposed to be used in a small space about 1.5 cubic feet in size. Max’s bathroom is tiny, but it’s obviously much larger than 1.5 cubic feet, but I set it up anyway.

Once you plug it in, it will start running when the room is dim. Light will cause the VentiFresh to turn off. But since I have the unit hanging with the light sensor pointed down, it runs continuously. When it’s running you’ll also see a blue light emitting from the vents in the sides and top of the unit. This is UV light and the instructions advise you not to look at it. The unit also has a slight fan noise as it’s running. I didn’t find it loud enough to be annoying, but I do notice it when I walk past the bathroom.

The million dollar question is: Does the VentiFresh actually work? I really didn’t think I was going to be impressed, but I have been very surprised just how well it has tamed Max’s litter box smells. If you have a cat and a litter box, you know what they can smell like even if you clean them every day like we do. With the VentiFresh next to the box, I’ve not smelled any of Max’s “presents” even when he doesn’t cover them up. I’ve even walked into the bathroom done a sniff test right over the box of uncovered “presents” and I can’t smell anything. I think it’s witchcraft and I love it and so does Jeanne. Max doesn’t seem to mind it either.

If you’re wondering about power consumption, it only uses 3W per hour and according to the VentiFresh website, even if it runs 24hrs a day, it’s only going to cost you about 50 cents per month.

What I like

  • Tiny size
  • No consumables
  • Doesn’t use much power

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing needs to be improved except that I want a bigger one for the whole house!

Final thoughts

The VentiFresh air purifier is amazing. No more litter box smells means I don’t have to worry if visitors can smell something bad when they come in my house. I love this little thing. I’m thinking about ordering another one just to have on hand if the one I have now ever decides to die on me. I’ll definitely update this review after a couple of months to let you all know how it’s standing the test of time.

Price: $64.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by VentiFresh.

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VentiFresh small space air purifier review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 17, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Airfree P2000 – Filterless Air Purifier may just be the answer to clean air!


Over the past few years, I have been back and forth to the pediatrician with my kids who have been suffering with allergies and asthma. After much testing, they were put on daily medications to help to control the effect of their allergies, which if not addressed would eventually trigger a full-fledged asthma attack.

In an effort to address the issue of pollutants within the home, I have invested in several air purifiers, with mixed results, and I continue to research these devices always looking for better technology and hopefully better results.

Today, I was reading about the Airfree P2000 – Filterless Air Purifier. This device claims to have “patented Thermodynamic TSS Technology”, that “destroys mold, dust mites, bacteria, viruses, pollens, pet dander, tobacco and other organic allergens”. It also claims to reduce harmful ozone levels within the home. I have heard about air filters that “boast” about this type of ability, and I have been very intrigued by these claims. They claim to be perfect in areas that may contain mold, and to be the best current solution for asthma and allergy sufferers. The coverage each one of these units claims to provide, is adequate for most small to medium sized rooms, and unlike my current air purifiers, they are filterless and completely silent. Since I spend quite a bit of money replacing filters, this would be a welcomed feature. In addition, as a photographer/videographer, the ability to clean the air so that my expensive camera equipment and lenses are in a better environment both for storage and operation is a plus.

If you would like more detailed information on the Airfree P2000 – Filterless Air Purifier or you would like to purchase one, head over to Amazon, or B&H Photo Video or Adorama, and check it out. It is available for purchase from any of these retailers for $269.

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Airfree P2000 – Filterless Air Purifier may just be the answer to clean air! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 14, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Airfree Onix 3000 Air Purifier review

It’s me again, your resident asthmatic living in sunny and pollen-infused Florida. In 2016, I reviewed the IQAir HealthPro Plus air purifier, a machine I affectionately called Aunt Beast for its gray utilitarian form. (If you don’t know the reference, go read A Wrinkle in Time.) Though the machine performs as promised, its size and the expense associated with filter replacement have generally relegated it to a hidden corner of our den next to our piano.

What is it?

When I heard about the Airfree Onix 300 Air Purifier, I was excited for two reasons: first, its small size; second, its filterless design. The website touts how the unit’s “patented Thermodynamic TSS Technology destroys mold, dust mites, bacteria, viruses, pollens, pet dander, tobacco and other organic allergens” – an advertised 99.99 percent of all microorganisms.

Design and features

Yes, it zaps all the bad stuff using heat generated by its sterilizing ceramic core, which reaches 400 degrees F. However, the manufacturer says two units in the same area will only contribute as much heat as one 155-lb. person.

You will notice a small amount of hot air at the top – enough that you don’t want it right next to your bed – but the base remains cool. Because of the heat it generates, the manufacturer recommends using the unit in an open area measuring 330 square feet or more. Bad stuff goes in, and a little heat comes out – minus any ions or emissions. It also reduces ozone levels. The unit is completely silent while doing all that zapping.

The Airfree unit, which sells online for $285 to $299, stands about a foot tall, a fraction of the size of Aunt Beast. In fact, Aunt Beast could eat it for lunch – and then need a new filter. Yes, the filter thing is a big deal in my book.

My new air purifier arrived, providentially, the week our son had the flu. My husband, Bill “Mr. Headphones” Henderson stayed completely well, and I stayed mostly well that week. Thank you, Airfree. That must have been a busy week of zapping.

In fact, that next week I found myself wishing I had a portable Airfree unit. I went to use the restroom at a restaurant and found a line. An older lady had apparently been in the stall for a long time. When she heard more people come in, she said, “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me!” Then she began hacking out a lung. The lady in front of me and I ran out.

Unfortunately, the Airfree isn’t portable. In fact, the manufacturer recommends it stay in the same place all the time. You must keep it running constantly to do its most effective zapping. Moving the unit to another room will cause air contamination to return to the area.

But form cannot be separated from function. Aside from being smaller than a large dorm fridge (unlike Aunt Beast), the Airfree air purifier has one aesthetic feature: a changeable nightlight available in 10 colors. You can set the colors on random mode for your best disco effect. But in seriousness, the feature would be a plus in a child’s room. This child, however, doesn’t have that feature on her unit. Mine only shines blue, a color to which I’m allergic because it makes me break out in grumpiness. But I can turn the nightlight function off.

If you are immunocompromised in any way, the Airfree air purifier could be your ticket to better health. It also obviously is perfect for people like me with allergies and asthma. I would also highly recommend it to someone in a sick office building or combatting mold issues, perhaps after a flood or damaged roof. Note that the Airfree Onix 3000 will not destroy mold in walls—only airborne mold.

What I like

The Airfree Onix 300 Air Purifier just works. No filters or any maintenance required. Just plug it in and forget it.

What needs to be improved

It isn’t portable. Once unplugged, it will take time to re-purify the airspace around the unit. Many units may be required to purify a whole house.

Final Thoughts

As for me, I have noticed fewer asthma and allergy attacks, at least while in my bedroom, where I keep the unit. In fact, I tested its effectiveness using an AirVisual Pro by IQAir, which consistently tells me our bedroom air quality – aside from CO2 levels and occasional cooking odors – is practically perfect in every way. So I can give the Airfree unit a well-deserved A+ for excellent work.

Not only does the unit work, it works without intervention, meaning zero maintenance. You plug it in, keep it put and forget about it. As long as you feel heat coming off the top, you can be assured it’s still killing stuff that otherwise may kill you. In my view, anything that works well in the background is a keeper, even if it does have a blue nightlight.

Price: $275 to $299 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Airfree.

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Airfree Onix 3000 Air Purifier review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 18, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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IQAir AirVisual Pro Air Quality Monitor review

I live in Florida, the land of perpetual pollen, in an older home in the woods. And I have asthma. Those three strikes mean it can be difficult to enjoy the outdoors. But what about the indoors?

My husband, Bill “Mr. Headphones” Henderson, recommended I try the AirVisual Pro by IQAir to help me monitor our indoor and outdoor air quality index (AQI) in hopes we could identify necessary improvements to our indoor AQI and I would know when to avoid the outdoors.

What is it?

The AirVisual Pro by IQAir is a visual monitor of indoor and outdoor air quality. Plus, it displays the air quality from anywhere in the world that has monitoring stations. You can also register your monitor as a designated public station.

Design and features

My unit, which retails for $269 plus shipping, arrived in late January and was easy enough to set up. Able to run on electricity or battery power, the small unit has a distinct Jetsons vibe to it. It immediately detected my location and linked me to an outdoor testing site. The home screen would display my indoor AQI – which was well within the green, or good, zone but with a higher-than-desirable CO2 level – next to our outdoor AQI.

 

AQI is broken into several categories: good, from 0 to 50; moderate, from 51 to 100; unhealthy for sensitive groups (people with respiratory or heart disease, children and the elderly), 101-150; unhealthy, 151-200; very unhealthy, 201-300; and hazardous, 301 and higher.

The AirVisual Pro also measures PM2.5, which the manual describes as “particulate matter in the air with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers of less. Due to its size, PM2.5 is considered the most hazardous pollutant to human health as it can be absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs.” We had an initial PM2.5 that was quickly resolved, though I’m not sure how.

I also downloaded the app and linked it to my device using its serial number. The app allows me to see both my indoor and outdoor AQI, my indoor CO2 level and PM2.5, if applicable. It also shows me the air quality of some major U.S. cities.

Now to digress a bit. I also had recently received an Airfree Air Purifier to review. I placed that unit in our bedroom a few feet away from our bed. As a way to test the effectiveness of the Airfree unit, I placed my new AirVisual Pro on the other side of the room. The indoor AQI was 0, meaning the air in our bedroom was completely clean.

However, my AirVisual Pro warned me that outdoor air quality was poor and I should stay inside. So I decided to do an elliptical workout in lieu of going outside. The elliptical is also in the bedroom. With all my huffing and puffing, my workout bumped the CO2 level up about 300 points to 1471, causing the unit to suggest I open windows and doors to alleviate stuffiness. However, the outdoor air quality precluded that possibility. Using a ceiling fan didn’t nudge the CO2 reading a bit.

The next day, the indoor AQI was 35, which is still in the green, or good, range. Within a couple of days, I began to see a correlation between a higher indoor AQI and cooking fumes, but I hadn’t yet made that connection. So I decided to plug in my IQAir HealthPro Plus air purifier, which had been sitting idle in our family room. Also, within 45 minutes of plugging it in, the AQI in the master bedroom improved from 35 to 17.

It was a few days later that I actually connected the dots between cooking fumes and air quality. As my husband cooked bacon in the kitchen, two rooms away, our indoor AQI snuck up to 57, higher than the outside AQI. Obviously the machine doesn’t understand breathing bacon fumes cannot possibly be bad for you.

Two days later, the display inexplicably stopped showing the outside AQI when showing the inside AQI. In place of outside AQI, it displays the inside CO2 level. The manual indicated it was likely a wi-fi issue. However, the device itself and the app showed the AirVisual Pro was connected to the internet.

A couple of weeks later, when the display remained unchanged, I contacted the customer support team via email just to test the company’s responsiveness. The rep responded after a few days, suggesting something I had already tried. In the meantime, Mr. H was able to navigate the device’s menu, which has a bit of a learning curve, and he was able to restore and even improve the original display. Now one screen gives me the indoor and outdoor AQI, another gives me a three-day weather report, and a third gives me the CO2 level, which remains in the stuffy zone.

As Central Florida went immediately from winter to summer, it was time to turn on the air conditioning. The CO2 level was finally less than 1000, possibly from a whole day of AC. However, kitchen fumes from my dinner of oven-fried chicken, roasted asparagus, maple-glazed carrots and sautéed summer squash sent the indoor AQI soaring to 166. Again, the machine can’t distinguish between delicious and deadly. Once fumes dissipate, the AQI typically drops to 0.

I moved the unit to the family room – right next to the IQAir purifier and closer to the kitchen – for comparison’s sake. The indoor AQI remained at 0, and the CO2 count dropped to 570 – possibly from proximity to an exterior door that is often opened.

Because the outdoor AQI is still not displaying on the device, I refer to the app, which tells me the outdoor AQI is a low 41. However, this is the same day my state of Florida is called out for having the highest pollen count in the nation. This information is enough to inform this asthmatic to avoid being outside, though the app would have me believe otherwise.

A couple of days later, the app is telling me our local AQI is 30 – in other words, excellent for outdoor activities or opening doors and windows. However, the pollen count is still the highest in the nation, and I have to cover my nose and mouth when I’m outside because of smoke from a nearby wildfire. Obviously the reading station wasn’t getting accurate measures. So I ignored the recommendation on my unit to open doors and windows to alleviate stuffiness in our indoor air.

I even moved the device to a screened porch, which would result in outdoor AQI readings, so I could compare those readings with those of the local station. The readings from my back porch, which faces a couple of hundred trees, was a mere 13, compared with the local station reading of 30. Both are well within the green zone, though pollen levels remain high. I’m still confused by how outdoor AQI doesn’t reflect the high pollen counts.

What I like

The IQAir AirVisual Pro gives an accurate—and quick—reading of any changes in indoor air quality. It provides reassuring feeling knowing how good or bad our air quality is.

What needs to be improved

Outdoor readings are subject to monitoring stations which may not always be reliable.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I found the IQAir AirVisual Pro helpful in that it shows the Airfree and IQAir air purifiers are doing what they’re supposed to do. It also alerted me to the problem with our home’s high CO2 levels, a problem I still need to address. I suspect the outdoor AQI information will become more accurate as more testing stations become available and the technology evolves – especially if testing begins to take pollens into account.

Price: $269 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by IQAir.

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IQAir AirVisual Pro Air Quality Monitor review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 12, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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IQAir Atem personal air purifier review

I suffer from seasonal allergies and live in an area where avoiding the trees and grasses that are the catalyst for my symptoms is impossible.  The dry air in Colorado also makes for a very dusty indoor environment so between the great outdoors and the dusty indoors, my stuffiness and irritated eyes are on round the clock.

The purifiers I have owned in the past have been bulky and loud and didn’t offer many choices in fan speed.  Many on the market are either on or off and others offer 3 different speeds, all noisy.  I honestly just thought that’s the way it was.  Admittedly I didn’t spend a lot of time researching and testing different air purifiers because my ignorance of these products was pretty robust as it turns out.  I haven’t bought an air purifier in the last 5 or so years but the last one I bought was a little unit that was about the size of a clock radio and sat on my nightstand.  I was truly amazed by the amount of noise something so small could generate, hence I no longer use that product.

The Atem from IQAir has been a wonderful addition to my life and I have really been enjoying all of the customization and technology that is packed into this beautiful product.  Set up was simple.  The unboxing and set up time took about a minute.  You only have to attach the power cable to the base then attach the base to the purifier then plug it in.  There are no buttons or switches on the Atem.  The power and fan speed are controlled by simply touching the Atem logo in the middle of the purifier.  You can cycle between low, medium, high and off.  Each setting is paired with a light under the air output vent.  Red is off, and the blue light extends as you go from low to medium to high (see pictures later in this review).

My absolute favorite part of this product is the Bluetooth pairing to my smartphone.  The IQAir Atem app allows for full customization of the device and also can be a remote control for it if you like.  When I was first exploring the device I had not downloaded the app yet and thought that while very sleek and attractive, it was just another regular purifier with nothing other than the cool look to distinguish it.  How wrong I was.  After downloading the app and easily pairing it with the purifier using the code on the Atem, it took a few minutes to update the firmware.  After that was done, my app was showing me what was going on with the purifier and in the surrounding environment and allowed me to control the unit from my phone.  Once paired the app will show you the current status of the fan, ambient temperature and humidity and the remaining filter life.  That really impressed me! Here is a screenshot of my phone while using the app.  To adjust the fan speed between your presets or to turn it off using the app, just touch the screen where it says “low”.

When I went into the configuration menu I saw that I had full control of what fan speed was associated with the low, medium and high settings.  Each setting could be programmed with a fan speed between 5-100%.  There is also a “Smart on/off” feature, which when activated will turn off/on your Atem at your customized period of time when your phone leaves or enters the Bluetooth range of the unit.  This is a great way to save power and filter life without even thinking about it.  The unit rotates on the solid metal stand to direct air in any direction you want.  The following screenshots are the options you have to configure the unit to your specific needs.

Currently, I have the Atem on my desk in my office.  It sits right next to my computer monitors so it is relatively close to me when I am working.  I have set my fan speeds at 40, 66 and 100%.  I find myself using the low and medium speeds most of the time.  When I use the 100% speed when my office is warm or I want to move some air, I am amazed by the output of this relatively small device.  When set to the upper limits of the fan speed it is no longer whisper quiet but with the volume of air it is moving, I would never expect it to be.  At the 40-66% range where I have it set nearly all of the time I can barely notice any sound, which is a great improvement over previous purifiers I have owned.

Here are some pictures showing the lighting when the unit is off and on the three preset fan speeds:

Off

Low

Medium

High

With the stand and power cord, the Atem weighs in at 6.26 pounds and is 12.44″ H x 5.51″ W x 11.77″ D.  It is offered in white or black, both come with grey trim.  It uses a HyperHEPA filter and the Atem will notify you when the filter needs to be changed on both the app and with the onboard lights.  They say that the average filter life is approximately 1 year assuming 10 hours/day at the default level 3 fan speed.

Now all of these great features come with a hefty price tag.  At $399, this is pushed into a different league than many of the other small area purifiers that you would find at your big box stores or online.  I truly believe that your money is well spent if you want to clean the air around your office, kitchen or bedroom and want the functionality that is unlocked when you pair this with your smartphone.  If you don’t think the capabilities provided by the smartphone interface are important or necessary then this product may not be for you as that is where much of the value is in my opinion. I didn’t know how much I would use an app to control my air purifier until I received this product though.  Now I don’t even touch the purifier, I just use my phone.

Positives

  • Wide range of customizable settings using the app
  • Extremely quiet when running in the middle and low ranges of air output
  • Can move high volumes of air if you set it to 100%
  • Beautiful sleek design that will look great on a desk, shelf or table
  • Sturdy construction and easy to set up
  • Long filter life; automatic on/off when your phone is in or out of Bluetooth range

Negatives

  • Expensive, but for good reason given the functionality of full customization and ambient conditions via the smartphone app

Final thoughts

I could not be happier with the IQAir Atem Personal Air Purifier.  I love having it in my office where I sit/stand at my desk for most of the day and having a little personal area of clean air has been very nice.  I have not brought this home to sit on my nightstand yet but I plan to do so soon or whenever I am willing to let it go from my office.  I can also see this being a great addition to the kitchen while cooking to keep the air clean and circulating so you aren’t left with the leftover smell of sautéed mushrooms or fried bacon for hours after cooking.  The customizability, style, functionality when used with the app and overall extremely high build quality are the main reasons I will highly recommend this product.

IQAir also offers a wide range of air filtration products to fit nearly any space.  I have been so impressed with this smaller unit that I am looking at larger ones for my home.

Price: $399.00
Where to buy: IQAir and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by IQAir.