Consumer Reports: Ionic "Air Purifiers" POLLUTE the air!

[UdoKier]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/04/05/BUG6EC36741.DTL

Sharper Image assails Consumer Reports
Magazine lists its air purifier with 4 that it says don't deliver

Pia Sarkar, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 5, 2005

Sharper Image assails Consumer Reports

Stung by another article criticizing its popular air purifier, Sharper Image lashed out against Consumer Reports and defended its product as "remarkably successful and effective."

[in_cog_ni_to]

1. Whoa. They have sold MILLIONS of those air cleaners!

I'm SO glad I don't own one. Very interesting article.

[DemBeans]

3. they're expensive, too

Glad I held off on buying one.

[Jazzgirl]

2. Gee, and to think I always wanted one!

Glad I saw this 'cuz now I'll NEVER buy one!

[Eurobabe]

4. yeah, I was thinking of getting one too for allergies

thanks to the nice DUer for posting the link!

[John BigBootay]

5. Sharper Images purifier should be trashed--

but not because it produces ozone.

It has no fan, you have to clean it too often and it's overpriced.

Ozone is a practically harmless gas, barely a pollutant, and as long as it's an optional output, can be used or ignored as the user sees fit.

My purifier has ozone options, we use it when we're not home or after a lot of people or kids have been in the house because it actually does kill germs.

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. What air purifier do you use? I have been looking for one

and can't decide which one to get. I've been looking at the Oreck, but have no idea if it works or is worth the $$.

[John BigBootay]

9. I use the Surround Air XJ-3000

Yeah, it's a "no name" brand, BUT it has all the features you need, moves a LOT of air through the filter and is cheap-cheap-cheap compared to other brands-- about $180.

Actually, we bought two for essentially the price of one name brand expensive unit.

The HEPA filter needs to be vacuumed out a few times a year and replaced after a few years, but they aren't expensive and this beats cleaning collector rods every two weeks IMHO.

It has UV purifier light, Ozone with three levels of output (including off) and three levels of fan speed.

It's extremely quiet on low fan, and relatively noisy at high fan setting. So we leave them on low most of the day.

The filters have a weird smell to them for the first, say 24 hours of use, but it totally goes away. The seller suggested running it for a day or two outside or in a garage to clear the filter first. I didn't bother, and it wasn't a big deal.

We've had ours for about 6 months of nearly continuous use and have no probs.

Hope this helps!

[Behind the Aegis]

6. Hmmm

Interesting article. However, I have one and it has GREATLY reduced the pet odor in the house and the smell of smoke. I only have to clean it twice a month, a 15 minute wipe down. I like mine. But, to each their own.

[OrlandoGator]

8. CR has been trashing "Ionic" air purifiers for almost a decade now...

You just can't go wrong with a standard HEPA drum filter with a prefilter wrap. These "ionic" filters are garbage. They just don't work.

[John BigBootay]

10. Agreed-- I did a lot of research

and came to the same conclusions. HEPA all the way.