Can change your lifestyle
Written: Jun 10 '03 (Updated Jun 12 '03)
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Pros: Alleviates allergy symptoms dramatically
Cons: Requires care in cleaning--and thorough, frequent cleaning
The Bottom Line: Do it...you can always return it during the money-back guarantee period.
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| nycskeptic's Full Review: Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Quadra SI637 Air Purifi... |
I've tried at two other air purifiers--one a cheapo Honeywell unit, the other a more high-end Austin unit I purchased at a now-defunct specialty store for allergy sufferers. In both cases, the results were worse than the original symptoms. I'd wake up with a dry throat, itchy eyes, and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. I'd rather sneeze and wheeze.
When I decided that I wanted to battle my cat allergies and get two cats in my small Manhattan apartment, I decided to a.> cat-sit for a friend and see how it went;
b.> give the Ionic Breeze a crack. Wow.
No cat box smell.
None of the breathing problems I'd typical have with cats. No itchy, puffy eyes.
As I stated in a review comment here, I'd have to practically rub cat hair in my eyes now to get a reaction.
This unit is silent. It's also unobtrusive, and of course you don't have to buy filters--nice, when you consider all the vacuum cleaner bags, coffee filters, AA batteries, ink jet cartridges, and what-not we're made to purchase after spending $$$ on something in the first place.
I'm not experiencing any of the dryness typical of the other air filters I've tried, either.
Now some downsides (with which, I add, I can happily live): There's no way-no how you can get away with cleaning this every two weeks, unless you live in the prairie with just enough rain to mat down the dust every few days. I clean it every three to four days! But I also live on a busy residential NY street with trucks, trees, construction, dust, etc...
Cleaning the blades is a delicate process, if you want to keep everything in fine order. The rods are spaced closely together enough for it to be a pain to get in there good without some effort. One other person here said you have to wait 24 hrs. to make sure the rods are dry before reinserting the filter. After reading the documentation, I think this is only if you have thoroughly WASHED the unit after an operating problem, not simply sponged it down during normal maintenance. If the former were the case, that would be a major engineering downside. Just make sure it's completely dry to the touch all over before reinsertion.
Yes, you must clean the outside of the unit as well. Lint, pet hair (when applicable), and dirt tend to collect in both the rear *and* front venting, and they'll be some discoloration on the grey unit. Again, I'm happy to tend to it all in exchange for what it provides.
I have research some of the extremely negative claims about ozone dangers by visiting the FDA site and reading various allergy sites which discuss ozone pollution dangers. This unit meets the FDA's 50ppb restriction for Ozone emission. This fact puts me on alert for any odd symptoms which may occur over time. I appreciate the benefits greatly, but of course those dangers are to be considered. I do not, however, have any of the maladies associated with reduced tolerance to ozone. Sharper Image has done its part to notify consumer of these considerations.
All in all, I think this is an EXCELLENT CHOICE for those who have specific air-quality issues they need to tackle, such as my case with pet allergies. In such a case, the cost is easily justified, and the effort is worth it. But if you're just someone who doesn't have any allergies or problems, and is simply intrigued by everything that makes life cleaner, better, faster, maybe you can spend less cash and get similar results.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 369 t/s/h
Battery Life: N/A
Noise Level: Almost noiseless
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Epinions.com ID:
nycskeptic
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Reviews written: 2
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