It's a large expensive magnet
Written: Mar 09 '03
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Pros: Gets rid of odors, dust, and airborne particles I didn't know I had!
Cons: Requires frequently cleaning and particles begin sticking to exterior.
The Bottom Line: The Ionic Breeze is a nose pore cleaner for your room. It's not really necessary, but you really enjoy looking at what was removed and the clean nose afterward.
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| hankshay's Full Review: Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Quadra SI637 Air Purifi... |
I find most things at Sharper Image to be overpriced, and some of their products are just plain goofy. The Ionic Breeze Quadra Compact is expensive, virtually silent, collects airborne particles, and removes odors.
Test Subject
I'm slightly affected by mold, ragweed, and dust; not much more than anyone else I know. So, when I visit my parents in Houston Texas, I know what to expect: sneezing, scratching throat, and watery eyes. Most of the mold and ragweed were due to the house, but Houston in general isn't great for allergy sufferers due to the humidity.
One day till Xmas
Last Xmas, I found myself frantically looking for a gift (again). So, I figured I would purchase two Ionic Breeze compact quadras (one for them, and myself). The second one is half price. The Ionic Breeze Compact Quadra comes with two collection grids. I thought it was pretty neat that two would be included since the larger version only includes one grid. I purchased the grey color, and I have to admit, they look pretty cool.
Ready, on your marks, and Go!
I easily slid one filter grid into the unit's top, plugged the unit in, and pressed the button into high mode (4 possible settings - high, med, low, off). I put my nose right up to the unit and could smell an odor, somewhat pungent when your nose is directly in the output. However, in a medium size room, the odor is hard to detect.
Technicals?
The smell is apparently the O3 (ozone) that is released to clean the air. In a room as small as a bathroom, you can smell the ozone if the door is closed. Otherwise, I can't smell it. I read somewhere that Ozone is self regulating and dissipates outside your home. I have no way to confirm that! Anyway, it doesn't bug me.
The second part of the ionic breeze's function is to charge airborne particles as they pass through, so that they will stick to the collection grids (among other things).
Magnet
There's no doubt in my mind, the ionic breeze collects tons of airborne particles. It's far more than dust collecting on a air vent or filter. The charged particles (caused by the ionic breeze) is clearly causing the increase in captured particles. I've tested the Ionic Breeze in three separate cities: Houston, Plano (TX), and Los Angles. In Plano, the dust that collects is white, yet, in LA and Houston, the color is black and slimy. In LA, the slimy black stuff is so bad that it takes alchohol to remove the residue. Not only that, the black residue begins to gum up the outside of the filter! Am I breathing that stuff in?
When cooking, the odors are quickly absorbed. I've tested this by placing the ionic breeze in the worst smelling room after cooking. It's like night and day. My allergies were a bit better, but nothing spectacular.
I now realize why the "compact" version of the Ionic Breeze Quadra comes with two filters - one filter fills up in less than a week. With an extra filter, you can wait until both are dirty to clean. It still amazes me how much airborne stuff is picked up. I don't like how the metal grid plates on the filter are 1-2inches apart. It makes cleaning the grids very difficult and hard to avoid touching the nasties.
Nose pore cleaner
Have you used or seen those products that remove the white/black heads off your nose with a sticky patch? The Ionic Breeze is a nose pore cleaner for your room. It's not really necessary, but you really enjoy looking at what was removed and the clean nose afterward.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 200
Battery Life: N/A
Noise Level: Almost noiseless
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Epinions.com ID:
hankshay
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Location: San Francisco, CA
Reviews written: 51
Trusted by: 2 members
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