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For an air purifier with such a mousey name, the Rabbit MinusA2 SPA-700a cleans air with a lion’s strength. Featuring superb CADR numbers, a customizable six-stage filter, and ease of operation on top of it all, it’s a real carnivore to dirty air.

Performance and Stats, Fearsome

CADR stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate. It’s an objective measure of how well an air purifier removes pollutants and potential allergens from your environment.

There are often different figures given for different types of problems. The SPA-700a has some impressive stats in all the areas. That is 193 for smoke, 201 for pollen and 200 for dust.

But those numbers can be fudged if they’re given for, say, a very small room. The SPA-700a’s numbers are for a 700 square foot room (with standard ceiling height of eight feet, two air changes per hour). That’s over 26ft by 26ft, very good.

Given the 47-187 CFM (cubic feet per minute) air volume processing stat, that isn’t too surprising. Air is drawn in a full 360 degrees around the front panel and expelled upward at the back of the unit. That ensures the device isn’t simply filtering the air swirling around itself but working on your room air at maximum efficiency.

But there’s more than a powerful fan at work here.

6-stage Customizable Filtration System, Elimination in Depth

The Rabbit Air MinusA2 has a customizable six-stage filtration system that is among the best available at any price.

In stage one the washable silvered pre-filter removes large particles, pet hair, dust, and even mold from the air. The silver also helps kill bacteria.

Next in stage two, there’s a medium filter to remove bacteria, pollen, smaller dust particles, and smaller mold spores.

That’s followed in stage three by Rabbit’s proprietary BioGS HEPA filter that eliminates fungus, more bacteria, dust mites, pollen, and other allergens. It even gets rid of certain household odors. Smaller dust particles don’t survive the journey and tobacco smoke, sulphur dioxide, and animal dander are eliminated.

Then in stage four there’s an additional custom filter that kills common household germs, along with still more mold, pet dander as well as many viruses.

It even tackles some pet odors, along with a range of potential toxins. Gasses from outgassing plastics get absorbed. Tobacco smoke is eliminated. Even VOCs (volatile organic compounds) like Formaldehyde are quashed.

Even better, you get to choose the custom filter that is best for your personal circumstances and environment. You can select either a Germ Defense, Pet Allergy, Toxin Absorber, or Odor Remover. All of them do a little of each, but different ones are designed to focus on your main concern.

The Germ Defense filter, for example, is especially adept at trapping airborne bacteria, mold spores, and particles that carry viruses through the air. For those with low immune resistance – babies, the elderly, or just the genetically unlucky – the ginkgo biloba extract on the surface helps reduce the amount of any influenza virus that might be present.

Next in line in stage five is the Activated Charcoal filter, which goes on to remove any remaining tobacco smoke in the air stream. It goes to work trapping additional household odors, including cooking odors. Make fish in the evening and by bedtime, the smell is gone. Clean your kitchen floor with ammonia-based cleaner in the morning and you won’t smell it by lunchtime.

In the final air-cleansing stage six a safe Ion Generator creates charged particles that are pushed out into the exhaust air. Those tend to attract all sorts of nasty particles in the air, which then fall to the floor or float to wall surfaces.

Behind those filters is that powerful direct current motor, a brushless design to ensure quiet operation and long life.

Maintenance

The pre-filter is a permanent filter and does not need to be replaced. Clean it once every month by running the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner along the filter or by washing it gently with lukewarm water.

When the filter replacement indicator lights up it’s time to replace the other filters in the MinusA2. Depending on use and the air quality in your indoor environment, the life span of the filters will vary from 1 to 2 years.

Replacement filters can be bought in a handy all-in-one filter replacement kit – about 75 currently. Only make sure you know your custom filter! There’s a kit available for each of the 4 custom filters. The filters are interchangeable, too, so you can order more than one (or all) and swap them out from time to time. It’s ultra easy to do.

Cleaning the particle sensor with a damp cotton swab from time to time is no effort. A simple wipe with a clean cloth of the mood light lens, the air intake and outlet can be done when a visual inspection shows the need, which is not often, only about every 3-6 months. You won’t need more than 15 minutes or so to do everything.

Operation – Quiet, Easy, Low Cost, and Informative

The SPA-700a sips electricity. It consumes 47 watts at high speed, and only 7 watts at silent speed. Even at full blast, that’s less than a 60-watt light bulb. At average utility rates, that represents less than a couple of dollars per month to run the air purifier.

There are five separate speeds and the unit automatically selects the lowest speed needed, based on what it senses. You can set the speed manually, if you prefer, though. The noise levels are very modest for a unit that is so effective. Depending on the fan speed, it ranges from 20.8-45.6 dB. At the low end, you’d have a hard time hearing it operate from across the room. Even at the high end, you can comfortably listen to the TV with the MinusA2 going full tilt.

For all that power, it doesn’t way a ton: 19.4 lbs. That’s light enough to move around the house wherever you want, but hefty enough to prevent it tipping over at the lightest touch. That’s always handy for those who have cats who never tire of finding new things to rub against.

The stylish case with mood light is not huge, but not small either: 20″ high x 21.4″ wide x 7″ deep. It’s a bit on the wide side, but that shallow depth means you can place it near a wall, out of the way and not fear brushing against it or having to move around it. There’s even an optional wall-mount kit, if that’s your preference.

You can see at all times what the unit is doing, thanks to a number of indicator lights on the front panel. The lights are opposite the easy-to-understand buttons. The unit is easy to operate from across the room, too, thanks to the included remote control.

Summary

The Rabbit MinusA2 SPA-700a home air purifier is one of the most efficient and effective models on the market today. That’s chiefly thanks to excellent design and quality manufacture of its filtration system. But its operating characteristics are also highly impressive. It won’t roar when you use it, but you might want to give a joyful shout.

To these old ears the name Winix FresHome P450 sounds more like a classic airplane than a contemporary air purifier. They do have one thing in common, though. They both achieve their purpose with superb technology.

Basic Specs

The Winix P450 is one of the latest models from this relatively new air purifier manufacturer. Here, Winix shows they’ve learned a lot very quickly.

Those lessons learned start with a slick, stylish case that makes for good furniture along with good function. The housing measures 18.9″ wide x 25.6″ high x 11.8″ deep, making this rectangular model possibly a bit large for those who are space constrained.

For everyone else, it’s perfect. It weighs 18.7 lbs, making it among the lighter high-power, moderate-to-large-space covering models around. The only potential problem with the design here is the location of the air intake; it’s on the side of the unit. That can work great if you put it in a place that has adequate room.

If you have to place it too near a wall, though, it can hinder the ease of air flow. Making the motor work too hard to draw in dirty air will necessarily reduce the efficiency of the purifier. On the upside, the front vent pushes fresh air directly into the room.

Power, CADR, Coverage Area and Noise Levels

Inside that case it packs both a lot of air-pushing power and air-cleansing ability. Four different fan speeds drive air at CFM (Cubic Feet per minute) rates of:

• Quiet: 50
• Medium: 110
• High: 175
• Turbo: 290

The results are CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rates) that are quite good, among the highest around at this price point.

• 343 Pollen
• 298 Dust
• 291 Smoke

Those numbers are on the high side of what the company has offered on models in the past, making this among the most powerful models it has offered to date.

Those levels will take care of the rated room area – up to 450 square feet – with room to spare, so to speak. For the math challenged, that’s a room a little over 21 feet on a side. So, even those with substantial living rooms can enjoy clean air all day and night. One qualification, though. Those CADR and coverage numbers invariably assume a standard ceiling height – 8 feet.

Fortunately, for all that air volume and cleansing ability, you don’t have to suffer with an unacceptable noise level from the P450. The volume is noticeable when running at Turbo (60 db), but just a whisper when on Low (27 db). Since the highest speed is really only necessary to clear out high concentrations, usually for only a short time, the sound intensity is unlikely to bother most buyers.

3-Stage Filter and Cleaning System

The Winix P450 can achieve that air quality because like the company’s other models it houses their superb filtration system. Even with only a 3-Stage system, while other models/manufacturers boast four or even sometimes seven, it works well due to a unique design.

Stage 1 isn’t anything dazzling. It consists of a carbon pre-filter that is much like the next guy’s. It works well by trapping the large particles that enter the unit, including cigarette smoke, cooking odors, and more. But that’s not the truly impressive part.

Similarly, Stage 2 is very good but not wow-inducing. It features a True HEPA filter that gets out 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 micron in size. That’s pretty standard these days and, in fact, those numbers are the bare minimum required to qualify legally for the “True HEPA” designation. The filter gets out small particles and even some larger bacteria, along with pet dander, mold spores, and more.

But Stage 3 is where a Winix air purifier comes into its own. This section features the company’s proprietary PlasmaWave technology. Far more than a buzzword, it merits a longer discussion.

A plate inside the unit generates positive and negative ions that are then expelled from the case. They combine with airborne water molecules to produce hydroxyl radicals (negatively-charged OH molecules).

Those hydroxyls are harmless to you (in the low concentration produced here) but effectively break down many common airborne lung, nose, and eye irritants. They also kill a variety of harmful microorganisms. That’s especially helpful to cleanse any air that doesn’t enter the unit and get filtered before it enters you.

That explanation may be interesting to you or it might put you to sleep, but one thing anyone who uses the P450 can agree on is this: PlasmaWave technology works – really, really well. It zaps disease-causing microorganisms, causes particles to become heavy enough to drop to the ground (and out of the airstream), and keeps the air fresher feeling overall.

The net result of all three stages is to produce air that is both physically healthier and also more pleasant.

Automation and Remote Control

A set of sensors inside monitor the quality of the air passing through the unit in order to automatically adjust the fan speed. Or, you can set it manually if you prefer. One automation feature is likely to be truly welcomed by those sensitive to noise; when you dim the room lights the fan automatically goes into quiet mode.

Also, the P450 comes with a small handheld unit that lets you adjust the settings from across the room. Since there’s so much automation built into regular use – the sensors, auto-adjusting fan speeds, and more – it’s not likely to be used much by most buyers. But for those who have difficulty getting around it can really be a godsend.

Summary

It would be difficult to choose one single air purifier that is the best model of any available, taking all factors (including price) into account. But given its quality, feature set, and mid-range price, the

I dislike gushing over products. I try to relate the pros and cons objectively and let the chips fall where they may. But in the case of the Winix Plasmawave 5500 it’s hard to suppress all enthusiasm. This is one of the best mid-range models the company has developed, in a line of already fine air purifiers.

Performance and Stats

An air purifier works well if you feel better about the air you breathe after it has done its job. Fortunately, there are objective criteria that provide confidence about whether a model can achieve that effect.

One of these is CADR, the Clean Air Delivery Rate, a measure of how much air the unit cleans, how fast. The numbers for the Winix 5500 are pretty good.

• 252 Pollen
• 248 Dust
• 236 Smoke

But how to interpret these numbers? That’s the key question. For a room no larger than about 350 square feet – roughly 18 feet by 18 feet, those figures assure you of a clean room at almost all times.

Almost, not always, because there may be short periods, for example, in homes of smokers or those who live near dusty roads, where the unit has to play ‘catch up’ after a burst of particles enters. At those times, you can switch the 5500 to manual on high to do extra-quick cleaning duty.

3 Stage Purification System

As with any air purifier, one of the reasons the unit operates well is the filter system. The Winix system is uniformly good and this model’s is no exception.

Stage 1 contains an Odor Control Carbon Pre-filter. Fancy phrase but the idea – and its implementation here – are actually simple and effective. Charcoal granules are very good at grabbing a lot of (relatively) large particles out of the air that passes near them. It’s also really good at removing unwanted gases, such as vapors from household cleaning products.

Winix goes beyond that elementary, nature-provided cleansing power by coating the pre-filter with an anti-microbial chemical that kills bacteria and fungi.

In stage 2 comes the Winix HEPA filter. The HEPA filter is a central component in any home air purifier and the one in the 5500 has been upgraded from the 5300. It is now washable.

Since ordinary HEPA filters have to be replaced every year or so (depending on usage and air quality) one that lasts longer can be a big savings. The longer you can use the one that comes with the unit the more economical the 5500 becomes. This one is rated to last 2-3 years, which can be stretched a bit in light-pollutant-level homes.

Just wash it when you replace the carbon pre-filter (about every three months) and it will keep working at near-new capacity for its rated lifetime. A light on the top of the housing illuminates when it should be replaced. It measures actual usage, not just the length of time you’ve had the filter installed.

Stage 3 in the Winix 5500’s filter system is something the company calls Plasmawave, a type of ionizer. The ionizer feature in the 5500 offers another layer of home air pollutant removal. Most air purifiers have one but the Winix technology works a little differently.

It pumps out positive and negative ions that react with airborne water molecules, creating hydroxyl radicals (negatively charged OH molecules). Those hydroxyls then break down VOCs (volatile organic compounds), such as those from cleaning products, gasoline exhaust fumes, and the like. They also zap airborne microorganisms that can cause disease or generate allergic reactions.

That is an effective, safe way to remove a considerably quantity of potentially harmful things that inhabit most homes. Older models (and some you can still find from other manufacturers) used ozone. While the health risks of pumping O3 molecules into your air were sometimes overstated, this method is better. Also, since those ions are put into the air they cleanse it without the pollutants even having to move through the unit’s filter system.

Sensors and Controls

That 3-stage filtration system wouldn’t be as effective if it weren’t supported by a number of useful sensors and controls. The 5500 has fewer than some other models but the ones that are there are sufficient and work well.

One is the air quality sensor. It measures the particulate levels in the air that passes through the system. The motor/fan then runs at any of four speeds – all of which can be selected manually – as it senses the need.

When particulate concentrations are high – say a wave of dust or allergens has floated near the unit – it automatically buzzes on Turbo for a while. When they’re low, it lazily spins along to maintain the air at a clean level.

That motor/fan pumps:

• 53 cfm (cubic feet per minute) on Quiet
• 113cfm on Medium
• 173cfm on High
• 226 cfm on Turbo.

Sometimes the noise when operating in Turbo mode can be annoying to sensitive people. Best to have the unit a little out of the way, if possible. That’s not too difficult, since it measures 21.7″ H x 16.3″ wide x 8.5″ deep. Moving it is also easy, as it weighs only 15.7 lbs.

Changing the speeds manually is easy from across the room using the remote control included in the box. You can also use it to turn off/on the plasma (ion) generator, or power off/on the unit as a whole.

Winix 5300 and 5500 – Same Models?

The 5500 is the follow-on model of the 5300, both of which are still produced and supported by Winix. There’s no major change between the two models because there was no need. That said, manufacturing quality has possibly improved a bit because there are many fewer complaints about the crackling noise from the ionizer.

The differences between the 5300, beyond improvements in quality control, are few and subtle, but may be important to some potential buyers. The 5500 carries a washable HEPA filter and comes with a remote control. Whether that justifies a higher price tag is a strictly personal choice of course. For a more in-depth comparison between these 2 models read our Winix 5300 vs 5500 comparison article.

Conclusion

The Winix 5500 model lacks some high-end features other models on the market offer. It also cleanses a smaller area than high-end versions. However, this unit also lacks the high price of those others.

That said, at this price point you could hardly ask for a more effective, low-maintenance-cost, easy-to-use home air purifier. The WAC5500 removes not just ordinary allergens – dust, pollen, bacteria, et al – but also VOCs, cooking odors, smoke, and other household air pollutants. For a mid-range unit with a mid-range price, that’s a great value.

It’s difficult to find a truly impressive home air purifier at a mid-range price. Often, the truly sensitive have to swallow hard and layout a 1000 to get something that will effectively tackle room air. The Winix 9500 manages to surprise and delight by doing that for less than 300.

Filter System – 5 Stages

One of the key aspects of any good air purifier is the filter system, obviously. The 9500 offers a 5-stage design that is much more than just a number. Each stage does an important job and does it well.

Stage 1 is a pre-filter that extracts the largest particles – dust, pet hair, and the like – from the air stream. You can see firsthand that it’s doing the job by letting the unit run for a month or so then opening up the unit for cleaning. Unless you live in an electronics manufacturer’s cleanroom you’ll easily spot a lot of material to vacuum off the filter.

That pre-filter is washable for even better removal of material. It’s also treated with an antibacterial compound that reduces the microorganisms the later stages have to deal with. However, some especially sensitive people might dislike the odor so this can be a mixed blessing.

Stage 2 offers a HEPA filter that is as good as any around in the mid-range niche. Some truly high-end machines have a HEPA filter that could be used on the space shuttle :). This one doesn’t reach that standard but neither does it need to in order to be effective. It, too, is washable, reducing annual maintenance costs.

Stage 3 houses a mesh that’s coated with silver, which has anti-microbial properties. It can only kill organisms that come in contact with it, so it’s not going to remove all potential disease-causing or allergy-stimulating creatures from your home. But it does help reduce their number considerably.

The washable advanced odor control (AOC) carbon filter in stage 4 goes beyond removing dust, dander, pollen, and other allergens. The carbon it contains removes a lot of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), one of the chief villains that cause chemically sensitive people to suffer.

Neither it nor the purifier as a whole are designed to completely remove all paint fumes and the like after an indoor home improvement project. No mid-range unit is going to do that. But it can effectively remove vapors produced from household cleaning products, along with other common chemicals in low concentrations.

Stage 5 contains the company’s proprietary ion generator, which they call PlasmaWave technology. That fancy name might stretch the definition a bit (ask a physicist) but it’s not a con job.

The unit generates positive and negative ions that enter the air and react with airborne water molecules. That creates negatively-charged OH molecules (hydroxyl radicals). Those hydroxyls then break down indoor pollutants and also kill some of the airborne bacteria, viruses, and more.

Unlike older technology, still in use in some home air purifiers, it produces no ozone (O3 molecules). While the health hazards of indoor, ion generator-produced ozone was sometimes overstated, this method is safer as well as more effective.

Performance and Stats

That excellent filtration system would be ineffective, however, without a good fan and efficient air flow. Fortunately, the design of the Winix 9500 offers all that in abundance.

The unit can push a fair amount of air, thanks to a robust 4-speed motor (Low, Medium, High, Turbo) and an efficient case design (in through the bottom and sides, out through the top).

Surprisingly, the CADR numbers are considerably lower than their less expensive model, the Winix 5500. They are:

• 194 Pollen
• 182 Dust
• 183 Smoke

about 50% lower than the 5500’s ratings. That’s a bit mysterious and there’s reason to wonder if the numbers (or the 5500 model’s) are misstated. However, CADR ratings require interpretation. Ideally, they’re listed for six full air changes per hour rather than the two or four of some manufacturers/models. There’s no way to know in this case.

It’s also odd that they state the 9500 covers up to a maximum of 284 square feet when the 5500 is listed as covering 350 sq feet. It may be that they’re more conservative here or that the extra filters reduce the amount of air it can clear.

Whatever the official numbers say, real-world experience shows that the 9500 does a fine job of clearing a room’s air. Light a cigarette a few feet from the unit, then let it burn for a minute. The 9500 will automatically increase the fan speed to Turbo and clear the smoke in a few minutes to an undetectable level.

Sensors, Indicators, and Controls

One reason the 9500 can do that is the superior set of sensors in this model. Going well beyond the quite-good 5500, this model houses dust and light sensors along with the odor sensor found in the lower-end version.

Those sensors measure particulate concentration in the air stream and adjust the fan speed accordingly. A hint of paint thinner or household cleaning spray in the air kicks the fan up into high. When the unit senses those compounds have dropped below a pre-set threshold, it downshifts into low again for quieter, lower-cost operation.

There is also an Auto-Sleep mode that will lower the fan speed when the room lights are dimmed. You can put it into that mode manually, too.

On the lowest setting, the unit consumes only about 6 watts so you’ll see practically no increase on the electric bill. Even on Turbo the 9500 sucks up only 70 watts so it draws less than the average lightbulb. The unit goes still further by providing a programmable timer to allow you to set it to run for only 1, 4, or 8 hours if you like.

Many of the settings can be set using the supplied remote control.

Conclusion

The Winix 9500 is pretty quiet (except on Turbo), handles a good-sized room, and barely sips electricity while offering fully automated operation. To this reviewer, that’s impressive.

True, it lacks some features of high-end home air purifiers. It doesn’t have a UV germicidal light or an electrostatic filter for example. But unless you are uber-sensitive and require a unit that zaps or removes every last compound, organism, and allergen, you will probably never notice the difference.

A bit pricey, but the Winix SignatureU450 is bound to be worth the cost for a lot of allergy sufferers. This air purifier delivers solid value for the dollar.

Basic Design

The Winix U450 is one of the PlasmaWave air purifiers that has justifiably earned the company a great reputation. All of them are high quality, high cleansing power, and attractive. This one is no exception.

The body is largish at 25.59″ high x 17.32″ wide x 10.24″ deep. You can still place this unit in a number of possible places around the house, a flexibility that’s helpful since house floor plans are so varied these days.

And, at just 19.40 lbs, you can move it from one to the other without a lot of strain if you don’t care for your first choice. You might want to do that, for instance, if you discover that you’re not getting good air movement when in one place. The intakes are on the side and the vent is on the top, so it does need some space all around to operate efficiently.

Airflow & CADR Specs

The airflow of the U450 is impressive:

• Quiet: 78
• Medium: 148
• High: 215
• Turbo: 300

(all figures CFM, cubic feet per minute).

The CADRs (Clean Air Delivery Rates) are equally good:

• 343 Pollen
• 298 Dust
• 291 Smoke

Winix might call this a high-end model but I would still place it in the midrange. And for a midrange model, those numbers are on the high side, especially the pollen rating. The reason isn’t hard to find. The filtration system on the Signature U450, like the other Winix models, is very, very good.

5-Stage Filtration System

Stage 1 consists of the company’s pre-filter. It’s designed to remove the largest particles – pet hair, dust, lint. All that isn’t terribly harmful in the air, but neither is it good in itself, and removing it helps the other filters function more effectively. Most air purifiers today have one. The Winix unit, however, also has an anti-bacterial coating that few others have and it’s washable.

Stage 2 is where the U450 starts to reveal how it is a step above much of the competition. It features a filter coated with silver atoms, a natural anti-microbial material. It helps remove dust mites, mold, fungi, and other nasty little creatures that deal our lungs a fit.

Stage 3 is a True HEPA filter, one which works far better than the legal minimum. It’s rated to get 99.99 % of particles down to 0.3 microns and real-world tests show that it actually achieves that. It gets rid of tiny dust particles, pollen, pet dander (a sore spot for lots of allergy sufferers), and even smoke.

Stage 4 houses the Winix Advanced Odor Control carbon filter. The word “odor” signals something a little less benign than mere unpleasant smells. Foul-smelling chemicals are frequently mild toxins, especially to the chemically sensitive among us. It neutralizes ammonia, for example, a special problem sometimes for those with pets in the house. It’s a nice added benefit that this filter is also washable.

Stage 5 contains the Winix proprietary PlasmaWave technology. I’ve written about this whiz bang feature in detail elsewhere. Suffice to say here, it generates both positive and negative ions that combine with water vapor in the air to form hydroxyls.

That may sound like nasty stuff but it’s actually the opposite. They float around room air in harmless concentration and attack viruses, bacteria, and a wide range of airborne chemical compounds. Then, a beneficial chemical reaction takes place to create water vapor and other harmless molecules.

Display & Controls

All that goodness in air purification is supported by a large array of equally good ergonomics.

An air quality sensor (A, F) inside monitors the quality of the air passing through the unit and automatically adjusts the fan speed (G, H) when Auto mode (B) is on. Or, you can set it manually if you prefer.

The LEDs that show various indicators will be dimmed for nighttime use. So, if you operate the U450 in your bedroom, and are sensitive to illumination, a light sensor (J) will dim the lights and sets the fan speed to QUIET when the room becomes dark. My wife in particular is very grateful for that feature.

Another example of superior design is the Filter Replacement indicator (C, D). Many air purifiers have something like this to show when to swap out a filter. This one is better because, unlike far too many models, it operates via actual usage not just on a “how long have you owned it” basis.

The electronic controls are all effortless to use. For example, some are sensitive to even the minute levels of ozone the PlasmaWave creates. You can turn it off merely by holding down the button for a few seconds. It’s not hard to detect when it’s off or on, either. A little animated “wave” graphic (E) shows up when it’s activated.

Noise & Electricity Usage

Like all Winix air purifiers to date, the U450 is a pretty quiet unit. Since it can operate on “auto”, it can downshift or upshift the fan as needed, based on pollutant concentration. On the lowest setting, it generates a mere 29 dB. That level is practically inaudible. When running at the Turbo level it puts out a modest 56 dB, noticeable but not annoying.

The juice consumed is equally almost-nothing to modest. At the lowest fan speed it consumes around 10 watts; even at the highest it’s only 110 watts. It rarely needs to operate on Turbo but if the power consumption is around that of a single, bright incandescent light bulb, I’m fine with that.

Summary

The company touts the Winix Signature U450 as a premium air purifier for large rooms. The 450 in the name, after all, corresponds to the rated coverage. But those numbers are always overstated for real-world use, though they remain useful for comparison shopping.

Depending on your room and needs, I put it about 3/4 of that number, which is pretty good. An 18′ x 18′ room with an 8′ ceiling is still pretty ample size. However, that puts it in the midrange in my book. With that modification, I’d say the CADRs are very good and the Winix purification technology is top notch.

That combination makes this air purifier one I can solidly recommend.

Most home air purifiers have pros and cons. The Austin Air HealthMate is unusual in that both those are on the extreme side of things. The pluses are really outstanding and the minuses are a little worse than usual. Let’s dig in to the details to see why…

Construction – Very Good But Not Great For Everyone

The Austin Air HealthMate is a big rectangular box, making it look somewhat clunky. But the problem is more than just its plain appearance. That’s admittedly a subjective consideration and not very important anyway.

The true difficulty is it makes placement a little challenging. Corners are the natural spot, limiting your options. Increasing that challenge, it’s a fairly large unit: 14.5″ x 14.5″ by 23″. It weighs a whopping 45 lbs with the filter installed. Mitigating that problem slightly, the HealthMate has caster wheels, so it’s not really difficult to move the unit from one place to another.

More seriously, with only a 3-speed control switch there are no other controls or indicators. Even forgetting that people just like to adjust things and to know what’s going on, the drawback is more than just a failure to satisfy the itch for something high-tech to play with. The ability to tailor your air purifier to personal circumstances is important. Seeing how it operates in those various modes is, too.

Still, the HealthMate is well made – surprisingly well made for a unit not at the top of the line – and that is important. It’s not the cheapest air purifier by any means; it’s only near the bottom of the premium scale, not the total scale. Those truly cheap units are correspondingly cheaply made, and don’t deliver what allergy sufferers and others need: pure air. The HealthMate does, in spades.

4-Stage Filter System

By contrast with those cheap units (and giving some due credit to Austin Air), the Healthmate does a superb job of clearing a room and keeping it clear. Smoke, animal dander, pollen, and dust simply won’t be around in great concentrations after a few hours of operation.

Better still, the HealthMate has a unique filter design that does an excellent job of clearing gases and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Paint fumes, household cleaning products, and more can irritate lungs, eyes, and nasal passages even among those who aren’t particularly sensitive. The HealthMate reduces them to concentrations below normal concern, and does it fast.

Summing up:

• Stage 1: Large particle pre-filter (removes dust and hair)
• Stage 2: Small particle pre-filter (removes molds, pollen)
• Stage 3: Activated Carbon/Zeolite (removes chemicals, VOCs, ammonia, odors)
• Stage 4: Medical Grade HEPA filter (removes bacteria and many viruses)

Unfortunately, the unit sports no filter replacement indicator. You replace it when you observe the amount of air flow has been reduced. That observation is, naturally, not one you can carry out with great accuracy without special instruments. The lack is simply a weakness in the design.

Maintenance + Costs

One small downside is that the HealthMate features a combined HEPA/Carbon/Zeolite unit. Meaning: it’s replaced as a unit. That’s similar to the color ink cartridges that required you to replace the whole thing, even though you were only out of yellow.

Still, the expected lifetime of these filters and their relatively modest cost makes that a small issue. Austin has a good reputation for straight talk and that’s borne out here.

Keep in mind, though, that the figure assumes a fairly standard home environment. Daily heavy smoke, abnormal concentration of paint fumes, excessive humidity leading to unusually high mold concentrations, and high dust levels will naturally pull that number down a bit. Still, even if one lasted only three years the replacement cost and effort is not bad.

Using the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner works great to remove dust buildup on the 360-degree intake system while a soft dampened cloth can be used to clean the other surfaces.

What will this unit add to your electric bill? Keep in mind that electric rates vary so much, as does the amount of daily usage due to variations in fan speeds. So I’m only able to give you a rough idea… The specs show that this unit operates on 135 watts on the highest fan speed setting.

Let’s imagine the worst case scenario… If the HealthMate runs continuously at the highest setting for an entire month (31 days) your consumption would be 100.44 kWh. At average electric utility rates (let’s take 12 cents/kWh) you’ll add about 12 a month to your electric bill – once again that is if the unit would run continuously on the highest fan speed.

Performance

Of course, what counts most is how a home air purifier performs. The Austin Air HealthMate will not disappoint anyone on that score.

Vented all along the bottom, the HealthMate draws air from 360 degrees. The exhaust is on the top, so it won’t blow any uncleared dust into the air.

It draws a LOT of air, too. The HealthMate is rated to run in rooms as large as 1,500 square feet. That rating is probably a little exaggerated, but not by an outrageous amount, judging by many reviews and real-world tests.

Regrettably, while it’s sucking that air, it’s not very quiet. The ratings are:

• 50 dB(A)@48 cfm on low,
• 55 dB(A)@180 cfm, and a truly noisy…
• 66 dB(A)@400 cfm on high.

[Note: cfm stands for Cubic Feet per Minute.]

As you can see by those cfm figures, though, the HealthMate moves a lot of air, as we said. For this reason, the relatively modest CADR estimate of 220 is a bit misleading.

Does it include a Warranty?

The Austin Air HealthMate comes with a 30-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee taking away all the risk. If you’re not completely satisfied with the HealthMate, you may return it for a full refund – that is within 30 days of purchase. After that the unit is backed by a 5-year warranty on materials and workmanship. The filter cartridge comes with a 5-year pro-rated guarantee.

Conclusion

The Austin HealthMate is a first rate machine at a very non-first rank price. Those who want a super quiet unit will want to consider carefully, however. Overall, this is a great unit for allergy sufferers or anyone who just wants clean air without the need for regular home air purifier maintenance.

The Honeywell 50250 99.97% Pure HEPA Round Air Purifier does a fine job at a modest price. It’s far from a top of the line model, and it has its pros and cons, but it also sells at far from the top of the line price.

Construction – 360 Degree Airflow

The Honeywell 50250 is a bit of an odd duck in the home air purifier market, due to its round case. That has advantages and disadvantages.

It makes it a little tough to find a good spot to place the unit. Corners are the natural home, limiting your options. At 19 inches high and 18 inches in diameter, it’s a fairly hefty unit. Its 21 lb weight lends support to that view.

On the upside, it provides a 360 degree air flow.

Appearance is subjective, but it lacks the high-tech look of most contemporary units. The controls and indicators are somewhat limited, making it look even plainer.

An indicator light on newer models is also bright blue, so you probably don’t want to put this in the bedroom unless you like the glow.

Performance – Very Respectable CADR/ Ratio

The Honeywell Enviracaire 50250 does a good job where it counts, for sure; it cleans a lot of air very well. The HEPA filter is one reason, of course. It captures at minimum 99.97% of particles above 0.3 microns in size.

The numbers show you how much of that gunk you can expect to clear how quickly. The model number in this Honeywell line specifies the CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate, a measure of how many cubic feet per minute of clean air are introduced to the room). So the CADR number is 250 for smoke, 250 for dust and 250 for pollen.

Those are very respectable ratings, particularly when you calculate the CADR/ ratio, which is decidedly – and happily – on the high end of things, i.e. you get a lot of clearance for the money. And it’s especially nice that it does that for all three major home pollutants. Many other models have a good number for one and a weaker number for another.

The Honeywell 50250 also purifies out of the air mold spores, dust mites, cat dander, and other allergy-inciting nasties. Unlike high-end units, it’s not really geared to clear gases and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that well, so plan accordingly.

Run this air purifier overnight in the den and you’ll see that even the normal dust you’d find on your TV screen simply isn’t there. That layer of dust you find on your coffee table – if, like me, you’re too busy to wipe it properly every day – is absent. Nice.

Noise Level – Noisy!

The drawback comes when you look at (or test) the noise levels. For a 3-speed fan it gives a surprisingly poor showing here, even at the slowest speed. You probably won’t want to stay in the room when it’s running at the highest speed, since it produces 57db. The middle setting produces 45db. Even the lowest speed generates 35db.

That’s noisy for a high-quality home air cleaner, even one in the modest price range. Working on a computer with the unit running full blast requires good concentration.

In conjunction with the noise, there is a bit of unusual vibration. Unusual, at least, for a truly well-made home air purifier. Some lemons in otherwise good models will have a slightly off-center fan. That produces vibrations similar to car tires that need balancing.

That’s not the problem here. The Honeywell 50250 can build up air in front of the HEPA filter. That causes the case to wobble a bit. That will be especially problematic on a hardwood floor or a table top if you place your purifier there. Not a happy situation.

50250-N = 50250 with Lifetime HEPA Filter

The 50250-N is an unofficial model number that is used for referring to the new version of the Honeywell 50250 which features a lifetime HEPA filter.

Note that the new model number is actually not labeled on the packaging. So apparently if you want to know what model you have, you need to look for “permanent HEPA filter” on the packaging while the original 50250 will make no reference to this.

Also the older unit has red/black packaging while the newer model is mostly white/light in color.

Maintenance and Operation Costs

The Intelli-Check electronic filter monitor sports a red light to alert you when the HEPA filter is dirty or the pre-filter needs to be replaced and that’s a nice feature to have.

Luckily, it’s not like the “Check Engine” light on your car, which is meaningless. It’s sensor – not ‘mileage’ – driven. Keen. Even better, the indicators give you a warning, showing a sequence of lights as the filter gets closer to needing replacement. When the light stays on permanently, it’s time for a change.

The carbon pre-filter can be vacuumed multiple times before needing to be replaced.

The HEPA filter can be cleaned many times as well, especially if you purchase the 50250-N, which features a lifetime HEPA filter.

Beware that term “Lifetime” however! It’s as much a marketing term as a technical one. Long use and multiple cleanings will degrade the filtration ability of even these high-end True HEPA filters. Eventually, they do need to be replaced. How often will vary quite a bit depending on your room environment and how carefully you clean the filter.

The plain 50250 model uses a HEPA filter rated to be replaced every 1-3 years, which is still pretty good. You’ve 2 options here…

• The Honeywell HRF-14 Pure HEPA Permanent Replacement Filter fits all current and past large sized Honeywell rounds including the 50250. Note that you need 3 of these stacking filters.

• Another (slightly more expensive) option is to buy the one piece Honeywell 24000 Replacement HEPA Filter. It does fit the 50250 model, even though the online specs don’t say so.

Replacing that filter is supremely easy in any case, and doing so will show you how well made this unit is. Gently place the air cleaner on its side and unscrew the locking mechanism located under the base assembly to get access to the filter chamber. Inside, you can observe how well sealed things are. You can observe the absence of unwanted air bypass – which would show up as scattered dirt particles around the unit where they don’t belong – by noting the absence of dirt everywhere but the filter.

You won’t be terribly happy with the increase in your electric bill. The Honeywell 50250 consumes 50 watts on the lowest speed (high-end units less than 10), and the medium speed consumes 120 watts. The highest speed a whopping 170 watts.

Does it include a Warranty?

Yes, the Honeywell 50250 includes a 5 year warranty.

Conclusion

The Honeywell 50250 home air purifier does the job and does it well for what you pay for it. It lacks some of the nicer bells and whistles of higher-end units and is a bit noisy. If you’re looking for an air cleaner for a bedroom and hoping to sleep with the unit on this is probably not the right model for you. Still, if you’re less sensitive to background noise than others, be guided by your personal taste here.

The IQAir HealthPro Plus is one of the best, if not the very best, home air purifier on the market. That’s a bold claim, but one fully justified by the outstanding design, performance, and real-world user reviews of this remarkable machine.

Construction

The IQAir HealthPro Plus is a moderately large unit at 16″ wide x 15″ deep x 30″ high (with wheels attached) and weighs 35 lbs (with filters included). The caster wheels on the bottom make it no major effort to move from place to place, though.

The small downside is the rectangular case, which means corners are your best bet. However, that design helps it push a lot of air: up to 240 cubic feet per minute.

The HealthPro Plus is rated to cover a 900 square foot room (that’s about 30 feet x 30 feet) and it lives up to that rating in real-world tests. It does that in part by pulling air from around the bottom through an arched base and pushing it out the exhaust vent at the top.

Input and output vents are well separated to prevent the unit simply recycling too much of its own output. Dusty air goes in at the bottom and pure air is expelled out the top along all four sides.

The fan housed inside the case can push up to 700 cubic feet per minute. Filters reduce the actual output to the 240 cfm stated above. It’s also cleverly placed between the filter cartridges, making its operation quieter. The proprietary 3D UltraSeal system ensures no internal leakage.

But pushing all that air efficiently would be worse than useless unless it were well cleansed. That effort is performed – and performed superlatively – by the HealthPro’s unique filter system.

Unique Filter System – 4 Advanced Filtration Technologies

Stage 1. The pre-filter catches the largest particles – such as ordinary dust and some pollen carriers. The mini-pleat design offers a large surface area to carry out that task well and for a long time before needing replacement.

IQAir’s PreMax pre-filters remove 90% of particle mass, compared to the 20% of many others. This first stage also helps lengthen the life and increase the efficiency of the next stages.

Stage 2 + 3. One of the most important steps is then done by IQAir’s patented V5 filtration unit. This wide-spectrum gas and odor filter unit soaks up odors and many common household gases – paint fumes, ammonia, and more.

This filter unit combines two types of media – tiny carbon pellets and an aluminum substrate that is infused with potassium permanganate, a disinfectant. That means it not only scrubs odors but kills microorganisms, too.

In fact, this filter is so efficient that some buyers mistakenly believe the unit performs poorly. Behind that paradox lies an interesting tale.

When a filter like this one picks up odors, it eventually becomes saturated. Then, those odors get pushed back into the air by the force of the machine’s ample air-pushing ability. If stored for a long time in an environment where those fumes are present, the filter can become half-filled before you buy.

That leads in some cases to buyers believing the unit produces a foul smell. It doesn’t. It’s simply been so efficient before being turned on that the filter needs replacement. Regrettably, unlike some units, the HealthPro’s filters are not wrapped in plastic before being packaged inside the housing. The solution, if the problem occurs at all, is simple. Get a spare carbon filter and have one on hand.

The bottom line is that the V5 filter not only works, it works so supremely well that the odors are in the unit, not your room, long before you know you have a problem.

Stage 4. The HEPA filter installed is, in one sense, “standard equipment” these days. But that standard is so high today that people naturally take it for granted. The HealthPro’s version goes beyond the norm, though.

This HyperHEPA filter, as the Swiss company calls it, is tested and certified to filter particles down to 0.003 microns. That’s 10 times smaller than a small virus. This particular HEPA filter has been through European Norm EN 1822 testing and passed with flying colors. And, believe me, Europeans are very attuned to air quality and health issues.

Those filters’ actions combine to ensure your room gets cleared of dust and dust mites, pollen, animal dander, mold spores, and a whole range of other allergy-inducing compounds. You also won’t suffer the ill effects of common household gases nor the irritation of cat litter smells, cooking odors, and more.

Filter Replacement

Another fine feature of the IQAir HealthPro Plus is that each of these filters is entirely separate, though they work together inside the purifier. You replace them one at a time, as needed. Other units, while good in many respects, have integrated filters that force you to buy the whole thing when only one aspect is saturated.

Also great, you have to replace them very seldom even in the most frequent case. The average lifetime/replacement ratings are:

• PreMax Filter: 6-18 months
• V5-Cell Filter: 1-2 years
• HyperHEPA Filter: 2-4 years

Filter Life LEDs indicate the state of the individual filters in the system and thanks to a built-in Filter Life Monitor you know at any given time how much time is left before you need to do a filter replacement. So, you need never keep track of when you bought the unit or last replaced a filter.

IQAir HealthPro vs IQAir HealthPro Plus

IQAir also sells a standard HealthPro unit. The biggest difference between the 2 models is that the HealthPro features the same advanced filter technologies as the HealthPro Plus, however without the V5-Cell filter unit.

Thanks to a spare compartment the HealthPro model can be upgraded to include this filter stage. After upgrading, the HealthPro will filter gaseous pollutants and odors, in addition to allergens, dust and other airborne particles just as its HealthPro Plus cousin.

What’s In the Box?

• Air Purifier
• HyperHEPA filter module
• V5-Cell filter module
• PreMax filter module
• Set of casters
• Remote control + batteries
• User Manual
• Quick Start Guide
• Certificate of Performance

Does it include a Warranty?

The IQAir HealthPro Plus is backed by a 5-year warranty against defects in parts and labor. Filters are consumables and exempt from this warranty.

What Are Others Saying?

You can rest assured that all the good comments (including mine) about the IQAir HealthPro Plus are not hype. Each unit is tested by the manufacturer and certified as it comes off the assembly line.

The HealthPro Plus has received numerous awards showing that those manufacturing efforts have been successful. The HealthPro has won:

• Allergy Buyer’s Club: Category Winner
• Wired Magazine Test: Best Air Purifier
• Reviewboard Magazine: Product of the Year
• Consumer Digest – Best Buy

Conclusion

The IQAir HealthPro Plus has a well-deserved reputation as “the king of the home air purifiers”. Far from being an exaggeration, this model has proven itself in real-world applications. It carries a hefty price tag, but if you want one of the best air cleaners on the market, you can’t go wrong with this model. You definitely get what you pay for: clean air and plenty of it.

Some home air purifiers merely clean the air. Some rejuvenate it, creating a healthier environment that you actually feel better about living in. The Rabbit Air BioGS SPA-582a is definitely in the latter category. I was more than impressed; I was jazzed. I think you will be, too.

Appearance

I confess I like having a nice looking piece of equipment around (provided it does the job well, of course). It’s subjective, of course, but I really like the chrome coating on the high-tech case, the elegant controls, and the space-ship indicator lights on the display panel.

Other colors are available too: pearl white, metallic blue, and lime green. Naturally, you want something more than just eye candy in a home air purifier. Not to worry. This model delivers well in every category.

Set Up & Preparation

Getting the Rabbit Air BioGS SPA-582a up and running will be effortless. The filters are pre-installed, but wrapped in plastic. All you have to do is remove them, pull off the wrappers, and put them back in again.

That’s good practice anyway, because you’ll do that for maintenance and it’s better to learn how when they’re still clean.

Operation – Remote Control or Main Control Button

The front controls are ergonomically designed, which is a fancy way of saying anyone can operate them without fumbling.

The colorful display shows you everything you might need or want to know. The different colored-lights make knowing the status of your air purifier easy from across the room.

At only 18 inches wide x 22 inches high x 9 inches deep it fits in any nook. And at just 17 pounds, you won’t have any trouble moving it from one to another if you don’t like the first location you selected.

I’m especially fond of the remote so I can adjust the unit from across the room without getting up from the desk rather than using the main control button on the unit. Like you, my days are busy and I like to save every second possible but it’s also great for individuals who have trouble getting around, like elderly people.

Noise Level – Ultra Quiet!

Like the old saying about children, your home air purifier should be seen and not heard. The super quiet Rabbit Air 582a succeeds on that score, thanks to quality workmanship second to none.

If that isn’t persuasive enough, here’s some hard data on the Rabbit Air BioGS SPA-582a, across its five different fan speeds:

• Speed 1 = 19.1 dB
• Speed 2 = 30.6 dB
• Speed 3 = 39.7 dB
• Speed 4 = 44.8 dB
• Speed 5 = 49.1 dB

By the way, there’s an Auto setting that will adjust the speed based on what a sensor detects in terms of air quality.

Performance – 4 Stage Purification – Energy Efficient

Of course, the most important thing is: does this Rabbit Air air purifier do the job and do it well, does it clean the air?

The short answer is: YES!

Mitsubishi – the huge Japanese electronics manufacturer – helped by putting their many years of experience and expertise together with Rabbit Air’s.

The SPA-582a uses both passive filtration and active negative ionization. The second aspect charges particles that the first method then picks up. It’s designed to clear up to 780 square feet with two air changes per hour.

A nano-silver pre-filter eliminates larger particles (big dust particles, animal dander,…). Then a HEPA filter removes at minimum 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns, including many bacteria and other nasty things that would otherwise slip through the cracks.

Then things really get interesting.

A third step uses a washable honeycomb activated charcoal filter to scrub air of odors, many of which are caused by VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). You may think the latter are only from household cleaning products and the like but even pine trees give off VOCs. Nature isn’t always as benign as some like to think!

Then step four generates negative ions. That electrification pushes particles around so they wind up inside the BioGS SPA-582a’s filtration system, where they’re removed from the air.

A whole series of well-designed sensors keep things operating at peak efficiency. It operates on 67 watts at Turbo Speed and only seven watts during normal silent operation. At average electric utility rates, that will add about 100 a year to your electric bill. At less than 10 per month it’s a pretty good deal for clean air all year ’round!

Maintenance

That quality design and implementation extends to an area not enough people think about when selecting a home air purifier: maintenance. Some units are a true pain to clean, and they need it often. You get so much gunk in your lungs from cleaning one, it undoes much of the good from having a purifier.

Not so here.

The Rabbit Air 582a has a HEPA filter that needs to be replaced only once a year (less if you have a fairly clean environment to begin with).

The carbon filter is washable and requires an easy clean up only once every 2-3 years. The pre-filter needs it more often – about once a month – but that’s super easy to do, like maintaining the others.

Cleaning the particle sensor from time to time is no effort. A simple wipe with a clean cloth of the air intake and outlet can be done when a visual inspection shows the need, which is not often, only about every 3-6 months. You won’t need more than 15 minutes or so to do everything.

Does it include a Warranty?

A 5-year warranty on workmanship and materials gives you good reason to relax. If RabbitAir sold many lemons, they couldn’t afford such a generous policy.

Conclusion

The Rabbit Air BioGS SPA-582a air purifier is a high-quality air purifier that definitely creates a cleaner environment. Ideal for home or small office use, it’s silent, low-maintenance, and as easy on the eyes as your new air will be on you.

The Surround Air XJ-3800 Intelli-Pro, once popular for its effectiveness in purifying indoor air, is no longer in production.
I recommend considering the LEVOIT Air Purifier Air Purifier as a good replacement.
It has gained a reputation for exceptional performance and advanced features.

Yes, the Surround Air XJ-3800 Intelli-Pro is quite a name for an air purifier. It’s well deserved, though. Its space-age appearance gives it a slightly retro Jetsons look, but the design and performance are completely up to date. Superb sensors, outstanding indicators and an amazing filter system make this model one heckuva cleaner, especially considering the modest price.

Truly High-Tech, Multi-Stage Filtration System

The XJ-3800 may sound like a 1950s rocket ship design, and there’s probably a good reason for that. It’s definitely space-age technology, only 21st century.

Stage 1. It all starts with the air entering the unit through multiple air inlets enabling maximum air flow through the unit. The air first enters a washable pre-filter, capturing the largest particles.

Stage 2. An electrostatically-charged dust collection grid attracts charged particles & pollutants like a magnet. That component is found in a great many home air purifiers today, and for good reasons. The technology is straightforward, reliable, and low-maintenance… and it really works.

Stage 3. The high-tech continues with an activated carbon filter that performs both a mechanical and a chemical function. Mechanically, charcoal filters act like sieves to continue the particle-removal function for yet smaller pieces.

It adds a chemical action, thanks to carbon’s high propensity for forming loose bonds with so many different molecules. That chemical action brings even more value when the combinations are with gases and odors that occupy many homes. Paint fumes, household cleaning products, cat litter and more are present in many if not most homes. The XJ-3800 Intelli-Pro’s carbon filter gets them all.

Stage 4. Of course, there’s a HEPA filter that captures not only more dust but a wide array of potential allergens, such as most bacteria and some viruses. The Surround Air XJ-3800 then goes beyond those fairly common abilities to add several more layers of home air purifying technology.

Stage 5. In this stage a process called Photocatalytic Oxidation is taking place. A TiO2-coated filter (TiO2 = Titanium Oxide) in combination with UV rays – coming from the nearby UV lamp – generates ions to produce hydroxyl radicals (=highly reactive electrons) in the air.

These aggressively combine with harmful indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde (a common outgassing of new carpeting), ammonia, and many others. Once bound together, a chemical reaction takes place effectively “oxidizing” (or burning) the pollutant. This breaks the pollutant down into harmless molecules.

Stage 6. A germicidal UV lamp irradiates the air passing nearby. The UV light possesses just the right amount of energy to break organic molecular bonds. Any microorganisms left intact get killed. That germicidal action requires no chemicals to worry those who might be sensitive but still want a hospital-clean environment.

Stage 7. In the final stage the XJ-3800 Intelli-Pro pumps out negative ions that circulate throughout the room. Those ions (charged particles) produce small electrostatic fields in the air similar to the one inside the case.

That increases the size of the particles in the air, which might sound like a bad thing. But that larger size makes them easier to trap. It also makes them heavier, so they tend to float more readily to the floor or carpet, where they can be vacuumed up. They also attach more readily to positively charged surfaces where they stick, harmlessly waiting to be wiped off.

The net result is air cleared of dust, smoke, mold, bacteria and other microorganisms, odors, chemicals… in short, anything and everything airborne that can harm your eyes, nasal passages, and lungs. Even shorter: clean air.

Let me summarize this 7 stage purification process…

• Stage 1: Pre-filter gets largest particles
• Stage 2: Electrostatic precipitator traps more particles
• Stage 3: Carbon filtration removes odors and chemicals
• Stage 4: True HEPA filter traps microorganisms
• Stage 5: Photocatalytic Oxidation further reduces chemicals, bacteria and odors
• Stage 6: Germicidal UV lamp destroys more micro-organisms
• Stage 7: Ionizer produces helpful negative ions

Sensors and Indicators

Purifying all that air is great. It’s the main reason you buy a quality home air purifier. But it’s also really helpful for that process to happen automatically and to be able to see how the unit functions. For that purpose, the Surround Air XJ-3800 Intelli-Pro incorporates a number of sensors and indicators. The sensors detect what is going on in your air, the indicators tell you what the purifier is doing about it.

The XJ-3800 Intelli-Pro has a number of components that can sense the quality of air. Of course, ‘quality’ is a qualitative term. What’s really going on? Well, the answer lies in one of the more interesting facets of chemistry.

Chemical compounds in the air – everything is ultimately a chemical: dust, pollen, smoke, animal dander, as well as what we refer to as chemicals (like cleaning products) – carry electrical and physical ‘signatures’.

If they’re charged, the unit can sense that electrically. But different compounds also react with sensors in other ways, triggering a response. Cat litter odor, for example, has such a signature. The XJ-3800 can sense that. Pollen has another and there’s a sensor for that.

When it senses a quick rise in either of those (or many other possibilities), the unit can increase its air cleansing by speeding up the fan. You’ll hear that as a rise in the white-noise sound as air flows into and out of the unit through its intake and exhaust ducts. The fan components themselves make very little noise.

Open a window on a pollen-laden day and your XJ-3800 may well automatically turn itself on high until the air is cleared. Light up a cigarette and the unit can go into overdrive.

Apart from the sounds you hear, there are a series of indicator lights to show you what is happening. There are ones that tell you when to change any of the filters. There’s an indicator to guide you when to clean the dust collector grid. The UV and Ionizer lights show these components at work.

Noise Level

The downside of that increased operation is, of course, some extra noise. In the XJ-3800 that noise is moderate, but some people are more sensitive to background noises than others.

On low (35dB) or even medium (45dB), almost everyone will be able to sleep soundly without disruption. On high (52dB) there is some noticeable ‘white noise’, with the intensity varying according to distance, room layout, and your furnishings. You would have little trouble hearing the TV, for example, even on high.

Hardwood floors obviously reflect more sound, while carpets absorb them. More closed drapes means less reflected sound off glass. More soft chairs, pillows, and so forth will create a quieter environment.

Maintenance + Costs

Cleaning and maintenance every 2 to 3 months is recommended. The washable pre-filter does not require replacement. You can clean it under flowing water. To remove all the dust from the dust collection grid you can use a dry cloth, warm water and a mild detergent. If the dust is hard to remove, pre-soak it in diluted detergent and then use a toothbrush to clean. Dust can be removed from the Carbon/HEPA filter with a vacuum cleaner. To clean the TiO2 filter use a dry cloth or air to blow away the dust.

When the change filter indicator is glowing it’s time to replace filters. Expect to change filters once a year.

The lifespan of the UV lamp is about 10,000 hrs. When no blue light is observed it’s time to replace the UV lamp.

What will this unit add to your electric bill? I know I know… electric rates vary so much, as does the amount of daily usage due to variations in fan speeds. But let me try to give you a rough idea… The specs show that this unit operates on 80 watts on the highest fan speed setting.

Let’s assume the worst case scenario… If the XJ-3800 runs continuously at the highest setting for an entire month (31 days) your consumption would be 59.52 kWh. At average electric utility rates (let’s take 12 cents/kWh) you’ll add about 7 a month to your electric bill – once again that is if the unit would run continuously on the highest fan speed. Even in this worst case scenario that’s pretty good for clean air all year ’round!

Does it include a Warranty?

The XJ-3800 Intelli-Pro comes with a 30-day risk-free guarantee. If you’re not completely satisfied with the purifier, you may return it for a full refund – that is within 30 days of purchase. After that the unit is backed by a 3-year warranty on materials and workmanship.

Conclusion

The quiet, yet powerful Surround Air XJ-3800 Intelli-Pro is an amazingly effective air purifier, incorporating an unusually large number of in-depth filtration methods. It offers superb sensing and several helpful indicators. It really works for rooms up to 650 ft². At such a modest price, there may be no better value on the market today. It also looks pretty cool. Just keep in mind that if you’re looking for an air cleaner for a bedroom and hoping to sleep with the unit on the XJ-3800 emits a bright blue UV light which may or may not be what you want.

The Winix PlasmaWave 5300 home air purifier can’t improve your health. Your body does that. It won’t cure your allergies. Allergies are largely genetic. But it can generate air that’s much better to breathe, giving your body its best shot at optimizing your health.

Winix took some cues from Sharp and adapted elements of that better-known company’s PlasmaCluster model.

They included 3-stage filtering, as well as microbial destruction, and then lowered the price from their Winix 5000 series. Not bad for what some people might (mistakenly) consider a knockoff!

Performance – For Rooms up to 350 Square Feet

The Winix Plasmawave 5300 air cleaner may be similar to the PlasmaCluster but it has even better performance numbers.

The CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) numbers are 235 for smoke, 248 for dust and 251 for pollen. The unit will handle a room size of 350 square feet (assuming an average height ceiling).

Its four separate fan speeds allow this model to let you balance noise, electricity consumption, and air-cleansing rate with a tap. Yet, even at high settings you can live quite comfortably with this PlasmaWave model.

Sitting in a home office, you’ll barely notice it above your computer’s fan even at the purifier’s top speed. The only time the fan noise becomes truly noticeable is in the normally short-lived Turbo mode. That’s initiated automatically when the unit senses ‘bad’ air, unless you turn it on manually.

Being energy star approved you may be confident too this unit works efficiently.

Construction – Attractive, Sturdy, Compact, and Lightweight!

The Plasmawave 5300 is an attractive, well-built unit. The case is sturdy, compact, and lightweight. (22″ high x 16″ wide x 9″ deep, 15 lbs.) The seals are high-quality, which helps maintain high efficiency since it eliminates the problem of air (and, therefore, particle) bypass.

Made of high-quality plastic, the case is odor free, a nice benefit for those who are sensitive to outgassing compounds that flow from some cheaply made units. Those molecules, typically VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), are one of the things good home air purifiers are intended to remove, so it’s great that the Winix 5300 doesn’t add any of its own.

3 Stage Purification System

Like most home air purifiers, the PlasmaWave 5300 sports a True HEPA filter, which captures at minimum 99.97% of pollutant particles down to 0.3 microns. That’s good enough to filter out all but some viruses. Many of those are 0.020-0.250 micron.

Pretty good for the most common, and in a way least important, component in an overall filtration system. Least important, because if your vacuum cleaner has a good HEPA filter you get a lot of that value already. The filter needs to be replaced about once a year.

There is, in addition, a carbon mesh filter made of activated charcoal. That not only filters out additional particulates by a mechanical sieve action but – because carbon so readily combines with many molecules – provides a safe chemical cleansing of room air.

In this case, though, that component does much more than simply the normal carbon-filter duty. It’s suffused with anti-microbial compounds that can help combat flu viruses and other nasty bugs in the air that would slip by the HEPA filter. Keen.

That carbon filter needs to be replaced about once every three months for the average home and the manufacturer thoughtfully included three spares in the box, for a year’s supply total. When it comes to replacement, the Winix filter kit #115115 includes a True HEPA filter and 4 disposable activated carbon pre-filters.

There’s another important aspect to the filtration system that deserves a section all its own: the PlasmaWave 5300′s ionizer.

PlasmaWave Ionizer Technology

In the final stages of cleaning, filtered air passes through a type of electric pulse generating negatively and positively charged ions that combine with naturally occurring water vapor (H2O) to form Hydroxyl radicals (OH). The amount of Hydrogen (H) gas produced is too small a concentration to be any kind of danger.

Those Hydroxyls act as forceful oxidizers to destroy microorganisms – bacteria, viruses, mold spores, and the like – in the vicinity. But they also combine readily with many VOCs (compounds in paint fumes, for example).

That allows the ionizer to do double duty, destroying potentially harmful bugs in the air and removing some of the organic chemicals that can irritate lungs, eyes, and nasal passages. After pollutants have been destroyed the Hydroxyls reform into water vapor (H2O) or other harmless air molecules.

This method is more effective and safer than older-style ozone generators. Those work by creating ozone (O3), an oxygen molecule with three oxygen atoms rather than the usual two. That extra atom attached provides additional energetic electrons that ‘stick out’ and zap nearby organisms. But they can also irritate lungs and sting the eyes when the concentration is high enough to do good by purifying the air.

The ionizer is controllable, too. You may notice a slight clicking noise from time to time when the ion generator is pumping out those electrically-charged, air-cleansing molecules. So, it’s helpful that you can turn it off or on as you please. If the noise is irritating, it’s a simple matter to turn on that mechanism just before you leave the room, and turn it off when you re-enter.

Does it include a Warranty?

Yes, the Winix PlasmaWave 5300 includes a 1 year warranty.

Conclusion

The Winix 5300 air cleaner operates at low-noise levels while clearing a substantial volume of air quickly. It offers reliable operation and virtually eliminates smoke, dander, and health-injuring microorganisms. I’d say that merits the phrase “healthy air in a box”.