BlueAir 403

BlueAir 403 Review Summary

The Good:
Just like any other Blueair air cleaners, this one comes with an energy efficient HEPA Silent filter and a quiet motor.

The Bad:
You need to change the filter every 6 months.

The Bottomline:
The Blueair 403 still maintains the efficient and energy saving filter used by it’s bigger siblings. But with only 1 filter and negligible amount of carbon in it means that it will not help much with odor or smoke problem.

What we like about the Blueair 403.

The filter: BlueAir 403 uses a HEPA-like filter called the HEPASilent like other machines made by the company.

It works like this. Before dirty air is sucked through the filter, the machine uses ion brushes to charge if first. So, while air purifiers made by other companies force the air through their filters, this one makes the charged contaminants attracted to the filter.

And because the dirty particle willingly cling to the filter, the HEPASilent can have larger holes than a normal HEPA. As a result, you get a quiet and efficient cleaning machine.

Filter is easy to change: The unit is designed so that you can change the filter without using a screwdriver or any other tools.

Practical: The unit is made of galvanized steel and can be moved around using it’s built-in carry handle. There’s also a timer that counts down from 6 months to remind you when to change the filter. And because it so quiet, there’s a blue power on light to let you know if it’s on operation.

Uses little electricity: It only consumes 30 Watt on low and 70 Watt on high speed.

It’s silent: Because the filter has better airflow than a HEPA filter, the Blueair 403 is one of the quietest machine in it’s class. Suitable for your bedroom or study area.

Our Concern :

• The Price: It only covers a relatively small area but the cost is similar to machines that cover twice the area.
  
• The filter cost: At around $120 a year for 1 filter, it is one of the most expensive replacement filter in it’s class.
  
• Warranty : You need to change your filter every 6 months or the 10 years warranty will be void.
• No carbon : Because it lacks a specialized carbon filter, it won’t handle smoke, gases or odor well.
• No pre-filter : Most air cleaners come with pre-filter to stop bigger airborne particles from entering the main filter. But this one lacks one. We suggest you vacuum your filter to help it lasts longer.
• Movability: Yes, there is a carry handle but at 33lbs, castors are better.
• Not automatic: There’s only manual dial to adjust the 3 fan speeds. There’s no automatic sensor to adjust the speed according to the pollution level. At this price, we expect to find one.
  

Allerair 4000 Exec

Allerair 4000 Exec Review Summary

The Good: Has 4 powerful filters – including a thick 12 lbs carbon to effectively filter odor, smoke and harmful gases.

The Bad: Has only 3 fan speeds and no digital display. Quite loud and looks outdated.

The Bottomline:
It doesn’t come with all the convenience of modern air purifiers – things like auto timers, remote control or filter replacement alert, but the performance is so strong, some people simply don’t care. If you don’t mind having an ugly but very powerful machine to clean your air, consider the Exec 4000.

More Details on the AllerAir 4000 Exec

The filters: AllerAir 4000 Exec is an all rounder air purifier with 4 filters :-

• Prefilter – traps large particles, quick to change.
• HEPA – laser tested, medical grade, traps 99.97% of particles (as small as 0.3 microns)
• 2 anti-microbial filters.
• Carbon – 18 lbs. of activated carbon.

And they lasts these long :-

• Prefilter: 3 months
• HEPA: 5-7 years
• Carbon: 2-5 years

360 degrees air intake: The company claims their cylindrical shape maximizes airflow through the machine.

Made of steel: True to the company’s aim to make sure its’ machines are suitable for those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS), this machine is made of steel so that it doesn’t react with the air and is sturdy.

Long filter Life: While the pre-filter needs to be changed every 3 months, the Hepa and the carbon lasts 2 to 5 years depending on the level of pollution and how frequent you use the machine.

Has extra protection: If you need a machine to control airborne fungus, ask for the AllerAir 4000 with UV protection. The company also offers a custom carbon blend if you need one.

Long warranty: It comes with a limited 10 years warranty.

But we are concerned about the:

• Noise: The lowest setting is 35dB, which is loud if you want to use it for your bedroom.
  
• 3 fan speeds: You only have the option of  low, fast and turbo.
  
• Weight : At around 42 lbs, with the help of its’ wheels you may be able to push it around. But forget about lifting it up the stairs if you have back problem or over 50.
  
• No digital display: Like Austin Air machines, the control is old-fashioned.
  
• So, no digital features: Because it is not a digitally controlled machine, there’s no remote control, timer or filter replacement alert. You need to remind yourself to change your filter ( which is troublesome, since you need to replace each filter at different time ).
• The outdated look : Your guests might wonder why you keep a humming log in your home.

Air Allergy Review

The Austin Air Allergy focuses on those troubled not only with dust, but also by airborne chemicals and gases.

More Details on the Air Allergy Machine

While the other Austin machine uses 15lbs of carbon filter at the third stage, this machine uses a Hepa filter. After the stage, an activated military carbon cloth is used to clear harmful gases or smoke.

Because this cloth replaces a heavy carbon filter, this machine is 10 lbs lighter and $100 cheaper that a Healthmate Plus.

The filters: The first stage filters things you can see like hair, dust and dander. The second stage filters unseen particles like molds, spores and pollens.  The last 2 stages use a  Hepa filter and a military carbon cloth to take care of  bacteria and viruses as well as any airborne chemicals and gases.

360 degrees air intake: Like other Austin Air machines, this purifier sucks air from all direction.

Steel Construction: Austin Air Allergy is encased in steel and the surface is scratch resistant.

Money Back Guarantee & Warranty: This air purifier comes with 5 years warranty on parts and filter. It also comes with 30 days money back guarantee.

Long Filter Life: While most air purifiers need a fresh filter every 6-12 months, Austin says this one only needs to be replaced every 5 years.

Our Concern :

• The weight: At 35 lbs, it is still a heavy air purifier.
• The sound level: As there are only 3 speeds available, you’ll notice that the sound will vary considerably from one level to another. The lowest setting is quiet though.
• Power Consumption: At 135 Watt, you’ll pay more for your electricity bills compared to other air purifiers in it’s class.
  
• No digital display: We don’t know why, but Austin Air seems to like analog controls.
  
• And no digital features: Without digital function means there are no remote control, timer or filter replacement alert. You need to remind yourself to change your filter ( every 5 years ).
• Filter stays too long: For things meant to trap dust and other airborne particles, we think 5 years is just too long (if you use it daily). We suggest you vacuum the filter regularly and replace it earlier than the suggested 5 years.

Our Verdict :

If you cannot afford the Healthmate+ and wants a machine specifically tailored for those who suffer from asthma or allergies, this is one of the machine you should consider.

Of course, like the rest of Austin Air’s machine, our complain is the lack of digital control and automatic features that make an air purifier more user-friendly. We also suggest you replace your filter earlier than the 5 years specified by the company.

Healthmate Review

What we think about the Austin’s Healthmate Air Purifier

If Austin Air Healthmate Plus is like a sports car with a very powerful turbo engine,  this Healthmate is the same sports car, but without the turbo.

And like a racing car, it is meant to deliver performance, not comfort.

So, while the filter is good, it does not have all must-have features of modern air cleaners – things like automatic speed adjustment, digital display, filter replacement alert or a timer.

What does it do ?

This Healthmate is a simpler version of the Healthmate Plus. So, while the Plus version adds Potassium Iodide on the filter, this one doesn’t and is $100 cheaper.

But apart from that, they two look, weigh and have the same (limited) features.

The filters: The first stage filters things you can see like hair, dust and dander. The second stage filters unseen particles like molds, spores and pollens.  The last 2 stages use the activated carbon (impregnated with Zeolite) and Hepa filter to take care of gases and smokes as well as bacteria and viruses.

360 degrees air intake: Like other Austin Air machines, this purifier sucks air from all direction.

Steel Construction: Austin Healthmate Plus is encased in steel and the surface is scratch resistant.

Money Back Guarantee & Warranty: The machine comes with 5 years warranty on parts and filter. Austin corporate website also says that it comes with 30 days money back guarantee.

Long Filter Life: While most air purifiers need a fresh filter every 6-12 months, Austin says this one only needs to be replaced every 5 years.

Our Concern :

• The weight: At 45 Ibs, it is heavy.
• Power Consumption: With 135 Watt, you’ll pay more for your electricity bills compared to other air purifiers in it’s class.
• The sound level: As there are only 3 speeds available, you’ll notice that the sound will vary considerably from one level to another. The lowest setting is quiet though.
  
• No digital display: We don’t know why, but Austin Air seems to like analog controls.
  
• And no digital features: Without digital function means there are no remote control, timer or filter replacement alert. You need to remind yourself to change your filter ( every 5 years ).
• Filter stays too long: For things meant to trap dust and other airborne particles, we think 5 years is just too long (if you use it daily). We suggest you vacuum the filter regularly and replace it earlier than the suggested 5 years.

Our Verdict :

The price and the powerful filter makes this machine quite attractive to us. Unfortunately, as newer air purifiers entering the market are equipped with many automatic features, the Healthmate feels and looks so outdated.

If you like dials and hate all things digital try this one. But please replace your filter earlier than suggested by Austin Air.

Alen A350 Review

Alen A350 Air Purifier Review Summary

The Good: The 3 in 1 filter is effective and easy to change.

The Bad: The top 2 settings are loud.

The Bottomline: If  your home does not have any serious smokes, mold or fungus problems, seriously consider the A350. It is effective, affordable and with the auto-shutdown feature you don’t have to worry if you dog or kids knocked it down while running around.

What we like about the A350

Easy to change filter: Unlike many air cleaners, there is only 1 filter to change (pre-filter, HEPA and carbon are combined) and you don’t need any special tools to do it.

Filter Indicator: To make sure you don’t forget, there’s a filter change indicator on it’s digital display.

Fan settings: There are 4 fan speeds. We suggest you use the lowest fan setting during your sleeping time.

Remote Control: Unlike it’s more expensive siblings, you’ll find a remote control to help you set the machine from the comfort of your bed.

Save Space: If your don’t like leaving it on the floor, you can mount it on your wall.

Optional Skins: And if you hate the plain look, there are 6 bright, funky skins for the machine ( older folks may hate the bright colors though!).

Less Worry: One of the biggest advantage of this air purifier is a peace of mind.

• Firstly, the machine shuts down automatically if the lid is opened. Very important if your have small kids or dogs.
• Secondly, the company backs it with a lifetime warranty if you change the filter according to the recommended time.

But we are concerned about :

• Noise: You may want to keep it at any of the 2 lowest settings if you’re going to sleep. Sleeping with the machine at the highest speed may feel like sleeping in a wind tunnel.
• Filter costs: The filter cost is at par with many other air purifiers that covers an area this big. You’re looking at $90 – $120 a year.
• Ionizer: The unit comes with an optional ionizer function. Ionizers may emit ozone, which is harmful in large quantity. The company claims that the ozone this machine emits is 92% below the limit set by the FDA. But if you’re still worried, just turn the ionizer off.