Allerair 4000 Vocarb

Allerair 4000 Vocarb Review Summary

The Good:
With a very thick carbon filter, this machine is well-equipped to reduce smoke or odor problem.

The Bad:
The design is outdated and the control is manual.

The Bottomline:
If you don’t care about noise, style and ease of use – but need a powerful machine that could help reduce odor, smoke and harmful gases, consider this one. But if you need a balance between the two, look for a Rabbit Air or Alen Corp machine instead.

What we like about the AllerAir 4000 Vocarb

The filters: At a glance, it is just like any other AllerAir air purifier. It has a vacuumable pre-filter, anti-microbial filter, a thick 12 lbs carbon filter and a high grade medical HEPA filter.

But the difference is in the carbon filter. It is a boosted blend, designed to aggressively combat odor, smoke and gases. AllerAir says this unit is best used for newly renovated homes, places with heavy smoke,  or unknown gases.

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

Made of Steel: To make sure it is suitable for those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS), this machine is made of steel so that it doesn’t react with the air. Most machines in the market are made of plastic.

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.

Extra protection: If you need a machine to control airborne fungus, ask for the AllerAir 4000 with UV protection. And if the vocarb blend is not strong enough, the company also offers a custom carbon blend.

But We are concerned that :

• It’s Quite Loud: The lowest setting is 35dB. If you’re a light sleeper you definitely won’t enjoy having this machine in your bedroom.
  
• Has only 3 fan speeds: You only have the option of  low, fast and turbo.
  
• Heavy : At around 42 lbs, with the help of it’s 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.
  
• Has no digital display: Like Austin Air machines, the control is old-fashioned.
  
• Has 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 ).
• Looks outdated : Your guests might wonder why you keep a humming log in your home.

Allerair 5000 Vocarb

Allerair 5000 Vocarb Review Summary.

The Good: 4 filters including a very thick carbon filter. Sturdy and inert machine – suitable for those who suffer from multiple sensitivities.

The Bad: Old fashioned, heavy, quite loud and lack digital features.

The Bottomline: What AllerAir has built here is an industrial strength machine that can clear your everyday airborne contaminants effectively and also controls odor, smoke and gases – better than most commercial machines out there.

If you live in an area where that is a big problem, seriously consider this machine.

What we like about the Allerair 5000 Vocarb.

The Filter: There are 4 filters in this machine :-

• Vacuumable prefilter – traps large particles, quick to change
• HEPA – medical grade, trapping 99.97% of particles (as small as 0.3 microns)
• 2 anti-microbial filters
• Carbon – 18 lbs. of activated carbon specially formulated for VOCs

With the thick carbon, this machine not only helps clean your everyday air pollution but is also equipped to reduce smoke, odor and harmful gases emitted by products like aerosol, new carpets and mold toxins.

This is one of the most comprehensive filter set you’d ever find in an air purifier.

360 degrees air intake: The machine comes in cylindrical shape to maximizes airflow.

Made of Steel: To make sure it doesn’t react with the air and is durable, the Allerair 5000 is encased in steel.

Long Filter Life: While the pre-filter needs to be changed every 3 months, it only costs $40 a year. The Hepa and the carbon lasts 2 to 5 years depending on the level of pollution and how frequent you use the machine.

Warranty: It is backed by a 10 years limited warranty.

But we are concerned about these :

• Quite Loud: The lowest setting is 35dB, which is loud if you want to use it for your bedroom. The other 2 settings will be at 55 and 65 dB.
  
• Only 3 fan speeds: You only have the option of  low, fast and turbo.
  
• Heavy : At 45 lbs, 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.
• Need tools to change filter: You can replace the pre-filter without a tool but you need a screwdriver for the other 3.

Healthmate+ Review

Austin Air Healthmate+ is like a car with a very powerful engine. Unfortunately, it lacks many convenient features you’d expect when you buy a machine at this price.

The company takes a great care to add potassium iodide into it’s carbon/zeolite filter to control gases and smoke.

It also has 60 feet of  true HEPA filter,which is one of the biggest filtration area in a home air purifier.

But while the core is good, we have a few issues with this machines.

What does it do ?

Austin works hard at making sure the filter of this air purifer is effective. Thus, it comes with 4 stages of filtration.

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 will take care of gases and smokes as well as bacteria and viruses.

360 degrees air intake: We love the fact that while most air purifiers only pull the air from the front or the side, this machine 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 “If the HealthMate+™ doesn’t change your life and improve your sleep, return it for a refund within 30 days.”

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: It’s just too heavy. Not suitable to be lifted up and down the stair.
• The sound level: As there are only 3 speeds available, you’ll notice that the sound will vary considerably from one level to another.
  
• Lack digital display: Many air cleaners at this price have easy to read digital control.
• Power Consumption: At 135 Watt, you’ll pay more for your electricity bills compared to other air purifiers in it’s class.
• Lack various digital features: Without digital function means there are no remote control, timer or filter replacement alert. Use your calender to remind you to change your filter ( every 5 years ).
• No UV lights: Healthmate+ doesn’t come with UV lights – an accessory many air purifier company use to kill the micro-organisms.
• 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). Unless you vacuum the filter regularly, the motor will also be forced to work harder to suck air from the clogged filter. We’re not sure how long a motor can lasts under this condition.

Our Verdict :

At this price we expects many more from Austin than just a powerful filters. Of course, they are effective but we wonder why the company seems reluctant to use newer design or technologies (like  digital controls or UV lamp to kill bacteria ) in this machine.

If you love all things old-school, this one maybe for you. But please replace your filter earlier than suggested by Austin Air.

Alen A375 Review

Alen A375 UV Air Purifier Review Summary

The Good: An easy to change 3 in 1 filter with 2 UV lamps is versatile enough to clean and sterile the air of most homes.  Has a simple safety feature and lifetime warranty.

The Bad: The top 2 fan speeds are loud.

The Bottomline: If Alen A375 is a car, it would be a Honda Civic. It’s a simple, reliable machine with  better features and performance than most units at the same price. If you need an affordable machine that not only cleans the air but also sterilize it from floating germs or fungus, this is one of your options. Coupled with a lifetime warranty, this is surely one of the most attractive air cleaner in the market.

What we like about the Alen A375

The filter: Like other Alencorp machines, this one has a 3 in 1 filter – a pre-filter, a HEPA and an activated carbon all rolled into one. This helps make it easy to change your filter as well as ordering them (you don’t need to order separate filters at separate time like many air cleaners).

It also contains Photo-Catalytic Oxidation technology to help reduce harmful VOCs (VOCs are the harmful vapors that things like glue, formaldehyde and some aerosols emit.)

UV Lamps: It also comes with 2 UV lamps to kill bacteria in your air. Handy if you suspect you have molds under your damp carpets.

Easy: The A375 is also easy to use  because it comes with a remote control, smart automatic filter change indicator and a timer function. You can basically control it from the comfort of your sofa or bed.

Save Space: If your space is tight, you can mount it on the wall. 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.
• And secondly, it has a lifetime warranty (if you change your filter at recommended interval).

But we are concerned about the :

• 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.