Recommendations on home air cleaners

[serryjw]

Considering my asthma, my TWO furrbabies Igamoo & Kootchstone and we all 3 live in 550 sq feet I have decided I need to buy a air cleaning machine. The 2 well known ones are over $300. Any experiences,preferences or recommendation on which is the best and in the long term the best value

[tjdee]

1. I LOOOVVVEEE my one from Sharper Image.

What is it, the Quadra or whatever. It's silent, which is not a feature in a lot of the cheap ones that I've seen now since accidently melting part of mine and having to buy a new one....don't ask, LOL. It's also really easy to clean. Just a matter of getting a cloth, wiping it, putting it back in.

It really is worth the money IMO--you don't think much of it until you clean it and see all the junk that would have gone into your lungs. :scared: I felt better (I have asthma and allergies too).

Are the prices on ebay that much cheaper (I looked a few months ago, they weren't that much better....maybe that's changed?)?

[serryjw]

4. I assumed it was the best

but sooooooooooo expensive...Did you replace filters yet? How often, how much?

[tjdee]

19. Here a little late, sorry,

but I have not replaced anything yet, and before it partially melted (sigh, LOL) I'd had it for about a year and a half. I don't think you have to replace anything--you just take out the.....thing, LOL, and wipe it down.

[Guy Fawkes]

11. but instead of putting out O2, you get O3...

and Ozone is very bad for you. The FDA actually put out a warning in regards to the Ionic Breeze. http://www.home-air-filter-edu.com/Ozone-Air-Purifiers.htm">ozone info

[madmom]

2. had a small table top model years ago...

for my daughters allergies, They worked well but I thought they were awfully noisy. They may be better now though.

[RevCheesehead]

3. Ionic Breeze Quadra (the original)

Check out the Sharper Image website - you can get a reconditioned one for at least 50% off regular price. Go to the "Outlet Store".

Also, keep checking back - they update the "Hot Buys" regularly. I was able to buy an Ionic Breeze Compact for $85 (they're just a little shorter than the regular, but do the same job).

http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/categoryview/catid=39075800/pcatid=39064300

I LOVE these air cleaners! I have 5, and one at the office at church. Best investment I ever made.

[serryjw]

5. WOW! thank you

now you're in my budget!

[RevCheesehead]

6. Best part - no filters to replace - ever.

You wipe down the cleaning grid every couple of weeks. That's all.
And these things use hardly any electricity at all.
(I also keep one by the litterbox - amazing!)

Don't bother with the "bathroom" version - too small to make any significant difference. Same goes with the car versions, too.

I got rid of my HEPA filter after I had to replace the inner filter - it was $50! Think of this as a really good investment - believe me, it's helped my allergies and asthma.

I even bought one for my parents last year. :)

[serryjw]

10. Thanks again

I'll watch for a bargain :yourock:

[SouthernDem2004]

7. Didnt Consumer Reports report those things were almost useless?

Sharper Image even sued CR and lost. In the end SI had to pay CR a ton of money for legal fees etc.

So, do they actually work?

[Corgigal]

8. Yep

You want to help your kids allergies? Get a pet

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/parenting/08/27/kid.pet.allergies/

[SouthernDem2004]

9. CR even stated the Ionic breeze was unhealthy. Tons of

articles in Google about it. I thought about buying one once until I read they are worthless at best, harmful at worst.

[RevCheesehead]

13. When one of mine stopped working,

I noticed an immediate build-up in lousy air quality. Dust and odor in the air... especially near the litterbox.

Best part? I took it to one of their stores, and they replaced it, free of charge.

I'm sure the latest model addresses the ozone issues, but I'm perfectly happy with the ones I have, and I wouldn't get rid of them for anything.

[cally]

12. I use a HEPA filter from Sears

that I bought years ago. I run it every night and it almost eliminates my sinus infections. It's noisy though. I do recommend buying the replacement filter at the same time so it's not discontinued by the time you need to replace it.

Costco sells Hepa filters at times, also.

[jmowreader]

14. Start by getting rid of those damn fiberglass air filters in your HVAC

I laugh about all the people who I serve who want to buy HEPA air cleaners (we sell Honeywell--they work as advertised) but who persist in putting 75-cent air filters in their HVAC system.

The best air filter on the market is an electrostatic one. Flanders makes these as do other companies, but they're big-time expensive. Next best are the "high performance" filters like the 3M Filtrete and the Flanders NaturalAire Microparticle. After that comes the "medium performance" filters like Flanders NaturalAire.

You need this anyway, so put one of these in your HVAC and see if that's enough. Sometimes it is.

[Digit]

15. I have the Hunter QuietFlo HEPA

I had heard the ionizers are unhealthy.

To find reviews for different air cleaners, try epinions.com or amazon.com

[BigEdMustapha]

16. The Friedrich C-90 Air Cleaner

Bought a couple of these as the wife has bad allergies and asthma. This model was actually rated #1 by Consumer Reports in the tests where they rated the Sharper Image towards the bottom and started the legal fight between Consumer Reports and Sharper Image.

My wife reports a noticible difference in her ability to breathe at the house. She used to take her inhaler 2 or 3 times a day and now does not need to take it at all here at the house. Definate thumbs up from me!

http://www.bestaircleaner.com/index.asp

There is a carbon filter and a pre-filter ($5-10 each) which must be replaced twice a year, but the main filter can be washed in the dishwasher.

[miss_kitty]

17. Consumer reports said that Hepa Filters were the best air cleaners

The Sharper Image units were dissed by them, but Sharper Image disagrees with the CR assessment.

I have a hepa filter (Honeywell) and I use hepa bags in my vacuum cleaner. I use a Grab-it dust mop and dust cloths every day and clean my bedding about every four days.

I have area rugs I shake out every day and wash them often.

[Nevernose]

18. A good antihistamine

I was a pet owner until just a fwe years ago. For some reason, I developed allergies to dogs and cats (the infamous pet dander). I still like the horrible beasties, even if they do cause me to swell up to the size of a baloon, but these days I take Allegra or Claritin before going over to a pet-owner's house. Anything that doesn't make me feel jittery or sleepy.

I now have insurance (YEA!), and they work so well, in fact, that I would finally owning another pet if I could give it the time it deserves.