 FANTASTIC EQUIPMENT |
| Review Date: March 22, 2008 |
| Reviewer: CEdward, Southern USA |
After 1 month of use, this IQAir unit earns my highest recommendation. I researched air purifiers for about a week before buying two IQAir units, one with the odor filter (Pro-Plus), and one without (Pro) to help with allergies and asthma symptoms that my family suffers from. Both of them work absolutely perfectly, with significant symptom relief within the first week of use. The packaging was very secure, with each unit contained in double boxes similar to what you find with high-end stereo equipment, including thick styrofoam inserts for cushioning. The unpacked units were sparkling new and clean, with an inspection page that detailed the performance actual performance for my unit at each of the five individual speeds. The manual was nicely organized and easy to comprehend.
These are sturdy units that are somewhat heavy, but come with a convenient handle recessed on the top, as well caster wheels (which are optional to install) to roll the unit if you need to move it periodically. The manual recommends clearance of at least 12 inches on all sides for optimal performance, so keep this in mind for placement in your room. It is noisy at the highest setting, but works very effectively at quieter settings 2 or 3 in my 13' x 16' room. I also use an IQAir unit in a 20 x 20 room, and it cleans the air very well at setting 3. My son noticed so much improvement in his allergies and breathing after just two days of use, that when I moved the unit to another room for a night, he begged me to return it to his bedroom. We went on vacation for a few days, and he said that he could not wait to get back home because he missed the IQAir purifier.
If you are comparing the units with and without the odor filter, even the one without the odor filter leaves the air smelling fresh and clean. In fact, for the first week, the one with the odor filter had a bit of a peculiar smell to it, which might have been coming from the odor filter itself. Unless you have a really significant odor problem, you can save the extra $100 that you pay for the "Pro-Plus" over the "Pro" model. The units look identical from the outside, and you can order a retrofit assembly from the IQAir if you later want to convert your "Pro" to "Pro Plus." Each unit has a remote that is slightly larger than a credit card, which is very convenient if I want to change the setting after I get into bed.
In summary, these IQAirs are well worth the price, which isn't as much as it seems after you factor in the yearly filter replacement cost, which is lower than most other brands. I wish that I had discovered IQAir years ago, before wasting my money on other air purifiers. I am so impressed that I am about to order a third IQAir to use in my office. I have previously owned the following air purifiers, none of which came anywhere close to my IQAir units: Oreck XL Air8D, Oreck XL 4000, Holmes (various sizes), Honeywell (the largest big round one), Sharper Image (Ionic Breeze). I hated cleaning the Oreck units, which were overpriced, and their replacement filters were also very expensive on a yearly basis. The Orecks also left a lot of dust all around them. The motor burned out on my large Oreck unit just after the two year warranty expired. The Honeywell filter was also very expensive, and the unit was extremely noisy. The Holmes units were ok for very small rooms, but had to be on the noisiest high setting to notice any air cleaning, had flimsy construction, and required frequent filter changes. The Sharper Image units were basically useless, as they did not improve the air quality or our allergy symptoms; they went back to the store after three weeks. |
Excellent Air Purifier
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| Review Date: November 28, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Mark Adams, North Carolina |
| I have owned the IQAir HealthPro Plus for about a year, and would rate it as the best air purifier on the market. If you have chemical sensitivities, however, be aware that the unit will "outgas" for several days when it is first operated. This releases fumes into the air that may cause problems for those with asthma. I was unable to use the activated charcoal filter for this reason and am now running the IQAir without it. Even so, air filtration is great... I sleep well at night and no sneezing or coughing at all. I plan to buy a second one for out beach house. |
Does the Job, Definitely has some flaws...
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| Review Date: July 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Michael Rimov, Corvallis, OR |
I've now owned this machine for approximately 3 months. (Long enough for one prefilter change.) Before I begin, let me give you some background information:
I live in an area that produces most of the US grass seed.... and I've become severely allergic to grass. In my 750 sq foot apartment, I had two honeywell filters. Even so, I had to be on 20-60 mg prednisone for 6 weeks to be able to breathe. (Average dose was about 30-40mg prednisone/day and I could not leave the apartment).
I got this filter partially out of desperation. I did not want to go through another grass season like that.
I can't say (like some have reported) that I was able to be free of all medication, etc. But I got through the time with only 10 mg prednisone (which if you've ever been on it, you know that 10mg is VERY little!) and I could not tell if the pollen count outside was 30 or 1600. My breathing inside was no different. (And if I tried stepping outside, I felt like I was being hit with a sledgehammer, and my lungs would nearly instantly tighten up).
So for me, this filter is a keeper. I was MUCH healthier this year than I was the previous years without it, and I'm very grateful to the company for making something that has given me such asthma relief.
However, this filter is not without its issues that should be weighed in:
Minor issues with this air filter:
- This is a "slow-and-steady wins the race" filter. I would not expect you to feel serious relief from this filter for about 24 hrs after putting it in a room. Furthermore, if you have an exhaust fan running for any long period of time (ie, bathroom fan, kitchen hood fan, etc.) _this filter cannot keep up_.
-Doesn't seem to filter out wood smoke (or perhaps one of the chemical byproducts of it) 100%. I was at a location where the front of the home had a wood stove that was belching out some smoke. Even though I was in a room at the other end of the house with a closed door, this filter couldn't clear the smoke enough for me. I was forced to leave.
Cons:
-It is "plastic-y." While the "lego-brick" construction is definitely ingenious, I'm concerned about longevity of the side clips and handles. If I'm paying that much for an air filter, I would expect the handles and clips to be rock solid, not like this.
-VERY Pricey: Don't bother with this filter unless you really need it. If you are only an allergy sufferer, you might want to try the Honeywell filters first.
-Prefilter is pricey. I never heard about the prefilter in reviews of this device (I only heard about how you only have to change the HEPA filters every few years). The prefilter is supposed to be changed 4 times a year and they are $50 each. (!!) Worse yet, the "change indicator" is only a timer. So you have no real indication of the performance of any particular filter or whether or not you actually NEED to change it.
Conclusion:
If it didn't perform its job so well, it would be a 3-star machine because of the cons. If you aren't dealing with some serious breathing issues, I'd pass on this machine.
But if you are having serious breathing problems and would be willing to pay through the nose to get some relief, then I would HIGHLY recommend this machine.
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Great Product
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| Review Date: January 30, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Le Basha, Portland, Oregon |
I noticed the impact almost on the first night... clean air and comfortable sleep at night.
I have allergy and asthma and I usually hesitate to cook since the smell after that bothers me but I decided to give it a try after I bought this purifier and the smell did not bother me at all because there was almost none after I finished cooking.
So overall, the product delivers. It is expensive yes, but you are not going to buy something like this every month or year so you might as well invest in the best product there is for your health. |
Best air filter I own
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| Review Date: May 1, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Aaron_2278, |
| I have several air purifiers throughout my apartment. My son and wife have severe allergies and we needed something more than what we had. I bought the IQ air purifier and we no longer smell the smoke wafting from other apartments. Going from the hallway through our door is like night and day. One side is smokey, the other side smells like nothing at all. I can't say enough about this purifier. I would highly recommend this to anyone with allergies. |
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