Hamilton Beach TrueAir Purifier: Does This Thing Really Work?

Are we living in a Jetson's world or what? My wonderful wife showed up with an air purifier a few months ago. I could not figure out for the life of me why she purchased it or what it was needed for. I mean heck, it is usually just the two of us, a couple of stuffed animals, and a fish. How many germs could be floating around in the air and what would this machine do to remove them?

Well, it is supposed to remove the germs and allergans that cause millions of people problems. Now this got my attention. We both have allergies- though not terrible-that are occasionally annoying. If this thing could remove those allergans, I could be very happy.

So, we have used the air purifier for about six weeks now and neither of us have suffered from allergies. Of course, it is January in Pennsylvania so if there are any allergies around they are incredibly hearty to have survived this winter. Regardless, the purifier is supposed to remove the following: smoke, pollen, dust, animal dander, bacteria, and viruses from the air.

The problem with this machine is gauging how well it works. There is a UV light that supposedly destroys the problem causing agents. But how do you know? It is not like a light comes on and bells go off when it succeeds. What if you come home with a cold? Did you get it in the office or from allergans at home? How about in the spring when you are dying to open the windows? Will the purifier be able to handle all of those allergans?

This machine has a three speed fan (There is a quiet setting that can be used for bedrooms.) that is supposed to be sufficient for a room that is 350 square feet. The machine claims that their filters catch 99.97% of the allergans within a room. I have no idea.

I do know that setting it up and replacing the filters is simple and that is a big plus. The various fan speeds are useful, but the quiet one is the one that will most often be used as the others are a little on the loud side. As far as size is concerned, the machine is a little large. It weighs just over 20 pounds and has dimensions of 15.25" x 10.0" x 23.5". There is also a three year warranty that covers everything.

The problem I have with this machine is that unless you have a problem that you can prove has become better because of the air purifier, there is just no way of knowing if this thing is worth anything. It could be worthless, but you have a healthy year and do not get sick. Does the air purifier get the kudos for a healthy year? The machine may help with allergies, but what good does that do if you spend the entire day outside?

I guess if my wife feels that she is getting a better night's sleep and wakes up full of smiles, I am happy. But I will always wonder how much of it is a placebo effect. I can only give an average weighting for the Hamilton Beach TrueAir Purifier. While I am pretty sure it cannot hurt, I am just as sure that you will have a tough time determining if it helps.