My 2 year experience with the Sharper Image Ionic Breeze ~ Worth the $350? ~

I feel that my review will make a contribution to knowledge about this items considering my daily use of this item for 2 years. I’ve cleaned it dozens of times; I’ve moved it around to four different regions of the U.S., so I simply feel that I have a tight grasp on what the Ionic Breeze has to offer. There are over a 100 reports concerning the Ionic Breeze about how great it is, about what it takes out of the air, etc. I do not think many people will argue that this machine does what it promises.

THE BASICS – WHAT IS IT?
I first started seeing advisements for the Ionic Breeze over 4 years ago in the Sharper Image (SI) magazine (now bankrupt). I have always enjoyed piecing through their catalogs looking at items that I cannot afford, but am intrigued by nonetheless.

It was when I actually sat through an infomercial about the Ionic Breeze that I started thinking about what it could do for me.

SI claims that the Ionic Breeze can:
- remove airborne allergens, pollutants, and irritants such as smoke and pet dander
- clean the air without a filter
- clean your air without making a noise
- uses only 10 watts of energy a day

I started doing some research on the item myself (not only on the SI site) and found that the vast majority of people felt that the Ionic Breeze significantly improved the smell and cleanliness of their homes. I lived in DC at the time of my research with a couple that loved Curry next door, my cigar habit, and the pollution that comes with millions of autos passing within a mile of my apartment each month.

My biggest worry about purchasing this item was cost. $350 for an air filter?! Let’s read more below and see if my payment “paid off.”

APPEARANCE
In the two apartments I’ve lived (DC and GA), I’ve always been able to find a 2’ by 2’ space with no problems. In DC, I had my home theater centrally located, so I placed it behind one of my front speakers away from the wall and pretty much out of site. In GA, I have my Ionic Breeze to the side of the couch and behind one of my surround speakers. The light gray Ionic Breeze is virtually invisible except for the green light on top that tells me it is still running.

I try to centrally locate the Ionic Breeze because SI states that the cleaning area for this item is effective for 500 square feet. I’m sorry, but I have not lived in a home under 500 square feet since my first 6 months in Hawaii. Let’s go into how effective only 1 Ionic Breeze is for an area close to 1500 square feet. I place my Ionic Breeze near my couch (central to the apartment) because I spend most of my awake home time near the couch because my living room/dining room are the same room.

EFFECTIVENESS
There are two big tests that I’ve put my Ionic Breeze through. I USED to burn candles before I purchased this item. I burnt one candle for a couple hours after my purchase and I will never burn another in a home.

TEST 1: I noticed something wrong immediately with my candle because I could not smell much of anything and this thing was burning for two hours. I then remembered that the Ionic Breeze claimed to remove smoke from the air. I removed the filter the next morning to find what looked like the inside of a chain smoker’s lungs. My brand new Ionic Breeze was crusted with charred like dust. I took a wet paper towel to the metal filter and was disgusted to find what was floating my the air. Candles are great, but that great scent your are smelling is floating charred perfume.

My roommate would like me to write that he does not like the Ionic Breeze because he likes his candles and he cannot use them if I am going to own an Ionic Breeze.

TEST 2: I enjoy a good cigar from time to time and it is most difficult to smoke when it is 15 degrees outside. At the prompting of my girlfriend, I Ionic-fied my small office into a smoking area. I moved a small television, my Ionic Breeze, and a rotating fan into this area. I lit up and smoked several cigars over several days in this little 10x12 room. The fan kept the smoke from getting thick and the Ionic Breeze cleaned up the smell. It did take a week or so for the smell to completely disappear, however, that is still a short amount of time for a room to be clear of any type of cigar remnant.

I also brew beer in my laundry room and enjoy baked salmon, so you can guess the smell that comes from that. After boiling hops for an hour, the apartment will smell like a microbrew for a couple hours. The Ionic Breeze makes short work of the hops and you cannot tell there was any home brewing going on. The salmon or hamburger smells are also quickly removed from the air if that seems to sicken anyone else that lives with or near you.

EASE OF USE
HOW TO USE: The Ionic Breeze is quick to setup and use. You simply have to plug it in and select three different levels of airflow from low to high that you would like. I usually leave mine on high, as it will clear more air in the same amount of time. This will also require cleaning it more often.

CLEANING: I have spent maybe 2 hours total cleaning this unit over the last 2 years. When I am smoking cigars or my roommate tries to light up a candle, I have to clean it more frequently. The unit probably gets cleaned about every 2-3 weeks. I have a pretty good method down using two paper towels. I dampen one to a point where you can barely squeeze water out of it and use that to wipe off the black grim. I will follow with a dry paper towel and try to dry the metal filters so they look like mirrors. I am careful not to touch the metal with anything other than cloth or the paper towel as a finger print can attract the grime and be harder to clean the next time.

DIRTY FILTERS: The Ionic Breeze with simply turn off, the selector light will turn red, or it will make a noise when it is dirty. I have had to just clean the Ionic Breeze to make it noiseless. If there are more contaminants in your Ionic Breeze that you cannot clean off your filters, SI has installed glass bead that cling to the wires that charge the air passing through your Ionic Breeze. Sometimes, particles get stuck to these and the glass beads will break them loose if you turn the item upside down and right side up over and over.

BONUSES – GET THE MOST FOR YOUR MONEY
I purchased my Ionic Breeze for the $350 and purchases a second for $175. I got a free bathroom Ionic Breeze that I use in my bedroom.

I do not have the 2nd Ionic Breeze because I sold it on Ebay for over $200. The way I look at it, I got another 10% off my Ionic Breeze and the person on the other end definitely got a good deal.

There are several Ionic Breeze varieties these days for sale by SI at their Ebay site. I’ve purchased the small bathroom ones for some other people for close to 50% off if you use Ebay and get the best factory conditioned ones. There are Like-New conditioned ones and the Almost-New type.

OVERALL
I have not been without my Ionic Breeze for 2 years and I have learned to accept it as a part of my daily life. I have not tried to see what the air would be like without it considering what I’ve seen come out of the filters.

The cost up front is a hit, but agree with Sharper Image that the ease of use pays for itself. The filters take about 10 minutes to clean total and you never have to buy anything after the initial purchase.

The unit is definitely noiseless as well. The only noise it makes is a scratchy sound with it needs to be cleaned.

I am satisfied with my Ionic Breeze and I’m pleased to see that I do not have to breath in everything that floats around in the air. I am sure I’m still getting enough pollutants in my lungs, but maybe I’ll add 6 months onto my life for not breathing 100% of the grime.

The Ionic Breeze comes with a full 5-year warranty. I thought this was very professional because it means that SI stands by their product very confidently. I have had no reason to make use of this warranty. It appears that they do honor their warranty due to the number of reconditioned items at their website or on Ebay.

I would recommend this item to anyone living in a large city, near stinking neighbors, smoke, or that have bad allergies. I am sure that you will notice an improved home environment that you will soon take for granted.