SHARPER IMAGE IONIC BREEZE For Cleaner Air
Pros:
cleans the air, no filters to replace
Cons:
expensive initially
The Bottom Line:
If you want cleaner air, the Ionic Breeze is what you need.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
This is the original Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Air Purifier. I purchased two of these through the Sharper Image website two years ago. The purchase price was $350 for each unit.
When I first saw the advertisements for the Ionic Breeze, I thought they would be the perfect addition to my household. My entire family suffers from daily allergies and I have asthma, all of which are worsened by the pollutants in the air we breathe.
About the Ionic Breeze
1. Traps allergens
2. Runs silently
3. No filters to replace
4. Energy efficient, using only 10 watts of power
5. Guaranteed for 60 days for a full refund
How does it work?
The Ionic Breeze cleans the air by trapping airborne particles as they circulate past an array of electrically charged stainless steel blades. Contaminated air from the room is drawn in through the vents at the back of the unit. As the particles enter, they are electrically charged and are attracted to the oppositely charged collection blades inside. These charged particles will stick to the blades until wiped off by the user.
It is effective at trapping airborne particles ranging in size from .05 to 30 microns. (A micron is SMALL. The width of a human hair ranges from 50 to 200 microns!) The very small particles include tobacco smoke, viruses and some allergens; medium-size particles include other kinds of smoke, bacteria and other types of allergens; and larger-size particles include mold spores, pollen and dust.
Each unit stands about 27" tall and weighs about 5 pounds. A button on top allows you to switch the unit to: Off, Hi, Medium, or Low. An indicator light shows which one it is turned to. Each Ionic Breeze cleans a room about 500sq ft. This is dependent on various things: the amount of pollutants in your air. For instance, if you are a smoker, there will be more pollutants in the air for the Ionic Breeze to clean, as opposed to a non-smoker. A long cord at the bottom allows you to place these units virtually anywhere that there is an outlet.
On top of the unit, you will find a handle. When you pull on this handle, the unit will turn itself off. Pull out the inside unit which contains the collection grids. Using a damp cloth, wipe these grids clean. Allow to dry and then replace inside the unit, and turn it back in. This should be done every few days in the beginning, then about once a week, depending, again, on how many irritants are in your home. As stated before, the unit runs silently. However, when the collection grids become full and need cleaning, the unit will emit a "hissing" sound. Once cleaned, the unit will return to its silent workings.
I keep both of my Ionic Breeze's on "High" and clean them every week.
Cleaning the outside of the unit
The outside gets very dirty as well as the inside. However, it takes more to clean it than the collection grids. I have found that using a "Magic Eraser" cleans the units easily. I have tried using a wet cloth, but this doesn't do it. I don't want to use any harsh chemicals on the outside, so the "Magic Eraser" does great.
Also I have found that if you place the unit up close to a wall, the wall gets pretty dirty right behind it as well.
Do I feel that purchasing the Ionic Breeze was beneficial?
That is a difficult question to answer. I know that the units work by the amount of build-up that I remove from the collection grids on a weekly basis. There are times that our allergies aren't near as bad as they were pre-Ionic Breeze, but this isn't always the case. They do require alot of work, with cleaning the collection grids and the outside of the units. I feel better knowing that we aren't breathing in those pollutants that I wipe from the collection grids. It is really horrible to see what those grids trap. To think that all of that mess could be in our lungs, then it was worth the price and the effort it takes. The price for these units are high, but maintaining our health is more important.
Would I recommend one?
Yes I would.
Please be sure to read all of the literature that comes with your Ionic Breeze before using.
Thanks for reading.
