STACK #207 Jan 2022

FAIR AIR continued TESTING AN AIR PURIFIER STACK sent one of its LifeTech writers home to test the Breville AirRounder Plus Connect.

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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Five other considerations when buying an air purifier 1. A noisy fan in an air purifier can wreak havoc with your sleep patterns. If you’re going to use it in the bedroom, opt for one with minimal operation noise. 2. Check out the price of replacement filters. If you’re running an air purifier 24/7, regularly replacing filters that can’t be cleaned can soon add up. 3. If you intend to continually move the air purifier around the house, consider the weight of the unit. 4. If your device has a HEPA filter, ensure that it’s a True HEPA filter. To achieve this status, the filter must have a 99.7 per cent efficiency rate with particles up to 0.3 microns. 5. Invariably, in the world of air purification, you do pay for what you get. Don’t undersell a room size to save on a few bucks.

With a lifelong history of allergies, dust mites and pollen have been a perennial enemy. Each year, along with the promise of warm weather comes the affiliated itchy eyes and streaming nose – a nightmare affliction to have out in public during a pandemic! Dust mites are an issue all year, so a strict cleaning regime to subdue any night-time bedroom frontal assault on the nasal cavity is par for the course. The predicament isn’t aided by the in-situ, full-sized groodle who insists in sleeping on the bed. So I decided to reach out to Breville, who kindly offered a review unit for the purpose of this feature. And, more importantly, to see if it would make a difference. What turned up was an AirRounder Plus Connect – an air purifier designed for rooms of up to 40m2. This is the complete package; a unit

on went the pedestal fan, launching a whirlwind of allergens. Would this new weapon in the armoury make a difference? The AirRounder Plus has three oscillation

settings, so it can swivel 60 degrees, 120, or do a full 360-degree sweep, filtering air from all angles (I opted for the 360). A smart night mode automatically senses when the lights are off and cuts the LEDs on the air purifier to match the environment – it’s a neat feature for light sleepers who are easily disturbed by lighting through the night (late night smartphone users, we’re looking at you). With first light came genuine surprise – no blocked nose or irritable eyes. I didn’t even have to clear my throat. Was it just a one-off good night with absent dust mite detritus, or did the air purifier work? The environment was duplicated again the following night. And again. And again. As I write

that not only purifies the air but also doubles as a heater during the winter and a fan for the warmer months. The AirRounder Plus comes with a remote but it will also dovetail into any connected home via Wi-Fi. The full control is then operated through an app where real-time air quality can be assessed and the purifier turned on from anywhere within the house, or remotely. Operation can also be initiated through voice control using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. On the first night I duly carried the air purifier into the room, positioning it close to the door. As is the norm,

this, I’ve now gone nine days without any morning allergic reactions whatsoever. It was a success! When you look at the science though, it’s hardly surprising. The AirRounder Plus has a three-stage filtration system that incorporates both a HEPA and charcoal filter, trapping 99.97 per cent of impurities in the air. It certainly worked. It’s still early days, but at this stage, would I recommend an air purifier? I’ve only had the experience of the Breville AirRounder Plus Connect to base that answer on, but as an allergy sufferer, it’s a resounding yes. I’m now going to start testing it in the living room, so look out for the full review online.

LOOKING FOR AN AIR PURIFIER AT JB? These are some of the best-sellers!

Soho SO-65 An entry-level air purifier, this JB exclusive model offers three stage purification, 360-degree circulation, and will cover rooms up to 8.5m2.

Breville The Easy Air Purifier with Connect Also featuring 360 degrees of air circulation, this one, as the name suggests, can connect through Wi-Fi and be used via the app. It’s perfect for rooms from 15 to 25m2.

Philips Series 1000 With four speeds, the 1000 caters for areas of up to 63m2. An excellent air purifier for night- time with quiet operation, the unit will prompt the user when the filter needs to be replaced. A colour coding system on the dashboard reveals air quality in real-time.

TruSens Z-3000 Sleekly designed, the Z-3000 cleans air in 360 degrees and uses a pod to read air quality, relaying the information to adjust operation in real-time. It will cover 70 square metres.

Dyson HP09 At the top end of the price range is the HP09, an air purifier that analyses the pollutants and displays the results on an LCD screen. It has hot and cold functionality, Wi-Fi connectivity and can detect, and destroy, formaldehyde. It will cover an area of 81m3.

36 JANUARY 2022

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