You may have seen on the news in summer of 2018 about the forest fires along the west coast. That was what we were in for a couple of weeks. We had PM2.5 levels hovering between unhealthy (150-200) and very-unhealthy levels (200+) outside with inside PM2.5 levels around 120 to 140. We have a 2,380 sqft house, 1,400 of that is downstairs. While these are rated for 500sqft, a single unit downstairs was enough to keep our PM2.5 levels down to about 40 or 50 despite the area being 3x larger than recommended. They also worked quickly, with a significant drop of PM2.5 levels within an hour of being turned on. We ended up buying 2 of them (1 upstairs and 1 downstairs). The only negative was one of the units was a bit louder than the other (at all levels). But they were quiet enough for the noise to fade into the background and didn't interrupt our TV viewing or anything else. Once the PM2.5 levels outside dropped to 75'ish, the inside dropped to under 10 and it's remained at or below 5 once the smoke finally cleared out (and the rains returned!). An interesting side-effect is when we cook in the kitchen, the purifier next to the kitchen will quickly clean the air (just bought our house and recently discovered the stove-top vent simply vents back into the kitchen). Very glad we bought them. In reality, it seems the major difference between these types of devices is how quiet and quickly they work, but they should all be using a similar filter which is what actually filters the air. Would definitely recommend, I just hope we don't need them next summer. Read more
I was skeptical that this would help, but after a few months of my upstairs apartment neighbors smoking so much cannabis that it had sunk into my furniture and clothes even after a wash, and no help from the landlords, I had to try something. Whatever this filter is doing, it's working. I placed it in our kitchen that had reeked of smoke for weeks and it cleared it up almost entirely within 30 minutes. I keep it in the bedroom now, for the most part. The smell wafts down whenever they light up but it's gone almost instantly and doesn't bother me anymore, or keep me awake when I'm trying to sleep. The fan is quiet and makes for soft white noise at any speed below 3. My computer's fan is louder than the 1 setting, but the 4 and 5 settings do make normal conversation a bit hard to hear. You will very rarely need to run it this high. As an added bonus, I have slight asthma and a cat. I don't know if it was the smoke or my cat (or just a placebo effect) but I find I can breathe easier after running the thing for 10 - 15 minutes with the door closed or even slightly ajar. As an aside, I'm not sure if the particulate detector doesn't work well, or if the neighbor's cannabis doesn't kick it up as much as I think it should, but even though it cycles the smell out quickly, the numbers rarely change and it doesn't increase the speed. It's not a problem - again, it does an amazing job of cleaning up the odors even on its lowest setting - but it's something I've noticed. Read more
We've had two of these units in our house now since December 2019 -- almost 5 years! We burn a wood stove for heat all winter, our summers are dry and dusty, spring is full of pollen. My husband has allergies to dust, pollen, and dander -- I'm bothered by smoke -- and having these little workhorses around (we have two) has made a tremendous difference. They hum along at a steady pace day and night and alert us when air quality is getting poor. They've done triple duty on multiple occasions when wildfire smoke was so bad, we were advised to stay inside for days. They worked HARD hour after hour, and we felt safer, knowing they were doing their job. I'm not typically a review writer, but I was so impressed when I wrote to the company this month after one of our units began acting funny. They immediately responded with incredibly clear, easy instructions for fixing the problem, and my unit is now back to doing its job. We use them every day and I've only had to change the filters 2x since we bought them. (Did I mention we also have a dog?) Cannot say enough good things about this product or the company's customer service. Read more
Ah, the SilverOnyx 5 Speed Air Purifier—like a cunning character in one of my novels, it works quietly yet insists on being noticed. From the moment I switched it on, I felt an invisible hand sweeping through the room, chasing away dust, pollen, and all those irritating little specters that haunt everyday life. Its five-speed settings are a clever touch, allowing me to choose between a gentle whisper or a determined gust, depending on the mood—or the mess. The design is sleek, almost noir in its simplicity, and it does its job with a certain panache. Yet, there is a hint of imperfection: the highest speed, though powerful, hums like a restless conscience, a subtle reminder that even the best have their quirks. Still, in the end, the SilverOnyx delivers remarkably clean air, a trustworthy companion in the theatre of domestic life. Four stars, easily earned, with just enough mystery left to intrigue. Read more
