I liked Cleanforce Mega 1000 better than its competitors
What I like about it: 1) It's aesthetically pleasing (i.e. it looks nice). 2) It's simple, easy, and straightforward to operate. 3) Removal and Re-insertion of the filters are easy. 4) Of the 4 fan speeds (1 being the lowest and 4 being the highest), speeds 1 and 2 are quiet. Can barely hear it. Speeds 3 & 4 are louder, similar to a vacuum cleaner. But these speeds suck and blow a lot of air. 5) Panel lights indicate quality (or lack thereof) of the air. Blue is best, Green is good, Yellow is crummy, and red is the worst. 6) Even better than the light indicators referenced above, a front panel display indicates the PM2.5 index. PM2.5 stands for Particulate Matter that is 2.5 microns (or less) in size. It is a measure of the quality of the air. A lower number indicates better quality, while a higher number indicates poorer air quality. A sensor on the back panel of the machine measures these particles in the air near the vicinity of the machine. So, for example, a reading of 5 would indicate there are 5 micrograms of particles 2.5 microns or less in size per cubic meter of air. The PM2.5 index gives you a more specific indication of the air quality -- whereas the colored panel lights give you a general, relative range. For example, on my machine, a blue light indicates air containing anywhere from 0 to 15 micrograms of 2.5 micron particles per cubic meter of air. But the PM2.5 index display tells you exactly where you are in that range -- for example 5 or 13 micrograms per cubic meter of air. 7) The machine has a remote control. I can control its functions from my recliner chair. 8) Machine has a timer. You can control how long you want the machine to remain on (in 1hr increments) before turning itself off -- anywhere from 1 to 12 hours. 9) It has an "auto" mode that will adjust the fan speed automatically according to the air quality (The dirtier the air, the higher the fan speed). 10) Company was highly responsive. I contacted them once before purchasing the machine and 2 or 3 times afterwards. They responded to my e-mails promptly (either same day or next day). In contrast, when I contacted Nuwave regarding their Oxypure machine, I never received a response from them at all which was consistent with with other consumers who also complained about Nuvave's lack of responsiveness. Cons: 1) It's expensive. 2) Filter replacement is expensive. And while the filters are competitively priced with other brands (about $60.00 per filter), you need TWO filters for this machine (i.e. about $120.00 to replace the filters). What I would improve: 1) The timer. I would change the timer to indicate how much time actually remains after setting the timer. Here's the way the timer currently works: Suppose you set the timer for 2 hours. The display will show the PM2.5 index rating for about 10 seconds, then flash 2 (for 2 hours) for about 2 seconds. Suppose 10 minutes go by. Instead of the timer flashing 1hr 50 min, it continues to flash 2 instead. It will continue flashing 2 until 1hr has actually elapsed, at which time the display will flash 1 (indicating 1hr left on timer). I would change the timer so it actually displays the actual amount of time remaining before the machine will turn itself off. So, if you set the timer for 2 hrs, 20 minutes later the timer should display 1hr 40min instead of displaying 2. 2) I would add another air quality sensor (PM2.5 index monitor) to measure the OUTPUT of the air in addition to measuring air input quality. This would give the user an idea of the efficiency of the filters. So, for example, if the PM2.5 index for the INPUT reads 17, and the OUTPUT reads 5, you know your filters are working. And, as time goes by, you would expect the INPUT reading and the OUPUT reading to equilibrate (as air is filtered, it's quality should improve such that INPUT air readings will eventually match, or at least approach, OUTPUT air quality readings). Performance: Normally, the air quality where I placed my machine reads around 5 (Excellent air quality). The highest reading I've seen was 13. But for the most part, my PM2.5 index display hovers around 5. One day, I broiled some spare ribs. When I opened the oven, all kinds of smoke came out into the atmosphere. I turned the machine on and the PM2.5 index display registered 999 and the fan speed kicked into it's top speed. After about 15 minutes, the PM2.5 index began dropping, and the fan speed changed from 4 to 3 after about 40 minutes. It took about an hour for the display to come back down to 5. Overall, I would recommend this air purifier. It's easy to use, it performed well, and the company was highly responsive to my questions. Read more
