Dr.JoeSchmoe—April 22, 2019
Original title: Is this thing even working? - Maybe a Pass? This is my first ever air purifier but its really hard to tell if this is even doing anything. My office is 8' x 10', and I keep my door closed most days. Other than the white noise element, it is really hard for me to tell if this is doing anything more than serving as an expensive and poorly performing fan. I wouldn't recommend using this in any space larger than 8'x10', and ideally, not even for something this "big". If you work in an actual closet then this could be the purifier for you! Maybe? 3 stars honestly because I can't tell if it's even making a difference, and feel bad giving it 1 star if I'm just not sensitive enough to notice the benefits of an air purifier. I left it running on high over the weekend and my office smelled different, but not really "better", more just weird. It is definitely NOT quiet though. On medium, it is too much for me to have a phone call in the same room. High might as well be a jet engine if you are trying to hear or have a conversation. If you want to think and block out your annoying work neighbor though, then this is GREAT! Some positives: Quality seems good. It has a sturdy metal case, and the knob seems like it will last for years to come. Uses a standard filter size so replacements should be easy to acquire. UPDATE: After using this for going on two years, and a full replacement filter life cycle, I can confirm that it IS actually doing something, haha. It does a good job of filtering out airborne dust and particulates in my small office. It also does a great job of removing odors for the first few months of the filter's use. I generally run it all day on low or medium to keep some air moving and to provide a good white-noise background. Medium is still a little much for a phone call without a noise-canceling headset. Having the office door open, or frequent trips in and out of the office do overwhelm it quickly though. I couldn't see this being of any real use in a room that couldn't be closed off or one that is any larger than 150 sqft. There is also no way to tell if the UV bulb needs to be replaced. It would be nice to include some sort of status light that would let you know its still working properly. Removing the filter and wedging the safety switches allowed me to see that it was still working but that is less than ideal. Replacement filters were easy to find on Amazon, GermGardian "E" type, and installed without any trouble. I would note that air does not blow uniformly out of the front of the filter. It tends to blow most strongly between 30 and 80 degrees to the left of the centerline when looking at the front of the unit. With almost no flow coming out to the right of the centerline. This happens to work well for the counterclockwise airflow in my office but should be considered based on your intended location. Read more
smallwaistbigpackage—September 19, 2023
Just, wow! I had previously purchased a Germ Guardian pluggable air purifier for my bathroom. Honestly, I left a review on that one about a year ago. I had no complaints except I couldn't tell if it was actually working... This product though from Germ Guardian is another level! It's very simple to operate with just one button (the ionizer) and a click-wheel to get through the different fan settings (fan speed). You can immediately SMELL this thing is working, and it's working big time! I have never encountered such a well made air purifier before. There is some white noise with this machine, but it blocks out other sounds when I use it to sleep so I don't mind. It saves me sinus and headache and allergy medications and issues! The air smells fresh, crisp, and CLEAN! Again, honestly wasn't sure if this item was going to deliver in terms of performance; however, it far exceeds my expectations! Note: the air does blow out at an angle - probably 45 degrees - it does not blow out straight. I'm not sure of the reasoning behind this, but just a minor inconvenience. Overall, extremely well made product that has helped my health tremendously! I will be a future customer for life! THANK YOU GERM GUARDIAN! Read more
lyn—April 26, 2018
Using the GermGuardian in my office cubicle (8' x 8' x 5.5') that does not have a functioning window nor natural light. Such a dreary work environment. Week 1: Upon opening the box, I was greeted with the User Manual. Since I needed to submit an office permit to use this at my desk, I briefly scanned through the English section of the manual which was a quick and simple read, and was able to find the information for my office permit with ease. I removed the the air purifier from the box and checked for any noticeable defects; I did not find any externally and the filters seemingly new. On the back, there is a dial with the months which can be turned using a coin to set as a reminder for when to replace the filters. On the front, the knob can be rotated through 4 settings (Off, I, II, III) and a UV button that can be on or off. I plugged in the air purifier and turned the knob to the first setting (I) and set the UV in the 'on' position. NOISE: I quickly noticed how loud it was; like a computer fan kicking on the highest setting because the computer is processing a large software update. If you like white noise while you work, then it is not too bad. The first setting white noise definitely drowns the sound from the office air conditioning unit, but after stepping out of my cubicle, I am not able to hear the air purifier. On the second setting (II), is even louder than the first and can be faintly heard in the adjacently attached cubicles. On the last setting (III), is much louder than the previous two settings. In the adjacent cubicle, setting III sounds like a vacuum in the distance. The UV button had no impact on the level of noise. AIR QUALITY: Being that there is not a window in sight near my cubicle, I was impressed with how refreshing to have air circulated at my desk. The air feels cooler, too. I must admit that having the air circulate makes it a bit more tolerable to sit at a cubicle all day (now just need to find a way to have the illusion of natural light). Additionally, I have been sneezing less while sitting at my desk. Prior to the air purifier, sometimes I would sneeze continuously and need to step outside the building to decompress. Also, my coworker that sits in the cubicle next to me, is a smoker and it was noticeable when he would return from a smoke-break. With the air purifier in the first setting, I was not able to notice any lingering cigarette smoke. So far, I am pleased with this air purifier. I may post updated experiences with this air purifier in the weeks/months to come... Read more
