Ionic air purifiers are appliances that electrically charge air molecules with negative ions, also known as anions, thus ionizing them. An ionic air purifier bases its functioning on the static electricity principle: airborne particles are attracted to the purifier’s electrode, thus resulting in a better air quality for people breathing inside the respective room where this machine is functioning. As people are becoming more concerned with their health, such units were quite successful and many consumers wanted to buy one for offering themselves and their families a better air to breathe. Most of them never thought of the products safety or efficiency.
The efficiency rate of ionic air purifiers was contested back in October 2003 by Consumer Reports. The publication reported that conventional HEPA filtration systems are much better performers than ionic air purifiers. One of the air filters that was given a “fail” by Consumer Reports was the Ionic Breeze air purifier, manufactured by The Sharper Image. Although the air purifier met HEPA guidelines, its CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) seemed to be too low to be acceptable. The Sharper Image was heavily affected at that time, their shares falling dramatically that day.
The purpose of this article is not to go deeper into this issue of The Sharper Image financial troubles or bankruptcy, but to offer a review of the Ionic Breeze air purifier and of ionic air purifiers in general, for those readers who might be interested to know more about such appliances, or even to purchase one for their home.
Ionic air purifiers like the Ionic Breeze have a collector plate which attracts airborne particles of dust, pollen, pet dander and other allergens. If you make sure to clean the blade regularly, the device would be efficient enough as to make an average sized room safe for an allergic person. This can be a good solution for families with pets and with allergy sufferers. That’s because the allergen, the substance that triggers the allergic reaction is actually the pet dander, which is spread all over the place when the dog is running. When the allergic person inhales the infested air, her body starts the “fight” for annihilating what it thinks to be an enemy, using weapons such as swelling, itching or increased blood pressure.
Older models of the Ionic Breeze air purifier were producing ozone as a byproduct of the air purifying process. However, with the new technology incorporated in the Quadra silent air purifier with ionic breeze, ozone is no longer an issue thanks to the OzoneGuard, a catalyst that keeps the ozone emissions within the safe limits. This newer model is also better in its capacity of collecting airborne particles, because it features three collector blades which are electrically charged, plus two driver blades which help directing the particles into the trap.
The question if such appliances are healthy or not, if they are simply neutral or if they could generate unpleasant side effects, is difficult to answer. This is rather a personal observation: if you’re an asthma sufferer and you notice that an air purifier helps you breathe better, then for you it’s good. If you feel like your condition is worsening when the device is in use, then you should stop using it. Most of all, be it you suffer from asthma, allergy or another chronic condition, you should always seek for medical advice prior to attempting any change in your micro-climate. This includes also the use of an air purifier, be it HEPA or ionic. You never know what the doctor is going to say, so it’s better to ask first and purchase later.
