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Any allergy sufferers have experience with Sharper Image air filters?

V

Viper GTS

Lifer
I'm contemplating whether or not to move into a coworker's apartment. Only real problem is he has a cat, & I'm quite allergic to them. We're going to try shampooing the carpet today, & from now on the cat will be getting a bath once a week with shampoo that's supposed to help those of us with allergies.

However...

I was shown these. The reviews on epinions seem to be pretty decent, & I think I remember some family friends having good results with a similar product. If a combination of a thorough carpet cleaning + cat bathing + ionic filterization would keep me from sneezing all the time, the cost of the filter would be well worth it. I like it here, & broadband is nice, but the runny nose/sneezing part isn't pleasant.

Viper GTS
 
a recent consumer reports did a study on air filters. sharper image came out dead last i believe since it doesn't really move much air, it also creates toxic ozone to boot. i just don't repect a company that puts out cr@p like that. anyways, go to your local library if you want to see that issue, esp cuzi can't remember which air filter came out on top🙂
 


<< Yup, general rule of thumb is: If they advertise it in an infomercial, it ain't work a damn. >>



I didn't know they did, I never watch TV. 😛

I will try to find that CR, it might be worth the online subscription price just to get that.

Viper GTS
 
Hi Viper,

I have two of these things... and I like them, but mainly because they make the room smell good. I too am allergic to cat dander (as well as dog and dust mite), but I don't have any cats, so I couldn't tell you how effective it is at removing cat dander from the air. Allergy shots cured my dust and dog allergies for the most part (didn't help much for cats--I still get sneezy when a cat is around).

OK, so being that I have the ionic breeze, I don't think they are very effective. Something that moves as little air as this can't be as effective as a good HEPA air cleaner. The nice things about the ionic breeze are its compact size, the fact that it's silent (completely), you don't have to buy filters, and the fact that it puts out ozone, which is a wonderful-smelling (though harmful to the lungs in large quantities) molecule made up of three Oxygen atoms.

The thing does get stuff out of the air though. I have to clean mine every 1.5-2 weeks because as they get dirty they make very annoying "static electricity" sounds. When I pull out the "collection grid" the thing is coated with dust... pretty gross. I also suggest using rubbing alcohol to clean the thing (not the easiest thing to clean though) because if you use water and put the grid back with ANY water remaining on it it will make the same static noises until it's dry.

Oh yeah, and don't dream of paying $500 (or whatever astronomical amount they're asking now)... go to the Sharper Image auction site and buy a "refurbished" one for $150 (maybe less now). Most of these are returns because people paid $500 for them and realized within 30 days that they aren't worth nearly that much. Sharper Image can't sell them as new so they go to the auction site for a hell of a lot cheaper.

Hopefully someone can give you an idea of how well they work at cleaning cat dander out of the air. My guess is that you'd have better luck with a HEPA air cleaner.

l2c
 


<< I have two of these things... and I like them, but mainly because they make the room smell good. I too am allergic to cat dander (as well as dog and dust mite), but I don't have any cats, so I couldn't tell you how effective it is at removing cat dander from the air. Allergy shots cured my dust and dog allergies for the most part (didn't help much for cats--I still get sneezy when a cat is around). >>



I wish my shots had been as successful, I've actually considered going back on them.

I'll do some research, the silence of the SI filters is appealing, maybe one in addition to a HEPA filter run during the day when I'm gone would do the trick.

Viper GTS
 
Basics:

Three types of air purifiers (purifiers are not always filters): Ionic, Filters(HEPA), and Ozone.

Whatever you do, do not get anything that makes Ozone. Had one in the house for a little bit when I was a kid, gave us all bad headaches. Later in highschool, they thought us about ozone and ozone is bad. In the upper atmosphere, fine. Here, bad. It is very distructive molecule. The reason some think it makes air purer is this distructiviness. It breaks down a lot of other compounds but I highly doubt allergens and ozone is bad for you anyway.

Ionic works on the principle that dust (and I guess cat hair) have an electric charge. The machine has a piece of metal that has an opposite charge. It pushes air over the piece of metal, the dust sticks due to static and cleaner air leaves.

Filters are just that, filters. HEPA (high effiency particle arrestor) is the standard. It traps all things large than its openings (duh). So it traps even stuff that doesn't have an electric charge.

Going with a HEPA filter is always a good idea. I would look for a unit that has both a HEPA filter and an ionic element. I have used one for a small room so I assume they make them for a large room.

Sharper image (in an infomercial) made a selling point on how quiet their ionic breeze is. As we all know from computers, quiet=less air.

Stick with a good name in air purifiers like Hamilton Beach, or Honeywell. Also a lot of filter types include a charcoal layer. This just helps with odors.
 
Also invest in a good vaccuum cleaner and run it at least once a week, if not every 3 or 4 days. That may help a bit too. Get rid of the kitty stuff, as well as dust. Obvious thing to do, but a lot of folks who have pets overlook it.

BTW: When I had CR online, it was like $3 a month. If you just need a bit of info it sure is handy. Goes to a good cause too, since they are non-profit. Or you could just go to the library and look at back issues (the online site does leave a bit to be desired).
 
Yeah, my allergist told me going into it that the cat antigen is not nearly as effective as dust mite. Dog seemed to work pretty well for me... I don't find myself getting so immediately stuffed up when I'm around dogs. But put a cat in the room with me and it only takes ten minutes or less.

I had immunotherapy for three years (while I was in high school) and that seemed to be enough. I missed so much school because of allergies when I was younger, but I've found that my allergy attacks are few and far between now. So I'm very glad for those shots... they also helped me lose any fear I had of needles--a nice bonus.

Yeah I've got a dual HEPA/Ionic Breeze combo going. The fan of the HEPA doesn't bother me at all. I've got so many fans going in my computer case that one more hardly makes a difference. Plus, I find the "pink noise" to be sort of soothing. I'd probably toss and turn at night without some sort of low frequency noise going.

Like I said, I mainly use the IB because of the ozone, but the theory behind generating negative ions to neutralize charged airborne particulate matter (such as cat dander) isn't voodoo--it does work, it's just a matter of whether it's more or less effective than the old fashioned filter method.

Good luck in your search.

l2c
 


<< Also invest in a good vaccuum cleaner and run it at least once a week, if not every 3 or 4 days. That may help a bit too. Get rid of the kitty stuff, as well as dust. Obvious thing to do, but a lot of folks who have pets overlook it.

BTW: When I had CR online, it was like $3 a month. If you just need a bit of info it sure is handy. Goes to a good cause too, since they are non-profit. Or you could just go to the library and look at back issues (the online site does leave a bit to be desired). >>

Good advice about the vaccuum cleaner. In fact, mine has a HEPA filter in it, so hopefully most of the stuff stays in there instead of leaking out of the bag right back out into the room.

l2c
 


<< Basics:

Three types of air purifiers (purifiers are not always filters): Ionic, Filters(HEPA), and Ozone.

Whatever you do, do not get anything that makes Ozone. Had one in the house for a little bit when I was a kid, gave us all bad headaches. Later in highschool, they thought us about ozone and ozone is bad. In the upper atmosphere, fine. Here, bad. It is very distructive molecule. The reason some think it makes air purer is this distructiviness. It breaks down a lot of other compounds but I highly doubt allergens and ozone is bad for you anyway.

Ionic works on the principle that dust (and I guess cat hair) have an electric charge. The machine has a piece of metal that has an opposite charge. It pushes air over the piece of metal, the dust sticks due to static and cleaner air leaves.

Filters are just that, filters. HEPA (high effiency particle arrestor) is the standard. It traps all things large than its openings (duh). So it traps even stuff that doesn't have an electric charge.

Going with a HEPA filter is always a good idea. I would look for a unit that has both a HEPA filter and an ionic element. I have used one for a small room so I assume they make them for a large room.

Sharper image (in an infomercial) made a selling point on how quiet their ionic breeze is. As we all know from computers, quiet=less air.

Stick with a good name in air purifiers like Hamilton Beach, or Honeywell. Also a lot of filter types include a charcoal layer. This just helps with odors. >>

While I don't disagree that ozone can be harmful to humans, the amount of ozone released by these units is low enough that you shouldn't have any respiratory problems (though some people are more sensitive to ozone than others). The thing basically just puts out enough to make the room smell fresh.

Contrast this to ozone generators, which put out a hell of a lot more ozone than an Ionic Breeze and are designed solely to neutralize odors (a lot of marijuana growers use them expressly for that purpose).

l2c
 
If you do buy a Sharper Image Ionic Breeze make sure to check out SI's auction site as well as eBay.

If you don't get an Ionic Breeze I've seen some very nice HEPA air purifiers at CostCo for $99.99 and $179.99 (I think). One was Honeywell the other I forgot the brand name. But they are 99.99% effective in removing allergens, are supposedly really quiet and one comes with a remote.
 
This is only $180, a Hunter:

With 99.97% effective air cleaning, the QuietFlo? air purification system quietly outperforms other competitive models to keep your home environment fresh, clean and allergen-free. Hunter's True HEPA filter removes particles as small as .3 microns, including: smoke, dust, pollen and virtually all airborne allergens. The Whisper-Quiet fan motor delivers powerful airflow, without the noise associated with other systems.

400 CFM airflow will change the air seven times per hour in a 20' x 20' room


I am thinking about it pretty seriously.
 
911paramedic - Thank you, that's the other $179 model I was thinking of. They had one turned on in CostCo and it was impressive the amount of air it could move. If I weren't so concerned about the SI IB creating so much "ozone" and if I had a powerful fan (then it wouldn't be silent) then I'd probably buy it.
 
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