AIRTHEREAL APH260 Air Purifier, 3 Stage HEPA, 152 CFM, CARB ETL Certified

Update 25 months later: I've had this unit now for just over 2 years. Did the math, and I'm replacing the filter about every 5 months. I have a loft-style condo that is very open and high ceilings, so this is why the filters (for me) are filled sooner than the 6-8 months the ad describes. If you have this in an enclosed room of square footage mentioned in the ad, I believe you can reasonably expect to get 6-8 months out of the standard filter. Also I run it on the highest fan setting and I run it all the time; another reason my filters fill up faster. My unit continues to perform great - the filter catches a whole lot of dust; there is very visible testament when I go to change the filter!!! (Both cool and gross to see!!!) How do you know when to change the filter? There is a red "PM 2.5" light on the top of the unit. When the filter needs to be replaced, it blinks until you change it. After you change it, hold down the fan button and the timer button (which may not be visible in the moment, but on my unit, is right in the middle of all the buttons) at the same time for a few seconds, and the red blinking will stop; this resets it. Some have asked if this air purifier is loud. I personally consider it "not loud" on any of the settings, however, for me I like and want a loud fan, and so I consider it not loud enough! :) (I need multiple "white noise" sources in my condo - due to lack of soundproofing in my condo building - to try to mask unwanted noise from other parts of the building.) For those looking for a quiet purifier, the lowest fan setting is fairly quiet. And on any of the settings, it is smooth fan sound. For some of us "fan"atics, smooth sound can be important. :) I have been impressed with this unit, it is still working well after 25 months, it is still being sold, replacement filters are still always available, and so this is probably still a good purchase choice today (April 2022). Prices on the unit and the replacements filters do a bit of jumping around, I have observed. I hope you, New Customer, get them for fair, reasonable prices. A note on the two types of filters that are available out there for replacement: There is a standard one, the type that comes with the unit. And then I see another called "medical grade", almost $10-15 more than the standard type. Too many of the reviews for the "medical grade" one say that the filter is slightly too small and ill-fitting. This is something you would not want; it would fully defeat the purpose of having a good air purifier, and for buying a filter that is supposed to be "better" than the standard filter, because dust would be sucked directly into the fan area anywhere the fit of the filter is not snug. My experience has been that the standard filter is very snug - the one I put in today was super snug. This is what you want! So unless we start seeing reviews for the "medical grade" filter being upgraded to a super-snug fit, I am going to suggest that you stick with the standard filter for your replacements. At this time, I see a few different sellers on Amazon who carry them. (APH260 True Hepa Replacement Filter) A note about cigarette smoke odor: A couple of months ago, cigarette smoke odor was coming up into my condo from the condo under mine; this air purifier did not help me with that. I run my unit on the highest setting, all the time, and still smelled the odor whenever the person smoked. Many other reviews about this unit mention they had success with cigarette smoke odor reduction/removal and forest fire smoke odor reduction/removal, so if you want it for that reason, I would suggest you try this unit out and return it within the return-timeframe if it doesn't clear the odor to your satisfaction. This is something that comes down to individual personal experience, and so this unit may still work for you to reduce those kinds of odors to your satisfaction. ~~~ Have had this 5 months now, and the change filter light went on this week. The old filter was not only gray with blocked particles, it had accumulated in 3d, sticking out off the filter! Gross!! All that blocked from my lungs! Thank you, air purifier and awesome filter!! Changing filter is very easy. The overall unit is very lightweight, so you can easily move it if needed. I recommend this air purifier, but I'm sorry to see the pricing of the unit change so wildly over the last few months - (I've kept an eye on the pricing because I'm thinking of getting a second unit for the opposite end of my condo). Hoping it becomes reasonably priced again, so I can get a second unit for the other side of my condo (which is about 1000 sq ft, and I have my current unit on one end - the bedroom side of the condo.)

Likes: Product has a number of nice features. Large inexpensive Hepa filter (about $30) w/activated carbon to remove particles and odors. Built-in ionizer can further reduce particles by making very small suspended particles e.g., pollens, allergens, clump together so that they fall to the floor and/or stick to objects in the room (which can then be removed by vacuuming/dusting. You can see the difference, after using the ionizer, you will likely need to dust the room from all the particles which the Hepa filter missed. After repeated use, the need to dust drops down significantly, which means your room air is remaining much cleaner than before. ( I like products where you can actually see, hear, or smell the difference they make.) U/V light can help kill bacteria and viruses suspended in the air. The automatic setting detects the amount of suspended particulates in the air, and automatically adjusts fan speed to suck them into the Hepa filter. This is really cool and you can actually see it work in real time. My unit typically registers a low rate of particulates in the air and the LED displays a correspondingly low number e.g., 3-7. But if I lift the corner of a nearby throw rug, and let it drop, or pull out a box from under a nearby bed, I usually don't see any dust, but the unit after a few seconds, registers dust and the LED display may increase to 40+, the fan automatically goes on 'high", and as the unit cleanses the air, you can watch the LED display slowly drop back down to 4-7 after a few minutes... and then automatically change the fan speed to "low". This can be very helpful if you are a guy who has trouble seeing dirt and dust (like me), but your spouse claims there is dirt and dust everywhere, e.g., under the bed, in the carpet, under a carpet, etc. If I don't see dirt and dust, it is really hard for me to believe that it exists... but when I see the numbers on the air filter increase after somebody stomps on the carpet nearby, I get empirical validation that the dust must exist, even if I don't see it. So then I am usually more inclined to help vacuum/clean on occasion, and do so more diligently. The "low" fan speed is definitely audible, but quiet enough to allow one to work and sleep (at least for me). Dislikes: The unit is a bit on the large side, but seems to be a typical size for units designed to clean a large area (I am currently using it in a 15' x 22' room). I've had the product for nearly 3 months. So far I'm very pleased with the product and would highly recommend it.

So I initially purchased the germ guardian tower air purifiers as I like the features that they had and they were reasonably priced. The reason I sent them back is they were really loud. I wear hearing aids and there was a lot of noise in the large living room areas in which I had two of them. Ironically I have the germ guardian ones for the bedroom the small ones and they make a fantastic white noise machine. But I sent the big ones back and I purchased these instead. The biggest reason I did it was because of the noise level. The second reason I did it is because it overturn the air much more than the germ guardian one did. I like the fact that the filters are extremely cheap and there isn’t any cleaning that you have to do to them. Plus the generic filters are extremely reasonable to replace every six months. I have a dog in my house and she tends to make the house smell like a dog. With these air filters I am extremely pleased with how the house smells. You would not know that you had a dog at my house anymore. The interesting part is this filter also has an ionizer built into it. I remember back in the 90s they advocated these filters that basically use these metal blades that would capture dust in the air and ionize it. But I always remember they would give me headaches. What’s nice about the future of this one is I can periodically turn it on if I’m doing something that requires a quicker deodorizing than just relying on the air filter to clean the air which I think is awesome. I don’t plan on using it full-time but it’s nice to have the option if I really have to blast some smells out. For the price he can’t beat it I’m excited to see how these deal in the long term! Update: so my particular sensor went nuts!! Like 300-400! I should be dead lol! It’s so easy to clean the sensor with out doing anything to take apart. Just use a hand held air blower in all three holes. Worked like a charm !!!!

I got this air purifier because I just purchased a home and the prior homeowner had gone crazy with glade plug ins and the smell is STILL in the home. We also just painted and installed carpet so I know there's stuff floating in the air that's not the best for us to breath in. The unit is really nice looking, the touch screen buttons at the top are really nice and my 2 year old has already figured out how to turn it on and off so very easy to use. Thankfully it's lightweight because I've been moving it up and down the stairs to give each floor exposure to the purifying effects. This does have a UV option, which normally creates ozone, but this unit is CARB compliant. I specifically looked for this feature because I didn't want something creating unhealthy amounts of ozone in my home since that can be bad for your health. I don't use the UV light, just in case. So far I do think it's doing a great job of filtering the air out, although I do smell the air freshener smell at this point. It's only been in use for a week though, and I know the oils from those plug ins can linger on surfaces and in the air. My only pause for this product is that I'm not sure how accurate the measurement is on the unit that indicates air quality. The first few hours I had it on the measurement was less than 10. All of sudden it just randomly jumped up to 500 and stayed there for a while. It continues to do these random jumps from under 10 to 500, but never goes above 500. I've tried to correlate the jump with people walking by (maybe rustling dust) or the AC coming on, but it doesn't seem to tie into that. The sound is very quiet on the lowest setting, it's able to be on in the room and us still watch tv or listen to music just fine. On the highest setting I use it in place of my white noise machine, which I love. Other than the one thing with the measurements being odd, it's working perfectly and I loving having it in the house. Great product!

This looks like a piece of millennial plastic with touch screen or resistance or whatever type controls - no positive detent to assure you the control worked...but I still have my sight so I see the faint blue light behind the symbol. Actually - that is so much better than red lit controls that just look like glowing spots to my old eyes. But I'm reviewing a great product, so I'll get down to it. Almost no trouble to set up - the hardest part is getting it out of the box and all the plastic off the filters. Everything except the controls were "intergenerational intuitive", so even this old guy figured them out. I did have to find the manual - it landed under the chair during unboxing - and turning it on was no trouble once I realized the black top was the control surface. Looking closer under bright light I saw the power button - plugged it in and immediately hit the fan speed button to see how loud it gets. At high it is either a pleasant "white noise" or a "horrible roar" but for me, it is white noise. About as loud as my low noise dishwasher at its worst. So if you are one of those "OMG that hurts my ears" when you step into an elevator and hear the muzak, just get you a cardboard lollipop fan - or run this on 1. I turned the UV-C on all the time. I bought this to protect myself from my children's contribution to our household germs. Going back to school (Governor says not a good idea, local health department says full speed ahead) - as a physician I see the improving rates but I know we will see another spike and possibly a school shut down in three weeks. But until then, I figure each child will bring in about 100 of their contact's contributions to our germ load. How about that for another Philadelphia moment - or St Louis moment? What - you don't know about those two cities and 1918 pandemic? Yes, they said the epidemic was over, people could congregate and use whatever made them feel comfortable so they crowded the streets and welcomed their "doughboys" home from the Great War with loud cheering and happy embraces. And then death followed. Just saying - this isn't a fix for corona, the UV-C will render any SARS-CoV-2 inert after it goes through the APH260 on the low speeds.... I want all airborne aerosols captured in the HEPA or irradiated by the light. It is only room size, so we have it close to the living room and I am getting another one for the hallway to the bedrooms. If one of us tests positive, we'll have to see where we can put it to minimize familial spread....cross your fingers! I like some of the options - the ozone is just a hoot. Why people like the smell of ozone or want HEPA sized airborne stuff attacked by reactive oxygen is beyond me....unless you have air polluted by wildfires or refinery exhausts! I have no reason to fill the air with ozone and let it attack my lung tissue. I don't have asthma but I'd probably show signs of reactive airway disease after a month of ozone in my house! People, review technical websites evaluating the efficiency, the noise, the purification quality, and overall effectiveness. Don't rely on manufacturer's information or comments from reviewers who "know of a website". All air filters do is "strain or filter" the air through a very fine screen. You could get an old box fan and cover one side with a HEPA furnace filter and achieve the same filtration - it might take duct tape and a few minutes, but you'd have an adjustable "True HEPA" air purifier* that works. And you can buy ozone producers if you want to be exposed to a lot of ozone. You can plug your home-made air purifier into a timer and have it cycle on and off throughout the day and night. Seriously - these air filtration units are simple! But what do you really want? If you want your whole house germ free, there is only one option and I'd go through a commercial HVAC contractor for that - an irradiating section in your whole house central forced air system. They can calculate the highest airflow produced and install a UV-C chamber sized to the airflow - every cubic foot of the air in your house would be rendered germ & bacteria cleansed, with whole house air circulation 2 to 3 times an hour! That is the antiviral and antibacterial benefit of UV-C. What about air quality? Here these little filter/purifiers shine. They have an air quality reading of ppm right on their control surface. You can buy little air quality testers, you can even build one if you like electronics and have the eyesight for soldering tiny pins. But you can't beat the automatic readout of # of particles 2.5 and larger in your house. It is the PM2.5 you see in the description. When all is said and done - this isn't going to keep the infection from entering our house - this will cleanse the air of our children's airborne 'shared germs' from returning to school. That is all I want, to keep my family safe within our own home, safe from germs, from allergens, and from ozone - so I'd just as soon never turn on the old ozone, but you never know, there could be another huge fire, or another St. Helen's size volcanic eruption that could so pollute our local air that I might consider turning the ozone on - but I don't foresee that at all. Ozone is not your friend - it is a tool for combating extreme pollution, not a helpful setting for your home otherwise. But some people think it does more good than the harm to your lung tissue it causes - more power to them!

I’ve had a few different filters over the years, including my Germguardians, which I also love, but this filter is so superior. Quietness is a subjective thing, but compared to my other filters, this guy really is quiet and very light. It works too, the auto feature spins the fan speed up and down and can clear out a large living room/dining room area in 2 hours. I vape at home and after just two puffs, the fan spins up, clears the air then slows back down—very responsive. I’ll be replacing my Germgardians with more of the Airthereal filters. UPDATE 4/16/2019 - I love and trust this filter so much it's not even funny. Allergy season hit hard this year in the south and my Airthereal filter kicked into overdrive all on it's own, sensing the increased pollution in the house. It ran for nearly two days straight at full blast getting rid of all the crap in the air. I stopped to check the filter and it was full of crud, so I vacuumed off the pollen and let it get back to work. After two days the cloud of stuff in the area (our cars were yellow) subsided and the filter returned back to it's normal quiet operation. Even at full blast it wasn't so loud that I felt like I had to crank the TV or anything--you could also just set the fan at a slower speed in the evening and then put it back to auto when you went to bed. The design and effectiveness is so superior I am actually going to replace my two Germgardians with two more of these filters for my office and bedroom. I can't say enough how well this awesome filter works. Eventually I'm going to have to replace the filter itself, but for now the air flow is still very strong.

After searching multiple reviews, I settled on this unit due to the multitude of features (UV, ion, 7 stage HEPA, AQI integration, etc) and the relatively cheap price. While some units filter down to 0.1 micron (Air Doctor I believe), the features and price of this unit make it a smart choice. I was impressed by the packing of the unit. Not just one box with foam but one exterior box and a second liner. Most times you get one shipping box but I could tell this company was serious. Opening the unit was very simple and inserting the filter was effortless. I was pleased to notice the filter had a tight fit. Unlike my previous unit with a good but loose fit, I could tell that the company intentional made a snug fit to prevent untreated air from flowing around the HEPA filter. The design of this unit is absolutely gorgeous. Yes, I love the aesthetic feel of the smooth touch display, clean lines, and clear display. I'd buy a few just to enhance my decor. The air is ejected upwards while there are two side and one front air intake. Unlike my previous filter, this one can and does pull in untreated air from the sides and front. The black top panel contrasts well with the eggshell white body. The logos are small and tasteful. I like how the company ties in the AQI (air quality index) into an automatic mode that adjusts the fan speed as air impurities are detected. Tie that in with the UV and ION modes and you get air that is treated with a multitude of proven technologies in addition to the 7 stage HEPA filter. I set it on automatic mode and it purrs like a quiet kitten unless air contamination is detected and then the fan ramps up to a quiet roar but not distracting. It takes between 1-5 minutes and then all is back to normal in my 500 sq ft flat (even though the rated size is 300ish sq ft). My day-to-day analysis of the unit is that is performs as expected and has reduced the odor and dust inside my flat. I was disappointed every day seeing the building of dust even though I change my air filters routinely in my A/C. I was concerned about the dust that would gather while my a/c was waiting to cycle on and didn't want to run my main A/C with the fan due to the power usage. 50 watts is a fraction of the cost my house A/C uses. Real-World Test: This unit is roughly 30 feet away from my bathroom. While spraying on deodorant during my morning routine, I noticed the unit spin up to high after 60 seconds after I finished. It's hard to put the CFM (airflow) into perspective but seeing the unit detect my deodorant spray 30 feet away after a minute and negate it in 5 minutes was impressive.

We were doing a lot of drywall work which meant a lot of sanding and a TON of drywall dust. Before we got this air filter, it would take all day for the cloud to be gone, but with this filter in the room, the dust was clear in 20-30 minutes tops. Also noticed that my kids and I have all suffered significantly less with our seasonal allergies this year! About a month ago, we were in the midst of a big move and had a short term apartment above a wood shop, so again, lots of construction dust (sawdust) and this made a big impact quickly. Highly recommend if you need it to deal with construction dust, OR if you have seasonal allergies and need relief. I did put it on sleep mode when it was in a bedroom, but when I keep it in the living room I just keep it on auto and it's fine. Sleep mode mostly just means it stays on the lower fan setting and the lights on top are off. Very quiet but does provide a little white noise (less than a typical bedroom fan). Very lightweight and easy to move, and it's really not a major eyesore for me. We've had it about 5 months so it'll be time to replace the filter soon, but it's easy to do. A little expensive and some folks will tell you to get cheaper off brand filters, but my experience with most products is they just plain work better when you follow the instructions (common sense) so we will muscle up and buy the filter made by Airthereal.