What do you know about ionic air cleaners?

[cantdrv55]

My home office can smell musty after a rain so I'm looking for ways to clean the air a bit. I've got two small windows and a sliding door but it's cold out so leaving them open and having the heater on while I'm working is a solution but it's expensive.

I was wondering about ionic air cleaners available from Sharper Image. Do they work? I also have allergies so if they address allergens, that's even better. Just looking for personal experience. Thanks.

[RoninLB]

Consumer Reports in their archives.

Sharper Image is the last on CR list but my bride loves it.

[Evans, Marv]

+1 on Consumer Reports.

[Rot 911]

I believe there was/is a class action lawsuit against Sharper Image regarding these air filters. Basically they don't do as advertised.

[fastpat]

My wife bought one to help with her allergies, while the thing appears well made, it doesn't do anything except put out a large amount of Radio Frequency Interference (aka RFI).

Don't waste your money. Install a HEPA filter in your HVAC system if it can tolerate a little more resistance to air flow, and buy a real air purifier or electrostatic addition to your HVAC. those do work.

[Rot 911]

Looks like they settled the case:

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 20, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(AP) Sharper Image Corp. has agreed to discount its high-tech gadgets by more than $60 million and make several other concessions to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the specialty retailer misled customers about the effectiveness of its air purifiers.

Questions about the purifiers helped lead to a sales slide and the arrival of a new management team that is now trying to salvage the 194-store chain.

Because the vouchers require a purchase, the settlement could actually help Sharper Image spur more sales — an elusive goal during the last two years.

Under the proposed settlement disclosed Friday in a regulatory filing, Sharper Image will offer $19 merchandise credits to each of the roughly 3.2 million consumers who have bought one of its "Ionic Breeze" purifiers since May 6, 1999.

The ultimate cost of the settlement will hinge on how many of the eligible customers redeem the merchandise vouchers, Sharper Image said in Securities and Exchange Commission documents.

The merchandise credits can be applied toward the purchase of other Sharper Image-branded products for a year after they are issued.

The same group of consumers also will be able to buy a grill attachment designed for the Ionic Breeze for $7. Although Sharper Image did not quantify how much customers could save under this offer, several types of them were listed Friday for $39.95 on the company's Web site.

Besides the discounts, Sharper Image agreed to tone down its advertising claims about the power of the Ionic Breeze and pay up to $1.87 million in fees to the lawyers who filed the suit on behalf of Manual Figueroa.

Figueroa said he paid several hundred dollars for an Ionic Breeze to help remove dust, pollen and other nettlesome particles from the air, only to discover the device did not work as advertised.

Sharper Image denied the allegations, citing scientific studies validating the Ionic Breeze's effectiveness. Nevertheless, management "has concluded that it is in the best interest of Sharper Image, its shareholders, and its customers to settle this class action," according to court papers.

The settlement still requires court approval. Friday's filing indicated a hearing on the settlement will be held by March 1.

After suffering its first loss in 15 years in 2005, Sharper Image's troubles deepened in 2006 as its sales plummeted by 21 percent during the first 11 months of the fiscal year.

The slide resulted in the September ouster of Richard Thalheimer, Sharper Image's founder and longtime chief executive. A new management team is led by turnaround specialist Jerry Levin.

Sharper Image's slide began when sales of its once-popular Ionic Breeze started to crumble after Consumer Reports derided the products as ineffective.

[cantdrv55]

Thanks guys, you saved me a bit of cash. I went to allergybuyersclub.com and started shopping for an air cleaner/purifier but I'll look into adding a HEPA filtration system to the HVAC also.

[dan79brooklyn]

Honeywell HEPA air filters are good.

[Hugh R]

Ionic ones put out ozone, like a Stage I smog alert, and the ozone concentration isn't high enough to break the cell walls of the mold, viruses, bacteria, etc. but is high enough to cause respiratory problems.

[wreckersteve]

Also try a dehumidifier.

[azasadny]

Sharper Image products suck (except the air cleaners, they don't suck). I bought two of those stupid Ionic Breeze pieces of garbage and couldn't get my $ back from Sharper Image. We now use the Honeywell HEPA air cleaners and are happy with them. The more powerful the filter/cleaner, the more noise....

[Rondinone]

Originally posted by Hugh R
Ionic ones put out ozone, like a Stage I smog alert, and the ozone concentration isn't high enough to break the cell walls of the mold, viruses, bacteria, etc. but is high enough to cause respiratory problems.

+1, just get a good multistage HEPA filter. We have a kenmore that works well, and is quiet.

[techweenie]

Originally posted by Hugh R
Ionic ones put out ozone, like a Stage I smog alert, and the ozone concentration isn't high enough to break the cell walls of the mold, viruses, bacteria, etc. but is high enough to cause respiratory problems.

I've told people about this for years. That 'crispy' smell it puts out is ozone, which is not good to breathe in day after day. I know it's bad for the lungs, but probably isn't that great for eyes, skin, etc.

[Flatbutt1]

Just make sure that whatever unit you choose it has a fan and is able to move a fair amount of air thru that filter(hepa)

[fintstone]

Personally I like the Sharper Image units when used in conjunction with a HVAC mounted HEPA unit. They do not do much on their own, but seem to remove enough to improve the already well-filtered air. In a very dry climate, adding a humidifier seems to help the most.

[pmajka]

IONIC CLEANER WARNING!

the functioning part of an IONIC cleaner is a thin filiment. its about as delicate as a light bulb and very easy to break. Otherwise they work great.

Ask me how I know.

[cstreit]

I have an off-brand ionic cleaner. I use it right next to the "total seal" diaper pail. It does a phenomonal job for cutting the odor, but it doesn't clean the air!