Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Air Purifiers are very well known. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are good. The company has a great Marketing Department. They are relentless in their advertising which gives the consumers a false comfort in purchasing one. There are also competitors selling the ionic types with the same faults.
An independent product testing publication said that the Ionic Breeze is unimpressive and they found mostly no reduction in airborne particles. Sharper Image answered by saying that their products are different technology and would do better in a longer test. An independent expert had the test procedures reviewed. It was re-tested and proved that the Ionic Breeze removed very little dust in a test over 100 minutes long. It wasn't even close to the results of the tests of other air purifiers.
Before continuing, there should be an explanation on how the Ionic Breeze works. They use a charged plate electrostatic system. However, in this brand, there is no fan. The plates are to move air through the purifier. It does move air through that you can see on TV with the wiggling ribbons. However, the typical air purifier moves 200 to 400 cubic feet of air a minute. In this case, the ribbons would be blown off. The product does do some good, being compact and having a nice design. But for people with allergy or asthma problems it would be better to choose a more efficient purifier.
There was a class-action lawsuit against Sharper Image to make several concessions to misled customers about the air purifiers. They are offering credits for 3.2 million consumers who bought an Ionic Breeze since May of 1999. The consumers will also be able to buy a grill attachment designed for the air purifier for $7.00. One consumer in a Miami federal court stated that he had paid several hundred dollars for his Ionic Breeze only to find that it didn't work as advertised. The class-action settlement then took effect.
The Ozone guard grill has been called a gimmick by some consumers. It doesn't cover the whole unit, and the smell of ozone is very strong. With the build up of the smell, their sinuses were irritated and made some of them sick. They stated that breathing house dust is better than breathing in too much ozone.
Sharper Image did eventually file for bankruptcy. They have re-emerged as a licensed brand and are working on new air purifiers.
No comments:
Post a Comment