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Reddit Reviews
I can name two! The AustinAir HEPAs are basically a big metal box with a motor. The plastic in it is the squirrel cage fan itself and maybe the speed dial cover? Same for the SmarterHEPA (outside the US Smart Air) Blast and Blast Mini models. They again are a big metal box with close to zero plastic outside the fan itself. Of course even the motor will have plastic covering the wires or things like that. And the power cord has a plastic coating so nothing these days will be 100% plastic free but these two models are very close. Also both of them are really great HEPA filters! Basically no ‘features’ to either, just a big box with a fan and a speed dial. I had the AustinAir for like 30 years running 24/7.
Second this - Austin uses minimal plastics. Just the fan blades, knob, and wires.
Austin routinely pays out on prorated filter replacement. They generally last between two and three years, and they weigh 15 pounds and are several inches thick. Unlike the filters in the shark, which are about a half an inch thick and weigh about 6 ounces.
Well, it has to do with media surface area vs. airflow. HVAC filters that are 1" go foul in a couple months in a dusty environment. But the same HVAC, same airflow, and a 6" filter? Yearly replacement. All down to surface area.
Best of the best would be really any product from the company Austin Air Passable would be like a winix 5510-5520 The most important thing here is that it has a decent amount of carbon in it, carbon being the only thing that actually removes the odor. Austin has the most carbon, winix doesn’t have a ton but it’s passable and a lot more than most of the ones you can get at Walmart. Either way though your roomie like smoking next to the air purifier every time specifically is something I’d recommend, pot smell has a habit of spreading out pretty quickly and then it becomes a question of how quickly can your purifier get the entire apartment.
I have had my Austin, IQAir, Honeywell and Whirlpool machines for as much as \~20 years and have had no problems with filter replacements.
IQAir and Austin Air are the go-to “buy it for life” purifiers. They really have long-lasting filters and proven performance on my end
Austin Air, Air Oasis are some of the highest quality. I just bought an Air Oasis to sleep next to as I have CIRS
I have an Austin Air HEPA filter wired into a Homeseer Z-wave fan controller. Their air purifiers are electrically just simple A/C fans, so the fan controller is able to regulate its speed (4 speeds), and HA is set up to adjust it based on an external air quality sensor.
1. Step zero or purchasing this product is finding/posting the sq ft of the area served. You have not done so, so you are not ready to buy. 2. View 5 air purifier buyer's guides to gain knowledge. https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/air-purifiers/buying-guide/ is one and google will find you others. 3. Your root cause is likely NOT dust as that is your assumption. You are best served by visiting a doctor and discussing allergies. 4. You do have a price range as a PM1 unit costs more than your car. 5. Silence is not a factor in any unit that conditions the air as you will either accept it or return it. You cannot ask about this metric online ever as that comes from dB and Hz. Makers may list dB using an unknown distance and unknown dB meter which means literally zero and they never list Hz which is a critical annoyance factor that varies to you...my unit may be whisper quiet to me as I was raised in a sawmill and when you buy it based on my recommendation it sounds like an annoying screech. 6. LEDs are not a metric as zero people know how many/what brightness will annoy you and they can all be solved with pieces of electrical tape. Austin Air is a BIFL brand when you factor in sizing, the 5 year warranty and 5 year filter replacement cycle. Which flavor of them is right for you....dunno as you didn't state the sq ft served.
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