IQAir - Atem Earth

**Update: I have purchased an air purifier.** Read the original post below, but here's an update for anyone else struggling to choose an air purifier in Europe: After 2 more weeks of constant researching and going crazy, I ended up buying the [**I**](https://www.iqair.com/products/atem-series/atem-earth?Style=EU+Plug+Type+C)[**QAir Atem Earth**](https://www.iqair.com/products/atem-series/atem-earth?Style=EU+Plug+Type+C). I have seriously considered buying the *Luggables XL*, but the price with shipping to EU was just not worth it for what you get in materials - the wobbly cardboard build makes me question its longevity. I might have bought it if I lived in the UK. The *SmartAir Blast* still does not ship to anywhere in Europe, so that was also not an option. The *IQAir Atem Earth* isn't perfect and it's still very expensive - but it's 500 euros cheaper than the *IQAir Atem X*. I had no need for carbon filtering so I don't mind the weak carbon filter on the *Atem Earth*. And so far I'm very happy with my purchase! It has 6 speed modes and it's really quiet relative to the amount of air it pushes. It has no rattling or other annoying whining sounds (so far), the app works great for adding schedules and it looks beautiful to boot. Don't think there was a better option out there, so hope this might help you with your decision! \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi all! The last few weeks I have been wanting to "upgrade" our current air purifier situation. We have been using a *Coway AirMega 300* for about 2 years and it's far from silent on speed 2 & 3, which are the effective speeds for our medium sized open living room + kitchen (with open staircase). In particular I'm sensitive for sounds like whining, whirring and other high pitched or "off" sounds that isn't the white/pink/brown noise of a fan itself - and our *Coway* has those issues on all speeds. I have looked online and it seems to be a semi known problem with these machines, due to how they're built. We kept up with regular maintenance. So begun my research into air purifiers again and I think I know what we need: * An air purifier that is **big / has a high CADR** so we can put it on a lower speed level (to minimize noise while still being effective) * An air purifier with **many speed options**, so that it doesn't go from whisper quiet to LOUD and back to quiet all the time * An air purifier that's **mostly for allergies** and such, so odor removal would mostly be a "nice to have", but certainly not a requirement * An air purifier with **excellent build quality** to prevent those whining etc. sounds. dB levels don't tell the full story - the quality of the noise plays a big role. With these requirements in mind, I found a few that would fit our needs: * **Coway Airmega ProX** has basically all that we'd need. It's big, has a high CADR, has more speed options than the usual 3 and is pleasantly quiet on effective lower speed levels. Apparently its build quality is also better than the 300/400 line up. * **Alen BreatheSmart 75i**. I know less about this one, other than apparently it has a great build quality and is also effective whilst not being loud. * **IQAir Atem X**. With an upfront cost of 1500 euros I definitely would prefer to go with another option instead, but it has a lot of speed options, is pleasantly quiet and has good build quality. Trouble is... Apart from the *IQAir Atem X*, none of those are available in The Netherlands - or even Europe. And of course the one that is available is also *by far* the most expensive. I have found alternatives, like *KÄRCHER* (the AF 50) and *Daikin* (MC80Z) - but all of those have little to no information available online. No reviews, no noise comparisons - only marketing from the respective companies themselves. We tried to replace the *Coway* with a *Philips PureProtect Pro 4200*, but that device also had a (different and) more annoying whining issues and only had 3 speeds. Lastly, there's the *Dyson Big+Quiet BP04*. It's bad value, has low CADR and doesn't run silent when maxed out - which is necessary for the thing to be effective. *BUT* the noise that it does make is very pleasant to my ears - you can only hear the fan noise. Needless to say, I could use your help :P Do you know of any other models that would fit our needs that are available in Europe? Or do I need to shed a tear and pull the trigger on the *IQAir Atem X*? Do you know of brands/models that I should in any case avoid when it comes to sensitive hearing? Any help would be appreciated! (Finally, to fully comply with the rules - Startup budget and yearly budget (filter replacements) aren't the biggest concerns. The device should be energy efficient relative to its performance, so it should at least not waste a lot of power compared to other products out there.)

After 2 more weeks of constant researching and going crazy, I ended up buying the [IQAir Atem Earth](https://www.iqair.com/products/atem-series/atem-earth?Style=EU+Plug+Type+C). I have seriously considered buying the Luggables XL, but the price with shipping to EU was just not worth it for what you get in materials - the wobbly cardboard build makes me question its longevity. I might have bought it if I lived in the UK. The SmartAir Blast still does not ship to anywhere in Europe, so that was also not an option. The IQAir Atem Earth isn't perfect and it's still very expensive - but it's 500 euros cheaper than the IQAir Atem X. I had no need for carbon filtering so I don't mind the weak carbon filter on the Atem Earth. And so far I'm very happy with my purchase! It has 6 speed modes and it's really quiet relative to the amount of air it pushes. It has no rattling or other annoying whining sounds (so far), the app works great for adding schedules and it looks beautiful to boot. Don't think there was a better option out there, so hope this might help you or someone else with your decision!

For small bedrooms, get small sized individual units. Look at Winix or Blue Air. Most manufacturers will state capacity in sq ft, btw. For master and living - look at Dyson or IQAir. Expensive options but they do a great job plus have fantastic apps that make using them a breeze. For the open space...man, I am going to learn with you what beast can handle that type of volume :)

Only because I have owned these brands and have been completely satisfied with the performance :). IQAir is probably the best but you’ll pay for that. However, it performs so well that the price is justified, IMO.

You sound like us when we went shopping for Air Purifiers. It can be overwhelming. We have a single story (2700 sq ft) with 5 humans and 2 large dogs (GSD and Lab). We ended up with Shark Neverchange for kitchen/dining, IQAir for Family/Living Room (2 fireplaces), Blue Air small units for bedrooms, Winix for office, Dyson for Master Bedroom, and Trio for hallway. Got all of them except IQAir from Costco with prices that can’t be beat. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. What are your priorities? Do you want all the bells and whistles like app control? Feel free to share and will try to share our experience :)

Have a GSD and a Lab/GSD mix so I can feel your pain :). Are you looking to purify just one space in the house or multiple spaces? That should be a factor in your decision. FWIW, we have a Shark NeverChage, a Winix C-610, and an IQAir Atem in our living/kitchen space of about 1400 sq ft. Shark runs 24/7 and sits closer to kitchen. Winix sits next to GSD crate and runs on Turbo mode for 2-3 hours daily. IQAir sits behind the couch, next to other crate, and runs as needed. Those 3 work together to keep our air best and free of pet odors.

These are the 3 air filters I personally have. Most air filters only get down to 0.3 microns; these get down to 0.003 microns, which captures mold - which is my main concern - as well as viruses, bacteria, etc.  AirDoctor IQAir AirOasis I also have a Levoit that I like but doesn't capture as small of stuff as the ones above.

I can clearly tell when my IQAIRs are running, I sleep so much better. You might already have good air quality Fixing your furnace filter and central filtration will make a bigger difference than buying an air purifier

I keep my IQAir on medium 24/7 and kick it up to the highest setting after housework or during weather advisories (smoke, wind, high particulate, etc). When I lived in the house I was exposed to toxic mold—after I found out about it, of course—I had several (different brand) purifiers on the highest setting 24/7, and though they looked like hell after switching out the filters about once a month, did an extremely good job with professional AQI tests in the interim before the landlord let me out of the lease.

No idea about Merv 16 since I just buy what they have so I don’t have to think about anything, lol, but I use and travel with their car filter—bringing it into hotel rooms and letting it filter in different areas before going inside. Not sure how well it filters all the air in the room, but it’s a relatively small space, so I’m willing to take the chance since otherwise there would be no filtration. I am thinking about buying one of their large round models for the same reason since it would be easier to store at the side of the car instead of a bulky IQAir and would know the filtration would be on point. We actually have two IQAirs: one upstairs and one downstairs. The lower level is far larger than the second level, but they both seem to do a good job, especially on the highest setting (it does an incredible job filtering after-dinner “food smells” from the kitchen, too!).

I run 3 filters, Austin and IQAIR, in each of 2 spaces - one 300 square feet the other 600 square feet. If the air is poor outside my Purple Air sensors will still show green. However there are so many chemicals in wildfire smoke, particularly if structures have burned, that they don't get everything. I am sensitive to terpenes and right now they don't help with the Camphor tree flowers. So they can greatly improve air quality but don't expect all VOCs to be removed from the air.

For best VOC removal, such as mycotoxins, you need a lot of absorbent media. Checkout Airpura, Allerair, Austin, IQAir. All are in the $1k range. I'm unsure whether any filter will eliminate mold sensitivities. Did see an improvement when upgraded my Austins with Immunity Machine filters but molds still aren't totally controlled. There are clinics which can treat mycotoxin sensitivities. Can be quite expensive.

Running both IQAir and Austin Immunity Machines in my major rooms particulates run from 0 to under 10.

I have had my Austin, IQAir, Honeywell and Whirlpool machines for as much as \~20 years and have had no problems with filter replacements.

Alen is excellent. So is IQair

I use mine mostly during wildfire season. Works better than any other units I tried in the past. Got mine directly from IQAir.

Thank you! I purchased a Austin Air and IQair purifier + Miele C3 vacuum cleaner + Mold cleaner for a full revamp. This may be the root cause of my illness which is terribly affecting my quality of life, going all out! Thanks again!

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