Infomercial Ads

IONIC BREEZE QUADRA AIR PURIFIER

Description: Sharper Image Design’s™ Ionic Breeze® Quadra™ Silent Air Purifier offers an array of compelling features that has made it our most popular product — It has been proven to remove pollen, dust and animal dander, and even bacteria! It also removes some harmful airborne chemicals from carpeting, flooring, paint and household cleaners.

Reviews (42):

Breathing Better
Reviewer: Anonymous 04-19-2003
I am breathing a whole lot better since I purchased this Air Purifier. There are 3 big pluses to this machine. First, there are no filters to clean. Second it is completely silent. Third, it only uses 15 watts of power so it doesn't eat into your energy bill budget. I would recommend cleaning it every two weeks or so. Cleaning it is really easy. Basically, it just wipes clean.

Worked As An Air Freshener
Reviewer: Anonymous 05-03-2004
This machine lacks the power to filter the air properly. However its greatest strength is as an air-freshener. It’s not as good as a HEPA filter for removing airborne dust, but it's a good compromise in terms of noise and cost of operation.

Save Your Money
Reviewer: Anonymous 07-14-2003
These machines are overhyped. Sharper Image has definitely overstated their claims about the efficacy of this Air Filter. Go to www.cadr.org and get the list of REAL air cleaners.

Hard To Clean
Reviewer: Anonymous 05-16-2004
I like this machine but I find it hard to clean. The Ionic breeze is very durable. I have knocked it over several times & it is still working well. Another minor complaint is that the cord is too short.

Extremely Happy
Reviewer: Anonymous 05-29-2003
I am extremely happy with this machine. After using it for three years, it is working as well as when I purchased it. It is really easy to clean. I use a Clorox wipe & it cleans the entire unit's stainless steel blades beautifully. Then I just use a dry paper towel to dry them off.

Disappointed
Reviewer: Anonymous 07-07-2003
I was disappointed that this machine does not remove the same amount of particles a fan-driven HEPA filter does in the same time period. A plus is that it is very quiet.

Too Hard To Clean
Reviewer: Anonymous 09-24-2004
I found that this machine was much too much trouble to clean! The ads said that it was "easy to clean." Ha!

Not helpful For Allergies
Reviewer: Anonymous 10-15-2004
This works well to remove smells & odors from the room. However I bought this because of allergies, & it has not helped my allergies at all. It is good for removing cooking smells, though.

Piece of garbage
Reviewer: oldpawnee Colorado 12-18-2004
Doesn't move any air through the machine. I compared it to a fan driven unit which I also have that also traps electrostatically. The fan unit was full in three days, the Ionic Breeze trapped almost no material.

Works well but expensive
Reviewer: steinjm2 Chester, MD 08-04-2003
I purchased two of the Ionic Breeze Quadra's for my condominium directly from Sharper Image. The total area of my unit is about 1000 ft^2 with limited windows to open, therefore I am forced to run my air handling equipment most of the year. This leaves my unit quite dusty, I also have many smokers to deal with that leave that persistent musty odor that is hard to get rid of, especially in humid climates. After just a couple of days, the Quadra's had virtually eliminated the musty smoke smell and I have noticed a dramatic decrease in dust on all horizontal surfaces, especially my black counter tops. It really works well; my only beef is the cost. The Quadra's are really quite simple and lightweight (like a plastic model). There is just not the justification for the price. The deal I received allowed me to buy the second unit at a 50% discount. A more realistic price would have been 50% off for both. Ingenious and capable as it is, it does not necessarily justify the cost, even if other devices with HEPA certifications are more expensive. Bottom line, works great on dust and smoke, though quite pricey.

What a Great ( but expensive )Product
Reviewer: Lee W. Gladwin, Michigan 09-17-2003
After convincing yourself to spend the money, I guarantee you'll be thrilled with the product and it's results. I had seen the adds on TV, QVC and in magazines, but when they showed the price....well, you know, I said the same thing......"They must be out of their minds."
I have a huge round "Honeywell" air filter system, but it's very heavy and very loud on the "high" setting. The filters were a nightmare to get out and replacements filters ran $99.00 each. It did an OK job, but it was way too noisy for my bedroom. Well, this year my allergies are the worse they've ever been. I also have 4 "house" dogs that produce "doggie" odor and lots of dander. Come winter, I'll also be using my wood burning fireplace more, because of rising natural gas & electricity costs. So, I broke down and bought 2 units. One for each level of my home. Heck, it comes with a 30 day money back guarantee, so I figured I couldnt go wrong.
They are extremely light weight and COMPLETELY, TOTALLY SILENT. I literally had to put my had in front of the unit to make sure it was actually working. After 3 hours, my house smelled like the air does after a spring thunderstorm. Really clean and fresh. After 12 hours, I took out the collection grid and couldnt believe my eyes. I had to wipe it clean from all the junk it picked out of the air that would have gone into my lungs. This is a MUST HAVE for kids with asthma or allergies, or people with respirtory problems. It really does clean the air, not just push it around like some others do. One thing you might consider, is purchasing a set of replacement collection grids at Sharper Image. When you wipe them off with a damp cloth, the grids must dry for 24 hours before re-installing them, or it could damage the unit. With the extra set, you dont have to wait. Anyway, There are many other imitations out there, but.... "you get what you pay for" in the long run. Plus, these come with either a 3 or 5 year warranty!!
If you order one directly from Sharper Images, the second one is sold for half price, plus they give you a mini one for your bathroom and offer free shipping.
So, take the plunge, bite the bullett and get one or two. You wont be sorry.

Silent Only If You Are Deaf
Reviewer: glenmac Long Beach, CA 10-14-2004
Here are the facts: I just received my second warranty replacement Quadra in three years (thank goodness they have a five year warranty!). (My brother is on his fourth in three years.) Even though I kept the unit clean and followed Sharper Image's instructions, each unit just suddenly died - failed to turn on.

Regarding Sharper Image's claim of being silent, my units were anything but. Even after thorough cleaning the units hummed. They were loud enough that I had to turn them off at night in order to sleep. This "new" third one hummed right out of the box!

Will I purchase another one? No.

Greatest thing since sliced bread,
Reviewer: Jimmy ChaCha San Diego, CA 07-26-2004
I have bad allergies and I have been stuffing my face with allergy drugs and nasal sprays for the last few years. A friend had an Ionic Breeze and recommended that I take it home and try it out for a couple of days. I did and was amazed at what a difference it made. The room has that fresh ozone smell like after a rain. I ended up buying a full size and a smaller one for our house. It is an awesome product. My allergies are so much better now that I have these and I've scaled way back on the drugs. I recommend it.

WOW!!! BEST PURCHASE I HAVE EVER MADE!!!!,
Reviewer: Anonymous Worcester, MA 04-26-2004
I just bought this thing from Amazon and all I can say

is WOW!!!!

This is probably the best purchase I have ever made.

This thing is everything I ever expected and more!! It's

very easy to use as well!

I have bought other brands before, and this one just

blows everything else out of the water! I have to say,

everyone out there who is thinking of buying this, stop

thinking. I bought it and I am extremely happy with it

the moment I powered this thing on. YOU ABSOLUTELY

POSITIVELY CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THIS PURCHASE! I

GUARANTEE IT!!!

Consumer Reports Second Worst Rating
Reviewer: Anonymous San Mateo, CA 01-14-2004
Of 19 models of air cleaners tested, the Ionic Breeze came in second to last place, along side the Honeywell "Environizer" (another electro-static model), in terms of performance.

Tested at it's higest operating level against the top 2 air cleaners: the Friedrich C90A and the Whirlpool AP45030HO, both of the top performers move over 25 times the air ON THEIR LOWEST SETTINGS. Further testing revealed these air cleaners to be almost completely silent on their lower settings and using only as much power as a lightbulb.

In my opinion, you should steer clear of the Ionic Breeze, not only for perfornace issues, but because it the price to manufacture these units is about 1/20 what they're charging. There is currently a class action suit being filed agaist Sharper Image because of concerns over excess ozone emissions not properly reported by the manufacturer.

Absolute Must Have Appliance
Reviewer: M. America Germantown, MD 01-11-2004
I have the Quadra Ionic Breeze and several HEPE air filters. I also have several smaller bathroom-size Ionic breezes around the house. They make a BIG difference in the quality of the air. Even with my HEPA filters, the ionic breeze pulls lots of junk out of the air. This may be expensive but it is worth it.

Waste of money
Reviewer: Anonymous 01-03-2004
I wish there was a negative star rating. I bought two of these things. I had hoped they would help with the air quality in my house because I have 8 cats. WRONG!!!!I had to return 1 because it broke in the first 3 months. The darned things would make a hissing noise even after they were cleaned and were down right annoying. I could hear a steady hissing sound even upstairs. As for the quality of air, I did not notice any difference even though I had to clean them every couple of weeks. The small ones for the bathroom also hissed even when clean, I just threw them out. Save your money and buy something better.

Cleaning is not that easy
Reviewer: jrmcvae Richmond, OH 10-07-2003
On TV, they indicate that all you do is wipe with a cloth.
WRONG! I have 2 units, I am a smoker and I have to use a heavy degreaser/solvent to get the grids clean. After trying many different items I now use Bug and Tar Remover (auto supplies)and then rinse with damp cloth. There aren't any instructions referring to immersing so I have not done that.
As for making a difference in the air quality, no one has commented as to whether it does.

Not too expensive
Reviewer: Anonymous 11-24-2004
I am a eigh grader about to graduate from middle school. Because I live in a very dry and dusty enviroment, I tend to cough and get sick a lot. Then, my frient recomended me this air purifier and it works very well. Try it out yourself! You won't believe how much guck is in the air until you actually see it. Mine came with a 60 day open box return guarentee, a 5-year hardware warentee and 2 free gifts but mine came from the store.

Smells like fresh rain...
Reviewer: Little Oracle Munster, IN 01-29-2004
I have my share of allergies so this was something I was very interested in. #1. No filters to buy -- ever. #2. Silent #3. Emits negative ions which is what rain gives off leaving a very fresh smell. So, I got one.

The pros: Smells wonderful. I've left it on at night next to my bed and loved falling asleep next to it. It smells very much like a lovely, cool summer night. I don't know how to describe it but that's the best I can do. It is very silent as there is virtually no noise when it's clean. It does collect some pretty vicious dust and dust particles as when you open it to clean it, it seems to really collect.

The cons: Cleaning it isn't as easy as it seems. Sometimes, the dirt seems sealed on but I'd recommend finding a cleaner for electronics. That definitely got everything off. I wouldn't recommend washing it like they say to. If you immerse the wand in water or use water on it, you'd better make sure it's TOTALLY dry. Water can seep into some crevises of the wand and it will CRACK if you turn it on. Make sure.

Also, they're not kidding when they say don't light candles near it. If you're going to burn candles, make sure they're a room apart. The soot that collects (and this also includes smoking -- don't smoke NEXT to it) is really hard to get off and collects on the outside.

The last would be the rest of the dust on it. I've never cleaned it when the cleaning light goes on. It makes so many pops and hisses beforehand that I have to clean it to shut it up. Sometimes I've cleaned it only to return it and start it up and it still makes noise. I discovered this was because there are two wires inside that also collect dirt, but virtually impossible to clean. If you have a cat and have a "cat dancer" i.e., the plastic stick with the feathers on the end of it, it makes a great cleaning tool to insert into the machine (with it off of course) to brush against the wires and clear off the excess dust.

Overall, I do like this very much. More for the smell than the cleaning. If you're looking to really clean out your home, you definitely need more than one. The price is pretty high, but I've paid $50 for filters so I can see it paying for itself -- after about maybe, 5 years. Still the smell is wonderful. Use your own judgement when purchasing.

Definitely not for Smokers, a decent but expensive system
Reviewer: Courtland J. Carpenter Fort Wayne, Indiana 03-04-2004
The Ionic Breeze is based on a time-tested air cleaning technique. Used in some factories, and many power plants, an electrostatic precipitator, is the big brother of the Ionic Breeze. The big ones are placed in smoke stacks, and help catch the soot before it's released into the atmosphere. The big ones use a charged series of copper rods or plates. They are then hit periodically, with something akin to a small hammer, to release the soot into a collector.

The previous paragraph was leading up to something. There is a sticky problem with certain smoke, and with cleaning the system. Power plants for years had used the best most efficient coal, to generate heat to run the steam turbines. Prior to the mid 1970's, much high-quality coal had been available. Unfortunately, much of the best coal was used up, and many of the remaining mines dug high-sulfur coal. As an engineering technician with HL&P in the 80's, they asked my opinion on a problem. The precipitators were not coming clean with the hammers. Sticky sulfur would stay on them, and coat the rods. The high voltage that ran through them would find a weak point when the rod was heavily coated, and burn through. The rod would break and fall into the stack. Larger power plants generally have to use expensive scrubbers, to clean the smoke prior to the precipitator to prevent this.

What all that means to you is this, if you smoke, the tars and other sticky substances in cigarettes, will stick to the plates on the Ionic Breeze. You will need a good smoke solvent, Windex maybe, or other cleaner to clean. It will take 10 to 20 minutes to clean, depending on the level of smoke collected. More bad news, it will probably be dirty again in just a day or two. If you let it go too long, you will hear it spark as it is coated with sticky smoke scum. Another problem, the end of the plate assembly has cheap plastic connectors to attach the two anti-static brushes. They break easily when cleaning, and if you are not careful, can break if the plate assembly is inserted too quickly. I've had to glue them back twice on my father's Ionic Breeze. He's a heavy smoker, and most of the time doesn't use the thing, mainly because it's too much trouble for him to clean it every couple of days!

All that said, I used a smaller model in a smoke-free bathroom, it did a nice job with eliminating odors. It does wipe clean, as long as its just dry dust or standard air pollutants on the collector plates. While this is much more expensive than it needs to be, it is good for a non-smokers home. On that basis, it can be recommend it for the non-smoking population. If you are a smoker, consider something with easy to change filters!

Works for me!
Reviewer: Dave M. San Diego 02-10-2005
I have never seen the infomercial or read up on this product, I have heard the name "Ionic Breeze" but I didn't know what it was until now.
In my office at work I sneeze continually throughout the day and some days it gets so bad I have to take pills which make me sleepy. This has gone on for over 3 years. The owner recently bought 2 of these and put one in my office, and let me tell you this thing absolutely works!
Since then I have not sneezed here at work except once and that was when I forgot to turn it on!
I'm glad I was able to try this out I will definitely be buying some for my home!

Unimpressed
Reviewer: Anonymous Los Angeles, CA 02-07-2005
Bought this unit to cut down on dander for myself and my new puppy who is prone to allergies herself and to clean the air in general. Basically dried the air out so much it caused nosebleeds. And it really picked up very little dust. The two stars are for the money-back guarantee; was very easy to return and my refund was processed within two weeks.

I hear that this may be dangerous for health... Please read
Reviewer: Muthu Harrisbug, PA 11-28-2004
Hey,
This device emits ozone,and that is good enough for me to stay away from it. Sharper Image states that it emits low amounts and as per EPA regulations I think. But, why go for an ionic filteration system when you have other universally accepted filtration methods like HEPA. I bet you have a lot of friends like I do who are very happy with this product. Almost always the first reaction you hear on this product is "I smell really fresh air!" Well that is because of the ozone it relases into the air . But, the same ozone which kills bacteria can also kill some good stuff in your lungs or react with them. All I can say is read the following article before you make a decision
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
Also visit the website http://www.allergybuyersclub.com
to learn about other types of filters in the market..
YOU WOULD BE GLAD YOU DID..

Junk. Do the research first and make your own mind up
Reviewer: Muthu 10-10-2004
Consumer's Union (non-profit widely respected testing organisation) rate Sharper Image's Ionic Breeze as substandard. (...)
Scrolling down in this article shows that Sharper Image tried sueing various reporting agencies who criticized them. When additional testing was carried out, the same substandard results came up again. For all their surface value benefits and 25% market share, Ionic Breeze really falls very much short of the mark. Yes, they also receive positive reviews but how much of this is down to placebo effect, the product certainly looks like it should work and yes it does pick up SOME debris (impossible to tell without laboratory testing how much it DOESN'T though)
My research showed that Friedrich and Oreck units to be of a much better quality, not to mention the area coverage they clean is much higher. Go see what the real experts say for yourself.

Absolutely useless
Reviewer: TPS San Francisco) 02-16-2005
That is not my opinion but consumer reports, who tested this piece of junk scientifically. In 19 hours of testing in a sealed chamber, Ionic Breeze couldn't even remove the effect of 1/8th of a cigarette. No one should buy this.

Buyer Beware
Reviewer: Kavity Killer Denver, Colorado 02-25-2005
This "air cleaner" does not actually clean the air. Rather it oozes a constant stream of ozone. What's ozone you ask? It's an unstable molecule which readily collapses and releases free radicals. Think of free radicals as little pac-men, gobbling up anything in their path: germs, lung tissue, anything and everything organic. So, while this little beauty doesn't actually clean the air at all (see consumer reports), it can, in fact, horribly irritate you eyes and lungs as it did mine. So why the good reviews? Effort justification. People spend over $100 dollars on this piece of junk and it would create too much psychological dissonance for them to admit that they got taken. Much easier to just pretend that it works. That and employees from Sharper Image writing reviews themselves. Please, if you stumbled across this review, do yourself a favor and at least look at the Consumer Reports before you make a decision. And then, if you're smart, buy something else.

Ionic Breeze Quadra is AMAZING
Reviewer: Terry Mingle Cortland, NY 01-10-2005
I have to say that the Ionic Breeze Quadra product is AMAZING. And I'm not kidding. I am now a regional spokeswoman of sorts! I have really bad allergies, and my sister brought hers over for me to try, because I was remodeling my kitchen, and there was a lot of dust and other stuff in the air, and I was SO impressed, that I ended up ordering not ONE, but TWO of them.

The product did not get very good reviews through Consumer Reports, but here is my story. I was a TOTAL disbeliever. I saw the commercials (INFOMERCIALS), and my sister was using hers and bragging...but I thought....oh, it can't be THAT good! NOTHING ever works like they say it does on TV! But...I plugged in my sister's Quadra, and approx. 3-4 hours later when I returned to the room it was in, the room had that fresh air, open window smell to it! And this is saying a LOT, given the fact that I have two LONG HAIRED Chow Chow dogs, AND I'm in mid-remodel with dust and dirt flying everywhere. It has cut down my use of Claratin-D, AND my Kleenex consumption is down, too...because I was forever sneezing because of all the dust and allergins in the air.

So, in closing, I LOVE this product!! If the darn thing didn't cost so much, I'd order one for EVERY room in my home! If you have allergies and/or asthma like I do, this product is essential.

Not impressed
Reviewer: April 12-28-2004
This product makes the room smell great. It's the "after-the-rain" kind of smell (due to the ionizer, I'm sure.)

The collection plates do gather a bit of gunk, but I don't know that it's enough. I still get a lot of dust build up on furniture. And during allergy season, I'm still stuffy and I still sneeze a lot.

I bought this product because I liked the fact that it didn't use a lot of electricity and it was silent. It is for the most part silent. It needs to be cleaned every day or so, even if the clean light isn't on. If you don't clean it, you get a clicking static sound, which is kind of annoying. Especially if it starts in the middle of the night.

I would not suggest buying this air purifier. It's definitely not worth the money.

Happy Buyer
Reviewer: Anonymous 11-24-2004
AMAZING PRODUCT. CAN'T SAY HOW GOOD IT IS UNTIL YOU BUY IT. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED COUGHING AFTER BUYING IT.

Consumer Report
Reviewer: Felix L. Martinez Coral Springs, Florida 10-10-2004
I was very impressed with the infomercial on the Ionic Breeze. I still had to wait a while because of its price. Meanwhile I did some research and the results are not too good. I have not found any satisfied customer reviews on this item and Consumer Report gives this item a very low score. It was one of the worst models tested. Based on this, I would strongly recommend not buying this product.

It works as promised
Reviewer: Luis Jose Salazar Redmond, WA 01-12-2005
After reading reviews everywhere (including the very negative reviews on Consumers Report magazine), and after looking for something portable to clean the air from dust and pet dander, I decided to give this product a try (after all it has a 60 days refund guarantee).

I was surprised to see results after few hours (4-5 hrs). I purchased one big unit for our kitchen and great room (approx 600 sqf) and compact units for each bedroom (approx 200 sqf). I was having allergic reactions to pet dander and it went away after few hours. It also helps with cooking odors (slowly b/c it has no fan to move masses of air quickly).

I found the product delivers on the promise, and it is the first time I found a review from Consumers report not to be accurate or maybe it is accurate but tested for different purposes that my specific needs with regards to allergies, dust and mild odors.

It is not a fan, and it works slow, so it is not for getting rid of odors in a matter of 5 minutes, but it keeps the air clean, traps a lot of dust and it is more energy freindly than installing HEPA filters on my A/C-heather system, and more effective than opening the windows to get rid of cooking odors(when it is winter and very cold outside :-))

It does generate a "funny" odor that some people might find not pleasant (but anyway you have the return guarantee). It is tested as low ozone emission which is good, but worthwhile to investigate more on that matter as ozone can be very toxic.

They will offer you as a giveaway either the small unit for bathrooms or the compact car unit... choose the bathroom unit instead, the car unit simply does not work as it moves very small quantities of air and unless your commute is 90 minutes, you are never that much time in your car to notice the effects of such a small unit.

Great cleaner, pricey though...
Reviewer: A. Blackwell San Francisco, CA 10-24-2004
I bought a reconditioned Ionic breeze from Sharper image and I must say that it works perfectly. You have to actually own one to notice how effective it is. A good example I can share is that I threw away some meat into the trash can, and forgot about it, and about three days later, it started to smell terribly. I then moved my ionic breeze next to the trash can and set it on high for about 20 minutes, and it was smelling normal again. Also, when you clean these things out, you'll truly appreciate how much they really do. Even after 5 days, the collection grid is covered in thick dust.
Now onto the problems. The price is outrageous. I mean, $400 is damned exspensive just to breath cleaner air. Also, after about a week, the cleaner starts to make this crackling noise that isn't loud, but if it's in a bedroom, you'll have trouble sleeping. But that easily fixzed with a quick 5 minute clean. Another problem is leaving it on high in a closed room; this will have your room smelling so sterile that it's almost sickening, as humans we need some dirt in the air, and breathing such clean air is unnatural. But over all, these a tiny problems compared to what this unit can do, I'd definately recommend it. I just wished they'd drop the price a bit.

We love them
Reviewer: Marisa Nitsch Yonkers, NY 11-08-2004
We purchased two of these (was buy one get second half off) We owned them now for 2 weeks. After a few hours, we noticed a difference in the rooms we placed them. The air seems lighter, less heavy and congested. Its easier to breath the air, and smells fresh and clear. The family visted us just yesterday and they too noticed a difference in the quality of the air, how clear and clean it was compared to the rooms that do not have one of these. Whether smoke, pet dander, dust, etc it clears it. They are easy to clean, and not heavy so can be moved around as needed. We haven't had them make any noises whatsoever, but if and when they do I hear all you have to do is clean them which is a snap. Asthma and allergies run in my family, and to have those members notice a difference is truley amazing. My grandmother wheezes and looses her breathe quite fast just moving or being in our house with our two dogs. She did not wheeze once! We plan on investing in one for her as well. They are approved also by the Asthma and Allergy Association.

In Response to the Ozone Paranoids
Reviewer: Ryan Hinojosa Austin, Texas 02-17-2005
A person earlier said not to buy this product because it produces toxic ozone. Well, that's true, but it's not as bad as it seems. Ozone is toxic and this ionizer produces it. However, ozone is only toxic in large amounts. This product complies with FDA standards (less than 0.05 ppm of ozone) and the FDA (whose regulations are stricter than OSHA's and NIOSHA's) would never approve this product if it was in fact slowing killing us all. The EPA link posted by "Muthu 'MS'" is actually directed towards ozone generators, and this product is NOT an ozone generator.

But then there's the argument that goes along the lines of "well, it's not a HEPA filter and HEPA filters are WAY better! HEPA filters clean so much better and Consumer Report says so." This product does not use a HEPA filter and works nothing like them so it shouldn't be compared to one. Sure HEPA filters are spectacular for cleaning air because they do it so fast, but I happen to hate listening to the loud fan and paying for expensive filters. And for these reasons I bought a Professional Series Quadra and have had no complaints with it.

The bottom line is if you want an air purifier and have no problems with the noise or buying replacement filters, go with the HEPA filters. Your air will be cleaner with the HEPA filter (only if you have it on all the time).

But if you want to buy an air purifier without the noise and the added costs, go for the Quadra.

Totally Worthless
Reviewer: Kavity Killer Denver, Colorado 01-25-2005
As an experiment, I put this cleaner in a closet and blew a bunch of cigarette smoke into it and closed the door. 4 hours later: no change. This thing doesn't do ANYTHING. Buyer beware.

Do not recommend
Reviewer: Jack Card 10-25-2004
Although normally immune to such advertising, I must confess that I got sucked-in to the Sharper Image's informercial hawking its Ionic Breeze air purifier. Instead of getting it mail-order, however, I took a trip to the local Sharper Image store and purchased one there. Fortunately, my normally healthy scepticism returned, and I made certain that there was indeed a 90 day money back guarantee.

I brought it home to my approx. 700 sq. ft. apartment and set it up in my living room. I followed the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations, and waited for the amazing results promised. They never occured.

I experienced no noticeable improvement in air quality. I did not sleep better or breathe easier. My apartment was no less dusty. I cleaned the "collection" element according to the instructions, and it did have some soot on it, but no more than what would normally accumulate on my TV screen due to simple static electricity.

Sharper Image claims that the Ionic Breeze produces a fresh, clean scent. In reality, this is a result of ozone being produced by the device. I considered it unpleasant. Turning down the setting, suggested in the instructions, only reduced but did not eliminate the unpleasant odor. Although Sharper Image claims the device is government certified for low ozone emission, I do not feel comfortable breathing ozone - which is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Ed. (1982) as an "unstable, powerfully beaching, poisonous, oxidizing agent with a pungent, irritating odor, used to purify and deodorize air, to sterilize water, and as a bleach."

Needless to say, I returned the device shortly prior to the expiration of the 90 guarantee period. To Sharper Image's credit, my money was cheerfully refunded, no questions asked.

-

Ionic Breeze has it Pros and Cons
Reviewer: Frank MD Rochester, MN 10-25-2004
I own at least six of these from the largest to the smallest. They definitely work. They do crackle slightly when the dirt particles begin to accumulate. And it is best to wipe them clean and not wash them since the slightest amount of water inside the unit itself will not be a good thing for future use. When you compare the price of those that use filters and how long they last simply wiping some rods clean once a week is a small price to pay for something that will not cost a penny more in the future. They do release ions. Orek makes one which you can turn this feature off. Sharper Image makes one which also sterilizes as the air passes. Yes they are expensive but THEY DO WORK. Even the dust will be less in a room with one present. Some people may have respiratory problems from the ions emitted but most people without a history of pre-existing respiratory illnesses have nothing to worry about. Sure for 2 to 3 times more money you can obtain a more efficient air purifier but why spend even more and for one which will require expensive filters 1-2 times a year or more?

Absolute Waste of Money
Reviewer: J. Weaver Saline, MI 10-25-2004
Just read consumer reports...

October 2003
THE BOTTOM LINE

The Ionic Breeze is quiet but ineffective. Considering how slowly this product worked, our advice is to avoid it. There are much better choices.

Waste
Reviewer: Danny W. Condiff 10-23-2004
I've been in places with the Ionic Breeze and it didn't seem to do anything. Waste of money.

A Must for People with Allergies and Asthma
Reviewer: manekinaoko Boulder, CO 01-29-2004
4 reasons to buy Ionic Breeze

1. This air purifier is a must for people with allergies and asthma. Do you just know when it is cold outside by sneezing because the heater came on? I do. If you do too, I personally recommend this product.

2. low maintenance work at no cost. No filter change is required. All you need is to wipe it with a dump cloth.

3. Absolutely quiet. And, it lets you know when to clean by making static noise.

4 It might save you lots of money in the long run. I am off the expensive allergies and asthma medication such as singulair.

overrated
Reviewer: Anonymous 03-07-2006
an overpriced and overrated gadget. The good it does is probably mostly psychological, ie a placebo effect. People want to believe they are breathing cleaner air, even though it may not be much better. People are going to believe what they want to.

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