Hamilton Beach 04492 True Air Ionic Air Purifier

A Smoker's Dream

By Darlene  Apr 3, 2007

Pros: Permanent filter, multiple speeds, air quality sensor

Cons: Some may find it a bit noisy, no remote, filter not washable

Here’s the situation: Two months ago, my new roommate and I moved into an apartment. I thought the fact that I smoke and she doesn't was going to cause BIG problems. I refused to be relegated to my room with the door closed, so we compromised an...d decided to try some air filters. For the large (about 25x16) open kitchen/living area we bought two air cleaner: this Hamilton Beach True Air Ionic and an Ionic Pro. O.K. Here's the setup: The True Air cleaner is in the kitchen dining area, about 2 ft. from where I usually sit (and smoke). I keep it on the "Auto" setting which adjusts the fan speed according to the air quality. We let it run 24 hours a day and haven't noticed a big jump in the electric bill. The other air cleaner (the Ionic Pro) is in the living room, about 11 ft. away from the True Air. The Ionic Pro seems to generate a lot of ozone on the "High" setting (I could smell it). This irritated my eyes and I think it was also making me feel tired. So, I only use the Ionic Pro on "Low" and turn it off at night. I haven’t detected any ozone at all from the True Air. We also have one of those heated, scented oil thingamajigs plugged in between the kitchen and living room. Now, here’s the story: My roommate had to leave for a month and I was in the apartment alone - smoking up a storm, of course. When she came home, unexpectedly, she said the air smelled great and she couldn’t detect any smoke odor at all! Hallelujah! This thing is GREAT! To be fair, this all occurred during a mild winter to hot spring transition period and the windows were open some of the time. They were open when my roommate returned home. But, then again, she hasn’t been complaining since. I liked the True Air the moment I saw it because of its style (sleek), light weight (easily moved), and the fact that it has a permanent air filter (no $$$ flying out of the pocket every few months). Since owning it, I’ve come to really like the air quality readout (a set of LEDs) and the AUTO setting, which adjusts the fan speed. We have a dog and a hairy cat so I vacuum the filter and clean the air quality sensor about once a week, far more often than the manufacturer’s recommended 3-6 months. And this is a lot less work than the other cleaner which requires that I remove and wash the big, heavy blades at least once a week (they then have to dry for a day). My filter was looking a bit dirty after I vacuumed it the last time. I thought that one of these days I would probably want to wash it. So I called Hamilton Beach and they said “No,” the filter is not washable. I asked them if I could replace it when it got too dirty and they insisted that it really is a PERMANENT filter (99% HEPA grade to 0.5 micron) and never needs to be replaced. Finally, they relented. All of you clean-freaks out there can buy a new filter for around $50 including shipping. I like the True Air so much that I’m going to buy another one for my room when I finish redecorating it. Here is where I might wish that there were a remote to turn the unit off when I want to sleep. Hey, just thought of this, maybe I can put a timer on the outlet it’s plugged into! I don’t think it’s noisy at all on the Low setting, but it’s not silent either, there is some noise. When it’s on High, you might have to pump up the TV volume just a notch. Read more Less