Let's Review an Air Purifier

A convenient online tool for this data is Keyworddiscovery.com. Link opens new window.

Enter your product's name in the search box.

The keyword tool will return numbers representing the number of searches for that exact phrase, or which contain those words, made in the previous month. This provides relative search strength, a rough measure of your air purifier's popularity. For instance, a search for "Blueair" returned 1011 searches.

This is mild consumer interest.

For contrast, "Oreck air purifier" produces 6418 queries.

"Ionic breeze" still gets 13270 consumer searches each month.

This is strong consumer interest, generated by a huge advertising budget. As I hope everyone can see, viewing consumer demand is a very poor indicator of air cleaner quality and effectiveness.

It helps webmasters decide which air purifiers to review.

It can help you determine the market depth of a given air purifier. Air purifiers with total search interest below 100 are often very thin in terms of support. These products generate few air purifier reviews.

If there are searches shown with the word "complaint", "lawsuit", or "scam", many people have expressed dissatisfaction. This is rare, but shows up for the worst products.

Manufacturer Web Page

A viewing of the builder's website, not just a vendor, tells me a lot.

Is there plenty of information, including performance specifications, and sound level measurements (not just assurances of "quietest")?

A cryptic builder's air purification website is evidence of inept marketing. I prefer a downloadable user's manual and evidence of open communication channels.

Is my model shown on the builder's site? I don't want to buy or waste time reviewing an air purifier which has been discontinued.

Dealers will often have inventory in discontinued purification equipment selling for full retail price. In looking at an internet "bargain", check to make sure it is not discontinued or superseded at the same price.

While at the builder's site I try to gather as many technical details as possible, straight from the horse's mouth.

Internet vendors have a way of unfairly inflating facts.

Public Data Review

An air purifier review should consider Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) numbers from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM).

Take these with a grain of salt and do not be concerned if your otherwise acceptable aircleaner is not mentioned there.

Still, it is best to get this data direct, rather than from a dealer. AHAM frequently changes the CADR table address:

AHAM CADR Ratings

Consumer Reports has begun requiring subscriber login to view their controversial air purifier ratings, which I criticise elsewhere.

The strengths and shortcomings of AHAM's CADR and the Consumer Reports air cleaner review process are analyzed in articles accessible under the "Buyer Beware" navbar at the top left of this page.

Customer Views

An air purifier that is selling well, or is really bad, will generate many postings by happy and/or irate consumers. First I look at Amazon.com. Finding any customer air purifier reviews can be difficult at first. Enter your product name or "air purifier" into Amazon's search box.

Then use the category tag on the left border to cull through the listings. These listings are seller-generated, so your product may be listed more than once, and in more than one category, e.g. Kitchen and Housewares, Home and Garden.

Epinions.com has an occasional air purifier review, enter your search term and look to see if reviewsare listed.

Testimonials on seller's websites tend to be universally sunny, and of little value. Some aircleaners are marketed by dubious multilevel marketing: these will have many "reviews" by guys with a garage full of worthless machines which look like air purifiers. Ignore them, their car can sit outside a little longer, until they join the 60% annual turnover at MLM companies.

Now,... Search the Web

By now we have a pretty good outline of our target. We know it's technology, power, airborne particle and chemical capabilities, and appropriate room size. We know if accurate sound measurements are available, and what other consumers say about the noise.

We have an idea of the manufacturer's size, commitment to air quality, and the consumer interest in and general opinion of the air purifier under review.

So, fearless leader, is it OK to search the web yet?

Yes, but the point is, get real facts down in black and white before just jumping to whatever site seems to offer the lowest price.

Many vendor written air purifier reviews are nothing but brief product descriptions. Others may take liberties with the facts, exaggerating the purifier's capabilities.

A pair of air purification vendors stand out in terms of actual testing and honest evaluation of air cleaners sold on their sites;

http://www.allergybuyersclub.com
http://www.air-purifiers-america.com

Note I am not endorsing these vendors beyond my assessment of the high quality information presented. I have never purchased from their sites, and have no commercial relationship with either.

Next, we check to see how many sites offer replacement filters, by searching for just the part number.

This should return thousands of results. Sometimes this can prevent a surprise: "nobody told me this model uses four replacement filters, costing over $100 every six months."

I always search the manufacturer and product names with "scam", "complaint", "lawsuit", and "problem", to look for dirt. A couple sites check are consumer-complaint oriented;