Airgle 750 Air Purifier Review: High Road to China

Now that's real power, no doubt.

But consumers are warned that CADRs do not tell the whole story, see Truth about the Clean Air Delivery Rate.

AHAM also certifies the Airgle seven-fifty for rooms up to 2000 square feet, where it can produce 2 air changes per hour.

Nonsense.

No room air purifier, even this very strong blower, can circulate the air in such a big room. Short cutting will cause the same air to be filtered repeatedly while far reaches remain contaminated.

Unlike many in the residential air purifier marketing business, Airgle has taken the high road, publishing complete specifications - including often obscure noise to airflow ratios - and an honest room size rating for the 750s.

This might be the first time I have ever agreed with a vendor's room size rating.

Airgle rates their 750 for a 698 sq. ft. room, yielding 6 air changes per hour as recommended here.

The 750 by Airgle is an air cleaner that actually can be installed in living rooms or large bedrooms.

You Can't be Serious - 12 Filters?

With so many purifiers marketed with questionable claims that multiple technologies make for a superior air purifier, Airgle can be forgiven for "12-stage filtration" marketing hype.

Airgle 750 is purely a HEPA and activated carbon machine.

There is no ultraviolet lamp, no photocatalyst, no plasma ionizer - really only 4 "stages" of filtration.

But so what?

Many air purifiers marketed under the "multiple stages are better" hype are simply junk, with ozone-prone ionizers, very weak uv lamps, and tiny TiO2 catalysts added to little effect.

Not the problem with this bad boy;

Allergybuyersclub.com, which thoroughly tests all new products, had this to say;

The Airgle 750 "performed above our expectations... registered a 0 particle count on our testing meter"

Zero particle exhaust is indicative of quality design and tight construction, and is quite rare in mass market air cleaners.

Testers at air-purifiers-america.com also found 99% of airborne particles removed.

The Airgle draws air through the bottom, exhaling through twelve filters on it's top and sides.

Note that the 750's filters are NOT placed in series, but are four sets of parallel installations.

Air can exit through any one of the four filter stacks, and does not go through all 12 filters on a single pass.

Air flows first through four permanent washable pre-filters, placed on the inside, opposite the usual order.

Next come four 3M HEPA filters, two on top and two mounted on the sides.

Top and side filters are not interchangeable on the 750s. The 2 top filters measure 9.25 by 9.25 by 2 inches, and two side filters are 9.25 by 9.25 by 1.5 inches.

Another marketing mistake, repeated by nearly every dealer site says the 750 Airgle can trap particles "as small as 0.3 microns."

Point-three microns is the HEPA filter most penetrating particle size, smaller particles, to .1 micron, are also captured with similar efficiency.

Outside the 750's two side-mounted HEPA filters (not on the top 2), sit two activated carbon filters, measuring 9.25 by 9.25 by 0.4 inch.

These contain about one pound of carbon each.

A mere 2 lbs. carbon is just barely adequate for Volatile Organic Chemical (VOC) adsorbtion.

This is far more chemical filtration than offered by cheaper air cleaners, but I consider it inadequate for the premium class, which has contenders weighing in as high as 18 pounds of toxin-adsorbing carbon.

Also, having carbon covering only two exit ports of four reduces single pass efficiency for chemical filtration.

The 750's relative lack of chemical protection, and the much more frequent carbon filter replacements required to produce serious VOC protection, are the Achille's heel of this otherwise sterling design.

The carbon filters are followed by two permanent antimicrobial low resistance filters.

An air-purifier-power reader, researching the 750, reports a communication with Airgle;

"...information I obtained direct from Airgle:

1. The filter change indicator uses "advanced pressure sensor technology", not a simple countdown timer.

2. As far as no activated carbon at the top, Airgle recommended adding 2 additional carbon filters instead of the 2 high air-flow antimicrobial filters on the top. With these 2 additional carbon filters, the total carbon weight would increase to 4 lbs."

Despite the seeming complexity, the Airgle 750 disassembles easily and all filters can be removed and replaced without tools.

Only six filters actually have to be replaced, the other six are permanent and/or washable types.

With four HEPA and two carbon filter turnovers predicted annually - a package of four HEPAs goes for $135.00, the pair of carbons fetch $36 - annual filter costs are projected at $180.

I expect Airgle 750 users with chemical issues to need more frequent carbon filters, say every 6 months, adding another forty bucks to the yearly maintenance tab.

This is in line with average filter replacement costs in the premium segment.

Airgle Automation

Airgle 750s sport continuous automatic air quality monitoring.

Air purifier buyers should not overlook this key feature on any new machine.

Airgle's dust sensor measures airborne particulate,automatically selecting one of five fan speeds for best economy and noise emissions.

Unfortunately, more manufacturers are choosing to eliminate the second sensor - odor - which makes the marketing case for automation so appealing, and sometimes humorous.

I predict that future air quality machines will have not just dust and odor sensors, but infrared (heat) and motion detectors which determine if humans, and how many, are actually in the room.

A blue LCD display shows dust level, filter check/change indicator (it appears this is merely a timer, not a pressure switch), current fan speed, programmable timer, and auto-mode on/off.

While the goofy happy face (on the LED display) is smiling, the 750 air purifier continues idling along in quiet/economical low speed.

A timer can shut the Airgle air cleaner down after a preselected 1 to 8 hours of operation.

When the Airgle is in silent mode, its light sensor turns down the fan when the lights go out.

All the air purifier's functions can be modulated from the remote control or the front panel.

750 is Emission-Free

Another principle guides the evolution of air purifiers: first do no harm.

Many machines marketed as air cleaners have emitted ozone, outgassed vapors from glue and plastic components, or produced too much noise for serious use.

Airgle asserts that the BY750 air purifier emits ZERO ozone.

The secret to the Airgle's low sound and ozone emissions is its brushless direct-current motor (BLDC), another innovation required on future air purification product roll-outs.

A step-down transformer reduces household 110 volt alternating current to 12 volts direct current to run the BLDC motor. This reduces electromagnetic fields (EMF), ozone producing sparking and arcing, noise, radio frequency interference, and motor heating leading to outgassing of rubber and plastic components.

In The Still Of The Night

Without dragging motor brushes Airgle 750 is completely silent on low speed.

Air-purifier-power technical noise specification through the five speeds is;

WOW! In case anybody missed it, this is a real breakthrough.

What this measures is noise relative to airflow. All air purifier vendors assert that their products are "quiet." Here we have actual numbers to go by: quiet indeed.

Just 23 decibels while producing 71 cubic feet per minute yields an exceptional noise/cleaning ratio.

The quietest air purifiers, Japanese-made Sharps, make 15 decibels, but blow only at 28 cfm at that sound level.

Premium class leader, IQAir HealthPro Plus, running on low, makes 44dB(A)@40 cfm.

Compare Friedrich C90a putting out 55 dB(A)@365 cfm on top speed to 55 dB(A)@464cfm from the Airgle.

So Airgle 750 is indeed the strong and silent type.

If the discussion of air purifier noise, in my opinion a very important consideration, seems confusing, see "Quiet" Air Purifier: quietly making noise

Lemon Tree: "Aromatherapy"

Airgle's claim of environmentally safe materials is, in my opinion, compromised by the inclusion of an "aromatherapy" package.

I am not opposed to aromatherapy as an alternative medical protocol, and use some volatile oils myself.

But spraying fragrance to cover odors, by blocking our sensory organs, goes completely against my grain.

The fragrance cartridge, which fits in a small compartment on top of the 750, contains a broad spectrum, long lasting, olfactory inhibitor - it acts on the nose, doing nothing about the actual odor or chemical.

A patented technology made of a "sublimating polymer" with natural and/or synthetic materials emits a light flower smell.

Testers at Sylvane.com report the Airgle fragrance is "very faint, non-irritating."

Cartridge life is estimated at 12 months, replacements are $16.50.

Air purifier buyers in this price class want performance, and will not be fooled by marketing gimmicks which work in the $150 price class.

Consumers who want to cover odors instead of removing them can buy an aerosol can of "air freshener" and spray their living space with chemicals anytime they want.

The best thing that can be said about this inappropriate feature is that it can easily be switched off by the user.

Energy Miser

Measuring 20.8 inches wide by 14 wide and 26.4 tall, and weighing 37 pounds, the 750 from Airgle actually needs its heavy duty casters to get around.

Power consumption is very low for a machine this powerful, just 65 watts.

Again, the Airgle's BLDC motors, with no brushes to generate friction, are very efficient at converting electricity into mechanical torque, especially in the low-load area.

Airgle Corporation

Since 2002 Airgle Industries Inc. has become an International company with offices in the U.S.A, South Korea and Hong Kong, and numerous authorized dealers.

Airgle 750 is manufactured in Hong Kong, China, and Korea.

Corporate Offices:
Airgle Corporation
1001 Avenue of the Americas,
New York City NY, USA 10018

Airgle Corp
14838 56th Road
Flushing NY 11355

Due to a high number of telephone calls relative to resources, Airgle Customer Service is best contacted via email: info@airgle.com

Air purifiers purchased directly from Airgle or an Airgle authorized dealer are covered under Airgle's three (3) year warranty and 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

Durability remains to be verified - some competing premium air cleaners are warranted 10 years - but the BLDC motor has a good track record in terms of mechanical reliability.

Defective 750s returned, using appropriate return authorization proceedures, within 30 days of purchase, will be replaced by Airgle with shipping paid both ways.

Non-defect thirty day returns, with required valid return authorization number, are subject to a 15% restocking fee.

Airgle also offers a 15% discount to employees of educational institutions and allumni associations, state government employees, and others, on company direct sales.

A thorough internet search uncovered no dirt on Airgle, or its predecessor company B&Y International.

Conclusions

The 750 from Airgle, a contender in the premium air cleaner space, is best for those with serious particulate sensitivity.

Despite the strong showing in the emissions area, the low weight carbon and bogus aromatherapy tack-on make this machine less suitable for serious illness like Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).

I like what the Asian builders of the Airgle 750 have done and rate this product highly.

But there is room to improve here.

My suggestions for the manufacturer of the Airgle 750: drop the aroma cartridge, add an odor/chemical sensor and a couple more pounds of carbon chemical filtration to get rid of odors.

It also remains to be seen if this company has staying power in a slow market, caution is warranted.

AirPurifierPower Rating/Review

Each of ten factors gets up to 10 points, 100 is perfect and very unlikely.

1. First do no harm; minimal out gassing, no ozone.

Score: 9 of 10. Clean and green, would be a "10" without tacky aromatherapy add-on.

2. Serious airborne gas and odor removal is a requirement if health benefits are expected: aircleaners with real carbon VOC capability rank higher.

Score: 8 of 10, premium class competitors have better VOC/odor power.

3. Quality construction; case, gaskets, seals, and precision fitting eliminate bypassing impure air and assure high efficiency at filtering sub-micron particles from the airstream.

Score: 10 of 10, trusted tests at allergybuyersclub.com show "zero" particulate, no bypassing.

4. The design maximizes the lifespan of each filter stage by allowing independent filter replacement. Ideally this is combined with electronic filter monitoring.

Score: 10 of 10, no combined filters to buy unnecessarily.

5. Aircleaner has long filter life, low maintenance requirements, and reasonable operating costs.

Score: 9 of 10, filter costs average, but competitors last longer, service life expected long.

6. Purifier produces low noise levels and meaningful airflow rates relative to noise.

Score: 10 of 10, new heavyweight champ of noise-to-performance.

7. Manufacturer has a track record, with many units in the field and a reputation for supporting what they sell. Warranty period and average service life are long.

Score: 5 of 10, short 3-year warranty for premium space, China-built, sales disappoint.

8. Purifier is a value in terms of price/performance ratio. Every price range should be included, “models above $1,200 are best”, while true, is not useful to most consumers.

Score: 9 of 10, good value - if Airgle 750 was built anywhere else, it would retail for $1100.

9. No dirt; aircleaner and manufacturer should be devoid of class-action suits, high returns, recalls, repairs, consumer complaints, and legitimate negative consumer reviews.

Score: 8 of 10, company formerly known as B & Y International, has brief track record but marketing appears honest.

10. Airpurifiers are stylish, portable, comfortable, and convenientfor consumer use.

Score: 10 of 10, missing odor sensor but still great electronic interface.

AirPurifierPower Numeric Rating; 88, impressive.

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