Re: Airgle 750 and Sears Kenmore Plasma Wave 85450, for Cat Dander

A Reader writes:

Hello Ed:

Looking for advice.

My allergy issue is cat dander.

My wife recently acquired our second cat, and this cat seems to have made our house much worse.

We need a second room air cleaner.

We currently have one Whirlpool that does the job in the downstairs, and I'd buy another, but they don't make it now.

So, I saw your review of the Airgle 750, as well as reviews elsewhere. It seems top notch, though pricey.

Any reason why it's not in your top 10?

Also, I tried to visit the listed address in NY City, and could not find them. Are they still in business?

My reason for asking is that I'd hate to buy something this expensive and then not be able to get filters in a year.

Re other: Sears sells a Kenmore Plasma Wave 85450. Stats make it appear to be effective do you happen to know anything about it?

And who makes it?

Our issues are only pet dander, not smoker, not fumes (my wife and I have worked around solvents etc) so only interested in removing dander.

Ed's Reply

Hey Reader;

Airgle 750 is an entrant into the very competitive premium air purifier class. Market penetration has been very slow amid the economic ruins of 2009.

No doubt a disappointment, cutting office space wouldn't surprise me.

I would not take a risk on that price range now.

Top 10 are best selling machines, graded by price category.

Despite the South Korean-made Airgle's high performance, it does not match the quality, dependability, and staying power of IQAir.

(End remarks Re: Airgle, language below pertains only to Sears/Winix).

Sears Kenmore Plasma Wave 85450 is a rebranded Winix Plasmawave

It is common, and wise, for Asian manufacturers to seek a US partner when entering the American market. Too many products from Asia flounder at the language and culture barrier.

So Korea-based Winix built "Kenmores" for Sears, which slaps on a brand and ups the price, as they have always done with air cleaners.

Winix appears to have had a deal to front Sears for a couple years, then showed the Korean flag with their own brand and true made-in-Korea value, as soon as the contract expired.

See Kenmore 85500 for more on Sears and air cleaners - Kenmore EnviroSense 85500 was a rebranded Sharp Plasmacluster.

However, it looks like the Kenmore 85450, with official CADRs at 291/298/343 for smoke, dust and pollen, is not an exact replacement for current Winix models.

I strongly prefer to avoid the Sears price markup and poor customer service reputation that has developed over the years.

I have seen posts from Kenmore 85450 buyers who cannot find filters, suggesting that Sears has been left high and dry on this one.

A Winix 5300, CADR 248/235/251, is a better candidate. I just bought one as a Christmas gift/long term test machine, to be installed in my 3rd son's home. I paid $150 at Fry's Electronics.

A Winix 5300 review will take a month or two of use.

See Winix 5000 Review for a predecessor Winix.

"Cat dander" can be as small as 0.1 micron and be airborne, but the majority of allergies are caused by proteins in saliva on fur - cats groom themselves by fastidious licking.

The result is that cat allergens are not primarily airborne - molecular sized allergens are transferred by touching the cat or anything it gets near.

Depending on your degree of sensitivity, this could include (oops) your wife.

Keeping the cats out of the bedroom - baby gates have been used by some - and frequent washing of hands and changes of clothing might be a start.

I had a dog once which was very affectionate. He was a large strong dog, and would jump up and "kiss" people's faces with his tongue. So be thankful your wife only likes cats.

Best wishes,

Ed