Picture: Glenda Taylor
Heightened consciousness of allergens and toxins within the air we breathe has boosted the recognition of air purifiers for properties and companies. A number of dozen manufacturers have flooded the market, all claiming to take away pollution from indoor air. To find out which of at present’s prime fashions actually dwell as much as the hype, I examined a number of the finest air purifiers, and the Shark air air purifier took prime honors.
Shark is well-known for making tech-savvy residence home equipment, and I’ve had the great fortune of proudly owning a few the corporate’s vacuums. I used to be anticipating good issues from the Shark air air purifier, and I wasn’t upset. I don’t have entry to knowledgeable lab to scientifically take a look at all of the options of an air air purifier, so I arrange an experiment sales space in a closet and examined the skills of a number of air purifiers to take away airborne particulates and smoke. I additionally measured the extent of noise the purifiers made throughout operation.
Preserve studying to find why the Shark air air purifier earned the highest spot within the lineup. Additionally, discover out what I appreciated finest about this machine and what I want the producer would have accomplished otherwise.
The Shark HC502 3-in-1 Max Air Air purifier with True HEPA: At a Look
Score: 9/10
Picture: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
PROS
- Digital readout reveals total air freshness and room temperature
- Options an added heating component to heat air in chilly rooms
- Comes with its personal built-in air high quality monitor (Clear Sense IQ)
CONS
- Consumer should take away the plastic filter cowl earlier than turning the machine on
- This mannequin is louder than a number of the different air purifiers examined
- Distant management makes use of line-of-sight expertise, which limits performance
Get the Shark air air purifier at:
What’s the Shark air air purifier?
The three advantages of the Shark air air purifier are purified air, purified heated air, and purified compelled air (fan). I appreciated this comfort-centric design as a result of I would like neither cool air blowing on me throughout the winter nor scorching air blowing on me throughout the summer season—but I need to purify the air in my residence year-round. I examined the Shark air air purifier throughout a bitter February chilly snap, so its skill to warmth the purified air was an actual perk.
Like different prime air purifiers, the Shark comes with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that removes as much as 99.98 p.c of airborne pollution as small as 0.1 microns. For comparability, human hair is about 100 microns thick.
The Shark air air purifier removes a number of varieties of pollution, together with pet dander, mud, allergens, smoke, and fumes, in an space of as much as 1,000 sq. toes. It additionally comes with a digital readout that signifies the freshness stage of the air within the room. Since I used to be utilizing a separate air high quality monitor throughout the assessments, I may evaluate the accuracy of the Shark’s built-in monitor.
Picture: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
Is the Shark air air purifier difficult to arrange?
It wasn’t tough to arrange the Shark air air purifier, however one essential step all customers should take earlier than turning the unit on is to take away the plastic wrap from the interior filter. This requires eradicating the entrance grille cowl, pulling out the plastic-wrapped filter, and tearing away the plastic. Failure to take away the plastic may injury the machine. Fortuitously, Shark places warnings in a number of areas, so this step is difficult to overlook.
Aside from that, setup is so simple as plugging the Shark air air purifier into an outlet and pushing the Begin button on the management panel. The nifty factor right here is that the spherical management panel can also be a distant management—it snaps off to be used. The one draw back is that the distant makes use of line-of-sight expertise, so I needed to stand in entrance of the machine and level instantly at it for the distant to work. That’s a comparatively minor challenge, but it surely does imply the distant received’t work if the person is in a unique room.
Picture: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
How loud is the Shark air air purifier whereas it’s working?
The Shark air air purifier wasn’t the quietest of all of the fashions we examined, but it surely’s not obnoxiously loud. On Excessive, the unit registered 59 decibels, akin to the sound of driving inside a automobile going about 60 miles per hour. Nonetheless, on Low, the air purifier registered simply 28 decibels, which is as quiet as a whisper. Even when it was working on Excessive, I wasn’t too bothered by the sound as a result of it’s just like a hum—after a couple of minutes, I naturally simply tuned it out.
If the sound turns into a problem, I recommend working it on Excessive when essential to take away pollution rapidly. After an hour or so, flip it to Low to take care of the air freshness within the room. One be aware right here—I stood about 3 toes away from the air purifier once I took the decibel readings. Customers who’re farther than 3 toes away will discover the noise stage is decreased.
Picture: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
How properly does the Shark air air purifier take away pollution?
That is the place the Shark shines! After eradicating all of the contents in my take a look at closet and wiping down the ceiling, partitions, and flooring to make sure they have been comparatively mud free, I examined every of the air purifiers.
I began by positioning the Shark within the heart of the closet subsequent to the air high quality monitor, after which I shook a unclean rug above each of them. Inside about 20 seconds, the monitor registered an unsafe stage of particulates within the air. I turned the Shark on Excessive and closed the closet door to let it do its factor. After permitting the Shark to run for half-hour, I took one other studying. In accordance with the monitor, the airborne particles had already dropped to inside a protected stage.
Subsequent, I examined the Shark’s skill to take away smoke. I lit 5 incense sticks within the closet and closed the door. After giving the incense quarter-hour to smoke up the closet, I took a studying. The monitor indicated hazardous ranges of fumes, particularly elevated ranges of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and unstable natural compounds (VOCs). I turned the Shark on Excessive and closed the door.
At half-hour, I took one other studying, and the degrees have been nonetheless barely elevated however near being again within the protected zone. The incense odor was milder, however I may nonetheless scent it. I took one other studying half-hour later, and the degrees had returned to the protected zone. There was nonetheless an odor of incense, but it surely was solely slight.
Is the Shark air air purifier best for you?
On the time of this writing, the Shark air air purifier sells for round $450. That’s on the expensive aspect for an air air purifier—even one which performs in addition to the Shark 3-in-1 mannequin. For individuals who are in search of a combo mannequin like this one which additionally heats the air, this air air purifier might be the best selection. It actually was good to have heated and purified air throughout testing.
The digital readout on the entrance is useful—most air purifiers don’t provide this function. It let me know, typically, whether or not the air within the room was protected or not. It’s not as detailed as an air high quality monitor, but it surely’s useful.
Consumers who solely have a small room to purify may discover this unit to be a bit an excessive amount of. For lower than half the worth of the Shark, one may purchase a top quality air air purifier plus an area heater. In the end, air air purifier the selection depends upon finances and room measurement. Regardless, the Shark air air purifier is actually a strong performer.
The place to Purchase the Shark HC502 3-in-1 Max Air Air purifier with True HEPA
Get the Shark air air purifier at:
Meet the Tester
Glenda Taylor is a product tester and author specializing within the development, reworking, and actual property business. She and her husband personal a basic contracting firm, and Taylor is skilled in each residential and industrial constructing purposes. She assessments a variety of energy instruments in addition to different residence enchancment, family, and lawn-and-garden merchandise.
