This is about the Greentech Environmental pureAir Active HEPA+ with ODOGard Air Purifier. Yes, it’s quite a mouthful!
Air Purifiers are on a roll. The concept isn’t new. Room units with HEPA filtration have been around for decades. Family members have used them in children’s rooms for air purification and to provide gentle white noise to help lull the children to sleep while trapping allergens and particulates that can cause bronchial irritation to those who are particularly sensitive to dust, dander and even smoke.
Yes, these air filters/cleaners have been proven effective. At about $200 for a unit suitable for a 10-foot by 12-foot bedroom, there are many worthy competitors. Some can sense particulates and automatically adjust the fan speed accordingly, drawing more air through the HEPA filter.
The model tested is said to be appropriate for a room size up to 375 square feet, about the area of a small bedroom. A step-up model called pureAir Active HEPA+ Pro with ODOGard targets rooms up to 750 square feet.
What do the Greentech Environmental products bring to the party? The manufacturer claims the added benefit of both active and passive cleaning. The passive part is the HEPA filter. HEPA filters trap up to 99.98% of particles as small as .003 microns, the smallest that exist. There are more than particles, however, and trapping them does not zap them.
Take odor-causing particles, for example. Greentech claims that the active part of their products removes captured particles by zapping them with bipolar ionizing brushes said to create a “plasma of negative and positive charges to remove particles from your breathing space.” These particles also include what can be dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as what can be emitted from some paint products, though the industry as moved to drastically eliminate VOCs from paint in recent years, This is why modern paints last for far less time than the old VOC-laden paint formulas. But, they are safer.
Photocatalytic Oxidation – “Using a broad-spectrum UV light and moisture in the air, active oxidation products are created to seek out and inactivate pathogens at the source.”
HEPA Filer with Odogard® Coating – “Traps and destroys odors along with allergens and other particulates. Active HEPA+ ODOGard® is the only air purifier on the market that user ODOGard technology to quickly and permanently eliminate odors by bonding to odor molecules.”
A further claim is that these products also reduce SARS-CoV-2 by 99.98%.
Can these claims be validated? I have not found nor been provided independent lab studies, but that does not suggest a lack of validation or effectiveness in the real world.
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The difference in the Greentech products over others may be the advantage of actively zapping particulates instead of just trapping them in the HEPA filter. The model tested has a retail price of $649. BOTH the basic and Pro models are the same price from Amazon at this writing.
Once the Greentech app is connected, Google Home Assistant or Alexa will be automatically recognized allowing the owner to use voice commands to turn the device on & off, control fan speed, night mode and more.
The unit’s red, yellow and green lights change from indicating air quality as poor, to fair, to good as it cleans the airspace.
Use the app to schedule use by day and times.
**WHAT’S IN THE BOX**
- Greentech Active HEPA+ Air Purifier – completely assembled
- Instructions and other documentation
**THE SETUP**
READ the manual, download iOS or Android software, establish an account. Re-read the manual. Plug it in, and now, it’s time to . . .
**PUT IT TO THE TEST**
I chose the kitchen for the evaluation location. That is where a variety of odors can be found, and the particulates generated from food preparation and cooking should set off the zapping sensor.
The unit is not heavy and has a visually pleasing industrial design.
After plugging it in and launching the app that was previously configured, it was switched on at the unit’s panel. Set to Automatic, we waited and listened to the soft, barely perceptible whir of its fan. Noise increased with fan speed.
In-app scheduling was not used.
Exploring the iOS app, I reviewed all the settings that mimicked those that are available manually on the panel. Connected by Wi-Fi, it became another part of our “smart home”.
- Manual Mode where fan speed can be selected
- Auto Mode allows the Active HEPA+ to determine and control adjustments based upon its own monitoring
- Sleep Mode turns lighting off while maintaining the user’s preferred cleaning level
- Wi-Fi control puts every adjustment in the app from anywhere in the world
- An Air Quality Indicator presents the internally measured quality from Poor to Fair to Good, with accompanying display changes on the unit and in the app as well as fan speed adjustments that respond to air quality.
The kitchen location on the counter farthest from the cooking area proved ideal. We observed the fan speed and air quality indicators changing as we cooked, peeled citrus fruits, brought scraps to our countertop Vitamix FoodCycler composter and for no apparent reason. Very interesting.
**CONCLUSION**
I like and recommend it! Get right-sized model for where it will live in your home.
It did seem to zap sensed particulates and clean the air better than without it, though we did not perceive an odor-free area after the unit’s cycling. I can only surmise that the particles it’s supposed to zap were zapped as indicated by the display.
It is easy to use from the panel and from the app, though I do not see the point of voice control on such an easy-to-use product.
Maintenance? Recommended when time in use and sensor indicators dictate. See information in the app. and by pressing the Information key on the display.
**WARRANTY**
The manufacturer provides a 10-year warranty
