# Living Air Classic and Ionic Breeze Purifiers - a lot of $hit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844 "2003-12-13T23:02:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sethdallob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@sethdallob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sethdallob)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/1 "2003-12-13T23:02:20Z")
I can’t possibly that either machine does what it claims to do, as I have a word substitution that I use - ion = b/s. I’ve read some skeptical reviews of The Ionic Breeze by Sharper Image, but none of the Living Air Classic. A google search wasn’t fruitful on the Living Air. Anyone have any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![sethdallob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@sethdallob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sethdallob)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/2 "2003-12-13T23:08:22Z")
Boy, that was the worst post I’ve ever made here - I forgot a couple of you know, words, in sentences. The question is in there somewhere though. ---
**Author:** ![bromells](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@bromells](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bromells)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/3 "2003-12-14T00:12:45Z")
My Dad did some research for me when I wanted to get an air filter. His findings were as follows: 1. The ionic-only ones, like the one from Sharper Image, received very low marks from Consumer Reports and other reviewers. Air just wasn’t being pushed through to get ionized. 2. Mid-range scores went to HEPA filters like the Honeywells and Kenmores or whatnot available at Sears. But, as Sharper Image crows, you do have to replace a lot of filters frequently. The HEPA filter itself lasts a year or two but the pre-filters (charcoal type stuff) need changing every 3 months or even more often if you smoke or fry a lot of food in a small apartment. I do both. 3. The best score went to one of the ion ones, but with a twist. It was a hybrid that used a big fan, a pre-filter or filter, and ionizing metal strips. It was made by Friedrich (a Texas company that makes a lot of wall-unit air conditioners too) and Consumer Reports loved it. I went with a HEPA because the Friedrich prize-winner that Consumer Reports loved so much was very big and bulky and not cheap (around $500?). Plus, I just don’t want to smell like an ashtray every time I leave the house. If I cared about air quality all that much, I wouldn’t smoke and I certainly wouldn’t live in NY City. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/4 "2003-12-14T00:31:30Z")
I received the Sharper Image unit as a gift last year. I didn’t think that it could even move any air, but it was a gift so I kept quiet and tried it. It is silent and it does move air through the unit. I was suprised to note that I could feel the breeze, in a romm with no other air movement, 8-10 feet away. It wasn’t a lot of movement, but was detectable. It does remove dirt from the air. The collection rods do get dirty and need to be cleaned. The dirt came from somewhere right? Is it as efficent as a unit with a fan and HEPA filter? I’m sure it’s not. But it was free. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/5 "2003-12-14T00:50:44Z")
The Consumer Report test put each type of air purifier in a closed chamber witha given amount of polutant over a given time. The Ionic Breeze over 12 hours removed less than 10% the HEPA types removed 90% or more . Sharper Image said the test was unfair, so CU did it again doubling the time with no significant difference. I have the magazine here. I can hold it up to the screen as a cite… Sorry, I don’t Google. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/6 "2003-12-14T05:25:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GaryM \* > **It does remove dirt from the air. The collection rods do get dirty and need to be cleaned. The dirt came from somewhere right?** Dust also gathers on your TV screen. I’ve never even heard of the “Living Air Classic”–what’s its story? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/7 "2003-12-14T05:27:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tamex \* > **Dust also gathers on your TV screen.** Very true. perhaps my Ionic breeze is just keeping my TV screen cleaner!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Saranga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Saranga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saranga)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/8 "2003-12-14T15:16:30Z")
According to the Living Air website: > [@](#): > > Note: The Living Air is not a “filtration system.” That should be a tip-off 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/9 "2003-12-14T15:46:59Z")
Uhh, my wife and I have two Iconic Breezes from sharper image (Buy one full price, get second half off) - and they have made a noticeable diff in our house. With cats and a dog, the house smells great all the time. Granted all our animals are clean and my wife is the most anal woman on the planet when it comes to cleaning…still the IB’s work great! ---
**Author:** ![PhilAlex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@PhilAlex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhilAlex)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/10 "2003-12-14T15:58:45Z")
The ionic breeze makes… suprise! OZONE. that’s what makes the house smell clean. The small sharper image bathroom sized ones are amazing for getting rid of foot odour out of smelly shoes. Trust me on this one. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/11 "2003-12-14T16:15:51Z")
These ionic air purifiers work - as I understand it - not by filtering out particles, but by creating ozone which then somehow attaches itself to air born particals and makes them fall to the floor. (I’m not at all certain about any of this.) I remember seeing a [Quackwatch](http://www.quackwatch.org/) article which acknowledged that studies done in dental offices supported the claims that they at least worked to remove odors. Sorry, I can’t seem to find the cite at this time. ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/12 "2003-12-14T16:20:12Z")
I have this machine. Living Air… made by what used to be Alpine. I think the company was sold to another. I like it. I have three dogs so anything I can do to make my house smell better is good for me. It makes my house smell like sheets off a clothes line. Or… like it smells after a short summer rain. I run it non-stop. I even bought an extra filter so I can always have a clean one ready to go. It has a couple of glass plates, a filter, a fan, and some other little parts. The gym where I work out has two of these in the locker room. I think it was money well spent. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/13 "2003-12-15T04:20:22Z")
I was on the verge of buying an Ionic Breeze on till I read in Consumer Reports they said “It’s slightly better than nothing.” ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-air-classic-and-ionic-breeze-purifiers-a-lot-of-hit/218844/14 "2003-12-15T04:28:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PhilAlex \* > **The ionic breeze makes… suprise! OZONE.** Isn’t ozone a pollutant? That’s one of the things they point to when they say that Houston and L.A. have the worst pollution. It’s harmful to us, isn’t it? And it’s not like it’s a small amount. They say you should watch for the ozone produce by photo-copiers. I would think that a unit that’s sole purpose is to create ozone has to be producing enough ozone to be harmful.