The Ionic Breeze air purifier was the most well known name in air purification technology for years, and many people still associate the Ionic Breeze with high quality air purifiers.
The truth is, they shouldn’t because the Ionic Breeze air purifier does not use unique technology to run its systems, nor is it completely effective. In fact, it may cost you more than it’s worth because it could actually be harmful to your health.
Sharper Image sold the Ionic Breeze purifier until places like Consumer Reports and many others began performing independent testing on the air purifier. It was found the product emitted high levels of ozone, a lung irritant that is potentially fatal to infants, the elderly and people with breathing issues; that includes people with allergies, who were buying the product to help alleviate their allergies. The FDA has a limit on the amount of ozone such a product is allowed to emit, so Sharper Image added an attachment to the Ionic Breeze that would reduce the ozone levels, but they were only reduced to barely make the FDA requirements. That meant they could still be dangerous to certain people.
Sharper Image and the Ionic Breeze Air Purifier
After this information came out, the Ionic Breeze air purifier and Sharper Image tried to revamp their product, but each subsequent version still failed independent testing. Ozone was not the only issue; the product simply did not work the way it claimed, and better (and cheaper) products were on the market. Sharper Image lost a strong customer base and eventually went bankrupt. Now the Ionic Breeze can be found on infomercials, Office Depot and websites like Amazon.com. While these places do offer the Ionic Breeze at a discounted rate, it’s still sold at a hefty cost for a product that simply does not work. The Sharper Image website (SharperImage.com) does not offer the Ionic Breeze, but they have upgraded their air purifiers to newer (more expensive) models.
Lessons Learned From the Ionic Breeze Air Purifier
Before buying an Ionic Breeze air purifier of any model or version (or any other air purifier, for that matter), look at the technology used in the product. The Ionic Breeze boasts not using HEPA filters in their products, which is a draw for many people as replacing these filters can be costly and time consuming. By not using the HEPA, the Ionic Breeze also uses less electricity. That is where the positive aspects stop, however, because HEPA systems filter air much faster than other systems. Also, the Ionic Breeze products use cheap technology. There are air purification systems at discount retail stores that use the same technology as the Ionic Breeze and cost much less.
The Ionic Breeze air purifier has been well known for years thanks to proper marketing and advertising. However, that marketing and advertising failed to mention the Ionic Breeze air purifier may eventually cost you much more than you bargained for. With the cost of replacing the system when it fails to work, the cost of an attachment to reduce ozone levels and the cost for medical bills should the ozone emitted effect your health, the Ionic Breeze air purifier is a poor choice for an air purification system.