PureAire Revitaliser Review

 

Besides air revitalisers, PureAire also sells humidifiers, an alkaline jug and PureAire ‘essences’, which are oil-based liquids used in the air revitalisers to suppress mould and bacteria growth in the unit. The water tank capacity of the PureAire Basic Revitaliser is 800ml, and the dimension of the unit is 18cm (height) and 22cm (deep). The basic air revitaliser is white with a built in violet switched light. Replacement essences can be purchased from Amazon, eBay and PureAire-UK, which cost from £8.99 - £15.00. PureAire refers to the units as “revitalisers” and not air purifiers as do some other brands and resellers that sell a similar or identical product; such as PerfectAire, AMOS, Sentik and Magic Ball. All of these “revitalisers” use the same way to try to clean the air, which is the use of water and a small fan.

 

Marketed As:

The PureAire Basic revitaliser is marketed to “help provide fresher, cleaner air and a healthy harmonious living environment” as it is supposed to make a “dramatic difference to the quality of life for asthma and allergy sufferers” [1]. The PureAire basic air purifier is marketed to be effective in removing “unpleasant odour, airborne pollen, and tobacco smoke and dust mites” [1]. The manufacturer also states the revitaliser “provides a solution that goes beyond purifying for it also ionises, humidifies and adds aroma therapeutic fragrance” [1]. PureAire states that the PureAire basic revitaliser is made to cover an area of 75² meters.

PureAire Basic Air Revitaliser The PureAire Basic Air Revitalsier use a liquid (called ‘essences’), which is supposed to be able to change the 'mood' within the atmosphere. According to Pureaire, these 'essences' are made from “botanical extracts containing vital oxide disinfectant which has antibacterial and fungal properties. They are non-toxic, non-flammable, alcohol-free, biodegradable and environmentally safe” [2]. There is a wide range of differently flavoured essences available, each with its own supposed 'purpose' of use. The Raspberry and Summer 'essence' are said to be relaxing. The Lavender 'essence' is supposed to make you feel relaxed, aid with anxiety, depression, insomnia and headaches. Whilst the Citronella 'essence' is supposed to be a powerful anti-depressant with antifungal and insect repelling properties [2]. The manufacturer recommends using only tap water to clean the unit and equipment and not to use any type of cleaning products or other chemicals.

Review:

How the Pureaire tries to clean the air The idea of combining water and air pollution is mostly not a good one when it comes to air purification. When you combine water and air pollution you encourage the growth of bacteria and mould. Cleaning the air with water (just as rain and waterfalls do) must seem to the laymen as being a brilliant idea. However, replicating this process effectively in a home setting is not possible. The growth of bacteria and mould is one problem; the other problem is that this type of ‘filtration’ does not provide a high filtration efficiency nor a high enough number of air changes. The amount of air purified by a unit like this is too little to make a noticeable/any difference even in the smallest of rooms. Using regular tap water (especially in combination with the manufacturers recommended ‘essences’) can release a variety of pollutants into the environment, which can – once they have become airborne - affect allergy and asthma symptoms.

 PureAire Basic Air Revitaliser - Ioniser The maintenance cost for the PureAire basic air revitaliser is low as the unit does not use filters. Maintaining the unit in terms of washing and cleaning, however, is substantial. The PureAire revitaliser will need to be cleaned at least every two to three days. For best results - as advertised by the manufacturer - the water should be changed every 24 hours. Eventually, you might become forgetful or lazy about cleaning the unit, which can be a problem. Mould and bacteria can quickly build up in the revitaliser, and if the fan is still running, then the mould and bacteria will be pushed into the room.

 

The PureAire Basic Revitaliser in operation. The PureAire Basic air revitaliser does not have a power on/off switch and turns on automatically when connected to a power source. There is only one-speed setting. The noise the unit makes reminded us of the sound a water filter in a fish tank makes. Some people might find this unbearable, particularly if they are very sensitive to noise and use the unit in their bedroom.
The manufacturer states the air purifier is suitable for an area up to 800sqft which we assume can only be a typo. The unit is very small, with a very weak airflow, and less than mediocre filtration technology. Thus, it is questionable if the unit will be able to improve the air quality in even the smallest of rooms.

PureAire Basic Revitaliser Summary:

The PureAire revitaliser uses water to filter pollution from the air. However, with really low airflow and significantly low filtration efficiency the revitaliser will not be very effective in removing pollution from the air; even if it is set on the highest speed setting. The revitaliser needs to be cleaned every two to three days, which is time-consuming and if it is forgotten or ignored, can become a problem for people suffering with allergies - as mould and bacteria growth could be released back into the atmosphere.
The manufacturer is not shy of making big and unsubstantiated claims about their PureAire revitaliser. Saying that their scented oil is a "powerful anti-depressant" and that the PureAire Basic air revitaliser will make a “dramatic difference to the quality of life for asthma and allergy sufferers” is making us (and should make you) very uncomfortable.  It shows that the manufacturer and the people who market the product either do not understand air purification or are not afraid to make misleading claims.

Specifications:

[1, 2, 3] http://www.pure-aire.co.uk/product/pureaire-basic/
[4, 5, 6] http://www.pure-aire.co.uk/product/pureaire-essences/