Which Air Purifier

[thekarens]

What is the best Air purifier that I can get for no more than $500-$600.

Ever since we brought Corky (our grey bird) home my partner has been sick. Now, she's never been allergic to greys in the past, but we're no longer spring chicks. She has had congestion, cough, etc for months, so she finally goes to the doc. She tries a couple different antibiotics, and a steroid inhaler and now she's on some other med. Now we're thinking maybe it's him, so what says Valentine's like a new air filter/purifier?

 

[Terry57]

We have a Honeywell Air Genius 5 and it is amazing. I think that an air purifier would be a great Valentine's Day present!

 

[Christinenc2000]

I am sure you may have already done it but putting Hepa filters in the heat / ac units really help . At least the did for me . You can also put filters on the vents in the bedroom.

 

[thekarens]

Both are good suggestions. I've been trying to decide between Austin and Rabbit, but any suggestions are good

 

[Piasa]

I literally just bought an Austin allergy model, but haven't used it yet. I looked at Rabbit Air but I was not impressed with their customer service rep's knowledge when I called, nor with their reviews on Amazon. I have 2 different friends who use IQ for their birds and love it. When I did my research, I found out so many models that don't tell you they have an ionizer actually do (such as Blue, which was previously high on my list).

 

[ChocoboFun]

I got an IQAir HealthPro Compact. Compact is relative in this sense, as it is about 3 feet tall.

I know the initial price is higher than your stated price, but like the Austin models, it has a 5-year main filter with a ~3month pre-filter. The difference is, you don't have such a large amount of people complaining about the initially shipped unit being beaten up and funky smelling when running like you do with the Austin units.

The lower prices units tend to have their own problems of various sorts. For example, one of the highest rated ones is a Honeywell (something like $300 base cost), but hte filters must be replaced every 3 months, and the company makes generic filters for the line, so you have to buy multiple packs at a time and cut to fit the unit. Over a single year, you spend as much on these with replacement filters as you do on the 5-year units. That is just the first year.

I think in the long term, the quality and filter lifetime differences would be worth the extra 200 bucks.

If budget issues force you to stay in the price range for initial purchase, I think the Honeywell has a better track record than Austin, but you will pay more over time. I've not seen much on Rabbit Air units, so have nothing to offer for those.

 

[LaurieC]

We have been using the Rabbit Air units for several years now, and have been very pleased with them.

 

[OOwl]

I have the EcoQuest Fresh Air unit. I actually have two; although one will cover up to 3000 square feet. It's been a good unit and it has been rebuilt by the manufacturer twice in 10 years (they do that at a great deal). We're pretty careful about maintenance because we have a family member with lung issues. It's been a good unit. It takes ALL odors out of the house. I swear I can cook onions and you can't even smell them. Good luck with your choice. There are so many to choose from now.

 

[RavensGryf]

I have a Honeywell HEPA 050 in the 11x18' room. It's supposed to be sufficient for a room larger than that, but even with new filters in it, I don't really see it doing much to knock out Raven's insane clouds of dandruff to be honest. I think I need a more powerful one.

I think that with your budget of $5-600 you can get a really good one. Top of the line model/brand. I think it's an excellent idea for a V-day gift . I hope it works for her!

 

[LilChodi954]

I have 2 of the Rabbit Air Filters. Made a huge difference over the Honeywell Air Purifiers. I run the rabbit's 24/7. Filters need to be cleaned once a month, or when the light comes on. I also vacuum the inside of the cage in the am to get any dust/dander from overnight.

 

[thekarens]

I appreciate everyone's suggestions/opinions! [emoji4]

 

[DexMom]

I've been looking at humidifiers and filters because, since the heat has been on, I've seen Dexter doing a lot of scratching and over-preening, no matter how often I give him a bath. I am thinking of purchasing a Venta AirWasher humidifier/air filter combo. I'm in the initial research phase and it looks like the reviews are very promising. I like the fact that it does not have filters that need replacing.

https://www.venta-airwasher.com/

Does anyone have one of these?