Bionaire Air Purifier Reviews

Bionaire air purifier is produced by Bionaire, a company which was originated in Canada around 20 years ago. Today, you will find Bionaire air purifiers in over 30 countries around the globe. They are closely linked with the Holmes Group of Companies and is considered as the sister company that manufactures and markets the Holmes air purifiers.

Currently there are four lines of Bionaire air cleaners.

• Bionaire Permatech tower air purifier which comes with permanent HEPA-type filters and ionizer. There are 3 Bionaire air cleaners for this group: Bionaire BAP1412 (replacing BAP1400), Bionaire BAP1525 (replacing BAP1500) and Bionaire BAP1700.
• Bionaire Galileo HEPA air purifier which comes with true HEPA filter, carbon filter and ionizer, and has Galileo or air quality control. There are 2 Bionaire air purifiers in this group: Bionaire BAP1225 and Bionaire BAP1250.
• Bionaire with non-permanent HEPA-type filters, which are Bionaire BAP825, Bionaire BAP815 and Bionaire BAP260.

Many of those models are currently on sale, so the cost of owning them starts from $50 up to $159 with the area coverage of 81-418 sq. feet depending on the model.

How Bionaire Air Purifiers Work and Who Need Them ?

Regardless of the type of Bionaire air purifier you buy, basically Bionaire air cleaners use either using

• a combo of true HEPA filter and carbon filter, or
• a HEPA-type filter only.

Therefore, Bionaire uses mechanical way of filtering air particles. True HEPA filters are considered the best way to trap particles sized up to 0.3 microns which covers allergens (pollens, mold, dust, dustmite), airborne viruses and bacteria.

Carbon filter which accompanies the true HEPA filter enhances the capability of the Bionaire air purifier machine to trap some gases, including smoke, odor and fumes. Unfortunately, the content of carbon in Bionaire machine is not good enough to give a good control on gases, but they do help to alleviate minor odor, such as from cooking or from household cleaning agents. Just don't expect Bionaire air purifier to deal with continuous smoking or lingering pet odor.

Hence, Bionaire HEPA air purifiers with carbon filters are best for those who have mild allergies.

Now, how about Bionaire air cleaners which have HEPA-type filters ?

It is important to note that true HEPA is different from HEPA type filters. The main difference between these two filters is that true HEPA filters can capture particles up to 0.3 micron with theoretical efficiency of 99.97%. Those particles are potentially dangerous to us since they are in the range of lung-penetrating particles which can trigger allergy and can provoke reaction from our respiration system.

HEPA-type filters, on the other hand, can only trap particles up to 2 micron in size. Notice the size difference of particles captured between HEPA-type filters vs true HEPA filters here. This means, HEPA-type filters miss a lot of those lung-penetrating particles since they range in size from 0.3-2 micron. It also means, they only capture the biggest of allergen, which is pollen. Most dust and mold are not within HEPA-type filter's range.

Therefore, Bionaire air cleaners with permanent HEPA-type filters (Bionaire Permatech) and Bionaire with replaceable HEPA-type filter are best for all around cleaning or if you are only allergic to pollen. Otherwise, you're better off buying a Bionaire HEPA air purifier which has a true HEPA filter and carbon filter.

Apart from the filter discussed above, Bionaire air purifier also has a built-in ionizer which you can switch on or off as you please. Some users prefer not to use the ionizer because of the ozone smells.

Considering, ozone, a potential lung irritant, is released as a byproduct of ionization process, it is important to understand the use of the ionizer if you want to use it. More information about how an ionizer works will allow you to make a decision on whether to use this feature or not.

An ionizer works by charging negatively the particles it can trap. It usually targets the smaller sized particles. As a result of the negative charge, it is then easier for the HEPA or HEPA-type filters to captures these particles. So, ionizer does help capturing those small particles,which won't be captured easily by the filter, had it not been charged.

The issue with using an ionizer is the ozone that is released as a byproduct. It can emit an odor that you may find unpleasant. Many people are also careful about being exposed to ozone because it is harmful to the lungs and even low amounts can cause coughing, chest pain, and throat irritation.

Since ozone is similar to oxygen, you cannot see it. According to the World Health Organization, the acceptable level for ozone is .1 part for every million. This makes it vitally important to check the ionizer’s specifics in the air purifier you plan to buy.Bionaire air purifier, though, is within the limit of acceptable ozone level as set up by EPA. But, if you have a lung disease, any level of ozone is not acceptable.

The Positive Features of Bionaire Air Cleaner

• Bionaire air purifier comes with bells and whistle, for instance, it have automatic detection that will let you know when the filters need to be cleaned or replaced. There are also additional features like alarm clock, remote control and timer. Some even have envirocheck system which detect air quality and adjust the air cleaner setting accordingly.
  
  
• They are also very stylish and blends in easily without taking up too much floor space. The Bionaire tower air purifiers are especially popular because they are very stylish.
  
  
• The 5 year warranty is sufficient enough to allow you to enjoy the Bionaire air purifier properly
  
  
• The Bionaire air purifiers with permanent filters are convenient and cheap.

The Drawbacks of Bionaire Air Purifiers

• Although customers are happy with Bionaire air cleaner when it *works*, many complaints are directed to durability of the air purifier. For instance, the on/off switch on some Bionaire BAP models have a tendency to wear down quickly, and it is almost impossible to find replacements for this control. Also, the door used for changing filters break down in less than a year. Some also complain the air purifier are dead in a few months. If you are going to buy these air purifiers, make sure you don't misplace the warranty slip, because it's almost certain you'll need it.
  
  
• The delicate and fragile HEPA filters will have to cleaned or replaced every 6 months, and you need to be extra careful in handling these filters to avoid buying new ones.
  
  
• The ozone released by ionizer smells. SOme customers have also complaint about continuous clicking sound as the ionizer osscillates.
  
  
• Most customers are okay with the the low setting which gives humming noise , thanks to the Quietech technology. However, at medium and high setting, it becomes noisy.
  
  
• The temperature of the room can affect the performance of the air purifier

Bionaire air cleaners:

• Bionaire Permatech Tower Air Purifier
• Bionaire Galileo air purifier

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