Our Vornado Air Purifier Reviews for 2022
At just below $100, Vornado air purifier is one of the cheapest room air purifiers on the market today. It’s very good for all-around cleaning and can help remove bigger air particles, including dust, pet dander, pollen, and spores in the air.
The first Vornado air cleaner was introduced in the 1940s as an air circulator and it quickly became a popular home appliance of the day. Unfortunately, it was soon shadowed by the introduction of air-conditioning. However, Vornado air purifier enjoyed a revival in 1989 when engineers from this Kansas company found a way to filter and circulate air in the entire room effectively with its whole-room circulator.
The Vornado air purifiers are all certified by an independent group known as the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers or AHAM which rates home appliances to serve as a guide for consumers. The Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) tests how well an air purifier can get rid of smoke, pollen and dust. The higher the number, the better the power. The AHAM rating for Vornado AQS 500, is 102 for smoke, 149 for dust, and 185 for pollen. It also claims to have 6 air changes per hour if placed in a room sized 324 sq. feet or less.
Vornado Air Purifier Reviews
1. How Vornado Air Purifier Works
Vornado AQS 500 is what replaces the earlier model Vornado AQS 35. In contrast to Vornado AQS 35 which uses HEPA filter, with AQS 500 you get two non-HEPA filters. In fact, the air filters included in Vornado AQS 500 resemble air conditioning filter. This means that the filters are only capable of filtering bigger air particulates which are around 2 micron or more.
Therefore, expect this machine to clean up only bigger air particles, such as visible dust, pollen, mold spores and pet dander. But don’t expect it to remove smaller bacteria, smaller dust, and smoke effectively.
There is also a flaw in Vornado air purifier design in that it lacks the tightness between the casing and the filters. This causes dirty air to freely bypass the filters and reduces the machine’s performances.
Because of its limited ability to clean air particles thoroughly, we think that it’s only appropriate for all around cleaning and therefore we prefer to call Vornado AQS 500 an air cleaner to an air purifier.
However, we also recognize that Vornado AQS 500 is equipped with Vornado’s proprietary fan which is very good in drawing air inside the machine and can be pretty much quiet at the lowest speed. The two filters in Vornado air cleaner are also placed on two different sides of the casing, making the machine capable of drawing air from two surface areas.
This, coupled with the fact that Vornado AQS 500 is equipped with excellent fans, make it possible for Vornado air cleaner to draw large amount of air and circulate them very quickly. This feature somewhat makes up for the lack of efficiency in its actual filtration and earns a pretty good CADR from AHAM.
All in all, for the price, power, and effectiveness, Vornado AQS 500 is a good value all around air cleaner.
2. The Positive Features of Vornado Air Purifier
- It’s good for all around cleaning and the proprietary Vornado fan draws and circulate large amount of air. As a result, many customers with mild pet dander and dust allergy feel a relief and report better sleep after using Vornado AQS 500
- Since two filters of the Vornado air purifier are placed at the two opposite sides of the casing, the machine is capable of drawing air from two surface areas. This makes the machine suitable to be used for two connecting rooms as long as the total size of those rooms do not exceed the manufacturer’s recommended size.
- Durable and comes with a 5 year limited warranty. In fact, many customers attest that Vornado air purifier can handle 24/7 operation perfectly.
- At 12 pound, it is lightweight and can be moved around easily.
- Energy Star certified.
- Has a timer which you can set for 4, 8 or 12 hours
- Quiet at quiet mode (lowest speed) operation. At normal and quick cleaning mode, the noise is becoming noticeable. At the highest setting (quick cleaning mode), Vornado air purifier produces sound like oscillating fans.
- Although Vornado filter replacement can only be bought online and is slightly expensive, it’s very easy to find replacement filters locally as long as you are okay with using generic filter.
3. Potential Drawbacks of Vornado Air Purifier
- Some customers notice a flaw in the design (air leakage). However, as alluded above, this budget machine makes up for flaw in design with its capability to circulate air very quickly.
- Filters are similar to air conditioning filters and are not reusable.
- Vornado filters can only be ordered online and are slightly expensive. However, it’s possible to replace the filter with generic filter from your local hardware store, if you are okay with it.
- Some customers complain that it’s not effective to relieve health problems. We think it’s unrealistic to expect an air cleaner machine from the price range that Vornado has to be able to tackle air-related health problems except for the mildest ones. We can see that it’s not equipped to remove smaller particles, including odors, just from the way it’s designed and the kind of filtration system used. We, at airpurifiergalore.com, think that for the price, Vornado air purifier is still a good value.
- Although Vornado states that it has a 5 year limited warranty, only Vornado is the recognized repair service for Vornado products. In other words, if you bring your Vornado air purifier to a different repair company, the warranty becomes void
- Customers complain of the bright indicator light, even at quiet mode. This problem can easily be solved by putting a tape over the light to make it dimmer.
- Some customers think the machine is too noisy at normal and high (quick clean) speed, whereas others think that it’s normal to notice the noise of an air cleaner running on medium and high speed. Just to make this clear, the noise produced by this machine at the highest speed resembles the noise of an oscillating fan.
- The operating buttons are only slightly raised, and can be difficult to find in the dark.
What Kind of Particles Are Trapped With The Vornado Air Purifier and Who Needs This Air Purifier The Most?
Since Vornado AQS 500 can only remove the bigger particulates and slight odors, this model is only for people who simply look for fresher and cleaner indoor air and who want to improve the indoor air quality as a result of, for instance, living close to dusty freeway, and so forth. It will also work for consumers whose allergy is very mild and is caused by visible dust and pet dander. Indeed, in relation to allergies, many customers have reported a relief from their symptoms and a better night sleep as a result of using Vornado air purifier.
We do not, however, endorse this air cleaner, for customers who really need most of air contaminants, big and small, removed from the air, in order for them to get a relieve from their health problem. You need to get premium air purifiers to tackle those issues.
In addition, people who are looking to mainly remove odors and smoke from their home should also not buy a Vornado air cleaner since it won’t be able to address your problem.
All in all, Vornado air purifier works for all around cleaning, when installed in a room which follows the manufacturer’s size recommendation. We think this air cleaner is priced right for its power and capability.
