Pros
- Excellent price (if the Amazon coupon remains available)
- Portable and easy to tote
- Intuitive controls, including UV light option
Cons
- No smart features
- No air quality measurement system onboard
- Odd industrial design
Our Verdict
This sub-6-pound unit is short on extras, but it’s a compelling value for occasional use if you can find it on sale.
Price When Reviewed
$89.99
Best Prices Today: Bionaire True HEPA 360 Air Purifier
That’s no milk jug, that’s an air purifier, though the quirky design—complete with handle—might confuse casual onlookers.
The petite Bionaire True HEPA 360 (full model number BAP0041UVWH) is designed for fairly small spaces—175 square feet is specified—with a single CADR (clean air delivery rate) of 113 cubic feet per minute. The sub-6-pound, 15-inch-tall, 9-inch-wide unit pulls air in from 360 degrees at the base of the device—hence the product name. It then pushes air through a small, cylindrical HEPA filter and emits clean air through the top of the device. Note that the unit does not include any smart features; all control is local through the top-mounted touch-sensitive panel.
This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best air purifiers, where you’ll find reviews of the competition’s offerings, plus a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when shopping for this type of product.
Numerous customization options are available on the control panel. The unit includes three fan speeds—though no auto mode—and a timer that allows you to shut the purifier off after 4, 8, or 12 hours. A night mode shuts off all the lights on the device, or you can opt for a night-light feature, which activates a gentle glow from inside the system. The Bionaire includes a UV light option that can be toggled for extra germ-killing power as well as an optional ionizer; both modes can operate simultaneously. The fan is fairly quiet, though slightly rattly, at its lowest speed, but levels 2 and 3 are both uncomfortably loud in a small room.
Christopher Null/Foundry
Notably absent here is any system that measures ambient air quality. Even low-end purifiers are commonly equipped with a simple particulate sensor that can indicate numerically or via some color-coded system inform you as to what current air conditions are like. (This in turn allows units to automatically vary their fan speed to compensate.) Without a sensor, it’s up to the user to guess at the air quality (or use other means) and to determine whether the purifier even needs to be on. Bionaire rates the filter to last 8 to 12 months depending on usage. Replacement filters cost $30.
While the Bionaire True HEPA 360 is a simple, no-frills purifier—not considering the cute carrying handle—it’s definitely priced appropriately. At press time, Amazon was offering a $90 (not a typo) coupon for the device, which cuts its $180 list price fully in half. It’s not a purifier that’s fit for mission-critical uses, but for less than $100, the Bionaire makes for a solid “just in case” purifier you can use in bathrooms or laundry rooms or other small spaces that might need occasional cleansing.
Best Prices Today: Bionaire True HEPA 360 Air Purifier
Author: Christopher Null, Freelance Contributor
Christopher Null is a veteran technology and business journalist. He contributes regularly to TechHive, PCWorld, and Wired, and operates the websites Drinkhacker and Film Racket.