I tried the IKEA Förnuftig air purifier, a new device that does not seek to be the most advanced on the market nor the most capable in terms of its basic function. However, it does hope to be a solution within the reach of anyone looking to improve the quality of the air they breathe. Does it fulfill its mission? Worth? This is what you should know.
A very typical IKEA design
If you are an IKEA fan, I am convinced that the design of this company's first air purifier It will look as familiar to you as it does to me. And it is that she looks a lot like her speakers. Not only those that are simply Bluetooth speakers, but also the Symfonisk range that it launched in collaboration with Sonos.
In addition to being available in the two basic colors of the rest of the proposals, black and white, the fabric that covers the different filters with which it can be used and that serves as a pre-filter is the most characteristic and first thing that attracts attention. Although it is also a success because it makes it a product with an attractive design that you can fit perfectly into any environment.
It is true that everyone here will have their own preferences and tastes, but I personally find it very easy to place this white model with gray fabric anywhere. In addition, as is usual by IKEA, the purifier also offers different options when it comes to place it both on the ground, on some surface or on the wall.
If you decide to hang it, you should know that you can use it both horizontally and vertically. That's where you decide how it suits you best. For the rest, you do have to know that the cable is fixed. That means that you will have to place it more or less close to a plug socket or use an extension cord.
This cable connects to a power adapter through its own connector. So be careful with it so that it does not deteriorate if you plan to “force” it a bit to put it in a specific place, such as a socket behind some furniture.
In general, it is a product with a very IKEA design, easy to fit into all kinds of decorations and with the versatility of being able to be placed in different positions, even on the wall. Where well thought out would serve as a decorative element.
How the IKEA air purifier works
Beyond the design, something that as we say is very personal and each one will appreciate in their own way. The important thing about this air purifier is its function as an air purifier. So let's see how it works and what it offers.
To begin with, the purifier has the possibility of making use of two types of filters plus that pre-filter that would be the cloth that covers the air inlet and that can be washed. Not the filters, those will have to be changed from time to time as we will tell you later.
The two filters that it has are the classics of many other proposals. First is the HEPA filter It removes all those little particles from the air that we don't see. Then there is the option to separately purchase a second gas extraction filter responsible for removing odors, dust, smoke, pollen and other chemicals.
The duration of both filters will depend a lot on the environment, the time it is in operation and everything it has to filter. However, the manufacturer's recommendation is to change them every six months so that they maintain the level of effectiveness they claim. They are also not expensive, the filter for the extraction of particles costs 5 Euros while the gas cleaning filter is worth 10 Euros.
To avoid having to write down when the filters were changed, the purifier itself includes a small LED that lights up when you have to change them having passed the time they deem appropriate for use. Once done you will have to press a button inside to reset that timer.
However, if you have used the purifier little and you see the light on, you can press and continue using it for another season. But make sure he hasn't turned on because he's too dirty. If so, the ideal would be that you use it more, because the air you breathe is not very good to say.
Knowing all this, the operation is very simple. Through a fan draws air from the room past the installed filter(s). The particles and remains of elements capable of filtering each one of them are retained and clean air is already expelled from the rear.
It is a slow process, although it will depend on the size of the room as well as the power at which it works. Of course, the higher the power, the more noise it will make. He level one should be sufficient for medium-sized rooms as long as it is left a suitable time to purify the air. And no, the noise level is not annoying. At least, if you are not completely silent, which would be when you heard the fan turning.
The noise levels in each mode are, according to manufacturer data, as follows:
– Level 1, 28dB
– Level 2, 49dB
– Level 3, 60dB
The first level is not annoying, the second depending on the time of day could be supported a little more and the third is only for those moments when you mainly want to clean the air in the room quickly due to dust in it or odors. Because it sounds too loud and is annoying for a long time.
Is the Förnuftig purifier worth it?
This question is surely what you are asking yourself and the answer is yes, but with nuances. I am going to explain to you in the clearest way possible and based on my own experience of use after these two weeks.
To begin with, it must be said that without tools that allow us to know the quality of the air before and after the use of such a product, it is very difficult to assess. In addition, it is not easy to appreciate the positive effects of this air filtering when you do not suffer from some type of respiratory problem such as an allergy. But there is one detail that I have noticed when I have used it in the room where I work and that has helped me to see that it was indeed doing its job.
In said room, about three meters by three meters, I have a carpet and among the number of boxes that pass with products to be analyzed there is always a lot of dust. Ever since I started using the IKEA air purifier, I noticed that every time there was less amount of dust on the table or the screen itself which, due to static electricity, is always a magnet for it.
Without falling into placebo effects, this purifier does fulfill that function of eliminating particular things that float in the air and that can affect the quality of the air you breathe. In addition, a certain change in the odors is appreciated. Minimal, but it is something that at certain times is noticeable.
Therefore, knowing that it is true that it cleans the air (just not like the best purifiers on the market) I understand that if it is interesting for me, for users with allergies it will be even more so. And of course, considering that the price of this IKEA air purifier is only 59 euros, even more.
Whether or not it is the product that you should buy, that will depend on you. It seems to me that it is not a bad product at all, it is affordable and the only thing that shocks me is that IKEA has not chosen to turn it into a proposal capable of integrating with its solutions for the connected home. Although with a simple smart plug it is already solved and you could not only use it with the IKEA Smart Home app, but also with other platforms and voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant.