Vornado AQS 500 Air Quality System
by Vornado
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List Price: Our Price: $116.85 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $66.88 (click here) Category: Home See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Vornado AQS 500 Air Quality System
Customer Review: Love
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this filter, and am only really writing this because I was so appalled that the few lowest reviews for this product were written by people who do not appear to have actually used this product. Because I'm lazy, I am just reposting an excerpt of a comment I posted on another person's review:
"Personally, I prefer that my air filter actually work on circulating lots of air, rather than creating an airtight chamber to filter a little air in a little space (the inability to circulate air and effectively create air current in a large space makes many a super-certified air filter wholly ineffective by filtering the same small amount of clean air over and over). A filter is useless if you can't get all of your dirty air through it, and believe me this thing circulates and cleans a ton of air. I have had this filter for about a year and have seen immediate improvements in my ability to breathe every single time I turned it on, so much so that I have stood over it during asthma attacks and it has stopped my coughing and wheezing in under 2 minutes (no medication needed). I am now purchasing my first set of replacement filters for this unit, because (while still effective), I opened it up and saw a huge layer of debris (dust and pet hair) caked on the outside of the filter and figured it was 'that time'. Being an Asthma sufferer in a house with two shedding dogs and a cat, I find this to be a phenomenal product at a very reasonable price."
To see a huge improvement (and I recommend you do this when you first get it), dust and clean while you have it in the room on max speed - it will filter all of the dust you kick up by cleaning. Also, if you have enough issues with air quality that you need an air filter, you should invest in a good vacuum too; my Dyson picked up more dirt from deep within my carpet in the first five minutes I used it than my old vacuums (that received much higher ratings from CR) ever did when vacuuming daily (suffice to say, since I got my Dyson I no longer have to vacuum every day). I do agree with another reviewer that the LEDs could stand to be much less bright, but it's something that I at least am able to get used to when I use it in my bedroom. If the bright lights are something you can't adjust to, try putting electrical tape over the LED as it's very easy to tell which speed it's just based off of noise.
Hope this helps :)
Customer Review: Looks neat, but not very useful
Summary: 2 Stars
I purchased two of these based on all the positive reviews and when they arrived I was initially thrilled. Until I opened the device and realized that its basically a fan with 2 small furnace-style filters. That's it. There is no real "sealing" of the air path so lots of leakage around the filters is guaranteed. Next, the filters themselves are simple furnace-style filters and not true HEPA filters like what was implied in the advertising.
If you look at the CADR ratings, the dramatically lower score for smoke vs. pollen or dust tells you that the filter really designed for larger particles above 1.0 micron. This is ok for dust and pollen but won't help for anything smaller like bacteria, viruses, and sub-micron contaminants. So if all you want cleaned out of the air large dust particles and bigger pollen, you might be happy with this filter.
This is a very inexpensive (read: cheap) design. Don't let the name and the good looks fool you...this is basically a plastic container with a fan on top and two cheap paper filters on the bottom. If you want something that is more than just a dust and pollen filter (like what you find on your furnace or in your car), then you should look elsewhere for a true HEPA filter with good air sealing.
As an aside, they list CADR certification when in fact not a single Vornado product is listed on the CADR site.
Customer Review: Who needs a pricey purifier?!?
Summary: 5 Stars
We bought this purifier for 2 reasons: we had a newborn who was sleeping in our room for a while, and our room is the dustiest room in the house. The other reason is we have had a Vornado humidifier for about two years now and love it.
I dusted our room when we recieved the unit, and after a month we barely had any dust. We keep it on normal during the day when no one is in the room and turn it to quiet at night. It helps cool our room too so there is no need for us to put our ceiling fan on high. Our son has had no problems. As far as noise, its about as loud as your average oscillating fan. After a night, it becomes background noise. A nice plus was that it eliminated smells. When we cook, all the smells go straight to our room (2 story house). This really helps get rid of odors much faster than juust leaving the door open.
If your looking for a good quality purifier at a great price, I would highly recommend Vornado.
Customer Review: Well made purifier
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a very well made machine but with filters similar to those found in central air conditioning systems. They provide a noticeable difference in the air quality but they are not for extremely fine particles. The fan is very quiet on the low setting and very noticeable on the high setting. My only complaints are that the indicator light is very bright, so if you use it in a bedroom, something needs to be put over the light or it could disturb your sleep. I used a couple of band aids; they're cheap and work fine! The operating buttons are only slightly raised, so it is almost impossible to operate this machine in the dark. A simple small stick-on rubber foot over the on/off button really helps, available at any hardware store.Customer Review: Great purifier for allergies - noticed results immediately
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this in February 2009 because a friend I trust recommended the Vornado brand as the best air purifier. He had done a lot of research and had been using Vornado purifiers in his home for a few years. I was not disappointed. As soon as I started using it, I noticed the difference in how I felt. My allergies were awful. Now my bedroom is an escape and I feel relaxed and can sleep much better. I also love the different settings. The timer is great! I don't have to worry about it running all day or night. I also love how quiet it is. I can't sleep if there is noise and I don't hear the Vornado air purifier at all. I'm very glad I bought this and plan to get a few more for rooms in my house that I'm in a lot.