Ionic Breeze

I’d often wondered about those Ionic Breeze air purifiers sold by The Sharper Image. Apparently they work by ionizing (electrically charging) dirt particles in the air which are then attracted to the oppositely charged collection blades in the unit. The charged particles stick to the blades and can be just wiped off. This always seemed too good to be true to me. And according to Consumer Reports magazine, it is:

Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze Quadra Silent Air Purifier and four other similar machines fail to significantly clean the air — but also release potentially unhealthy levels of ozone.

The article is being published two months after San Francisco-based Sharper Image agreed to pay the magazine’s publisher, Consumers Union, $525,000 in legal costs after a judge dismissed its libel suit. The failed lawsuit alleged that earlier magazine articles highly critical of the Ionic Breeze’s ability to reduce airborne particles were false and malicious.

Apparently the “air ionization” process creates ozone as a by-product. Sharper Image’s attorney hit back with this hilarious appeal to popularity:

It is astonishing that Consumers Union would continue its misguided efforts to attack the judgment and experience of millions of Americans who are satisfied with the performance of the Ionic Breeze products

(FYI, Sharper Image’s full response.)

So this is an air purifier that not only doesn’t purify the air, but actually releases dangerous levels of poisonous ozone. Perhaps it should be renamed the Ironic Breeze.

Comments

[Josh]

I've been saying this thing is a load of crap from the start. My rule of thumb is that anytime something is advertised as working by "ionic action" it's total crap. I'm glad that Consumer Reports has started to stand up to these guys. I'd wager the report about the Ionic Breeze being useless, unless you want to breathe more ozone, won't stop them from advertising the hell out of this useless pile of junk.

[Rockstar]

Only $449.95?? I want three!! We all know this thing is bullshit, but check this particular fellow; he has perhaps the funniest piece of garbage for sale I have ever seen. The fact he has a website means someone has actually purchased his "merchandise". For a great laugh, check out http://www.alexchiu.com/. Let me know what you think!

[Steve]

A friend purchased an Ionic breeze from Sharper Image to rid his house of cat odors. He had three cats. One cat named Kimba was an outdoor cat and liked the cooler basement. The other two preferred the warmth of the bedrooms.
When he purchased the ozone generator, he placed it near the litter boxes and turned it to maximum, not knowing what would happen. Within 3 days, Kimba lost his appetite. By day five, Kimba tried to cough up what appeared to be a fur ball, but nothing came out. 18 hours later he was dead.
I contacted a product liability attorney to see if something could be done. Manufacturers will pay for the replacement cost of a lost pet provided that the owner can prove that their product caused the death.
I asked to see the product literature of the Ionic Breeze and saw absolutely no warnings regarding pets. Warnings pertaining to children and asthmatics were carefully spelled out but not for pets. I also found out that ozone is heavier than air. To insure maximum effectiveness of their unit, users are encouraged to place their unit up high or use fans to disperse the ozone.
I am not an expert on this subject and I have nothing personal against the manufacturer but from what I have read, I think Consumers report should test all ozone emitting units to see if they are safe for all.

[ellen]

I work around 11 or 12 ionic breezes all day long and have never had a health problem and no one that i work with has had any problems either I just wanted that to be on the record.

[Eric]

Wow, ellen, that's quite an endorsement. "They won't kill you!"

[Rockstar]

LOL! I can see the tag now - Ionic Breeze: Now with 80% less death!

[Stormcrow]

Only in America do we hear such uneducated opinions concerning a new product. I own two ionic breezes and I am very happy with them. Your arguments against their use rise from complete ignorance. After all Ive read here Im convinced that the blind lead the blind. In reality, the ionic breeze DOES clean air efficiently. Im a chemist and I understand the reaction that takes place within the unit. However, unbiased EXPERTS like Consumer Reports (LAUGH!!) says it fails to clean the air. If that is so, why can a huge amount of visible, oderous filth be cleaned from the unit every week? My home has never smelled better! To correct another falacy, the ionic breeze does create ozone, which is O3. However, it is an amount over 2 million times less (no exaggeration) than what the federal government deems to be dangerous. You have a better chance of dying of Ozone Poisoning from a bolt of lightning(the major cause of ozone prodution) than you do from an ionic breeze. Cats are sensitive to Ozone and for the owner who lost a cat I feel for him. Anyway, just an attempt to address some of the falsehoods that are circulating concerning this machine.

[Rockstar]

I hate to rain on your parade Stormcrow, but an argument like that will probably get torn apart. Where is your evidence? C'mon, educate us un-edu-ma-cated blind folk!
Fallacies in your argument:
Anecdotal evidence
Appeal to Authority ("I'm a chemist")
Bullshit (the ionic breeze does create ozone, which is O3. However, it is an amount over 2 million times less (no exaggeration) than what the federal government deems to be dangerous)
Did you read the Consumer Reports findings?

Per Detroit Free Press (www.freep.com)
"The Environmental Protection Agency considers eight hours of outdoor exposure at levels of 80 parts per billion an acceptable limit. The World Health Organization endorses a stricter limit of 60 ppb over eight hours, the Consumer Reports article notes. A voluntary industry standard for indoor air purifiers recommends emissions of no more than 50 ppb.Consumer Reports replicated the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) sealed-room test on the above-named models. When readings were taken within two inches of the ionizers, all of them exceeded the 50 ppb standard."

Even the president of Sharper Image states: "..it was a mere 18 parts per billion for Ionic Breeze." (http://www.sharperimage.com/response/index.jhtml) This is of course from 3 feet away. Last time I checked, 18 went into 80 about 4.4 times, not 2 million.

Thanks for playing. Next!

[stormcrow]

Rockstar, youre embarrassing. Calling my argument "bullshit" simply reveals your intellect. Lets dispense with the name calling shall we? Independent research conducted at Stanford University in 2003 suggest that although your numbers are correct with regards to ozone production at a certain distance from the unit, when purifying air from an entire home within the given range stated on the ionic breeze manual, Ozone ppb in the vapor phase was 2 X 10(-6)

Considering the word "bullshit" is a complicated part of your vocabulary, I should stress that this is 2 million times less than governement standards. JUST LIKE I SAID!. Oh, by the way, I am a chemist. Therefore I am familiar with the reaction that removes particulate matter from the air. Perhaps before you label me you may consider getting a degree in physics or chemistry so you can understand how the unit actually works before you call people names and regurgitate falsehoods considering technology that you cant grasp.

[Rockstar]

Poor soul, I've not called you any names. Re-read post. It was your argument I attacked. What's more, I don't care what you do for a living. You may be a chemist, physicist, scientist, cat lover extrordinaire etc, but not a critical thinker. If you forgot the point being made in the original post waaaaaayyyy up there, it was this: the thing doesn't work and produces dangerous levels of O3 up close. Attacking my vocabulary does not prove our point invalid, neither does an attack on my education level (of which you probably are not aware). Please see "argument ad hominem".

BTW, wasn't it your initial rant you called readers not only blind, but uneducated? Sounds like name calling to me...

And you still have yet to show this thing even works. All we've learned is:

Ionic Breeze - it won't hurt you if it's far enough away.

[Stormcrow]

It works great, I highly recommend them, regardless of what Consumer Reports says. My house has never smelled cleaner. The smelly gunk that is cleaned from the collection grids on a weekly basis is proof if it working. Enough said...

Next

[Darconic]

personally i would never buy this product. Why may u ask? well lets see, the fact that I really dont wish to breathe in ozone which by itself is highly dangerous to living things in small doses over a long time, or large doses over a short time. ACtualy ozone is at well some 70-100,000 feet+/- which I believe acts as a barrier for UV radiation(correct me if im wrong)why the hell u want it in your house. They say they rate at 18 bbp or up to 50 bbp +/- I feel any amount other than what occurs naturally in the environment is not healthy.(dont flame me for this but i think this option makes sense) how bout cleaning your house, dusting, disinfecting, deorderizing(put ya dirty socks, and crappy drawers in the hamper, in other words stop being a half arse slob!) its amazing what a sponge and some soap does. and what is this minimum distance stuff, and children and asthmatics or elderly people or pets not being exposed.Im a cat owner if my cat died, I would basically sue sharper image out of business.I think people lack foresight when it comes to buying a "unproven" product that warns a specific age group isnt a good product.TO me its more of a trendy fad than a functional product.heres an idea how about a product that emits raditation as a by product(nope not tvs, or computer monitorsalthough they do to a certain point but leave them out Im talking about a product that can actually kill a cat like the IB can) hey as long as you maintain a minimum distance you may not get hurt right?? no big deal right?.WOuld you get it then? then why would you purchase a product that emits a dangerous particle that naturally functions as a barrier to UV radiation shield around the earth. but hey if it works, hey have a ball! more power to you, but when one of you die, and im sure one of you will whether its from direct exposure or complications due to exposure, Im gonna laugh my ass off.cause after all we warned you.(sorry if part of my post sounds a bit ignorant but just kinda peeves me off the crap that companies sell, its kinda sad, but whats more sad is the people that buy it)

[Rockstar]

Well put Darconic. It's fun when we reduce them to the typical new age argument - "I don't know why it works, it just does."

[Hiroko]

Hello. My name is Hiroko. I am doctor from Japan. In Japan, negative ion generator very popular. Problem with Ionic Breeze is positive not negative ions. Ozone is okay, basically 3 oxygen molecules. I don't understand large scale misinformation in America about ozone. Oxygen is good. Cancer cannot exist in presence of oxygen or ozone. Ozone is also good to clean water and even blood of harmful substances. Breathing high ozone is harsh for lungs, but oxygen never harmful. What I mean by misinformation? Smog is called ozone. Smog is nitrous oxides, VOC's and heat, not oxygen. Nature produces more ozone to try and clean the mand made pollutants and USA called car exhaust, factor pollutants ozone? (Three oxygen molecules) Perhaps to draw attentino away from polluters like cars and factories? Ozone is only substance that can clear these chemicals from air. HEPA will not treat VOC's making us sick. I believe misinformation part of larger plan to allow air pollution to kill us off younger and cause population control. Just my guess. This misinformation not found in my country or Europe where ozone is embrased. I don't like Ionic Breeze but find the misinformaiton on ozone regrettible.

Me too Hiroko. I think that was well said. People are afraid of what they dont understand. The difference between negative and postive charging simply changes the type of pollutant that is filtered.

[Rockstar]

OK, I'm game. Prove to me why breathing ozone is not only safe, but good for you. I beg of you, help me understand! I have asked for that in my last 2 posts!! I call on all of the Japanese cat-loving doctor/scientists with degrees in chemistry/physics with unequivocal proof that ozone = non-kitty killing goodness. All you disciples of woo-woo have one thing in common: you never show your evidence because you have none! I will show the work. Please reciprocate the favor.
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ozone.htm (not my work, he already did it for me).

Rockstar "I love to say bullshit" Ryan

[Stormcrow]

Actually, I dont have time to engage you in a pointless argument any longer. All I know is if I owned Sharper Image and I saw you print this stuff I would sue the F*** out of you for slandering my product.

Nuff Said

[Rockstar]

I hate to enlighten you again (just kidding, I love it!), but even if all the facts placed in this column were false malicious lies it would fall under libel, not slander. Quick legal lesson though: Posting the results of a well respected study and writing an opinion of it is not libel. And I know your fingers are trembling with excitement to come back with "THERE R LOTS OF LiES HERE LOL". But before you make that comment, we are going to remind you: prove it.

Youre right, im not a lawyer, Im a chemist. Which gives me a certain amount of credibility when explaining about how a unit works.

What are you? Where are you from? What are your credentials? Why in the F*** should I even acknowledge you? You obviously have alot of time on your hands to waste attacking people in these columns, digging up (not so credible) tertiary literature, making snide comments intended to make people feel hoodwinked. I dont think your opinion is worth a FU**ING dime. Thats the problem with America...Any ASS**** can say anything regardless of their knowledge of the matter.

I dont have to prove what I say, but if you must have some...HERES MY PROOF:
Millions of people use the Ionic breeze to great satisfaction. All government agencies have deemed them safe to use. Every scientist and professor I know uses them and I would bet my beemer that they have a better grasp on technology and safety than you do.

The concerns of people here revolve around misinformation and, without disrespecting you, a lack of knowledge concerning how it works.

So, Please dont pretend to be on my level by asking me to submit primary literature to prove my point. I think you should spend less time speaking and more time...uhhh...WORKING??? And give my advice to the rest of you who smear your B.S opinions about things they know nothing of.

thanks for playing (this is one of your snide comments btw) LOL

[Skeptico]

Stormcrow:

Youre right, im not a lawyer, Im a chemist. Which gives me a certain amount of credibility when explaining about how a unit works.

What are you? Where are you from? What are your credentials? Why in the F*** should I even acknowledge you? You obviously have alot of time on your hands to waste attacking people in these columns, digging up (not so credible) tertiary literature, making snide comments intended to make people feel hoodwinked. I dont think your opinion is worth a FU**ING dime. Thats the problem with America...Any ASS**** can say anything regardless of their knowledge of the matter.

This is just Argument From Authority followed by Ad Hominem.

You are here on the internet, using an alias for yourself, conversing with others who may or may not be using aliases. You don't know who they are. Even if they tell you. We don't know who you are. Even if you tell us.

Let's say you tell us your real name. How would we check your claim to be a chemist? Most universities do not publish such information on their graduates. And how would we know you really are that person?

Suppose you claim you have multiple PhDs and give citations, and somehow we manage, despite the above, to verify this. We check those citations. We see if they are from peer-reviewed journals. We see if others cite them as well. We read the discourse in those journals and see how other researchers responded to the work.

Lets suppose you really weren’t that person but you still gave us the citations. We do the same checking as before.

So here is what we accomplished by:

asking somebody we don't know
whose name we don't know
and can't check
about a degree whose authenticity we can't check:

Nothing.

The evidence matters. No matter what you said, that is where we would end up looking, anyway. Argument From Authority is insufficient, and on the internet it is worthless. Of as you said, “Any ASS**** can say anything regardless of their knowledge of the matter”.

I dont have to prove what I say, but if you must have some...HERES MY PROOF:
Millions of people use the Ionic breeze to great satisfaction.

This is just an Appeal To Popularity.

All government agencies have deemed them safe to use.

And your argument is that if the government uses it it must be OK? Since when?

Every scientist and professor I know uses them and I would bet my beemer that they have a better grasp on technology and safety than you do.

More appeal to authority.

The concerns of people here revolve around misinformation and, without disrespecting you, a lack of knowledge concerning how it works.

Except you haven’t really shown that, despite your superior knowledge.

So, Please dont pretend to be on my level by asking me to submit primary literature to prove my point. I think you should spend less time speaking and more time...uhhh...WORKING??? And give my advice to the rest of you who smear your B.S opinions about things they know nothing of.

Up to you. But unless you supply sources to back up your claims they remain just claims. And the thing is, anyone can make claims. They’re worthless unless you can back them up.

[Ryan]

Skeptico:

Thanks, I had to quit debating this stormcrow moron. They were attempting to turn it into a flamewar instead of providing evidence of their beliefs, and I will not sink to that level. I hope everyone got a good laugh though!

You inspire me sir!

[Mongrel]

"This misinformation not found in my country or Europe where ozone is embrased. I don't like Ionic Breeze but find the misinformaiton on ozone regrettible."

European here, Erm - wrong. We clearly recognise the dangers of Ozone exposure, try checking the Health and Safety Executive website (http://www.hse.gov.uk/) and do a quick search for Ozone, you'll almost always find it next to "adequate ventilation".
It can also have far more debilitating effects. My Mother has suffered from severe asthma for 15 years, previously having had no problems. Diagnosis? Chemically induced by, you guessed it - Ozone being produced by a faulty photocopier.

Hiroko you can suck down all the ozone you want, I just hope you have someone who cares enough about you to sit in a hospital waiting room for 4 hours at 3 AM after another panic attack has crippled you to the point where you can't even call an Ambulance

[noob]

doesn't cat litter also have urine ie ammonia? then the missing info would be NH3 + 03 -> NO2 + H20 + H + hv ->

[Tim B.]

To all those that keep quoting CU (Consumer Reports) articles, take a look at this article: http://friends.macjournals.com/mattd/moronicBreeze

Consumer Reports is no longer the voice of God with regards of consumer reporting like they were in the past. (a long time ago) Their questionable testing methods would be funny if it were not so scary. They put out scare articles to boost subscriptions. It is a cycle they are known for doing for some time now. They no longer have Suzuki's Samurai to beat up on, so Sharper Image is CR's new red headed step child used to boost subscriptions. Testing ozone 2 inches from the cleaner, OMG give me a break. What a joke of a mag.

[dsrtdude]

interesting comments an expert chemist ? did you fail to take into account that in order to clean things out of the air part of the process requires that you move some air and not a tiny CFM you need to move much more than the ionic breeze is capable of, and since you are the self proclaimed expert here would you care to inform the people how ineffective those collectors become as soon as they have even a light coating of pollutants on them ? the ozone aside there is no possibilty of cleaning the air if you cannot move it through the device and the tiny portion of surface area the collection plates consist of makes the device very inefficient. It just goes to show even a "chemist" can fall victim to slick advertising he he ...... dsrtdude

morons

[dsrtdude]

The advertising for some products is very entertaining , I have watched the ads for the ionic breeze and wonder how people can be taken in by such nonsense , they have a better nights sleep , felt better than they ever have in their life the bathroom magically is odorless, I guess the mold they are speaking about is somehow magically sucked out through the drywall mysterious process ??? oh yeah it must be the zenion technology a force that has the capabilty to draw dust, pollen , dander and assorted particles from across a room to the magic grids and somehow do it all with no moving parts. PEOPLE wake up !!!! its 2005 and snake oil is still selling like crazy !!!! hahahahaha

[tekproxy]

Quick question here: How many people actually own one of these units?

My friend owns one and he constantly has to clean off dirty nastyness from the metal thingies, if you understand the vernacular. So even if this thing is pumping out "dangerous" O3 it's still doing a pretty kickass job of filtering the air, eh? Compared to my friends old filter which needs replacing from time to time.

Don't most places refer to ozone as dirty hydrocarbons in the air over big cities combined with O3 (understandable since when O3 breaks down those hydrocarbons it creates more O3 and some other stuff). This makes searching for ozone health risks a little tricky unless you really read into it. Most of the sources I've seen are refering to smog (aka: hydrocarbon air-soup) and ozone interchangably.

Isn't O3 nature's air scrubber? For example, after a lighting storm the air is more fresh and yummy due, at least in some small part, to the O3.

This site was an interesting read:
http://www.inspiredliving.com/airpurification/a~smog.htm

This too:
http://www.americanfreepress.net/Alternative_Health/Benefits_of_Ozone_Surprise_Res/benefits_of_ozone_surprise_res.html

And this one:
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/integrated_med/ozone_oxygen.htm

To quote the middle link:
"Discovered in the 1840s, it wasn’t until 1906 that the first ozone water purification facility was built in France. Today there are over 2,000 similar plants worldwide. Recently Los Angeles built the largest ozone purification plant in the world. The city chose ozone over chlorine because the latter has a bad health record."

They're making water purification centers with ozone? Hmm. If that makes anyone uncomfortable we could always put the chlorine and flouride back in! :)

I'm not asserting my own opinion, I'm just throwing some stuff out there that I read that you might find interesting. I honestly don't have an opinion. I've found this to be the most effective way of learning the truth, this way I'm not biased.

Can we all just pretend we're talking in person and not in the saftey of our own homes behind a keyboard? :)

[Rockstar]

If cleaning "dirty nastiness" is the sole requirement for air purification, then the top of my T.V. does a pretty good job. I hate dusting!

If you are really not biased, you will be open to the fact that this thing doesn't work, right? Then keep in mind whilst reading this link that correlation does not prove causation.

[tekproxy]

Rockstar:
If cleaning "dirty nastiness" is the sole requirement for air purification ...

What else are they suposed to do?

Rockstar:
If you are really not biased, you will be open to the fact that this thing doesn't work, right?

I'm really not biased but I don't understand what you mean by "doesn't work". I've seen them clean those trays and they're filthy. I'm going to take a little risk here and assume that the filth comes from the air. If I can buy a little tower that uses very little electricity and provides a little breeze and cleans black stuff from my air for 30$ on e-bay, I'll do it. As far as ozone and super mega ultra healthy living because of the effects of ozone, I'm still unsure. It seems there's a lot of "correlation" with ozone being helpful and a lot of people out there that refer to ozone as yummy hydrocarbons mixed with 03. I shrug and think it best to test it for myself.

Actually, I have. I own two (inexpensive) units, one of which produces ozone. And before any of you run off screaming placebo, consider this: I've studied neuro linguistics programming, neuro semantics, hypnosis and various other mind-related subjects (even brainwave entrainment). I know how placebos work.

My room has had some problems with dog urine since our dog is stupid. It's also got some mold since it's a garage bedroom and we had a leak for a while. It smelled a little off but nothing to cry about. I ran these two units, one of which produces ozone. Later that night the air had lost almost all of its smell. In fact, a friend came over the next day and commented that the room felt and smelled much better. I didn't even tell him about the units. He didn't even know what they were.

I think they were about 20-30$ from some online vendor, which isn't a lot to experiment with something. Reading a few websites and mindlessly believing one way or the other just isn't good enough for me. And don't take my word for it, if you really must know, buy a small inexpensive unit.

If you've never owned or operated one, then you really don't know what you're talking about, do you?

I'm still not completely convinced, but it's fun to play with. If I start coughing up blood or my meditation improves, I'll mention it here.

[dsrtdude]

This place is entertaining , I find it simply fasinating that people are as gullable as they are. the ozone fixes the air in my house the smells are gone there is black stuff on the grids ha ha ha no one said it didnt attract some dirt , the fact still remains you would need a half dozen of the units in every room of your house to do an even marginal job of "cleanng the air, the analogy is simple I have a 150 gallon fish tank in my study, If I were to replace the proper filters I have on it now with a filter designed for a 10 or 15 gallon tank there is no way in hell It can do the job ! the same applies to the Ionic Breeze . Consumer reports may not be God nor do they claim to be but they do accurate tests on simular products and even let the Ionic Breeze have a longer time period to give it a chance , It did a bad job plain and simple. as I said 2005 and people are taken in by advertising just as much as they always have been , but I suppose the bright side is that the company makes themselves a ton of money as the saying goes there is one born every minute !

[dsrtdude]

I almost forgot my vinyl mini blinds are always collecting "dirty nastiness" and use 0% electricity produce no ozone and cost very little ,,, to operate just open window lol

[tekproxy]

Again, do you own a unit or do you know someone else that does? You can get them from e-bay for fairly cheap.

My friend smokes about 2-4 packs of menthols a day and his dog sheds more than one can comfortably imagine. There are areas of his house where the carpet is indistinguishable from the dog hair. However, you'd never know sitting in his room. The air is reasonably clean and my dog allergies do not act up in his room--but they do in every other room in the house.

I'm still not saying one way or the other, this is just what I've observed. In fact, I think the only people that actually own one of the units commented favorably about them.

The point is: You're going to have to do more than read a few sites on the internet to know if this stuff works. It really is just that simple.

[Rockstar]

I say this all the time...

Why don't the credulous ones ever comment on my blog?

No, you prove it works. You are the one making the claim. You are using the same argument as astrologers. There are a lot of things I've never tried that I know don't work due to evidence.

Alex Chiu's life rings are my favorite example. Do you need to try them before you say they are bunk?

Also, I've never been fucked in the ass. Have you? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like it.

[Rockstar]

/apologizes for the foul language to Skeptico and tekproxy.
//gets a little worked up over stuff like this.

[tekproxy]

Hey now, let's not be insulting those rings. Everyone knows they work. ;)

[tekproxy]

About sodomy, there have been studies... Having something up there can cause erections (stimulates the prostate gland). There's a reason a lot of chicks like it too. ;)

[dsrtdude]

well I guess I need to be open minded , those rings you mentioned reminded me of something I saw while shopping for my sound system ,I am an Audiophile which is to say I have taken a long time effort and money putting together a lifetime sound system . I remember reading about and seeing these stones, I believe they were called Shatiki stones and the Idea was you place them on cetain parts of your amplifier and pre-amplifier also on your speakers , what magical powers they have is still a mystery but it was something to do with stray and distortion causing electromagnetic fields ha ha , they were keep in mind is nothing more then a stone magnetic maybe......usefull ? hardly... expensive ? yes !! over $200 if I remember correctly lol , same with the $2000 silver speaker wires with a mysterious magical property that makes your speakers come to life like nothing else ! what a joke I wonder how many people fall for these types of bullshit items ?? they fall into the same catagory as the Ionic Breeze , Something that works like nothing else and can do so many magical and wonderous things I think they need the oxyclean guy to do their advertising he is very entertaining also !! As a reply to the one comment yes I had a friend who wasted money on one of these it does get dirty just like anything else that has air flow , hell a table fan gets gross mucky stuff on it from the air and static electricity , I will repeat it because it seems hard for people to get ! to clean the air efficiently you have to move a lot of air through a filter with a "large amount"of surface area,the Ionic breeze does not move much air at all nor does it have much surface area to collect dust and pollutants on, which is why it gets dirty so fast. money is much better spent on 3m top of the line air conditioner filters which do work very well and if you must buy an air purifier separate use some logic and common sense, remember they use to say that cd's sounded better when you used a green felt marker around the edge of the cd "a noticable sonic improvement" as one ad read ha ha ha......... PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE AND BUY ANYTHING IF YOU ADVERTISE TO THE RIGHT SUCKERS !!!!!!!! P.S. Rockstar you are funny as hell keep up the good work ! at least you think logically !!

[dsrtdude]

I just had a vision of someone sitting in their living room with a couple of ionic breeze's, a half dozen magnetic/copper braclets on their left arm and the same amount of stainless steel ones on their right arm a pair of fuzzy slippers fitted with the magnetic pressure point insoles wearing a "heavy duty" aluminum foil hat on their head to repel the alien mind contol microwaves, with a pair of blue-blocker sunglasses on in case they use an ultraviolet device instead of microwaves and feeling secure knowing that infomercials have once again come to their aid !!!!!!!

[Rockstar]

I think you just described this person. Seriously, check out the "Russia has a Death Ray" section...

[rockstarhater]

Rockstar...GET A LIFE!

[Steve]

I was the one who’s friend had a cat who died. Whether Kimba died from overexposure to ozone or not is debatable. It is not the type of experiment that anyone should try again. It is not ethical. I asked my coworker for additional information about what exactly happened. He told me that the dimensions of his basement are approximately 120 sq. ft. His other two cats, Jingles and Pleasant, lost their appetite about the same time Kimba did. Ironically, Kimba ate like a horse. He ate twice as much as the other two. It seemed strange that the healthiest cat would lose his appetite about three days after the unit was switched on. When I asked him if he ever smelled a bleachy smell his reply was yes.

I would suggest everyone to go to this web site:

http://www.air-zone.net/purifyair.html

This firm is called Air-Zone. They sell air purifiers that will rid any room of odors caused by mold mildew and other obnoxious odors. They also sell industrial ozone generators that must be used with extreme caution. They go so far as to warn users that if a shock treatment is needed, you must leave the room.

As for air purification here is what they say.

“When ozone is used for air purification it need to be constantly monitored so that the level does not get too high. This is known when the ozone gets the "bleachy smell".
“There are some instances in which the lowest ozone setting can be chosen, and the unit may be run continuously. But realize that the ozone level may reach an annoying level fairly quickly and the unit turned down or off. All our units are very strong.
“The recommended levels of ozone for air purification are between 0.01 parts per million & 0.05 ppm. The nose begins to detect the "sweet smell" of ozone around 0.01ppm. So as long as you do not let the "fresh smell" turn in to the "bleachy smell" it is generally accepted that the ozone level is within recommended safe levels.”

As for shock treatments here is what they say:

“High Ozone Shock Treatments are only to be done in rooms when no people, animals, or plants are present. This is because a high toxic level of ozone is needed to kill the germs, mold, and viruses present in the room.”
At least Air-Zone is strongly warning users of the dangers associated with their product.
I asked myself if I would purchase an Ionic breeze or a similar air purifier. If I did I would use it with extreme care. Since we do not own pets, animals are not an issue. As for uses, I would use it sparingly in any bedroom. No one would be allowed to sleep while a unit was turned on, whether used in a bedroom or elsewhere. If the rest of the house needed some air purification, I would operate it while the family is out of the house, not while anyone is home. This is common sense.
For decades, the tobacco industry insisted that their products were safe. Now they have changed their tune. I just wonder if the same thing will happen to some of the air purifying manufacturers if they are called to testify before the Senate years from now.

[Dave]

I bought 2 of them a few years ago. Used them for awhile untill I noticed all the residue building up on my tv screen, walls, pretty much everything. Seems like they charge the air and all the pollution sticks to anything that in nuetral or grounded. Also you could see a large buildup area around the tiny one they give you for free. Since I stopped using them and cleaned and repainted everything it doesn't happen when they're not being used. They are the worst waste of money I ever spent.

[E]

I bought one of the "professional GP" models (with the UV light) about 6 months ago in a desperate attempt to get rid of the smell of my roommate's dogs in my own bedroom.

Yes, you can sort of smell the ozone in the air if you stop and think about it, but I think I've just gotten used to it because I've really never noticed it.

Yes, my room is still has some dust and dog hair, but not NEARLY as bad as it was. I guess the best proof that it's doing at least a little bit of good is the dust that used to collect on the blades of my ceiling fan just isn't there any more. I leave that fan running 24/7 and I used to have to vacuum it off every couple of weeks. Since I've had the Ionic Breeze running in my room I don't get those thick layers of grey dust on the fan blades anymore.

Yes, there is still some dust in my room (on the TV and that collects on my bookshelf a little) so it's obviously not a magic solution that completely removes everything from the air, but it does cut down on it quite a bit.

But most imporatantly, my room doesn't smell like a dog-house compared to the living room and dining room where these damn dogs spend most of their time. It doesn't smell like anything. It's nice and keeps me from killing those dogs in their sleep... with an ice pick and a rusty razor blade.

So would I buy these things again? Well, maybe... but I wish I wouldn't have paid so much. I just didn't want to deal with a loud air purifier and I didn't want to deal with changing those filters out. I don't have asthma or any other health problems worth paying for those filters... I just wanted to get rid of the dog smell and dog hair and it's accomplished that mission.

Maybe it works because my room is only 10 x 11 ft. or maybe because my ceiling fan helps to circulate the air.

Your results my vary.

[kristin]

Any air purifier i would ever purchace must be FDA approved and there is only one on the market and that is the Defender by filter queen. Its FDA approved and it doesn't have a 3 to 5 year warrenty it has a lifetime warrenty and is Proven by the FDA to not only be effective but creates no harm to the environment or to personal health. It is also classified as a class 2 medical device by the FDA because it removes airborn viruses out of the air along with dust, odors, asbestes, and many known allergens and if anyone really did their homework they wouldn't settle for 30% When they can remove 99.98% out of the room.
Need more info go to www.filterqueen.com and look up the defender.

[The Infidel Guy]

Thank you so much for the information I have received here. The debates an Steve's commonsense approach has helped me make an informed decision about what to do if I ever purchase one.

Rockstar, thanks for the references. Indeed this is dangerous stuff. The average consumer wouldn't know what the hell they are doing to themselves. Sites like this, are much needed.

Thanks again,

Reginald V. Finley, Sr.
The Infidel Guy Show
http://www.infidelguy.com

[BronzeDog]

I've noticed they're now running a commercial about an accessory: An ozone filter you attach to the Ionic Breeze. Well, if you didn't have the IB, you wouldn't really need the ozone filter, would you?

Thanks to this blog entry, I now cringe during every Sharper Image commercial, except this time, it's not just because of the bad presentation thereof.

[The Infidel Guy]

Heh.. very odd. An Ozone filter eh? Are they admitting that something is possibly wrong here? Objectively speaking... they are more than likely responding to criticism of the dangers that Ozone presents (whether real or not) Smart business move. More information needs to be available to the public about this. Jeez ... I loathe pseudo-science.

In Reason,

Reginald V. Finley, Sr.
The Infidel Guy Show
http://www.infidelguy.com

Are they admitting that something is possibly wrong here?

They didn't. They just said that it filtered out ozone, not stating the primary source they provide.

[Drew]

Rockstar, I read your endless arguments with Stormcrow and then saw Skeptiko vomiting his own 2 cents of selfrighteousness in this pathetic fight. I think Skeptiko has a basic problem, hence the website name, which is very informative, but endless skeptic and belligerant of anybody who has a different opinion than the editor. I can't believe how much time on his hands Rockstar has to try to have a last word at any cost. What is supposed to be an exchange of civil people about a Fu***g 150 bucks air purifyer, becomes a Republican-democratic fight for some perceived victory in front of other bloggers, as if we care a damn turd who Rockstar is, besides a fight picking gumflapping asshole who is probaly jumping from one blog to the next and gets his rocks off by vomiting his tantrums about his supposed literacy, looking for any decent opinion to attack. He probably will argue that there is no global warming on earth, cause if he doesnt see the scientific 1+1=2 he doesn't believe it. For me, looking to find answers about the ION air purifier and reading your hieves of rage and wanna be academic and logic is a disgrace, that is just another sad symptom that this country is fucked up! Maybe Rockstar could go hammer the President and open his eyes about the amount of Ozone that are 4 times acceptable levels in LA at any given time.

[BronzeDog]

Drew, are you sure you're reading the same blog as I am? Here's pretty much what I saw:

Stormcrow: Logical Fallacies + insults to posters.

Rockstar: Pointing out logical fallacies + requests for evidence from Stormcrow + insults to Stormcrow's arguments.

And please don't do the old "Why aren't we focusing our energy on bigger problems?" fallacy. Try using it when a cop gives you a speeding ticket.

[Rockstar]

No, the idiot apparently did what he's accusing me of: trolling.

If he's read more than one article on Skeptico, he'd know it's my start page everyday...and for my opinion on the Prezident, please see here.

[IP: 67.8.77.242]

Deleted insults.

Listen Mr 67.8.77.242, if you want to disagree with me then you may do so, but I see no reason that I should have to put up with insults like that.

- Skeptico.

[Jason Wang]

I live near smog city LA, the air is horrible, but I'm not willing to risk it with the IB. Anyway, God didn't provide ozone at ground level for reason. Ozone serves its purpose and thats in the sky, doing what it does. The amounts created from IB are small but is still there. So why risk it? I personally will wait some years and let other people be the guinea pigs. Also, ok yea the product passed the FDA yaddy yaddy yadda but the gov. approved DDT at a point in time but that didn't turn out so great did it? Albert Einsteins quote is accurate, "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler."

So clean your surfaces with water and lipids, add plenty of natures air purifying plants around your abode, and get a Hepa filter at least until more reports of IB comes out. Also, the mountains and the beach are great places for fresh clean air.

And Stromcrow, just because you say your a chemist doesn't mean sheeba. If your doctor said jump off a cliff because 100's have done it, would you do it? That is an appeal to popularity and any logical person could see past the, "Oh millions have tried it, so it must be a great product." and your point is? If you told me something like Ozone does not affect the health then that would be enough, but thats not the case.

Throughout history millions of people have done all sorts of things that have proven to be plain and simply idiocracy but doesn't make them right.
Also are you sure your not a publicist for IB?

P.S.
Life rings work if you put enough positive thoughts to it! =P Never underestimate the power of the human mind. Someday, light years away from now, our mind will evolve us into the aliens we often imagined of, but its all relative and will serve a purpose.

[BronzeDog]

And Stromcrow, just because you say your a chemist doesn't mean sheeba.

Got that right. Personally, I doubt he's a chemist. If he was, he'd be scientifically minded and give us evidence, rather than a "trust me" and a collection of logical fallacies.

[Erev Heilbronner]

I find that by reciting the Prayer of Jabez, I can increase the Breeze's effectiveness by 18%.

[homeinspector]

The ionic breeze is just a machine to create static electricity. This filters or attracts dust, mold and other particals in the air, just like an electrostatic air filter in the a/c unit. Since this is a passive unit it is slow to to work compared to a fan driven unit. The ozone levels produced by this unit are negligble unless you turn in on high and stick it and your cat in a small enclosed room. Otherwise ozone actually kills bacteria in the air and will help the overall condition of the air. Stop throwing rocks at each other and analyze this for what it is, WAY over priced for what you get.

[dowrite]

I have purchased SI products for years. I own 4 ionic breeze professional GPs, 2 desktop units, 1 negative ion fan (and the sundry of "I'm sorry you payed so much" freebies you get when you buy in these quantities).
I previously owned the expensive Honeywell portable floor units, charcoal and expensive HEPA filters - drafty, eyesores. I gave them away - I WANT THEM BACK!

[brutus]

I just bought a Quadra. Couldn't sleep at night with it on. I'm taking it back.

I also have a weird feeling in my throat/chest.

[tekproxy]

This may be a little late but I bought an Ionic Pro. After the first week I went to clean it and it was solid black. Gross. After the first cleaning it took about 3 weeks to get that black and after that it took even longer. Either the unit is getting worse or my air is getting cleaner. A lot of other users report this sort of thing. Neat, eh? Oh yes, and the mold smell is now completely gone and Everyone tells me how refreshing the atmosphere in my room is. Also, there are a large number of people that smoke large amounts in my room and the smell is gone by morning, every time. This room doesn't have very good air flow either, just this filter unit. At one time I was running two since my friend wasn't using his.

I say it works great. Still unsure of the risks/benefits of having ozone in my room is, but it's below legal levels. Heh, that's a decent sign... OK BYE.

[BronzeDog]

I'm not sure what's going on with yours, but I have a sneaking suspicion you might be unconsciously ignoring the smell of smoke or something like that.

Since it wasn't able to do much more than gravity, according to the Consumer Reports controlled test, I doubt that yours is really working as well as you think it is. I'm willing to change my opinion if you can show me similar tests with better results.

[wife of a geek]

A previous post "Dave" remarked on how everything stuck to his TV, walls, etc. I want to know if these ionic cleaners are harmful to computers. My husband and I got one as a gift and he wont let me use it until I can prove it is safe for his computers. Has anyone heard/seen anything about particles sticking to electronics in a destructive way?

[BronzeDog]

I suppose it depends on how well insulated your computer is from the sides. The air intake probably won't be affected, since the dust would just be coming in from a different angle.

I'd recommend against using it, even if it is safe, since it's not much more powerful at attracting/repelling dust than gravity is at attracting it to the floor.

[Damen]

Here's my question, why do you all care so much? Look, if you don't trust the Ionic Breeze, which I personally have two of and believe to be both safe and effective, then don't buy one. Rockstar, you can go back to living your "Rockstar" life, Stormcrow, you can go back to your beakers and covalent bonds and just be satisfied that you know your product works and there are people who just won't believe that. And Bronzedog...you're just an idiot whose comments aren't worth the keyboard they're typed on. (I'm sure that will instill a very interesting response, and just so you know, this is the first and last time I'll be checking this site.) As far as Consumer Reports go...maybe they're "reports" should be written in biblical form as it seems that they're the new standard on which everything is judged and believed. Ya know, you could just get an Ionic Breeze and see if it works, and if you're not convinced, return the damn thing. But no, you make arguments based on no personal interaction, nor any substantial evidence, just what you've heard, and you only pay attention to the bad ones, none of the good ones. For those of you who actually have used one and are dissatisfied, fine, there isn't a product on the market that's going to please everyone. But your arguments are at least substantiated.
The reality of it is, Consumer Reports measuring system for air purifiers was designed to rate "filter" purifiers, the IB works completely differently than any filter purifier and so they're rating system could not be accurate. Levels of O3 generated by the IB were well under FDA standards of 50 PPB but Sharper Image caught a lot of heat for it and so, to appease the masses, now includes the OzoneGuards on all they're IB's, smart business move indeed, InfidelGuy. I just don't get it, are you arguing for your own good, for the good of "the people" or just because you have nothing better to do? Hypocritical, maybe I am, maybe I've wasted my time just like I chided you all for, but come on!

[BronzeDog]

Here's my question, why do you all care so much? Look, if you don't trust the Ionic Breeze... then don't buy one.

So, it's all right for a company to make unsubstantiated claims, as long as we're not the ones being swindled?

As far as Consumer Reports go...maybe they're "reports" should be written in biblical form as it seems that they're the new standard on which everything is judged and believed.

Did you find something wrong with their test protocols? If so, please enlighten us. Or, did you find someone who performed a similar test and get different results? Questioning minds want to know.

But no, you make arguments based on no personal interaction, nor any substantial evidence, just what you've heard, and you only pay attention to the bad ones, none of the good ones.

Yawn.

http://rockstarramblings.blogspot.com/2005/11/dont-knock-it-till-youve-tried-it.html

This also smells of shifting the burden of proof: Sharper is making the claim. It's their job to back it up.

The reality of it is, Consumer Reports measuring system for air purifiers was designed to rate "filter" purifiers, the IB works completely differently than any filter purifier and so they're rating system could not be accurate.

I can bend a spoon with my bare hands. I can bend a spoon with pliers. I can bend a spoon by clamping it to the side of a table and dropping an anvil on the exposed end. Uri Geller says he can bend it with his mind. They all accomplish the same goal, and have the same measurement of that goal: Is the spoon bent? How much?

The CR test measured how well the IB removed particles from the atmosphere. They were measuring the goal, not the method.

I just don't get it, are you arguing for your own good, for the good of "the people" or just because you have nothing better to do?

A little of each. Mostly the middle, in my case.

[doesntmatter]

So which is worse for your lungs then.
Smoking, or the average amount of ozone in a given room that has an ionic breeze running in it?

Beyond that, I'm always amazed at how shitheels like Rock'tard are always bitching about how no-one who has a viewpoint other than their own can possibly be anything other than a liar (as opposed to a chemist, or someone who actually has an education). All you do is flame other people when their opinion doesn't match yours exactly, but you never once lay out a set of rules for exactly what you would consider proof or evidence that goes against your claims. Which is probably the way you like it since without such rules you can live in your own stupid little utopia where you are always right.

[BronzeDog]

So which is worse for your lungs then.
Smoking, or the average amount of ozone in a given room that has an ionic breeze running in it?

What the [frell] is this supposed to mean?

Beyond that, I'm always amazed at how shitheels like Rock'tard are always bitching about how no-one who has a viewpoint other than their own can possibly be anything other than a liar (as opposed to a chemist, or someone who actually has an education).

1. Please point out where this has been said.

2. The parenthetical comment is just begging for an appeal to authority. Show us the data.

All you do is flame other people when their opinion doesn't match yours exactly, but you never once lay out a set of rules for exactly what you would consider proof or evidence that goes against your claims.

You don't know much about us, do you? Controlled tests. Measure how much stuff the IB can remove from an atmosphere. Just like CR did.

Which is probably the way you like it since without such rules you can live in your own stupid little utopia where you are always right.

If you bothered reading my posts, I implied a challenge for someone to prove me wrong using a controlled test. I set up some goal posts, and no one's done anything about it:

"Did you find something wrong with their test protocols? If so, please enlighten us. Or, did you find someone who performed a similar test and get different results? Questioning minds want to know."

[Diathermic]

Yea, I agree. I do not like the Ionic Breeze. Way, way, way off of the subject, BronzeDog, I am in the 4th month of conducting a 12 month double-blind placebo-controlled study. It is a double-blind study on a double-blind study. I hope to figure out some interesting facts. Facts like, who will guard the guards. Or who created the Creator. Or who created the Creator’s Creator. I will let you guys know all of the results. It is very curious how one does not realize the idols that one worships. An example of this is one’s ego or the double-blind placebo-controlled study format. When one clings to these things they become poisons of the mind. So much so, that, all other medical methodology do not and will never fit within this “ego based medicine” of “my medicine is better then yours!” Oh well, then, death camps start to appear. And in the middle of the night, doctors and scientists are taken away in big armored trucks. I am sure that Quack Watch and the children of Quack Watch would love to fund a camp like that…. Maybe Ann Coulter could pitch in.

[BronzeDog]

It is a double-blind study on a double-blind study.

That's a curious phrase, at least to me. Can you explain it?

It is very curious how one does not realize the idols that one worships. An example of this is one’s ego or the double-blind placebo-controlled study format.

1. I fail to see how I'm being egoistic. I'm perfectly willing to be proven wrong.

2. Do you have a criticism of the DBCT format? I'd like to hear something better, if you've got it.

When one clings to these things they become poisons of the mind. So much so, that, all other medical methodology do not and will never fit within this “ego based medicine” of “my medicine is better then yours!” Oh well, then, death camps start to appear. And in the middle of the night, doctors and scientists are taken away in big armored trucks. I am sure that Quack Watch and the children of Quack Watch would love to fund a camp like that…. Maybe Ann Coulter could pitch in.

That slope must feature both grease and ice.

[Awaken]

How about the Ionic Breeze's have been extensively studied and are now endorsed by the The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America AND got the stamp of approval from The British Allergy Foundation? How do you argue that? I'm sorry but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to trust the professional opinions of those well respected institutions over the completely unfounded ramblings of a person who calls themself Rockstar or Bronzedog on a website designed to promote skepticism. Which, by the way, would be fine if it were actually skepticism and not complete diregard for facts or rational arguments. And why, may I ask, would a company such as The Sharper Image, whose been in respected and successful for over 25 years, suddenly decide to put out an extremely popular but completely bogus product just to "swindle" the public? Why would they want to injur their reputation in such a way? See, you think you're so enlightened because you can see through all the "bullshit" when all you're really doing standing on top of a pedestal of your own design completely blind and deaf to anyone's opinion other than your own. It must be nice, that way, you're never wrong. And it's a good thing because it's a long fall from that pedestal, I would imagine. And even now, as you're reading this, you're shaking your head, thinking of your next witty rebuttal unable to absorb anything other than your own petty propoganda. But hey, ignorance is bliss. And go ahead, you can use that quote against me. :)

[BronzeDog]

How about the Ionic Breeze's have been extensively studied and are now endorsed by the The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America AND got the stamp of approval from The British Allergy Foundation? How do you argue that?

1. Show me their studies on it.
2. I doubt those organizations' comments mean what Shaper Image says they do.

I'm sorry but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to trust the professional opinions of those well respected institutions over the completely unfounded ramblings of a person who calls themself Rockstar or Bronzedog on a website designed to promote skepticism.

Genetic fallacy. A valid argument is a valid argument, no matter who says it. Show me the "professional" arguments, i.e. data. It also looks like an appeal to elitism.

And why, may I ask, would a company such as The Sharper Image, whose been in respected and successful for over 25 years, suddenly decide to put out an extremely popular but completely bogus product just to "swindle" the public? Why would they want to injur their reputation in such a way?

It might just be a less respectable branch. But anyway, the reason is "to make money". But all of this appeal to motivation is a distraction from the issue: "Can the IB clean the air?"

See, you think you're so enlightened because you can see through all the "bullshit" when all you're really doing standing on top of a pedestal of your own design completely blind and deaf to anyone's opinion other than your own.

1. They're using the same methods as hucksters, and knowingly, or unknowningly, so are you. Example: The above genetic fallacy.

2. I'm not ignoring anyone's opinion. I'm trying to cut through subjective, unverifiable, uncontrolled, unblinded anecdotes to get to a specific verifiable fact: "Does the IB clean the air?" I have a couple tests from Consumer Reports that say "No." So far, all the pro-IB people have done is avoid them. They haven't pointed out any flaws in the protocols, and they haven't shown me any contradictory studies. That silence is why I'm continuing to be skeptical.

It must be nice, that way, you're never wrong.

I don't assume such nonsense. I have laid out a very basic way to be proven wrong. No one has even tried to meet it. Instead, they change the subject to my anonymity, the history of an organization, play the anecdotal he-said-she-said game, and try to make reality into a matter of "opinion."

If the IB works, show us with a controlled test. I'd love to be proven wrong.

And even now, as you're reading this, you're shaking your head, thinking of your next witty rebuttal unable to absorb anything other than your own petty propoganda.

Please point out my propaganda tactics.

[BronzeDog]

Oops: "But anyway, the reason is [probably] "to make money"."

But, as I said, my suspicions about Sharper Image aren't relevant. The issue is whether or not the IB can clean the air.

[Skeptico]

I am closing this post for comments.

Plenty of opinions about the Ionic Breeze – both pro and con – have been expressed, and I feel there is nothing more to be gained by more “but it works for me” / “show me the evidence” type comments. Anyone can read the comments to date and can see all the points and counterpoints that can be made about this product. If you are considering buying an Ionic Breeze you should research the product and make your own mind up.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the discussion.