Review: Rowenta Intense Air Pure Purifier

By Sonya Davidson

When we finally decided it was a good time to add a furry friend to our home we did some research. Our son had his heart set on a corgi. All research has drawn to the same conclusions on this breed - great family dog and loyal. We knew it was a shedding dog so while I have allergies to some breeds, this one I wasn’t sure of. So, we set off to meet a few breeders and with our luck, none of us had any allergic reactions. But having said that, there are few family members who are allergic to dogs but we decided there were enough ways to minimize airborne hair and dander to keep things at bay, hopefully. Constant vacuuming of the floors and removing most carpeting was important. But so was keeping the air clean. 

We understood that corgis shed. Honestly we had NO IDEA just how much this little puppy sheds his hair. Apparently twice a year he goes through a major shedding. We just survived one where it left us covered in fur. Our vacuum was constantly filled to the limits. Remarkable. 

Now that we’re heading into the colder and “staying indoors” weather, vacuuming just isn’t enough. We have been testing out the ROWENTA INTENSE PURE AIR for a month. 

Unboxing: I couldn’t get the unit out of the box fast enough. With much urgency on a rainy day (I still can’t get use to that wet dog smell) I wanted to get that purifier up and running. Simple removal of a few plastic coverings on the pre-filter, active carbon filter and hepa filter and it was ready to go. 

 

Design: With a classic minimalist design in our home, we looked at what would best suit our lifestyle. The puppy spends all of his time in the kitchen and family room when he’s indoors. The personal unit air purifier fit in nicely tucked out of the way of foot traffic and is sleek in design. Clean smooth white with access to a touch panel on top (away from the dog’s most inquisitive nose, mouth and paws). 

Claims: This particular Rowenta Air Purifier is the only one that filters up to 99.97% of pollution and permanently destroys formaldehyde — the most harmful indoor pollutant. According to the World Health Organization formaldehyde (aka human carcinogen) aggravates allergies and asthma frequency and symptoms. I’ve learned that this is present in all of our homes. Rowenta’s R&D team has been conducting 10 years of research to bring this product to the marketplace. 

There are four levels of filtering in the Rowenta Air Purifier:

PreFilter: takes care of pet hair, human hair and dust.

Active Charcoal Filter: deals with smoke, odours (cooking), and chemicals (like cleaning solutions).

HEPA Filter: addresses pet dander, pollen, dust mites, mold, virus bacteria and the fine particles.

nanoCAPTURE Filter: an exclusive and patented technology that permanently destroys formaldehyde emitted by paint, pressed wood materials, scented candles, cleaning products, tobacco smoke which are considered the most harmful indoor sources of pollutant.

 

How it works: 

The unit display panel is very user friendly. When active, the visual panel on top is outlined in a soft blue tone. The “Air Quality Indicator” on the panel detects the levels of pollution within the area of where it is placed. It will adjust it’s filtration speed automatically according to the levels so you don’t need to worry about what settings to use. Of course, you could adjust it manually. There are four speeds. The level indicators go from normal acceptable everyday to high pollution. It will also adjust itself thoroughout the day as the air quality can change within a room. A “blue colour” indicates good levels. “Violet” detect some pollution while red is at an alarming rate. I’ve only noticed the level change to purple twice since we’ve been using the unit. 

What about noise levels? The Air Purifier air flow is barely noticeable and doesn’t bother the pup when he’s sleeping nearby. In fact, I think he rather likes it! I was concerned at first that his sharp puppy ears that catch every single noise would pique his curiosity - which it did but after a couple minutes of introduction, he’s left it alone. He’s even taken a nap or two near it. The silent control setting also won’t compete with conversations when guests are over. 

The unit can run all day and can be turned on manually or by auto mode. There’s a timer and delayed start option as well. A light indicator will also let you know how saturated the filters are and when they need to be replaced. A small detail (but important one) filter codes for ordering are noted inside the panel with a "filter replacement guide." Handy!

Having a big family gathering this past weekend, we made sure to have the Air Purifier running the day before and while guests were in the house. When they arrived I had asked if they could smell the dog and not one person did. 

Thoughts: We’ve been keeping it running more now that we’re starting to stay indoors more. As puppy’s space is in this most active area of the house. It not only benefits us but for him as well in keeping the air clean and all around healthier for all of us. It’s also fall allergy season - something that I am affected with as airborne allergens can also get into the house. I’m told to keep windows closed to help minimize stuff getting into the house. Hard to do when I love fresh air. So far, I haven’t had any of my typical seasonal allergy symptoms now that I think about it. 

The Rowenta Intense Air Pure comes in two sizes. We opted for the 400 square-foot personal size (PU4020). There's an XL model (PU6020F0) that covers larger spaces.