MeacoClean CA-HEPA 47×5 Air Purifier Review
The MeacoClean Air Purifier (CA-HEPA 47x5) couldn't have entered our studio at a better time. Received in the midst of huge reorganisation of contents into different rooms, some of which hadn't been cleaned or moved for 2-10 years, we had the perfect conditions to test how well the MeacoClean HEPA Air Purifier could lure the musty mould spores, dust and distasteful smells from our atmosphere.
Design
An all white body makes the MeacoClean Air Purifier illusive in our all white walled rooms. Its rounded shaping may not be a spectacle, but it does sit in homes and office environments looking tasteful in appearance. It has four rubber feet, which are a necessity if we sit the 4.2kg appliance securely on tables; and when lifting it off there’s a cut-out handle on the back. Setting it up in areas where there are banks of shelving is not advisable because the top of the unit ejects the air. So the top should always be free, as well as the sides that intake the air, although the pull from the latter intake isn't strong enough to suck in nearby loose paper, etc.
A door pops from the front when some pressure is applied to reveal the enormous 28cm combined HEPA & charcoal filter within. When it’s time to change it, the MeacoClean will alert you. According to the details this should be around every 6 months and a pack of 3 filters retail for around £25. This is a significant factor that should definitely be kept in mind along with the initial £149.00 cost, although the Meaco filter pricing seems pretty standard across similar competing models.
Controls & Ease of Use
Three touch sensitive controls are situated on the front of the Meaco. We found them to be responsive and quick to navigate. From left to right, we have a power/ionisation and UV toggle button, followed by a three speed fan control and a timer (2H, 4H & 8H).
How Well Does it Work?
This air purifier cleans the air via a five stage filtration process in the hope to rid the environment of pollen, smoke particles, dust, mould spores, viruses, bacteria and airborne pollutants. Photo-catalytic oxidation, made possible by an inbuilt UV-light, is intended to convert impurities into oxygen and hydrogen. A combined filter consists of a pre-filter, followed by a HEPA filter to capture microscopic particles of up to 0.3 microns and then a charcoal filter to destroy odours. Lastly we have ionisation of dust, and the general evidence in favour of ionisation (if the presence is strong) suggests it can be effective in promoting oxygen supplied to the brain. We can’t personally comment on the effectiveness of this extra functionality, but it is nice to know it’s onboard nevertheless.
The instantly noticeable thing about the MeacoClean is that on fan speed 1 its operation can’t be heard over speakers and general talking. However, on speeds 2 and 3, it’s a more noisy affair that day-to-day sounds don’t silence. It’s not an irritating or distracting sound but a constant background hum from the extracted air-out. Rooms of up to 78m³ or 35m² are the intended areas for the MeacoClean Air Purifier. Our primary setup was within a large open plan room of 28². After 15 minutes of working away on fan speed 1, we popped open the front to see if anything had been collected. It had captured hair, thread and a lot of large dust particles. It was nice to visually see such quick results. Subsequently we left the MeacoClean air purifier on fan setting 2 for a week to see if it could improve the muggy atmosphere of mould and (as already witnessed by our vacuuming) dust that was in the air. There was no question about whether it was making a difference over the period: the air felt fresher, there was significantly less residue dust settling, the room was odourless and the filter was covered with debris! Comments from those working in the room for hours on end were that air congestion and general breathing irritation from the reorganisation of contents was hugely relieved by the purifier and that the air was evenly fresher - it seemed the cleanliness reached from corner to corner. A downside to this is that the air pushed out of the appliance feels cold and therefore makes rooms feel a little colder too - this being more noticeable due to the time of the year in the UK.
Verdict
The MeacoClean Air Purifier’s five step filtration process, when used within the test room we were in the middle of organising and cleaning, inhibited dust, mould spores and musty odours from the atmosphere, and the air after a week of usage was odourless and felt fresher, with visibly less dust. It is definitely a great appliance and is easy to use. Great for purifying air in heavy cleaning scenarios and also for offices and homes where allergies or pollution are a constant concern.
