Actual, living plants can absorb air toxins when placed inside the house and that is one of the many reasons why people have been adding plants to their decoration indoors. But not everyone is capable of taking care of these plants. I am one of those people. I even managed to kill tiny cactus plants that can supposedly live longer. So no plants for me in my small apartment. But what if there were plant-like things that can serve as both decoration and air purifier?
A Barcelona-based company has created these plant-looking sculptures called Pure Plants through 3D printing and they are more than just decorative items for your space. They actually use Pure.Tech technology to turn these “plants” into air purifiers that are able to absorb and neutralize carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and other volatile organic compounds. Basically, these 3D-printed plants serve as air purifiers to make the indoor air you breathe a little bit healthier.
The sculptures use various geometric patterns and parametric systems that try to resemble plants or at least cactus and other desert looking creatures. They look pretty nice and can also be good conversation starters once people figure out it’s not a real plant. It is made from the Pure.Tech biomaterial which is made up of the tech and PLA, a bioplastic that is made from corn dextrose. This has been turned into a 100% natural mineral compound so the material used to create the living sculptures are also sustainable.
This project was actually launched back in 2020 but at that time, a Christmas tree was the only design. Now they are able to add more items in different colors, species, and formats so you can have a variety of “plants” in your home that will not die and will also prolong your life as you breathe in air that has been purified.
Traffic is a phenomenon that we all experience daily! Sounds like a nightmare right? Traffic has such adverse effects on our bodies and minds that there is a defined term for it; The Post Traffic Congestion Effect. This suggests that commuters experience negative emotions which can affect their daily lives.
FRI is meant to tackle this problem and assist commuters in meeting this task, as a reduction in traffic is not a reasonable expectation. Otherwise, the air purifier aids in the development of an emotional control system and lowers stress.
Traffic is an unavoidable aspect of our everyday life. It has grown dramatically as people desire privacy and want to purchase their own cars and travel independently. Such mindsets contribute to traffic, which causes stress because it is frequently worse than expected, you are running late, or you are simply exhausted after work and can’t wait to get home.
FRI concentrates on odor, visual effects, and emotional recognition. These would enable commuters to create an emotional control system, as well as relieve and address bad emotions. FRI might be an air purifier in everyday contexts to accomplish ‘no labeling of things’. FRI also comes with a companion App, allowing it to play a useful role in everyday life.
Fri is a 3D-printed product made of resin, the regular shape allows more space for internal features. However, the fillets and curves have been designed to achieve a more ‘relaxed’ feel. It features 2 PCB modules, 1 micro motor, 1 LED module for the sunset and sunrise effects, and 2 humidifying modules to make a light and fresh environment.
FRI is not meant to be a cold emotion detection system. It’s more like a friend who can be there for you and prompt and assist you in managing your emotions. The FRI is equipped with a high-definition camera for emotion detection, which detects the driver’s emotions and prompts and assists the driver in regulating their bad thoughts. The time display function is used to divert attention away from the camera.
This product is intended to be used daily to normalize negative emotions and avoid treating drivers as victims. A car air purifier is a highly common and necessary product, and it also conforms to its design purpose of sensing and easing emotional signs. When negative emotions are detected, the humidification mode is engaged, and the odor can be discharged through the exhaust vents. Simultaneously, the lighting module may create a calming environment by simulating the effect of sunrise and sunset.
The product can be operated via an app. It contains a reward system where drivers can accumulate several ‘good drives’ to get a free aroma.
People who live in urban areas are exposed to all kinds of hazards as they go to work, school, or just living their daily lives. Over the past decades, air quality has become such a big problem and has caused a lot of conditions for city dwellers as it continues to deteriorate, including diseases and disorders and even cancers. As environment activists continue their fight on one end, there also needs to be some other creative solutions to help people breathe healthier air when they’re outdoors.
The Verto Air Purification Tower is one such solution that is currently trying to purify the air in New Delhi’s Sunder Nursery. It’s a large-scale system that is 5.5 meters high and has a multi-directional air purifying feature so that the air within the area it is in will be filtered and become healthier for humans and animals around it. Each tower is made up of five air filtration cubes and is encased within a triangle-shaped shell with a modern design, making it look more like a tall sculpture than an air purifier.
The built-in and energy-efficient fans are able to suck in the surrounding air and then the fine dust filters are able to remove the particulate matter and dust and therefore make it easier for people around to breathe in clean air. It is able to clean 600,000 m3 of air every day as well as reduce nitrogen dioxide levels along the way. The fans are considered energy-efficient since it is able to work based on local air quality conditions, using less energy when pollution levels are low.
If a city is able to get enough public or private support, this is actually a pretty interesting and useful tower to have especially in areas where air quality is pretty bad. The company is looking at mass production of the Verto towers and is even trying to come up with materials to enable it to be flat-packed and easily transported to areas where they are badly needed.
The ZUHO is a powerful speaker, but not powerful in the way you’d think. Sure, it’s a pretty capable audio device with a punchy 30W output and dual 10W subwoofers giving you a frequency range of 40Hz to 20kHz, but look behind the audio drivers and you’ll notice four 220V AC outlets, two 65W USB-C port, a 30W USB-A port, and a 10W wireless charging dock. The ZUHO isn’t just a soundbar, it’s a power station that becomes the hub of your workspace, managing power supply to all your surrounding gadgets… and if that wasn’t enough, the ZUHO also has a built-in anion (ionizer) air purifier that disinfects the air around it. Talk about being an overachiever!
ZUHO’s features can be broadly split into its three basic functions – hi-fi audio, power station, and air purifier, all of which one could argue ZUHO does pretty well. At 14 and a half inches wide, 4 inches tall, and 5 inches deep, the ZUHO is a sizeable contraption, designed to be placed on your tabletop right beside your laptop or underneath your monitor. It weighs a staggering 11 lbs, but I couldn’t really fault it because the ZUHO isn’t just an empty cabinet with audio drivers. It’s got so much more happening behind the surface. It even has an angle-adjustable wireless charging surface on the top for your phone, giving major iPod docking station energy.
Endless Music Enjoyment – With its extremely wide frequency range of 40Hz to 20kHz and output channel 2.0, ZUHO is able to recreate sounds accurately to the tiniest detail.
High-fidelity Audio – ZUHO has a high-fidelity sound quality, a flexible diaphragm and that automatically balances the sound effect. The sound quality allows you to immerse yourself in live concerts.
On the audio front, the ZUHO packs an absolute punch. The speaker is outfitted with two 15W horns and two 10W subwoofers, which, coupled with the rectangular design of the device, deliver high-fidelity, minimal-distortion audio in stereo. Bluetooth 5.0 allows you to connect any wireless device to the ZUHO, although it’s missing a 3,5mm audio input for your laptop or desktop. Controls on top of the ZUHO let you toggle playback and volume, or even switch on/off the anion air purifier.
Charge 6-8 Devices at the Same Time – Comes with 4 unit outlets, wireless charge pad, and fast charging.
Each plug contains 220v, which means it can supply small gadgets’ power demands.
10w foldable wireless charging pad on the top center of ZUHO. You can use the foldable pad to place your phone while watching youtube.
Charge 3 devices simultaneously using ZUHO’s convenient 65w USB-C and 30w USB-A output ports.
ZUHO’s biggest differentiator is its ability to serve as a hub for all your gadgets. Acting as a power station/power strip, ZUHO comes with four 220V outlets on the rear, allowing you to plug all your chargers and power cables directly into the speaker instead of looking for multiple power sockets in the wall. ZUHO consolidates all your power requirements into one device, keeping your desk organized and clutter-free. The four AC outlets are supplemented by a 30W USB-A port, two 65W USB-C ports for your smaller gadgets like your tablet, power bank, earbuds, smartwatch, Nintendo Switch, etc., and finally a fold-out 10W wireless charging pad on top that lets you keep your phone either horizontally or at an angle. With such power also comes the responsibility of ensuring all your gadgets stay safe. To that end, the ZUHO comes with built-in power management protocols to protect itself and your gadgets against overcharging, overheating, surging, and short-circuiting.
Enjoy 100% of ZUHO’s Fresh Air – Touch Anion function on the touch panel to let the air purifier work. It helps you purify the air in a 50 meter range.
If all that wasn’t enough, the ZUHO also has a built-in air purifier that uses ionizing technology to sanitize the air around you. The anion purifier uses high currents to ionize air molecules which instantly kill airborne bacteria and viruses, giving you air that’s inherently germ-free. A simple button on the top of the ZUHO’s control panel lets you activate this feature, while the purifier works to cleanse the air within a 50 meter range.
With its uniquely multipurpose design, the ZUHO appeals to a wide variety of people. Whether you’re looking for a hi-fi speaker setup, or just a way to keep your gadgets powered without that knotted mess of cables hanging around your legs, the ZUHO ticks multiple boxes. Super early bird backers can grab their own ZUHO starting at a discounted €287 ($315 USD), with options for US, EUR, AU, and GB-style plug options.
Let’s face it. No matter how we sugarcoat or gamify it, household chores won’t always be fun and exciting. The very word itself has become synonymous with “burdensome,” and there will always be aspects of the task that will always be unpleasant. Unfortunately, these are also tasks that are critical to living a comfortable and healthy life, such as doing the laundry or cleaning up after pets. Since there’s no way to avoid doing them, the best solution would be to complete these chores in the easiest and fastest way possible without compromising on efficiency and safety. Fortunately, we’re at a point in history where technology and design have given us so many products to assist in household work, perhaps even too many to choose from. To help narrow down those choices, here are Yanko Design’s Top 10 home appliances that let you breeze through those chores so that you can spend your time on things that matter the most.
1. OSOTEK HotWave Mop Vacuum
Robot vacuums might be good for regular maintenance of floors, but they might not cut it for heavier workloads and more stubborn dirt. That doesn’t mean you have to fall back onto less efficient and harder-to-use appliances, especially when there are smarter alternatives available. This one, for example, might look like a typical upright vacuum cleaner, but its innovative use of hot water to mop floors easily sets it apart from the crowd.
The OSOTEK HotWave’s built-in water heater makes sure that you’ll be able to get out those pesky stains, something that robot mops still can’t get right these days. Its intelligent suction power automatically adjusts how much suction you need depending on how much dirt its infrared sensor detects. And with its self-cleaning and self-drying features, all you really need to do is to take the OSOTEK HotWave from its base, walk around with it like a regular vacuum, and return it to its base so that it will be clean and dry for your next use. No dirt, no stains, no sweat.
When parents tell kids that a pet is a big responsibility, they’re probably referring to more than just feeding them and giving them baths. Cleaning up after our furry friends, especially when they’ve “done their thing,” can be the least enjoyable part of having a pet. That’s especially true when dogs leave their traces outdoors, much to the annoyance of other people and the embarrassment of their owners. Fortunately, you don’t need to get down and dirty anymore just to pick up after your canine pal, thanks to PUPSULE.
It may look like some prop from a kid’s sci-fi or secret spy show, but this leakproof mechanical arm is exactly what you need to safely and easily pick up your dog’s brown treasure. It almost feels like a game where you deftly pull out a poop bag, drape it over PUPSULE’s claw, and use the plunger to get the job done with the filled bag safely stowed inside the capsule, ready for dropping into a garbage bin. It’s a no-fuss, no-mess solution that will make walks with your dog a lot less stressful.
Even before the present smart home wave, there was already a small number of robots rolling around some houses. Robot vacuum cleaners have been around for years now, and although they haven’t exactly changed their basic circular design, they have definitely become smarter and more sophisticated, offering features and perks that help take our minds off the dirt and stains on our floors. There is, in fact, a dizzying number of choices now available in the market, and ECOVACS ROBOTICS has one for every need and budget.
Those just getting their feet wet to keep their floors dry won’t go wrong with DEEBOT N10 PLUS, an entry-level option that offers a solid set of features, including laser-based navigation as well smart mopping. The DEEBOT T9+ takes cleaning to the next level with TruDetect 3D 2.0, which can avoid the objects that kids and pets tend to leave lying around. It even has a built-in air freshener to make sure that the room smells good while the floor stays clean. Right at the top stands the DEEBOT T10 OMNI, offering self-cleaning mop pads and voice control, ensuring that you’ll never have to stoop down just to keep your floors spic and span.
Keeping your house clean is important for hygienic living, but drinking clean water is even more critical to a healthy life. There are plenty of water purifying devices and products in the market, ranging from pitchers with filters to full-blown machines, but many of them ironically end up polluting the rest of the planet’s waters in the long run, directly or indirectly.
LARQ is a more sustainable solution to keeping both our bodies and our planet healthy. Using innovative carbon-derived, plant-based filters, this purifying pitcher not manages to clean water from pollutants but also makes water taste crisp and pure. Whether it’s for drinking plain water or making better-tasting smoothies, this sustainable water filtering pitcher quickly delivers pure and crisp water that will help sustain you for your next round of chores.
After all those chores, sleep is a most welcomed respite where we finally let our tired bodies rest. But even our seemingly peaceful bedrooms can be home to invisible things that still need to be cleaned out. In fact, we’re pretty much defenseless from these harmful substances when we’re asleep, so we have to rely on external help to clean up the air around our beds. That’s the kind of peaceful slumber that the AirTulip Sleep smart headboard is aiming for, and it does so in a rather unusual and creative way.
Unlike your typical air purifiers, the AirTulip Sleep integrates a medical-grade laminar flow purifier into a stylish headboard that you can match with any bed or linen design. Its unique technology practically creates a purified air bubble around you that doesn’t mix with other air in the room, effectively keeping contaminants away. As a bonus, the headboard integrates features like wireless charging, ambient light, reading lamps, and power outlets, making sure you can get the most out of your time in bed, whether asleep or just chilling out.
It isn’t just cleaning up after pets that is a chore. Cleaning up after humans, including ourselves, can be just as stressful. Of the many places in the house that requires the most cleaning, the kitchen is probably one of the highest. Never mind the pots and pans used for cooking, even just washing the plates and utensils we use every meal can be a tiring and wasteful activity. Of course, there are dishwashers nowadays, but these convenient machines turn out to be quite inefficient and ineffective at what it’s supposed to do.
It might look like an odd part of the kitchen, but Dayoo is an innovative alternative that combines the best of dishwashers and manual washing. Using a showerhead-like nozzle, it utilizes a high-pressure jet of steam to clean plates, bowls, pans, knives, and anything in between. Not only does it help save water, it also makes it easier to reach areas that neither dishwashers nor faucets can access, ensuring a thorough job of making your kitchenware clean and ready for their next use.
Cat owners have a different problem when it comes to their friend’s regular discharges. While these furballs can be trained to do their thing in litter boxes, making sure that those remain clean and odor-free isn’t as easy as it sounds. That can be especially problematic with fussy felines, though that can now be a thing of the past thanks to Smarty Pear’s latest contraption, Leo’s Loo Too.
Looking more like a toy washing machine that almost functions like one, this smart litter box promises a hands-free and worry-free experience for humans and a comfortable and safe life for the cat. Not only does it automatically clean after the cat, it can also log your pet’s visits and weight so you can keep tabs on their health as well. It will even alert you when its waste bag is full, so you don’t have to constantly check the drawer for yourself. It’s the purrfect fix for feline fans.
Along with washing the dishes, doing the laundry is one of the inevitable chores that almost everyone experiences. Thankfully, there is also an abundance of technologies that make life easier for humans, though they sadly come at the expense of our planet’s own life. Very few realize that the dirty water that comes out of even the smartest washing machine has tiny particles that end up polluting the Earth’s waters. Cleaning our dirty laundry shouldn’t have to mean keeping our planet dirty, and that is what this simple, sustainable solution is delivering.
Gulp is a small machine that attaches to the wastewater output of any kind of washing machine, filtering the microplastics that our clothes shed during the washing process. Since it drains the excess water on its own, you don’t have to do anything afterward except empty the filter cup of the dried microfibers. Even better, Gulp’s creators will accept this captured material for research and recycling, ensuring that they won’t touch our planet’s waters ever again.
Almost like our furniture, not everyone will be happy with a single robot vacuum cleaner design. Indeed, there might be too many options available, and they can vary greatly in terms of features and core functions. Of course, most advertise vacuuming as the main purpose, which is what the majority of people look for anyway. As if to turn that idea on its head, the Narwal T10 seems to make sucking up dirt its second-best feature only, putting most of its focus on mopping your floor clean.
Make no mistake, it’s still a good vacuum cleaner, but the Narwal T10 really shines when it comes to mopping the floor and then cleaning those mop heads without getting your hands dirty. Its LIDAR-based navigation makes sure it knows exactly where to go, or at least where you allow it to go in each room. Its “squircle” design also makes it stand out visually, driving home the image of being different from your typical large robot pucks.
Robot vacuum cleaners might be smart and useful, but their utility ends at your doors. When it comes to keeping lawns trimmed and clean, most have to settle for less efficient and less effective tools. Some smart lawnmowers, for example, aren’t smart enough to really know where to go, and you often end up having to set up ugly wire fences to keep them from going astray.
The LawnMeister robot lawnmower practically brings all the brains and technologies enjoyed by robot vacs from indoors to outdoors, allowing this roving grass cutter to know where they should and shouldn’t go, avoid obstacles and furry critters, and even spray fertilizer where it’s needed. Neighborhood kids might be bummed out at having less employment, but your lawn will definitely appreciate the smarter attention you can now give it without even lifting a finger.
Given the events of recent years, it’s really no surprise that air purifiers have become a little bit more popular and in demand. On the one hand, it hints at how bad the air is even inside our homes. On the other hand, increased interest in this kind of product has also opened the doors to rethink air purifiers’ designs. Gone are the conventional boxy or cylindrical appliances, replaced by more stylish forms that blend better with their surroundings, especially when it comes to home decor. Some designs even try to push the envelope further, like this robotic incarnation of the air purifier that not only cleans the air indoors but also creates a more enjoyable and personal atmosphere at home thanks to its disarming cuteness.
Air purifiers are in the same class as air conditioners and electric fans, but unlike the latter two, they can’t help but be placed in more conspicuous positions inside the home. They have to be in a location where they can efficiently draw in dirty air and blow out clean air, which is why most designs simply resort to tall boxes or cylinders that stand in the center of rooms. That doesn’t have to be the case, however, especially if you have an air purifier that can actually move around the house.
PLANI combines the smart technologies present in today’s robot vacuums with an unconventional air purifier design that looks not only more interesting but also a little more human. The robot uses a variety of sensors like LIDAR to move where the air needs cleaning the most while safely avoiding obstacles, such as furniture, pets, and humans. When it comes time for it to do its job, it lifts its side flaps to reveal the air intake mechanism, making the appliance look like a cute mechanical creature.
The adorable life-improving robot has one other trick up its sleeve. In place of a face, it has a sheet of translucent material that is supposed to call to mind the windows of airplanes. Unlike those windows, however, it can change colors, most likely the effect of a ring of LEDs hidden around the glass’s edges that indicate the quality of air in the space. Green is clear and safe; yellow deserves a bit of concern; and red means that the machine needs to get to work.
It might be arguable whether such a design would be as efficient as a stationary air purifier placed strategically at the center of the room, but there’s little doubt it would be more effective in offering a bit more comfort and confidence. It could join the growing roster of smart home appliances that are being given faces or anthropomorphic forms in order to ease their adoption and integration into our lives.
For people who love their homes or spaces to have a certain aesthetic, products that are both functional and decorative are very much welcome. If you have a small space, you would of course not want to have all sorts of decorations clutter it up (well, unless you’re a maximalist) if they do not serve any other purpose other than just be pretty. So if you find something that beauties up your place and at the same time performs a useful function, then you got yourself a winner.
Designer: Hanyoung Lee, Eunji Ko
This concept for an air purifier is just one of those designs that are both functional and decorative. Abell’s main purpose is as a device to help purify the air inside your room or house. But instead of just standing there in the room, it is actually a lighting device. It will not take up space on your floor or on your table but it can be hung up wherever you want and it will give you cleaner air and also light up the room. And if you’re into the minimalist, monochromatic look, then it can also serve as an aesthetic addition to your room.
If it’s not hanging up there, it looks like your ordinary air purifier with a mushroom-like design. You probably can also use it as a table or shelf-top purifier although it’s unclear if it will light up as well. But if the bulb is under there as the product renders seem to indicate, then the lighting function may be useless if you don’t put it up there. Now when you use it as both a purifier and a lighting fixture, there is a controller attached to it so you can adjust how much light it emits.
It would be interesting to find out some more details about the air purifying aspect of the device. During the pandemic and even now when we’re getting back to whatever constitutes as normal, breathing fresh air even when indoors is an important part of our living. So the quality of air purifying that Abell can give is an important aspect of whether or not someone would buy it, if it becomes a product eventually.
Although many people have only recently become more aware of the quality of the air they breathe, there are plenty more that have constantly been living with worry because of the potential threats hanging in the air. Different people have different types of allergies, but one of the most common can be triggered by invisible particles that enter our noses and lungs. And while it’s relatively easier to control the environment at home with air purifiers, although it isn’t completely foolproof, stepping into public spaces is pretty much a leap of faith for someone with allergies. Now you no longer have to give up the fun things in life with this innovative air purifier that discreetly hangs around your neck, letting you enjoy fresh and clean air wherever you are, whatever you’re doing.
Designer: Annamaria Rennel
Click Here to Buy Now: $74$149 (50% off). Hurry, only 9 left! The exclusive deal is for YD readers only.
Respiray Wear A+ – Effectively reduces airborne allergen particles by 99.9% thanks to its user-replaceable HEPA filters.
There are many ways to fight off airborne allergies these days. Some take medication either before or after exposure, but that is never a feasible or healthy long-term solution. Indoor air purifiers do work, but you need to be close to the machine for it to be really effective. Inside public spaces like cafes or stores, the options are even more limited, and while certain masks do work, they also limit your ability to drink, eat, and breathe freely. Respiray Wear A+ combines the best of both worlds, bringing the effectiveness of an indoor air purifier that still lets your smile shine.
The way it works is so simple you’d be left wondering why no one has capitalized on it before. The curved device hangs a bit below the front of your neck, where it gets out of the way of your face and looks nothing more than a fashionable neckband. Inside, however, the device draws in air, pushes it through a HEPA filter to remove harmful airborne allergens, and then releases the filtered air upward toward your mouth and nose. This, in effect, creates a “safe zone” around your face, leaving you free to breathe clean air without worrying about allergies. The device has been clinically tested and lab-verified to be effective in filtering out 99.9% of these allergens, promising a worry-free breath every time.
There are a small number of wearable air purifiers that make almost the same promises, but the Respiray Wear A+ outshines all of them with its convenience and style. You won’t look ridiculous with parts of your face or head always covered, and it doesn’t get in the way of actions such as talking, drinking, or even eating. Wear A+ leaves you free to enjoy life and smile and let others witness that happiness painted on your face.
Wear A+ also eases your worries about its longevity and usability. A built-in rechargeable battery means you can confidently use it anywhere, and replaceable HEPA filters that last for 3 months mean you can get as much use out of it for years. For only $74, you get the Respiray Wear A+, two HEPA filters, and a washable air filter, freeing you from the fears and anxieties of airborne allergens, leaving you free to enjoy with a bright smile that everyone can see.
Click Here to Buy Now: $74$149 (50% off). Hurry, only 9 left! The exclusive deal is for YD readers only.
Air purifiers, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers are slowly becoming more common in houses these days. The newly-gained awareness that the air we breathe at home may not be as clean as we thought has helped push these appliances into living rooms and bedrooms. And just like many appliances, these come in impersonal and utilitarian designs, often as large cylinders standing in the center of the room. Their presence can be a bit disconcerting or even intimidating to children, encroaching on what they consider to be safe spaces at home. Unfortunately, these machines are seldom designed with kids in mind except for safety purposes, but this air purifier design concept tries to add an emotional element that makes them a more welcome addition to family life.
It’s almost too easy to simply put a literal face on an appliance to make it look friendlier and then call it a day. That only does the bare minimum and might just confuse kids in the long run. After all, they might expect a smiling face at home to be a new friend, only to be disappointed by the machine’s lack of response. Willy, in contrast, seems to be alive, reacting to the presence of children while it goes about its duties, purifying the air around them.
Technically, Willy doesn’t actually have a face. It has two long slots that seem to resemble eyes and relies on our brains to fill in the rest. This capability, which even kids have, has long been utilized in both product and character designs, giving things a more anthropomorphic appearance by using only the suggestion of facial features. It leaves it to the viewer’s imagination to complete the face to match their personal tastes.
Willy isn’t just a friendly face, though. Those “eyes” are actually its ears, housing microphones that can pick up sound, allowing the head to turn toward its direction. While it doesn’t exactly have any practical utility as far as cleaning the air goes, it makes it seem like the appliance is attentive to the child. It’s as if Willy was an actual robot without going in that design direction.
Of course, it also has the standard air purifier parts, including HEPA H13 filters. Willy’s actual controls are on the top of its head, safely out of small kids’ reach, and its brain, the electronics that drive its functions, are also located there, following its anthropomorphic theme. In terms of technology, the design doesn’t really present anything groundbreaking, but it does give the appliance a more human touch that kids and even some adults will be able to appreciate.
Complete blackout display and nearly silent sleep mode
CONS:
Noisy at high power
No output angle adjustment
RATINGS:
AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
EDITOR'S QUOTE:
The Jya Fjord offers all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a no-nonsense air purifier, wrapped in a modern and stylish package you won’t be ashamed to put in your living room.
One of the many things COVID-19 made us acutely aware of is the air we breathe in and out every single second we are awake or asleep. Whether you are in private space, public space, or outdoors, it has made us think that the air we breathe in may contain tiny particles, invisible to our naked eyes, that can harm our health or even cause death. No air purifier will eliminate all the air pollutants in your home completely. But used properly, air purifiers can eliminate or reduce harmful particles in the air, improving the quality of air and thus improving the quality of life. Air purifiers are sometimes nice to have if you have allergies or are concerned with air quality in your space, but they may also be almost essential for healthier living. Here we review the Jya Fjord air purifier to check if it can handle the demands of a small office space.
Designer: Jya
Jya, a sub-brand of environmental home appliance giant Samrtmi, answers the growing concerns about air quality at home, combining Smartmi’s experience in air purification technology with clean design. Jya Fjord air purifier is a little sibling of Jya Fjord Pro, sort to speak. The Fjord Pro is for larger rooms with an area of 409 ft² to 710 ft². The Fjord, on the other hand, is for a smaller space with a size of 333 ft² to 581 ft². Other than the intended room size and appearance, both the Fjord Pro and Fjord air purifiers are similar in specs and share the same filter type, air quality monitoring indexes, and smart connectivity. For our review purposes, we test the air purifier in our approximately 350 ft² office room.
Aesthetics
Jya Fjord distinguishes itself from ubiquitous white boxy air purifiers. Fjord packs innovative technology in a sleek design, measuring 10.23 x 11.41 x 21.06 inches (or 290 x 260 x 535 mm) and weighing approximately 18.6 pounds (or 6.5 kg). A matte space gray color with bronze accents for the air outlet grid outline, the logo on the front upper left, and the release buttons on each side give this home appliance a sense of elegance. The round corners of the device and a circular OLED touch display add a touch of softness to an otherwise utilitarian look.
You can check the real-time air quality measurements, temperature, humidity, and filter life on the circular OLED touch display positioned at the front top-right corner. Changing modes, adjusting display brightness, setting up WiFi, and enabling or disabling UV lighting for filter cleaning can also be done on the OLED touch display. Although the touch display is small (roughly 1.5 inches), it is intuitive and responsive.
Fjord has air inlets in the front and back of the device, with an outlet grill situated at the top. Temperature and humidity sensors, as well as the gas sensor, are positioned on the back, something you might have to keep in mind when looking for a place to put the air purifier. Attention to design even extends to the power adaptor, which echos the shape of the air purifier with round corners and a matte finish texture.
Ergonomics
Aside from the power button on the back of the device, there are no physical buttons or dedicated remote control for operating the machine. You can monitor and control the Fjord from your phone via an app as well as through the small OLED touch display on the device. Setting it up is pretty easy.
Replacing the Fjord’s filter is also a breeze. Press the pair of release buttons on each side to lift the top unit, then take out the cylindrical filter housed in the bottom unit. Pop the new filter in, put the top unit back on, and off you go for cleaner air inside the room.
Although Fjord is not equipped with handles, the four wheels at the bottom make it easy to move this rather heavy air purifier when you want to vacuum the spot or cart it from room to room. The wheels move smoothly in any direction, making it effortless to reposition the air purifier.
Sustainability
Energy efficiency is one parameter of measuring the impact the product has on our precious resources. Fjord’s rated wattage of 48W is less than a typical 42-inch LED TV and right around the average power consumption for air purifiers. Depending on your typical consumption at home, the air purifier won’t add too much of a burden on your finances, though you’ll have to take into consideration how long you’ll have it turned on per day. Your usage will most likely be seasonal and situational, so you might want to take that into account when budgeting both your power consumption as well as your electricity bill.
Air purifiers are meant to be used for many years, but most air purifiers on the market come with filters that have to be replaced regularly. As HEPA filters are usually made of unrecyclable materials like fiberglass or polyester, the filter cannot be recycled and end up in a landfill. Jya Fjord also uses a HEPA filter that needs to be replaced from time to time, so that is sadly a point against it.
Unfortunately, the air purifier itself is also made with your usual mix of materials, including lots of plastic for the electronics as well as the body itself. It is the “standard” of appliances of this kind and doesn’t exactly help the situation now that air purifiers have become more common. It might take a few more iterations before this still niche market becomes more attentive to the harm they pose to the environment in the long run while also trying to protect human lives. Sustainability of the device itself.
Performance
Jya Fjord claims to clean air up to 581ft² (54m²) every hour with a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 450m3/h while monitoring five air qualities – PM10, PM2.5, TVOC, temperature, and humidity – with built-in sensors. The air sucked in from the front and back of the device is cleaned in three phases. First, the pre-filter traps large messes like dust and pollen. Next, the pre-filtered air goes through what Jya calls the “NanoGuard” HEPA filter, which captures particulate matter as small as 0.1 μm. Then, the activated carbon layer neutralizes odors and harmful gasses such as tobacco smoke and formaldehyde. According to the manufacturer, Fjord can filter out 99.97% of particles 0.3 μm and is equipped with a UV sterilization system.
When I vacuumed near the air purifier, the air quality readings went up slightly and came back down after only a few minutes. I also observed that the dusty smell I usually noticed when I vacuum was absent with Fjord running. In short, it was clearly doing its job and doing it well.
Fjord can be run at four different modes: auto, manual, sleep, and extreme speed. The noise air purifiers make can be annoying, especially considering that most of us use air purifiers around the clock. The Jya Fjord, in contrast, runs very quietly, so holding a conversation or getting work done should be easy enough. The noise level drops even as low as 18.8 dB in sleep mode. However, when the device detects airborne particle matter in the air or is set at extreme speed, it becomes pretty loud, and the noise level could reach as high as 66 dB at the maximum.
To help you get a good night’s sleep with cleaner air, Fjord’s display goes completely dark when you set it to sleep mode. Dead-silent sleep mode and an entirely dark display make it perfect for use in bedrooms.
Fjord can be controlled with Smartmi’s app called Smartmi Link, which is available on both iOS and Android. It is also compatible with Google Assistant Alexa, and even works with Apple HomeKit. Smartmi Link is straightforward, but if you don’t want to mess with the app or smart assistants, you can simply use it by itself with no inconvenience.
Value
There are many factors to consider when choosing an air purifier, but one thing you should not ignore besides the price of the device itself is the running costs. All air purifiers require regular filter replacement and those filters can be costly. The Fjord is currently retailed for $349 (or 369 Euros) on Jya’s website. The filter replacement for Fjord costs you $59 (59 euros), and with the recommended filter replacement every six months, the running cost comes up to $118 annually, which is much lower than most air purifiers in the same category.
Verdict
Jya Fjord packs solid features you would want for an air purifier with a modern design. With smart home compatibility, including Apple HomeKit, claimed filter capability, and minimalistic form, it is certainly an attractive choice for anyone looking to improve the air quality in their home without sacrificing aesthetics. We definitely would have preferred something with a more sustainable design, but Jya is simply playing by the market rules, at least for now. There’s definitely a lot of potential in this aspect of this fast-growing market, and we look forward to the time when air purifiers also become more conscious of the environment that they’re trying to keep clean.
