![]() At its worst, it was underestimating actual PM2.5 by 218 micrograms! The problem is, I systematically tested three different Xiaomi’s against three independent particle counters, and found the Xiaomi monitor was wildly inaccurate. The auto mode is governed by the built-in air quality monitor. ![]() So what explains it? Cause 1: The Built-In Air Quality Monitor is Wildly Inaccurate The tests on the high setting above showed that it isn’t a problem with the fan or the filter. On average, indoor air was double the WHO 24-hour PM2.5 limit (and that’s the looser of their limits!). It’s certainly better than nothing, but based on my reading of the research on the health effects of air pollution, this is meaningfully bad air. OK, OK, skeptical readers might say, “well a 60% reduction isn’t bad. Really? You really can’t set the Xiaomi to stay on high? The machine switches to auto mode whether users want it or not at the third hour. In tests of the high setting, the Philips scored near the top of my earlier comparison tests.Īnd in tests of the Xiaomi’s high setting, it also performed relatively well but cannot be kept on high. Is There a Problem with the Air Purifiers? Maybe they use low-grade filters, or maybe their fans aren’t strong enough. The Xiaomi averaged 62% reductions, and the Philips averaged 59% reductions.įor comparison, this is more than 20% worse than what I found by just strapping a filter to a small fan with a Velcro strap.īut wait, maybe the Philips and Xiaomi are just bad purifiers. Despite running in a closed room all night, the Xiaomi auto mode left indoor air in the unsafe range. The pictures below show the Xiaomi at the start and end of a test. Results: Air Purifier Auto Mode Left Air Dirty I calculated percentage reductions from before turning on the purifier versus the average over the last four hours before waking up. ![]() 89) in several comparison tests with official PM2.5 numbers ( 1, 2). She used a Dylos Pro laser particle counter to track 0.5 micron and 2.5 micron particles every hour until she woke up in the morning. Over 13 days in an ordinary 15m 2 Beijing apartment, Anna turned the Xiaomi or the Philips on auto mode before bed. Smart Air co-founder Anna tested two of the most popular air purifier auto modes-the Xiaomi 2 and the Philips AC4072. Real-World Tests of Air Purifier Auto Modes The purifier will use less energy and make less noise since it can spend more time at a low speed. After the air gets better, the purifier goes to sleep. When the air is bad, the purifier turns on. The purifier has a small air quality monitor inside. The idea behind smart purifiers’ auto mode is simple. The problem? Test data shows an air purifier’s auto mode routinely fails, leaving users with dangerous air. One of these features is an air purifier auto mode, also called “smart mode”. Many air purifier companies add fancy features to help market their products.
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