Working from home? A TruSens air purifier deserves a spot in your office
According to the EPA, indoor air quality can often be worse than outdoor levels. Users who may be working from home more frequently due to the pandemic may want to consider an air purifier for their home offices.
This page will compare three popular air purifiers in the market: the medium-sized TruSens, Germ Guardian AC4825, and the Winix 5300. The TruSens unit was provided by the manufacturer, but all measurements and opinions are our own. These three models provide relative points of reference even though they may not all be in the same price range.
A unique aspect of the TruSens model is that it includes an external air quality probe that requires its own AC power outlet separate from the air purifier. The manual recommends line-of-sight to the main unit in order for the probe to function and relay air quality measurements to the main unit. In our tests, however, the probe functions just fine even if it's hidden behind books or other items from across the room. Note that the probe is required if you want to use the TruSens model in Auto mode. In contrast, the Winix model has an air quality probe integrated onto the main unit for convenience.
Note that the retail box includes a quick start guide with no proper user's manual. Instead, the latter can only be found online.
As shown by the table below, the TruSens unit is about as loud as the Germ Guardian despite its larger coverage to imply that it is able to filter more air without needing to run all that much louder. The larger fan also allows for a lower pitch to be less noticeable to the ears.
| Mode | TruSens Medium (dB(A)) | Germ Guardian AC4825 (dB(A)) | Winix 5300 (dB(A)) |
| Whisper | 44.7 | -- | 44.9 |
| 1 | 47.7 | 48.5 | 49.4 |
| 2 | 60.5 | 59 | 55.2 |
| 3 (Highest) | 71 | 66.7 | 69.5 |
| Room Coverage | 375 sq. ft. | 167 sq. ft. | 360 sq. ft. |
From a visual perspective, the TruSens unit has the sleeker and more modern look in contrast to the boxy Winix or no-frills Germ Guardian. Its external probe can be a hassle, however, as it might limit where you can position the main unit in your office. For example, we like to put the air purifier in the corner of the room where it can go unnoticed and be out of the way, but you'll then have to position the external probe at an appropriate location elsewhere in the room as well. It's another item and power cable to deal which may turn off some users.
The TruSens air purifier comes in small, medium or large for $150, $250 or $400, respectively. Additional drum filters will cost another $40 each to be more expensive than most traditional rectangular filters. The manufacturer recommends replacing the carbon filter every 3 to 4 months, the HEPA filter every 12 to 15 months, and the UV bulb every one to three years. The pre-filter can be cleaned by hand every month to extend the life of the carbon and HEPA filters.
Source(s)
Test unit provided by TruSens
