@The_Tim Not only that but apparently the thing turns itself off (per negative reviews) when the change filter light comes on you so can’t keep running it without buying (according to another review) a $6 filter that lasts 30 days.
@The_Tim We have 2 of these. One model with the chip and one without. You can wash these and reuse. For the chipped bags, we cut off the chip and wash the bag separately. Then just stick the cutoff chip in to it’s slot and reuse the bag. Works great but I think switching to the chip may have hurt the company. I see these on sale all the time.
@Kidsandliz It doesn’t turn itself off but if you unplug it when the filter is used up, it won’t start up again with a “used” filter. You can hack it as described by @crismoody - but the chips are definitely a staggeringly dumb idea
It makes no sense that they chip these things. You could just throw them filters in the washing machine and then it’d be just fine. But no, they chip them so you have to keep buying them. It’s such a stupid ripoff that I don’t think it was a good purchase really. I recommend that everyone meh it to hell.
Got two of these when they were up on Nov. 7 and the filters are just now needing replacement. Maybe I’ll just buy two more now in hopes that Meh puts them up again in March…
(But actually I don’t really recommend them. They are huge. I read some of the comments on how big they were before ordering in Nov. and still was not prepared for their behemothry. Also, they are quiet-ish, but not silent. It’s basically just an 8” diameter fan blowing upward to suck in the air and push it through the filter bag. They also have some kind of smart chip and who knows what kind of proprietary BS that means…)
If you have to buy those rectangular air filters for your furnace or air conditioner, this will do nothing for you. Otherwise, it will do almost nothing
Bought mine ages ago, and used them through a few months worth of filters (all from the original purchase, because I wasn’t about to spend the chip tax for their replacements). They’re now done, and I honestly can’t tell much difference, except that it’s quieter without them. From the reviews that I’ve dug up with HVAC guys putting in their two cents, these are basically just little traps for the occasional dust bits to stick to, but otherwise don’t do anything significant, given the pitiful airflow, stupid size, and prohibitively pricey replacement baggies.
Overall, not recommended. They may do something for you, but I doubt that it’s worth the price of admission just to see. Or if you really want to try it with my one remaining filter, I’d ship you mine.
Getting pretty tired of the re-runs of marginal home and health crap - This one got pretty well slammed in the reviews and comments last time, especially the evil chipped-filter nonsense, I’m surprised they brought it back - is Swiffer next going to have expiration chips in its mop heads?
I just checked and I haven’t ordered anything since Dec 10th, and that was Poo-Pourri because, y’know, the holidays …
@tweezak Hey I own that cat scratcher and it is still functional after multiple cats and at least 6 years. Have another one that is barely 1 year old that is already mostly destroyed. Meh should sell that!
@mcemanuel I just did the same late last month. I’ll fire back up again if they offer something good, but I gave meh 10 dollars for no reason last year and that hurts my frugal soul.
@ojohn there is at least one YouTube video showing how to open the case and route the power around the board that reads the chip (and runs the lights). Requires basic wiring skills, and definitely voids any warranty.
I bought these and I can’t see much difference either. At the time someone said the new models were better because they didn’t have the chip trap. But that time they included several replacement filters and said they were discontinuing the model. I didn’t see any mention of extra filters. After seeing my 1000th set of ear buds for sale, I discontinued my $5/month also.
I want to thank all the comments here about the efficacy as well as the proprietary filters. I was ‘this close’ to pulling the trigger, but you saved me some cash.
I bought one last month and have definitely noticed a difference in the amount of less dust on my coffee table and end tables! I have a cockatoo that makes a ton of dander/dust in the room and it has cut it down by at least half. The unit still runs when the 30 days is up on the filter, it didn’t shut off and you can see all of the dust it pulls out of the room. The filters are pricey and found them on Amazon. I got two 2 packs which made them costing about $5.50 per filter. It is quiet and a little big but I have room for it. For me, it is worth having because I noticed a difference in my allergies from the bird dust.
@blaineg lol sorry. I try to be thorough. But glad it’s working for people. And doing this makes the fan go full speed at all times. So there is a difference in noise from the fan. I have mine in a loud room so didn’t notice.
I just kept it running and it lasted. Changed the filter after 60 days. Also made a cutout carbon prefilter on the bottom and put it over the intake fan… caught even more crap…
This contraption is huge much to the dismay of my family. But ignoring their protests I set it up anyway in our living room. Tried to make it part of the decor (much harder than one would think). Again more protests from the family to get that ugly “decoration” out of the living room.
When I went to do my monthly dusting, much to my surprise I didn’t have to do much but a cursory dusting using a duster and no furniture polish.
It’s yet to be determined if that will win over the family and me… replacements are more frequent than I would like and the gol-darn chip makes it impossible to wash and reuse! Probably why it is being offered at a cheap price on meh.com
I feel like the Meh community has just decided to hate this thing and nothing I’m going to say could possible change that, but for whatever it’s worth I bought one back in June and have been pretty pleased (especially for ~$30). It does what it says on the tin—the area around it requires noticeably less dusting. It is big, but also significantly more aesthetically pleasing than the overwhelming majority of these types of devices and allows it to grab the big puffs of cat hair and dust that just get stuck on the front of an air purifier. It definitely is not an air purifier, but it doesn’t claim to be so I don’t see that as a problem—if that’s what you’re looking for you should seek elsewhere for sure.
Despite all the rants about DRM’d filters, it never forces you to change a filter. As far as I can tell, the chip just controls the gauge on the front that tells you when to change the filter, but it will happily keep running in perpetuity. So unless the thought of only seeing one light where you know there could be four breaks you out in hives, the chipped filters are a non-issue—just change it when you think it needs changing.
I get three months out of a filter (I just put it on the same replacement schedule as my heat pump filters) and a four-pack of filters is $20. So $20 a year seems pretty reasonable to me.
@grovberg You say “It definitely is not an air purifier, but it doesn’t claim to be so I don’t see that as a problem” but see air purifier in the title and the description … “Product Name: Swiffer Continuous Air Purifier”
@grovberg It will keep running unless you unplug it (or your power goes out) at which point it’ll refuse to start up with a “used” filter. But there’s various solutions to that described here.
@ClaimCheck Fair enough, though really that’s on Meh, not Swiffer. Swiffer never uses the word “purifier” and as I look at my order neither did Meh the last time they sold it.
Why hasn’t some enterprising Asian knocked these filters off? No offense but they do a darn good job at that.I get the bypassing the DRM, no problem. A search reveals no other premade replacement filters and I refuse to be married to swiffer for replacements or something I have to cobble together. Someone have a link for filter alternatives or are the swiffer police hard at work?
I bought three of these last time they were offered and they work very well. I have a dog that sheds continually and a real dust problem and these have cut down dust and hair by at least half. But, the cost of filters is crazy! Meh needs to start selling the filters at their great prices.
My house is ridiculously dusty.
Of course, if I vacuumed more than once every couple of months or so, that’d probably definitely make a big difference.
But I don’t so…
In for one.
At $31 delivered, even if it turns out to be a waste of money, the space it takes up will bring more remorse than the money wasted.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I bought several of these when they came around before in the older version (no lights, no chip). I was doubtful, but after I’d set it up and left the house for a couple of hours, I came back and walked into my bedroom and was literally startled by the lack of dust motes in the air … and they haven’t come back.
Definitely a win for the can’t-be-bothered-to-dust among us!
Just so everybody knows, it is incredibly easy to bypass the chip on this (as long as you don’t mind the fan running at full speed all the time, which I was surprised to find wasn’t all that loud.) Basically you just take it apart (you need a philips screwdriver, that’s about all) and connect the negative wire coming in from the power jack to the negative wire that goes to the fan.
I messed up my one filter that came in the package during assembly, so when the chip finally went on that one I replaced it with a size #1 from here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sewn-Industrial-Filter-Sock-Bags-Water-Liquid-Biodiesel-WVO-Oil-Dust-Fuel-Diesel/231354514757 I did 5 micron singed polyester, which was probably too thick looking back, I would go with 10 micron or bigger, and I had to remove the metal ring from the base of the filter, but after cutting that out I was able to stretch the material over the base just fine.
@candreasen Thanks. Valuable info. It looks like those filters are reusable too. I probably will mess with the chip and make it permanent. I was worried about the physical filter and you answered that question. Phooey on Swiffer!
Love that air purifier because it actually works! My 14 yo son’s room sometimes smells like teen spirit and in 30 minutes with this on there’s no smell. We use it after we fry food in the kitchen and the smell is gone in 30 minutes.
Lately my wife has been using it at night and we’ve been getting better sleep.
I’m on the fence about today’s Meh as don’t have much dust, but if this purified the air I would get it.
I discovered meh.com through Brad’s Deals just a few minutes ago and purchased this Swiffer Air Cleaner. Amazon has filters for it—4 for $22. My house is super dusty. Can’t wait to try this.
YES!! My husband did the bye pass of the chip, I have Machine wash the filter and came out fine! Also put it in the dryer. I notice it’s more powerful !
Specs
What’s in the Box?
Price Comparison
$59.70 at Amazon
Warranty
3 Years Swiffer
Estimated Delivery
Monday, July 13th - Thursday, July 16th
Mehhhh. Just looking at this things design makes me want to sneeze
@Stallion Is this an Apple HomePod?
@Hanky @Stallion it looks like some sort of cheap fly-trap …
How many filters are included? This device works, but damn if it doesn’t eat filters and “chips”
@guybrush01 I don’t think it includes any filters. Past deals have, but I don’t see anything in the specs to indicate that this comes with any.
@guybrush01 I bought two last time they sold it. It came with one filter each that lasted about 4 weeks.
How many of these things did Meh spring for? Because I think I first saw Meh’s description of this when I was young. It’s been a minute, no?
@gertiestn It looks kind of mid-century modern, so…
I guess by the last pic you could say this is a smoking good deal.
@ybmuG HEY-OH
@PeachWise Listen to what I say, oh!
This has come up before when this was sold, but FYI, the filter media has a chip in it so you can’t just use some DIY filter or 3rd party solution.
@The_Tim Not only that but apparently the thing turns itself off (per negative reviews) when the change filter light comes on you so can’t keep running it without buying (according to another review) a $6 filter that lasts 30 days.
@The_Tim We have 2 of these. One model with the chip and one without. You can wash these and reuse. For the chipped bags, we cut off the chip and wash the bag separately. Then just stick the cutoff chip in to it’s slot and reuse the bag. Works great but I think switching to the chip may have hurt the company. I see these on sale all the time.
@Kidsandliz It doesn’t turn itself off but if you unplug it when the filter is used up, it won’t start up again with a “used” filter. You can hack it as described by @crismoody - but the chips are definitely a staggeringly dumb idea
@crismoody @netopia Either way it is a deal killer in my opinion.
@crismoody @The_Tim I’m happy for this hack because you can’t buy the filters anywhere online. It’s a pain in my gluteus maximus.
It makes no sense that they chip these things. You could just throw them filters in the washing machine and then it’d be just fine. But no, they chip them so you have to keep buying them. It’s such a stupid ripoff that I don’t think it was a good purchase really. I recommend that everyone meh it to hell.
Bought last time i change the bag ever 3 months works well
Used it for three months, stopped for the last 2-3… Seen no difference in dust or air quality. Now is on the top of my heap for a garage sale.
@Beruud wanna sell to me? I could use it but can’t buy today.
I would which would win, my wife’s essential oil diffuser or this air purifier. I know my wallet looses.
@hchavers Don’t try to be piffy when under the influence of cough medicine.
Got two of these when they were up on Nov. 7 and the filters are just now needing replacement. Maybe I’ll just buy two more now in hopes that Meh puts them up again in March…
(But actually I don’t really recommend them. They are huge. I read some of the comments on how big they were before ordering in Nov. and still was not prepared for their behemothry. Also, they are quiet-ish, but not silent. It’s basically just an 8” diameter fan blowing upward to suck in the air and push it through the filter bag. They also have some kind of smart chip and who knows what kind of proprietary BS that means…)
@fmanda You deserve an award for “behemothry.” Love it!
I have an unreasonable bias against this product because it’s the one that cost me my longest Meh streak back in November!
@PooltoyWolf You realize you can Meh something, and then buy it anyway?
I mean, theoretically. If Meh put something up worth buying.
@winfield The ‘irrational’ part stemmed from the fact that I was sick out of my mind and forgot to check the website at all that day. Meh!!
If you have to buy those rectangular air filters for your furnace or air conditioner, this will do nothing for you. Otherwise, it will do almost nothing
Bought mine ages ago, and used them through a few months worth of filters (all from the original purchase, because I wasn’t about to spend the chip tax for their replacements). They’re now done, and I honestly can’t tell much difference, except that it’s quieter without them. From the reviews that I’ve dug up with HVAC guys putting in their two cents, these are basically just little traps for the occasional dust bits to stick to, but otherwise don’t do anything significant, given the pitiful airflow, stupid size, and prohibitively pricey replacement baggies.
Overall, not recommended. They may do something for you, but I doubt that it’s worth the price of admission just to see. Or if you really want to try it with my one remaining filter, I’d ship you mine.
@arosiriak Meh-ward for surprisingly useful and thought-out review!
/giphy thank you!
This product both sucks and blows…meh.
Getting pretty tired of the re-runs of marginal home and health crap - This one got pretty well slammed in the reviews and comments last time, especially the evil chipped-filter nonsense, I’m surprised they brought it back - is Swiffer next going to have expiration chips in its mop heads?
I just checked and I haven’t ordered anything since Dec 10th, and that was Poo-Pourri because, y’know, the holidays …
Maybe it’s better than you guys give it credit for.
@tweezak Hey I own that cat scratcher and it is still functional after multiple cats and at least 6 years. Have another one that is barely 1 year old that is already mostly destroyed. Meh should sell that!
Lots of real junk lately and repeats… think I’m stopping my 5.00 per month “free shipping” after many years with meh. Sad
@mcemanuel I just did the same late last month. I’ll fire back up again if they offer something good, but I gave meh 10 dollars for no reason last year and that hurts my frugal soul.
@mcemanuel I’ve been thinking the same thing.
Is there anyway to beat the chip?
(I think I would like to beat the chip out of it.)
@ojohn there is at least one YouTube video showing how to open the case and route the power around the board that reads the chip (and runs the lights). Requires basic wiring skills, and definitely voids any warranty.
@fibrs86 @ojohn lol as if they have a real warranty for what is basically an weirdly shaped can blowing into a large sock
I bought these and I can’t see much difference either. At the time someone said the new models were better because they didn’t have the chip trap. But that time they included several replacement filters and said they were discontinuing the model. I didn’t see any mention of extra filters. After seeing my 1000th set of ear buds for sale, I discontinued my $5/month also.
So seriously does this reduce dust? Or should I just wait for another costco winix sale?
@thismyusername you know what reduces dust? Vacuuming
@unksol my botvac is scowling at you.
Wait for winix!
@lomerson2 I agree. I waited.
I want to thank all the comments here about the efficacy as well as the proprietary filters. I was ‘this close’ to pulling the trigger, but you saved me some cash.
Thanks!
I bought one last month and have definitely noticed a difference in the amount of less dust on my coffee table and end tables! I have a cockatoo that makes a ton of dander/dust in the room and it has cut it down by at least half. The unit still runs when the 30 days is up on the filter, it didn’t shut off and you can see all of the dust it pulls out of the room. The filters are pricey and found them on Amazon. I got two 2 packs which made them costing about $5.50 per filter. It is quiet and a little big but I have room for it. For me, it is worth having because I noticed a difference in my allergies from the bird dust.
Looks like the DRM can be easily brute forced. Just bypass the entire board, and hardwire the fan on.
Hat tip to @thesugarat for finding this last time around.
@blaineg THANK YOU! I tried to figure this out myself the last time around — now BOTH of mine have become a lot more useful.
@blaineg Thanks! For those interested, the actual work starts around the 7-minute mark. (And thank God YouTube has the Playback Speed setting!)
@blaineg lol sorry. I try to be thorough. But glad it’s working for people. And doing this makes the fan go full speed at all times. So there is a difference in noise from the fan. I have mine in a loud room so didn’t notice.
Alexa, clean the air…
Oops… that’s not an Echo device.
@lpsisrl Everything is with smart plugs!
/giphy smart plug
…the weirdest plug I’ve seen in a while…
I just kept it running and it lasted. Changed the filter after 60 days. Also made a cutout carbon prefilter on the bottom and put it over the intake fan… caught even more crap…
“When do you need to change the filter? When the LED light comes on, silly”
Except the LEDs are on as soon as you plug it in… Maybe wait until the last LED starts flashing, silly.
This contraption is huge much to the dismay of my family. But ignoring their protests I set it up anyway in our living room. Tried to make it part of the decor (much harder than one would think). Again more protests from the family to get that ugly “decoration” out of the living room.
When I went to do my monthly dusting, much to my surprise I didn’t have to do much but a cursory dusting using a duster and no furniture polish.
It’s yet to be determined if that will win over the family and me… replacements are more frequent than I would like and the gol-darn chip makes it impossible to wash and reuse! Probably why it is being offered at a cheap price on meh.com
DRM filters? No bluetooth speaker? No RGB light? WTF is this Meh?
I feel like the Meh community has just decided to hate this thing and nothing I’m going to say could possible change that, but for whatever it’s worth I bought one back in June and have been pretty pleased (especially for ~$30). It does what it says on the tin—the area around it requires noticeably less dusting. It is big, but also significantly more aesthetically pleasing than the overwhelming majority of these types of devices and allows it to grab the big puffs of cat hair and dust that just get stuck on the front of an air purifier. It definitely is not an air purifier, but it doesn’t claim to be so I don’t see that as a problem—if that’s what you’re looking for you should seek elsewhere for sure.
Despite all the rants about DRM’d filters, it never forces you to change a filter. As far as I can tell, the chip just controls the gauge on the front that tells you when to change the filter, but it will happily keep running in perpetuity. So unless the thought of only seeing one light where you know there could be four breaks you out in hives, the chipped filters are a non-issue—just change it when you think it needs changing.
I get three months out of a filter (I just put it on the same replacement schedule as my heat pump filters) and a four-pack of filters is $20. So $20 a year seems pretty reasonable to me.
@grovberg You say “It definitely is not an air purifier, but it doesn’t claim to be so I don’t see that as a problem” but see air purifier in the title and the description … “Product Name: Swiffer Continuous Air Purifier”
Color me confused.
@grovberg It will keep running unless you unplug it (or your power goes out) at which point it’ll refuse to start up with a “used” filter. But there’s various solutions to that described here.
@ClaimCheck Fair enough, though really that’s on Meh, not Swiffer. Swiffer never uses the word “purifier” and as I look at my order neither did Meh the last time they sold it.
@grovberg
@unksol so beautiful…should have sent…a poet…
Why hasn’t some enterprising Asian knocked these filters off? No offense but they do a darn good job at that.I get the bypassing the DRM, no problem. A search reveals no other premade replacement filters and I refuse to be married to swiffer for replacements or something I have to cobble together. Someone have a link for filter alternatives or are the swiffer police hard at work?
@Dog19026 . The only thing that happens when a filter wears out is the thing blinks at you. You can use one chip for eternity, as far as I can tell.
@Dog19026 @wistungsten Until it loses power.
@Dog19026 @Trinityscrew , you must have a different model, mine doesn’t care about being unplugged.
I bought three of these last time they were offered and they work very well. I have a dog that sheds continually and a real dust problem and these have cut down dust and hair by at least half. But, the cost of filters is crazy! Meh needs to start selling the filters at their great prices.
My house is ridiculously dusty.
Of course, if I vacuumed more than once every couple of months or so, that’d
probablydefinitely make a big difference.But I don’t so…
In for one.
At $31 delivered, even if it turns out to be a waste of money, the space it takes up will bring more remorse than the money wasted.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I bought several of these when they came around before in the older version (no lights, no chip). I was doubtful, but after I’d set it up and left the house for a couple of hours, I came back and walked into my bedroom and was literally startled by the lack of dust motes in the air … and they haven’t come back.
Definitely a win for the can’t-be-bothered-to-dust among us!
How many filters comes with it ?
@kakinhokako
These are certainly the inkjet printer of air filters.
@wickhameh Yessir
Can’t wait to get it
Just so everybody knows, it is incredibly easy to bypass the chip on this (as long as you don’t mind the fan running at full speed all the time, which I was surprised to find wasn’t all that loud.) Basically you just take it apart (you need a philips screwdriver, that’s about all) and connect the negative wire coming in from the power jack to the negative wire that goes to the fan.
I messed up my one filter that came in the package during assembly, so when the chip finally went on that one I replaced it with a size #1 from here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sewn-Industrial-Filter-Sock-Bags-Water-Liquid-Biodiesel-WVO-Oil-Dust-Fuel-Diesel/231354514757 I did 5 micron singed polyester, which was probably too thick looking back, I would go with 10 micron or bigger, and I had to remove the metal ring from the base of the filter, but after cutting that out I was able to stretch the material over the base just fine.
@candreasen Thanks. Valuable info. It looks like those filters are reusable too. I probably will mess with the chip and make it permanent. I was worried about the physical filter and you answered that question. Phooey on Swiffer!
Bought this from Meh a while back:
https://meh.com/forum/topics/purezone-3-in-1-true-hepa-air-purifier-with-uv-c-light
Love that air purifier because it actually works! My 14 yo son’s room sometimes smells like teen spirit and in 30 minutes with this on there’s no smell. We use it after we fry food in the kitchen and the smell is gone in 30 minutes.
Lately my wife has been using it at night and we’ve been getting better sleep.
I’m on the fence about today’s Meh as don’t have much dust, but if this purified the air I would get it.
@gustador I do wonder how on earth meh managed to sell this. It is listed as “Amazon’s choice” air purifier! That has to be a first for products here.
@Kidsandliz it’s all about the $.
I discovered meh.com through Brad’s Deals just a few minutes ago and purchased this Swiffer Air Cleaner. Amazon has filters for it—4 for $22. My house is super dusty. Can’t wait to try this.
@ljbjornstad Welcome to meh! May the good dusty Lord have mercy upon you. It’s not too late to turn back.
@therealjrn eh let him learn for himself if he’s so eager. Can’t wait for his complaint.
The Obvious spamming for his Brad is a nice touch
Love them. Thank you meh for bringing them to my attention. Have dogs and seems like these are clearing all there fart smells
/giphy fart smells
You got it. Dog farts from a Great Pyrenees stink
We live in a semi rural area. Dust is apparently our friend.
This dust grabber is amazing. Looking forward to getting another. Works and works good.
YES!! My husband did the bye pass of the chip, I have Machine wash the filter and came out fine! Also put it in the dryer. I notice it’s more powerful !