These days we are all more aware of air pollution. Be it if you’re living on a busy road or struggling to control a damp home, pollutants can cause real harm by triggering allergies or even damaging lungs.
With this is in mind you can find many air purifiers on the market but not all are created equal which is why I was excited to try out the Molekule Air Pro. This device promises to destroy a wide range of pollutants including mould, viruses and bacteria, in large living and workspaces up to 1000 sq. ft.
The Molekule looks and feels like a premium device, with a sleek and luxurious profile that features aluminium housing, a textured base and even a vegan leather handle.
Bar its good looks, what makes the Molekule different from many of the cheaper purifiers out there is it actually destroys allergens such as dust mites, pollen and pet dander rather than just collect it. It uses a unique combination of photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO) technology and HEPA filtration to do this. Indeed, the patented PECO tech destroys organic matter at a molecular level, 1,000x smaller than the average HEPA filter.
Setting up is easy, simply plug it in, connect it to the mobile app and you’re away. There is a small LED display at the top of the Molekule but you’re going to get most of the information from the well-designed app.
Everything has an app these days and I’ve come across many half-baked ones down the years – but the Molekule app certainly isn’t that. Well-designed and packed full of stats and features, I found myself on it a lot! It gives you up-to-minute overall air score on the levels of different unseen pollutants in the air as well as historical data which allows you to spot any regular patterns. The Air Pro connects to your internet so you can monitor what’s going on from anywhere.
When I had a chat with the folks from Molekule they were full of examples of how the Air Pro had detected otherwise unknown pollutants in homes and having used it for a few months I believe it. For instance, I didn’t realise how much cooking your evening meal in an enclosed environment can pollute your whole home.
They were also keen to point out that this is an evolving product and new features are planned via the app coming down the road that all users will be able to take advantage of.
The Air Pro can break down detected particles into three sizes, from PM10 (pollen) and PM2.5 (dust) to smaller than PM1 (smoke) and down to particles 0.3 microns in size to help increase your understanding of what particles are potentially in the air you are breathing.
In addition to a six-speed manual mode, the Air Pro has two automatic modes, standard and quiet, to automatically regulate fan speed based on particle levels sensed in the air, all while keeping noise to a minimum. I found myself sticking to the standard mode, often switching to quiet overnight. While not overly loud most of the time, it can ratchet up like a wind turbine depending on what it detects in the air.
Now this is a premium device and is priced accordingly. The Air Pro costs £799.99 from Amazon, although there is a mini version available as well (349.99) that is more suited to smaller areas. Also it’s worth knowing that while the filters do last a good while (a couple times of a year, maybe) it will cost you around £160 to replace one when the time comes.
But I’m not going to knock a point off for the price as it’s obvious you’re getting what you pay for. I found this to be a premium purifier that more than justifies the extra cost.
What users say
J Goke said: Purchased this Air Purifier because it is FDA approved for killing viruses, but really found it to be so much more than just that. The automated monitoring of air quality and speed adjustment to compensate means you can just turn on the device and not think about it. If you are looking for white noise maker, just turn this on high and it does a great job at that. Finally, the 6 month filter is easy to replace and the app tells you when it’s time to do so. No more carbon vs HEPA replacements to track on different cycles, this is a once every 6 month single filter change.
Dulwich Hill: It would periodically ramp up several notches during the day responding to particulates in the air I suppose. I didn’t even have to monitor, it was doing it for me! My apartment felt great – clean but then I would go into the bathroom and it smelt like forest fire even though the window was closed ( but a bad seal). So I know it works very effectively! so grateful to have it!
Erin: I’ve had it for a week and can tell a difference in my room. My kids love keeping an eye on the color coded sensor for particles in the air and I can say that we are are breathing better. The only cons are what others have said: 1) the off gassing smells terrible for the first 24 hours and 2) the noise on level 4 and 5 really does sound like an airplane taking off! All other levels are good though. Oh and I love the look!!
Alternatives
Amazing Air 3500 4-in-1 Air Purifier
EVA Alto infinity Air Purifier