REVIEW — In March 2023, northwesterly winds pushed Canadian wildfire smoke into my corner of the world. It was an eye-watering, cough-inducing house party reminiscent of the COVID quarantine days. It was no fun and downright dangerous for people with breathing and allergy issues. How can we stifle the smoke? Give the PurO²xygen P500i HEPA Air Purifier a try!
What is it?
The PurO²xygen P500i is an electric-powered, variable-speed fan that draws indoor air through a high-efficiency particulate air filter to remove dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and other objects larger than 0.3 microns.
What’s included?
- PurO²xygen P500i HEPA Air Purifier
- HEPA filter
- Installation manual
Tech specs
- Rated power: 55 watts
- Rated voltage: 120V, 60Hz
- CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate: 123.6 ft³/min
- Speed modes: 3 speeds
- Noise level: ≤ 55dB
- Dimensions: 1.67 x 1.08 x 0.56 ft (510 x 330 x 170mm)
- Weight: 9.2 lbs (4.5kg)
- Temperature range: 32 to 104°F (0 to 40°C)
Design and features
The PurO²xygen P500i HEPA Air Purifier arrives in a large-ish box. It’s a manageable 9.2 pounds and no trouble transporting from room to room.
Foam packaging keeps bumps and bruises away.
I think the P500i looks spiffy!
The sides have recessed handles.
The two-prong power cord exits from the back
The bottom sits evenly on flat surfaces.
Atop are buttons for “Lock,” “Timer,” Power/Wi-Fi, ” Speed,” and “Sleep). Filtered air exits from the vents to the left and right.
The filter is easily accessible through a pop-off plastic cover. Take the bag off before turning it on.
The filter has four-level filtration.
Air flows through the filter into the fan.
Plugging in the PurO²xygen P500i HEPA Air Purifier for the first time revealed a pleasant surprise! There is a striking four-color display! Cool! Green signifies the ambient air quality is “excellent,” green for “good,” yellow for “medium,” and red for “poor.” A central PM (parts per million) provides numerical feedback—the higher the number, the more particles the P500i detects.
Tapping the fan “speed” button steps through 350 (1), 550(2), 800(3) RPMs, and automatic (A). Each is progressively louder, but none are obtrusive. The highest is about 50 dB. According to the manual, that’s about “office ambient sound” volume. I measured 25, 37, and 49 dB about one meter away, respectively, but my testing was hardly scientific. In any case, just a few feet away, the P500i was quieter than my wife’s music downstairs :-).
“Sleep” mode sets the lowest fan speed and turns off the LED panel for use in the bedroom. “Timer” turns the P500i off after the specified number of hours. Each press adds another hour until a maximum of 12, then cycles back to one. Releasing the button starts the countdown.
Pressing the “Child lock” button for three seconds turns off the other buttons to prevent a curious toddler from fiddling with the controls. With the bright and colorful display, if you have a rambunctious “rug rat,” you will need it :-).
Another surprise was the inclusion of Wi-Fi. I already use the SmartLife app installed, so adding the P500i was a snap. After loading and creating an account, press the power button on the P500i for three seconds and click “+” and “Add Device.”
Pick “Small Home Appliances” and “Air Purifier (Wi-Fi)”
It takes a few seconds to connect.
The app contains information about the PurO²xygen P500i HEPA Air Purifier. Fan mode and local weather conditions appear at the top of the screen, air purifier info is in the center, and a graphical history is at the bottom.
Fan modes, speed, child lock, and schedule modes are controllable.
Schedules to control the fan are configurable based on time and day of the week.
I set the P500i whirring away, and it wasn’t long before I noticed a distinct change in the smell and feel of the air in the room. My air quality levels indicated “excellent” when I turned the P500i on, but it was doing something good. The initial level was about 18; within hours, it was down to under 6. Great job, PurO²xygen!
What I like about the PurO²xygen P500i Air Purifier
- Excellent HEPA filtration
- Easy to use
- The filter is effortless to replace
- Wi-Fi control from the SmartLife app
What needs to be improved?
- Nothing
Final thoughts
While writing this review, Canadian news sources warned about 2024 wildfire prognostications, so I appreciate having the PurO²xygen P500i air purifier on duty in my home. It’s quietly efficient, and I can smell and feel the difference in the air. Thank you, PurO²xygen!
Price: $129.97 (regularly $169.97). Filters are $39.97
Where to buy: Amazon (Filters are available here)
Source: PureOxygen provided a free sample for this review but did not provide input, guidance, or editing before it was published.
