Thursday, March 7, 2013

PRODUCT REVIEW: CritterZone Air Purifier, PLUS a Coupon!

You know, it's not easy to keep a clean smell in a house when you have pets.

I've tried those pet carpet odor neutralizers, the fabric sprays, the scented plugins, candles... everything short of exorcism.

That's a joke.

Not to say my apartment smells like a poorly kept kennel. But there's often a weak smell of dog.

So I was intrigued by this device at Global Pet Expo. It's called the CritterZone Air Purifier.

It's a small, filterless unit that is designed to purify the air of odor, allergens and more.

It's very similar to those $300 units you find on The Sharper Image website, only these are smaller and much cheaper.

The device I got comes with a detachable power cord, or you can get a plug-in wall unit. I like the power cord unit because my electrical sockets can be inconveniently placed.

How can I show you how well this product works? They haven't invented a smell-o-vision gadget for Blogger yet!

At first, the smell the CritterZone emits is strange, like something I've smelled before but I can't pinpoint. But before long you don't notice the smell, and in fact you don't notice any unpleasant odors either.

Without being too gross. Lets just say that while trying to shoot pics, I discovered a spot on the carpet I never knew existed, because I didn't smell it!


CritterZone says its device emits a charged air flow constantly. That purifies the air of bacteria, allergens, odors and even dust. I've noticed my place is less dusty as well.

The other thing I like is that it doesn't send out any fragrances like those scented plugins. I love the smell, but they can be problems for my mother, who is allergic to fragrances.

The only thing I'm not entirely sure about is the claim about how far it cleans the air. It says it handles smells up to 800 square feet. I have a 740 square foot apartment. My unit is in the back of the living room, and though it takes care of smells in the living room, dining room and kitchen, it doesn't necessarily take care of smells in my bathroom and bedroom. I don't know if walls get in the way of that airflow.

Still, I think it's an amazing product!

SO:

Pros:
  • Cleans the air, as promised, with no chemicals or fragrances that can make my mom sick.
  • Small and portable. I can take it to hotels, or even get a car charger for it and use it in the car.
  • Doesn't make lots of noise. Barely noticeable.
  • Less than $100, much cheaper than other filterless units.
  • No filters to replace.
Cons:
  • The smell it emits initially might seem unpleasant to you, but before long you won't notice it, or even remember the box is there.
  • Not entirely sure it's reach is as far as it says. And if you have a bigger house you would definitely need more than one unit.
NOW: a coupon code!

CritterZone has created a $10 code for their website so you can buy one!

Just go to http://www.critterzoneusa.com/shop/

Choose your device and put it in your shopping cart. And when you go to check out, add the following code: LIFEWITHBEAGLE  into  the box  labeled “Apply Promo Code.”

Now you have $10 off the CritterZone unit, which is normally $89.95 on the website.

Or you can wait until Sunday! March 10 is Life With Beagle's 1 year anniversary, and we are celebrating with a big giveaway of great products!

Sign up to get updates by email using the tool on the right side to be notified when that giveaway starts!

Full Disclaimer: I received my unit free to review. And for every unit bought using the coupon code I mentioned above, I receive $15. That money will be used to help Orlando-area animal charities.

11 comments :

  1. How unpleasant is the smell the box puts out? I am more worried about what other people will think my house smells like :/

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    1. It's not unpleasant, just different. I can't pinpoint what the smell is. But it's not a bad smell, just odd at first. I didn't mind it, and now I don't even notice it.

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    2. That sounds like the smell of ozone (O3), which is what some Sharper Image models also emit. That is most likely the negative ions emitted. But that concerns me, as ozone is carcinogenic.

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    3. I sent an email asking them about it. I did some journal reading and the smell doesn't necessarily mean ozone. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

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    4. Hi there! Just wanted to address your questions above.

      The CritterZone isn’t an ozone generator or ionizer. It reactivates indoor air by creating active ingredients that give the air the ability to clean itself, the same way outdoor air does using energy from the sun.

      Those active ingredients launch chemical reactions and break down contaminants. The reactions can give off different odors, depending on what was pre-exisiting in the air, as the air works to clean itself. Some of those reactions will include oxygen being converted to a faint amount of ozone. However, this is far less than the amount that naturally occurs outside.

      If you notice a smell initially when you first start running your CritterZone, that's just a sign the machine is working on improving your air quality by breaking down and getting rid of the particles that cause odors.

      Hope that answers your questions! Please feel free to let us know if you have any others. You can find our contact info on this page: http://critterzoneusa.com/pages/support.

      - CritterZone Customer Service

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  2. hmm I might have to try it. I wonder if it works on stinky husband smells too lol

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    Replies
    1. Well it works on me burning the food in the kitchen! lol

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  3. I got my Critterzone mostly for the claims to help with dander and pollen but I wasn't going to complain if it helped with my cats' litter bombs and roommate's broccoli in the garbage! Yesterday when I plugged it in before bed in my small bedroom (9'x14') I noticed a strange smell, not chemical exactly, I know it uses no chemicals, but a weird smell none the less, so I'm glad you smelled it too, I'm not crazy! I unplugged it because I was worried the weird smell might be too strong while I slept with my door closed. I turned it on before I left this morning with the door open and I didn't notice any smell when I got home. Hooray! Then I shut my door for the night and after a few hours left and came back in and I noticed that weird smell is here again. Boo! I'm really hoping it's a new product smell that will wear off. Is the smell gone or have you become so used to it you don't notice it anymore? On the plus side, I haven't had any sneezing fits like I've been having every night for weeks!!!

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    1. Hey! I notice it again when I get really close to the unit. But I don't notice it all the time.

      Now, here's the funny thing -- I was driving into work today with the car window open, and I caught a whiff of that smell. So maybe that's what real, fresh air is supposed to smell like? Maybe I'm just not used to it! lol

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    2. The smell of ozone dissipates in two hours, PA guidelines state it is then safe to enter room. Ozone is bad stuff, even the product that claims not to be an ozone generator claims it emits ozone.They can't sell in California because ozone generators are illegal.

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  4. Hi there Cynthia and Christie,

    We're glad to hear you are enjoying your CritterZones! We just wanted to jump in and address the "new product smell" you mentioned.

    What is happening is the CritterZone is reactivating indoor air by creating active ingredients that give the air the ability to clean itself, just like outdoor air does using energy from the sun. Those active ingredients start creating chemical reactions and breaking down contaminants. Depending on what's in the air before plugging in the CritterZone, those reactions can give off different odors as the air works to clean itself.

    So basically, any smell you might notice initially is a sign the machine is doing what it is supposed to be doing — improving your air by breaking down particles that cause odors.

    As the air gets cleaner, those reactions we mentioned above will slow down.

    Please feel free to let us know if you have any other questions.

    Thanks,

    CritterZone Customer Service

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