Ionic Breeze
Ionic Breeze air purifier offered by Sharper Image was one of the most popular brands in the air purification industry. The breeze was a portable purifier and made use of an air ionizer. An air ionizer is a device that usually uses high voltage to give off electrical charges to air molecules. This method helps in the reduction of airborne particles by purifying the unwanted particles in the built-in filter and collecting them to the collection blades. Because it seemed more advanced compared to other traditional air purifiers, people were then enticed with the product and the company sold more than two million units.
But along with its rapid success, comes its quick downfall. The controversy began in the year 2003, when Consumer Reports reported the failure of the product to purify air. The statement said that Ionic Breeze has a low Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) and doesn’t significantly help in cleaning the air. CADR measures the amount of filtered airborne particles with a short period of time. Because of the controversy, Sharper Image filed a libel case against Consumer Reports and said that the method used for testing was inaccurate and not enough to rate its full features such as the 24-hr a day continuous cleaning, ease of maintenance, etc. However, the case was then dismissed but Sharper Image was ordered to pay more than half a million dollars for legal expenses.
Unfortunately, the negative impact of Ionic Breeze didn’t end there. Consumer Reports again issued a report stating that aside from the failure of the product in purifying the air, it also has tendency in releasing harmful gas called ozone. Ozone is an air pollutant that is dangerous to our body especially in the respiratory system. People with respiratory issues like asthma find their condition worsen when exposed to this toxic gas. Actually, they’ve found trace amounts of ozone released by the product. They also issued a report which states that the product was ineffective despite of the new “OzoneGuard” attached that reduces the amount of ozone released by the air filter. Because of these revelations, a lawsuit against Sharper Image was again filed that resulted to the bankruptcy of the company. All products and stores were then closed. Today, Sharper Image is used as a product brand in an online store.
For those people that are purchasing air purifiers, be aware of the products you are buying. Ensure that the product you buy doesn’t emit ozone in the air. People that have asthma or allergies must be more cautious as these purifiers can get your condition worsen.
Although Sharper Image was a successful company, the failure of their products in meeting the requirements of their clients also became their failure. But this doesn’t mean that all their products gave harm to many of the users. Let’s face the fact that even though Ionic Breeze air purifier didn’t meet the standard of testing, other clients were still then happy and contented with the effectiveness of the product they once used.
Ionic Breeze