Customer Reviews

Electrolux Oxygen Ultra Air Cleaner, EL500AZ

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

No one's reviewed this unit yet? It surprises me. I really like it. It has lowered the overall odor in my home and completely eliminated the pungent odor from daily hookah smoking from my dining and sitting room in about a month running on auto-mode. The 5 speeds it has goes from a soft soft whisper up to a bit of a roar and the amount of air it moves is noticeable too. I've been using it for a nearly 2 months now and believe it's very effective. I have a chronic low level sinus issue where stuff in the air can really bother them and many times don't breathe well at night and wake up very fuzzy-headed, but in the first week of having the 2 different Electrolux purifiers in the house I wake up feeling alert and clear-headed now. I certainly didn't expect that! There are so many fake air purifiers out there and I did some homework on the technologies to weed out the fakes and reading reviews to weed out the ones with issues.

I researched and shopped around for the best purifier at a reasonable cost and this is it in my opinion. I'm a senior electronics technician of over 25 years by occupation in the fields of medical and telecom equipment and good at understanding how technologies whether electrical or mechanical works.

I'm very skeptical about the claims they all make and there are so many of these too good to be true purifiers that work by magic or seem to be really leading edge sophisticated technology that's not so much. Honestly when I started educating myself on air purifiers it got confusing. I spent many hours over a month or so looking at all the different makes and trying to eek all the science out of each one. These Electrolux units I think are solid and clean the air with a simple 3 stage process instead of 6 to 9 steps and the extra maintenance and cost that would entail to do maybe as well as this one. I think that this unit does as well or better as some of the ones that go for $500 or more.

This Electrolux is well worth the money if you have a larger area with it's ability to move a lot of air and it's CADR specs are impressively higher than some of these high priced things that rate half as good and do little more than a walk-in closet. Between the HEPA filter and the PlasmaWave ionizer it scrubs the air of everything and it's cool how it senses when the air needs more cleaning and steps the fan speed up to clean more and gives an indication on a 5 segment display. Mostly I just leave it in auto mode and it adjusts as needed to the air quality. The air in the house is not only dust free as in I never see anything floating in the air through the sunlight or a lamp, but the overall odor that the place had has been much neutralized. It does a great job of eliminating cooking odor even if I don't use the kitchen range exhaust fan.

I've figured out that these Electrolux units are built on the same chassis as the Winix 5300, Sharp Plasmacluster, and possibly the Rabbit BioGS. Seriously go look them up and tell me they aren't based on the same unit! But all have wildy varying ratings and prices and the brute performance and low price of theElectrolux makes it for me the cream at the top.

I can't think of anything to ding it on; the quality seems very good and the construction is solid. It's very good so it gets a 5 star. I'll revisit this review later and update it from a longer term perspective.

I also have the EL490A that I use upstairs. It's a lower CADR rating but still higher than most, does about 80 sq ft less area and half the price. My overall impression with that unit is the same as this one; superb!

It's been over a year now and I still like it as well as the day I got it. The overall odor of the house is much more neutral than it was since it sucks the odor out of everything in the place and the amount of dust throughout the house is noticeably lower!

[...]

Make: Electrolux

Model: Oxygen Ultra Air Cleaner

Model Number: EL500AZ

CADR Rating [# = Cubic feet of air cleaned per minute]

Dust: 262

Smoke: 261

Pollen: 253

Room Size (SQ FT): 405

Full controls can be accessed on the unit

Full controls can be accessed on the remote control(battery included)

Blue LED mood lighting can be dimmed when select fan "Quiet Mode"

Carbon filter (Pre-filter for odor)[x4 included for the entire year]

Replace once every 3 months, but not necessary because HEPA filter is the primary filter.

HEPA filter (Washable True HEPA filter, filters 99.97% of dust, debris, dirt and allergens)[x1 included]

Replace once a year for $50~60 bucks, or get combo 1x HEPA filter with 4x carbon filters for $80~90 bucks.

EL500AZ also has filter indicator which lights up when it's time to replace the HEPA filter so you don't have to remember.

PlasmaWave Technology uses positive and negative ions to remove odor causing airborne pollutants. Powerful hydroxyls bond with and neutralize remaining pollutants in the air.

Built in odor sensor with colored odor level indicator.

Fan speed level indicator

Adjust up to 5 speed(including quiet mode) or select Auto Mode.

Speed 1 - 26.0 db QUIET MODE (I can't hear it at all!)

Speed 2 - 34.3 db (Have to be close enough to hear it)

Speed 3 - 38.5 db (Noticeable, but fan sound is pretty smooth)

Speed 4 - 51.2 db (You'll know its there, but easy to ignore)

Speed 5 - 57.1 db (If you can fall asleep with a normal fan funning, you can too at this speed)

Auto mode - Utilize odor sensor to determine best setting depending on the detected levels.

Size: 24.29"H x 17.6"W x 10.08"D

Weight: 17.44 pounds

Power Rating: 6 Watts (low); 70 watts (turbo)

Air Flow: 255cfm

PRO

Well known high quality Sweden brand.

Cheaper than most competitors of similar specification and features.

Doubles CADR Ratings compared to competitors in the same price range in all 3 categories.

High Air Flow rate with 5 speed settings

Auto Mode

Quiet Mode

Sensor

Remote

Modern Design

CON

None (I only give 5 stars when I can't think of a reasonable, non-subjective CON)

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Comparisons

Electrolux EL500AZ Oxygen Ultra Air Cleaner

Carbon, HEPA, PlasmaWave

CADR Rating

Dust: 262

Smoke: 261

Pollen: 253

Room Size (SQ FT): 405

Auto Mode/ Quiet Mode/ Odor Sensor

5 Speeds (Include Quiet Mode)

Remote

$240.08 on Amazon.com

Winix PlasmaWave 5300 Air Cleaner Model

Pre-Filter, HEPA, Carbon, PlasmaWave

CADR Rating

Dust: 248

Smoke: 235

Pollen: 251

Room Size (SQ FT): 350

Auto Mode/ Quiet Mode/ Odor Sensor

5 Speeds (Include Quiet Mode)

Remote

$172.75 on Amazon.com

Electrolux EL491A Oxygen3 PlasmaWave HEPA Air Purifier

Carbon, HEPA, PlasmaWave

CADR Rating

Dust: 212

Smoke: 210

Pollen: 229

Room Size (SQ FT): 326

Auto Mode/ Quiet Mode/ Odor Sensor

5 Speeds (Include Quiet Mode)

Remote

$131.39 on Amazon.com

Sharp FP-P40CX Plasmacluster Air Purifier

Pre-Filter, HEPA, Carbon, Plasmacluster(PlasmaWave)

CADR Rating

Dust: 157

Smoke: 163

Pollen: 156

Room Size (SQ FT): 253

Auto Mode/ Quiet Mode/ Odor Sensor

4 Speeds (Include Quiet Mode)

Remote

$199.90 on Amazon.com

Rabbit Air BioGS 421A

Pre-Filter, HEPA, Carbon, Ionizer(PlasmaWave)

CADR Rating

Dust: 145

Smoke: 144

Pollen: 163

Room Size (SQ FT): 300 (not 600sqft!)

Auto Mode/ Quiet Mode/ Odor Sensor

5 Speeds (Include Quiet Mode)

Remote

$329.95 on Amazon.com

Rabbit Air BioGS 582A

Pre-Filter, HEPA, Carbon, Ionizer(PlasmaWave)

CADR Rating

Dust: 217

Smoke: 197

Pollen: 188

Room Size (SQ FT): 390 (not 780sqft!)

Auto Mode/ Quiet Mode/ Odor Sensor

5 Speeds (Include Quiet Mode)

Remote

$399.95 on Amazon.com

I have terrible allergies to animal dander and we have a houseful of dogs and cats. Since giving up our furry family members is not an option, I decided to look into an air purifier. After extensive research, I chose the Electrolux air cleaner and I'm glad I did. It works like a charm and I am particularly happy with the Energy Star rating. We also have a very "gassy" dog and now I don't have to choke on his daily additions to the air pollution problem either. At those times, the Electrolux automatically jumps into a higher fan speed and takes care of the stench before it even reaches my nose. YEAH! So not only am I taking far less allergy medication, but I will not have to kick out my husband and his gas factory of a dog. Plus, we have several cats. One of the litter boxes is right here in my office. (I move the Electrolux to whatever room I'm in, the office during the day, bedroom at night.) I hear the fan speed increase before I even know there is a cat in the litter box. I don't smell anything! So now, I can sleep all night and not wake up feeling like my sinuses are packed with concrete and I can breathe freely all day...with no odors. No itchy eyes! No constant sneezing! Most definitely would recommend the Electrolux Oxygen Ultra Air Cleaner to anyone with animals in the house.

I live in a big, filthy city, and my poor lungs were giving me grief. Having asthma, I try to take care of myself without resorting to drugs constantly, but diet and exercise doesn't cure pollution. In addition to that, every week I would run my fingers across my furniture and they would have a smear of black "soot" on them. Now, THAT is a dirty city!

So I gave the Electrolux Oxygen Ultra a try. My apartment is only about 600 square feet, so keep this in mind, because the Ultra is meant for smallish apartments or very large rooms, not entire houses.

It does a very good job at cleaning the air. It has an honest-to-God HEPA filter(not some cruddy "Hepa-type" filter). There is also a carbon filter to absorb smells, like the cigarette stink that drifts into your place from your hallway neighbors! Oh, and don't forget that you don't have to dust your furniture nearly as often!

Sure, the HEPA filter is hideously expensive. About $60, but you only need to change it about once a year. The carbon filters you change every three months(I don't know the cost of those). Electrolux will send you the unit with one HEPA filter and three carbon filters, so you will be breathing easy and not out-of-pocket for the first year.

There are several modes, and you can choose to set it yourself or just let it run on auto. It will detect dirt in the air and adjust its speed. The fan is very quiet on low mode, and I run it at night when I am sleeping without any problems. (I don't use the remote because finding the batteries is such a bear.)

For pet lovers: this little unit will not only clean out a lot of dander from the air, but if you have asthmatic or elderly pets, you will notice a difference in their breathing. I think that is a huge plus!

We did weeks of online research for air purifiers, comparing specs, manufacturers' claims, and user reviews, and chose the Electrolux EL500AZ because it offers the best value and performance for the money:

1. Coverage is over 400 sq. ft.

2. Energy Star rated

3. Five fan speeds with a super-quiet Quiet mode

The Quiet mode allows us to run it all night in the bedroom. About an hour before bedtime. we turn it up to Speed 3 to clean the air, then upon retiring turn it down to Quiet. Its hum is quieter than that of most refrigerators.

The back of the unit has an indentation/handle. In the morning I carry it into the open living room/kitchen and run it on Speed 3 for an hour, then turn it down to Auto mode for the entire day. Its odor sensor works perfectly, increasing the fan speed when detecting strong odors, reducing it when the air is cleaned. Even at the higher speeds, the fan's noise is tolerable because it has a low pitch and no whine.

Placement: Because the air exits from the top rather than the sides, you have the flexibility to place it anywhere in the room, even against a wall. Just be sure that it's level. If you have a high-pile carpet, place it on a board.

No air purifier can cure allergies, but this one cleans the air well enough to reduce the symptoms caused by pollen and cat dander. In fact, our cat, who likes to sit in front of it, has stopped sneezing, too.

To sum up, this is a solidly-constructed unit. It's made of ABS plastic, hence no off-gassing. The Owner's Guide is beautifully illustrated and well-written. The filters are easy to install and change.

We liked it so much that, after a few weeks of use, we decided to purchase another one. You might, too.

Unfortunately, the same day that this arrived I had to return it. The design is cool and all, the features great, and set-up a snap - but at low speeds the fan produces some high-pitched chirping/squeaking sounds that just won't work in the bedroom. It was apparent immediately, and as soon as I got into bed I knew it wasn't going to work in the bedroom for us - where we needed it the most. Perhaps it's a fluke, but another reviewer had the same issue with two consecutive units. If you're sensitive to high-pitched sounds I'd recommend you stay away from this. Since it's unusable I need to rate this a one star item.

UPDATE

I found the source of the chirping. It's the Plasmawave technology. How do I know this? Well, I immediately returned this for a Winix WAC9500. It arrived and right out of the box made the chirping too! However, the Winix let's you turn this feature on and off. So I turned it off and just like that the chirping is gone. So at night I just turn the Plasmawave off and it's perfect. Additionally, the Winix is slightly smaller, the lights much dimmer, the fan much quieter, and the remote much nicer. To me it's totally worth the slight cost difference to go with the Winix.

We actually purchased one of these units to try and bought a second one a few weeks later. They work very well. We noticed a difference in the air quality right away. Being smokers and having a dog we needed an air cleaner that had affordable filters. I would definitely recommend this product. They don't take up much room and work great in our small house. We put one in the bedroom and on in the living room.

I am using this machine in the living room. I am a seasonal allergy sufferer and have noticed an immediate difference. I do have Chihuahuas who had some respiratory problems that appears to have improved. Love this machine and can highly recommend it.

Want to leave my comments simple and to the point...

Like the time unit arrived (only 4 days since I placed an order). Was bigger that I suspected; good price/quality ratio; excellent details: European design, shiny plastic, lights, quite powerful (specially, in turbo mode), quiet fan work, energy saver...)

I was feeling improvements in my breathing on the second day; less dust and pollen present in my dwelling now. I will recommend this item to most allergy sufferers.

I can breathe again.. I have a dog that sheds like crazy no matter what I do. Since purchasing this, the hair doesn't seem to have me up all night coughing. It is loud on the highest setting, but I don't mind. It actually puts me to sleep. I also notice less dust in my bedroom. It also has an odor sensor on it so quickly picks up any odors and eliminates then. I have other purifiers in my house but this is the best. No more stuffiness and coughing throughout the night. Room smells so fresh and clean. Worth every penny.