Customer Reviews

Vornado AQS35 Air Quality System

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Like many other air filters, this features a squirrel cage blower to decrease noise. Five speed fan. Top exhaust. Easy to clean inlet louvers (the whole front panel removes quickly and easily for washing and the louvers are spaced apart so you can get in there with your hand). The large HEPA filter has a washable and cheap to replace pre-filter. The filtration path is excellent and sealed to prevent bypass flow.

The only downside is the noise (all of these air cleaners are loud, in my opinion because they all are made of lightweight materials) and the cost of filter replacement. The HEPA filter is about [price] to replace and, although that is ridiculously expensive, all the air cleaners are that much.

Vornado seems to make excellent products and they certainly didn't rush to market with this one. They took the time to design it right.

I just purchased all three Vornado HEPA filters: the AQS15, 25, and 35. The AQS15 is way too loud, but I can find no fault with either the AQS25 or AQS35. Nice design, *very* quiet operation. Unlike other HEPA air filter machines, this one is easy to clean and maintain. If I ever need another HEPA filter, I would not hesitate to buy this machine again. However, based on the current prices, the AQS25 is the best buy for the money. It is only a little bit smaller than the AQS35, and has 3 speeds as opposed to 5.

We have allergies. We are living in a small apartment. I took a chance on this unit because we had a small HEPA filter before and it does help to freshen air quite a bit.

The good news: this unit circulates a good amount of air--we are able to filter most of a small open studio apartment with it. The air seems fresher and "lighter" after running the filter all day. Nice to rid the air of cooking odors, cat fluff, dust and pollen.

The bad news: on any setting but the lowest, you do hear the fan. Vornado is excellend at creating units that move air efficiently but like any good-sized fan, it makes noise when it's really cranking.

The design is unobtrusive and fits behind an armchair. On the whole, we are pleased with it, and it does help the air quality to a satisfactory extent.

I really like the AQS35. I've only owned one other air filter system, and compared to it, this one is super quiet, and it looks much nicer sitting in the corner. It really blends in, since you can place it right up against a wall. My only problem with it was right out of the box. The 'squirrel cage' fan was warped, and would scrap against the unit. I took the back off and readjusted it, and now it is whisper quiet. It comes with one HEPA filter (lasts 2-4 years), and three prefilters (one in the unit and two spares). These are changed every 3 months.

We are all breathing easier around here with the Vornado air cleaner! It is loud, but I don't think that can be avoided with any air cleaner. We now live with constant white noise. The only problem I have encountered with the Vornado; is the elastic bands which hold the pre-filter in place. They both snapped, all by themselves I might add within weeks of purchase. I called the company for replacement--2 weeks ago--they've not yet arrived. If you purchase one, I would call and ask for replacement bands right away, before they snap. apparently it is a very common problem with this product.

UPDATE FROM 2005: Unit now makes quite a bit of noise; the front is loose or something.

I got a VAQS35 about a year ago, after my round Honeywell died after 3 years of use. On first pass it looked a tad flimsy -- you rubber-band the carbon prefilter to the HEPA filter, which looks like one of those cardboard-cased furnace filters. But in fact this makes it very easy to change the prefilter and (eventually -- they say every 2-3 years) the HEPA filter itself.

The unit works great -- strong output at 5 speeds, light that indicates untroubled flow, low noise. For some reason it was the only unit I found that ejects out the top instead of the bottom. This is why I bought it, and it does seem to be an improvement over my Honeywell, which ejected over the floor. I would and probably will buy another one.

If you're into aircleaners, this seems like the one to get.

I purchased the Vornado AQS35 in December 2003, and have no regrets! Our home is quite small, and this unit services the living room, dining room and study (in its entirety, an open,L-shaped area approximately 250 square feet). I chose the Vornado AQS35 because of its square-footage cleaning capacity, and especially for its small footprint. It's a good-looking machine that fits well in our tiny house! I haven't read any of the recent reviews (there were not many when I purchased it), but I would like to address some of the complaints I remember reading. #1: It's loud. (?) O.K., I've never had one before so I have nothing to compare it to. I hear it when it's on, I also notice when it's off. Put it right next to the television or a stereo speaker and likely you'll be fine. I have mine on the highest setting right now (quick-clean, #5), and I can hear the dog's tags and the cat's bell from the farthest place in the house (they're in the kitchen, drinking spilled milk)! #2: The HEPA filter doesn't last long and is expensive to replace. One of the things I looked at before I purchased the Vornado was the cost of replacement filters. Yes, they are all expensive. I'd say it was around the middle or the lower end of the pack as far as filter replacement cost goes. I'd suggest shopping around. I just replaced the original HEPA filter today (after 10 months of non-stop usage). The filter replacements I researched ranged from $45 USD - $69 USD (most were closer to $69). I ended up purchasing the replacement filter for just under $58 (shipping included). I have no problem with the cost, or the life of the HEPA filter. I use the vacuum on the pre-filter once or twice a month, and it's UNBELIEVABLE how much hair and dust accumulate on that! Remember, small house and a couple pets and three people. I don't know that Vornado recommends vacuuming the pre-filter, but I do it, and I bet it extends the life of the HEPA (at least a bit). #3: The rubber bands used to hold in the filter and pre-filter are flimsey. Well, yes they are. They haven't snapped yet, but I'm sure I'll replace them soon. A heavy-duty band would be nice, but it's not essential to the main purpose of the unit itself. I've got a number of ideas about how to replace it when it DOES go. All in all, this is a great machine! It looks good, does its job well and unobtrusively. I'm not breathing in all that hair and dirt and dusting has become way less frequent. A definate buy as far as I'm concerned!

i purchased this unit about 2 months ago and have been very pleased with it. it is noisy, but i run it on high while i'm at work and leave it off when i'm home and it still does a great job.
i've noticed a marked changed in the smell and dust in my home since using this.
word to the wise though - if you have several pets (i have 4 dogs), you're going to go through the pre-filters quickly. they recommend changing them every 3 months, but mine are loaded after 1 month.

I bought this HEPA filter after reading other positive reviews about it. I had previously tried a Honeywell filter but found it too big and loud.

This filter is still pretty big. (It's much bigger than it looked -- to me -- in the picture on Amazon.) But it's lightweight, easy to move, and can be pushed up against a wall without compromising function.

INITIALLY, I was disappointed with the filter. Most of the reviews I'd read made it sound like a miracle had occurred the morning after they plugged the filter in. I woke up the morning after having used the product's "Quick Clean" feature and running it all night, and I didn't find that my whole world had changed. It wasn't until a few weeks later that I suddenly realized that I had quit sniffling all the time and so had my two roommates (who are allergic to my cat). So in my case, the relief was more gradual than for others, but in the end, the thing WORKS.

About the noise level: I leave the filter running all the time on either the first or second settings (out of five). On these settings, it's more quiet than my fan, and while I can still hear it, it's pleasant white noise. The fifth setting -- "Quick Clean" -- is intended for short and powerful cleaning and is pretty loud. Fortunately, I've only had to use it twice. (Once for the initial cleaning and once when my roommate cooked some fish that stunk up the whole apartment.)

I recommend this filter, but keep in mind that the improvement in your air quality may not be drastic immediately. Be patient and give it some time to work. I guess (fortunately!) my allergies just weren't as bad as others.

i've been a heavy smoker and my room stinks to a point that even myself can't stand the smell anymore. consider i already have a vornado fan and heater, and both work really well, so when i think of a air cleaner, the first brand i think about is this one. i totally love it and it works fantastic for me, just one nite use and my room already smell much cleaner and i can tell the air is much freasher. it might be a bit noisey for certain people, but to me the noise is very acceptable except the highest setting, i have no problem sleeping when the machine is on all nite at setting "3". i'm so glad to have it and feel sorry for those people didn't like it.