Residents of some of the less-polluted cities will be surprised to know that many of their counterparts residing in National Capital Region actually heave a sigh of relief when the Air Quality Index (AQI) falls from “severe/hazardous” levels to “very poor”. A day with good or satisfactory AQI is mostly a rarity. People in the capital consider the confines of their homes pollution-free, but health practitioners, environmentalists and air purifier makers reckon indoor pollution is often more severe: fine dust particles, cigarette smoke, foul smells from food, etc., tend to accumulate over a period of time, giving rise to pollution that can play havoc with people’s health, especially those prone to respiratory ailments.
Long story short: Air pollution in India is a serious health issue and clean air is big business. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in sales of air purifiers with big and small brands stepping in to clean up the air. Havells India, a leading FMCG company, promises to give our homes fresh and clean air with its air purifier range, the latest being a mint-fresh Freshia AI58 machine that we received for trial purpose. Priced at `43,290, Freshia AI-58 is a 85 W air purifier with remote (and attractive display on the machine) that is intended for a decent-sized room. It has a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 500 m3h (958 square feet); essentially this indicates the volume of purified air (in cubic metre) which an air purifier produces every hour. Based on my experience, I feel this Havells machine is especially suitable for bedrooms.
Out of the box, the Freshia AI-58 comes across as a neat-looking piece of equipment that is pleasing to the eye. The best thing I liked about this air purifier is its portability and ease of use. Switched on, it is remarkably quiet, thanks to its noiseless BLDC motor. The air purifier has nine-state filtration, so you have the Pre-Filter that is mainly used for filtering dust particles larger than 5 microns, including large dust particles, dander, pollen, etc. It can be washed many times and used repeatedly. The Cold Catalyst Filter is essentially a formaldehyde buster. It breaks down a variety of harmful gases and has the ability to remove formaldehyde. Activated Carbon Filter carries efficient additives; it has good absorption and dust collection characteristics. The Antibacterial Filter traps particles with a diameter of 5 microns. There is an antibacterial agent added to the filter, which kills any airborne germs and bacteria. The HEPA Filter removes germs, smoke and dust particles (bigger than 0.3 microns).
Freshia AI-58 air purifier’s Sterilising US Light is used for air disinfection; this makes the air fresh while avoiding the spread of virus in the air. The machine’s Air Ioniser purifies the air in a room by electrically charging air molecules. The idea is to remove particulates, microbes and odour from the air. The air purifier’s Humidifier Filter maintains the relative humidity of the room, which prevents dryness of skin. Its Anti-bacterial Balls kill bacteria which live in water, thus making the air bacteria-free and safe, even in a humid environment.
I installed the air purifier in my living room, and, it did a pretty good job. However, keep the doors and windows shut when you switch it on. Keep the machine running for a few minutes and you can actually feel that the air in the room becomes fresh and relatively clean, with no odour, smoke, etc. The air purifier is extremely sleek and compact in design with very good air purifying capabilities, and hence finds a strong recommendation.
* Estimated street price: Rs 43,290
