Black & Decker HEPAFresh™ Air Cleaner BXAP148 3 Speed HEPA Purifier with Pre and Charcoal Filters

Since using the Air Cleaner in my office space, I've gone from take 3-4 Advil Cold and Sinus pills, plus supplemental aspirin a day to make it through allergy season to two or less. Right after I installed it, I didn't take anything for 2 days straight. I do think a slight bit of thought on design would solve the handle problem. The first time I picked it up using the handle, it slipped right off and clattered, loudly, to the floor. One must use two hands to lift it, though it's very light, or use the dimple of the control switch as a thumb grip, and then, cup it with the other hand. A simple recess for the fingers in the handle would solve this nuisance.

helps reduce dust and you can really tell that it works. The three speeds helps to reduce noise at night when I need it too.

It functions with ease, covers the area it claims

I have used air purifiers for over 20 years. However, this is supposed to be an air cleaner, I do not know the difference. I do know that in the past I would only buy air purifiers that had HEPA filters; they seem to be the best at filtering out the worst particles in the air. I used to only buy Holmes air purifiers as I thought they were the best as well.Setting this up literally takes less time than getting it out of the box. Once out, you just plug it in. The filters are already in place and ready to go. There are three settings, low, medium, and high. I have had it in my bedroom since I received it. It is to be used in a room up to 155 square feet. Granted, my bedroom is bigger but it is the only room that I keep the door closed at all times which they recommend when using the unit.Quality wise, it feels cheap in my hands, I was not impressed with how it is made. It is rather light and feels cheap. I have been using it for weeks and can't say I have noticed a difference in the quality of air other than a slight difference in odors being removed more quickly. However, since having this is my bedroom the timing was bad because I had an upper respiratory infection and this did not seem to help it at all. In fact, I am wondering if I this contributed to it. I have not had one (infection) in over ten years and suddenly had one once I placed this in my bedroom. I am going to chalk it up to bad timing though.People have complained about the light and I must say as someone who is very sensitive to light when I sleep, it does not bother me. I guess it depends on where you place the unit. I sleep in a darkened room because any sunlight will keep me up. The light is big but it is not bright at all. Also, all settings of the unit at not that loud. I have had it set at medium and there is a low hum in the room, nothing significant. The high is just slightly louder and still not enough to bother me. It is like a very soft white noise.I personally am not impressed with this unit. I know Black and Decker makes great products and again, HEPA is the best filters, but I would not buy this and think for the money you could find something better for the price range. I will use it until the filters need to be replaced which they recommend 6-8 depending on use.

I vaguely knew what HEPA meant, but not enough to write about it. So, here's the skinny, then I'll get into my review: The acronym, HEPA, stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. The term applies to air filters that satisfy a certain standard of efficiency. Filters meeting the HEPA standard set by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) actually purify the air. To qualify as an HEPA purifier, an air filter must remove 99.97% of all particles greater than 0.3 micrometer from the air that passes through. There's more to it, but I think that description is satisfactory for this lower-end purifier.UPDATE is at the bottom of this review; I tried to make it short, but it is quite a story!By saying "lower end", I am not saying that this is a cheap unit in anyway. But, if you or someone in your house has major health issues caused by allergies or asthma, I think you need to check out something more highfalutin than this Black & Decker offering.I ordered this unit to use in my kitchen. This product is not meant to purify a large area: It will work in a bedroom or bathroom or kitchen--or a room similar in size--with the doors closed. It is not meant to make a dent in the pollutants in your large family room or great room. And for full effect, you must be willing to close all the doors and windows to the room in which you are using it. So, it's perfect for my kitchen: I don't have a good exhaust fan in my kitchen: It is a down-draft that rises up on command from behind the cook top in my center island and only sucks in the air in the immediate area (I'm talking the back two burners only...). So, I've been looking for some assistance in getting rid of kitchen smells without re-modeling the 113-year-old-room. I gave this simple air purifier five stars because it works for my purpose. It does a great job getting rid of smells and does it quickly. (Although "quickly" is a relative word, as time would depend on size and draftiness of the room.)Two small gripes:--No advice is given as to how to best utilize the three power settings.--Why the air is sucked in through the back of the appliance, and not the front, is a mystery to me. I tend to arrange the unit facing the area where the cooking is being done, and that means I am most often looking at the back--and black--side, because that is the side that sucks in the air. Cool air blows out the front--the silver--side.One other observation that would concern a person looking to use this unit in a bedroom at night: The lowest setting is not too loud, but personally, I would have trouble sleeping through the sound of the medium and high setting. I suppose, though, you would want to run it at high power during the day and get rid of most of the particles, then move it to the lowest setting at night.It is sturdily built. It does not rotate. The plug is a simple one, with equal-sized prongs and no grounding. The cord is black and six feet long. The filters are washable (and should be cleaned once a month), but you can buy replacements, too.UPDATE 4/4/13: We had very heavy, flooding rain the other day. Our chimney lost its screen on top. Swallows lost their nesting site in the flooding. Several hundred of them decided that our chimney looked like a nice new home....To make a long story short: They moved in, and we tried to move them out--by starting a fire in the fireplace. But there were so many birds in the chimney, we couldn't get the smoke to draft up and into the room it bellowed--clouds of smoke. My husband ran to open windows, but what saved the day was this air cleaner/purifier. First we used it as a fan to try to keep the fire lit and to try to circulate the air in the very large room, then when the draft took hold and the birds were forced to exit, we moved it to a more central point in the room and within two hours (big room, 500 sq. ft.)the room was clear of smoke. Fire in the fireplace, in April, in Texas. Who wouldda' thunk. But you do what you have to do. I'm sure glad this air cleaner was very handy!