At IKEA, there is not only furniture and decorations of all kinds, but also smart technology. After networked loudspeakers, lamps and roller blinds, an inexpensive air purifier now wants to move into the home. In IKEA fashion, the furniture store has given the device a Swedish name: “Förnuftig” means roughly “reasonable” in German. But is the filter box really useful and smart enough to provide clean air?
Förnuftig air purifier at IKEA
Förnuftig air purifier: It’s inside
Design and dimensions: The plastic cube measures 45x31x12 centimeters (HxWxD). It doesn’t look very high quality, but nothing rattles. Thanks to the chic textile front, Förnuftig is more reminiscent of a loudspeaker than an air purifier. The power cable measures 1.8 meters and can be pressed into the housing on the back to reduce cable clutter.
Flexible use: The device comes with a slim base and can be set up anywhere. The air purifier weighs a good 3 kilograms. A handle makes it easier to carry when Förnuftig is supposed to work in the kitchen during the day and wander into the bedroom at night. If you don’t have space on the floor or the kitchen counter, you can mount the air purifier on the wall. IKEA even includes a template so that the screw holes fit.
Filter: A class 12 HEPA filter takes care of the air washing. It wants to free the air from 99.5 percent of dirt particles floating around. Dust and pollen up to a size of 2.5 micrometers are caught. The textile cladding serves as a pre-filter for coarser dirt. However, the filters cannot do anything against corona and other viruses. Anyone who wants to declare war on gaseous pollutants also needs a carbon filter. Unlike the HEPA filter, it is not included in the scope of delivery. For 10 euros, it can devote itself to unpleasant odors and vapors in the household that are released during cooking or cleaning agents.
The three cleaning levels can be selected using the rotary knob. An LED shows when it is time to change the filter
Service: A rotary knob on the top activates the air wash. There are three fan speeds to choose from. The device has neither Bluetooth nor WiFi on board. It cannot be controlled by mobile phone or voice, nor can it be integrated into IKEA’s “Trådfri” smart home system. In operation, the air purifier is pleasantly quiet at just under 30 decibels (dB) – at least at the lowest level. This is good for the bedroom, but only circulates 30 m³ of air per hour. At the highest level, the device achieves a maximum filter capacity of 130 m³. The noise level then rises to 60 dB.
Maintenance: A small LED light indicates as soon as the filters no longer “breathe” properly and a change is due. The internal filters last up to six months, depending on usage. As for the cover, it is sufficient to clean it every two to four weeks. IKEA recommends grabbing the vacuum cleaner and vacuuming the textile surface.
Pull on the plastic tab, remove the textile cover, and the filters can be inserted and replaced.
Air scrubbing works so well
In the practical test, Förnuftig had to show what he can do in different rooms. The result: mixed. In the large living room or in the bedroom, the air washing succeeded to some extent, but only at the highest level, at which the high noise level was disturbing when working at the desk, watching TV or sleeping. In whisper mode, the device circulated the air too slowly to noticeably improve the indoor climate. Even allergy sufferers who hope for a reduced pollen load should not expect too much from Förnuftig. That’s why the filter box had to move into smaller rooms: in the kitchen, it was supposed to support the extractor hood when cooking. Förnuftig freed the approximately 10 square meter room of annoying food odors in about an hour – at full power and not without the separately available carbon filter, mind you. After all, both filters could be used together without any problems. For a bit of a smart home feeling, the testers hooked up the “offline” device to a smart socket. The air wash could be coupled with the kitchen light or a sensor that measures the CO2 load. Automations to turn the juice off Förnuftig after about an hour are also possible. When activating the socket, Förnuftig always blows at the preset level. A change to more or less fan is only possible using the rotary knob directly on the device.
If you let the air purifier work during and after cooking, you can save yourself annoying odors.
Conclusion: The IKEA air purifier can and costs that
Förnuftig does his job sensibly, but does not arouse enthusiasm. Air washing works quite well in small rooms. The cleaning performance and the supplied HEPA-12 filter are neither suitable for allergy sufferers nor against corona viruses. And: When the air is effectively circulated, the fan turns up loudly. The device is hardly suitable for the office and bedroom, but prefers to blow in the kitchen. If you want to reliably capture odors there, you have to add 10 euros for the carbon filter.
Förnuftig air purifier at IKEA
Förnuftig is available in black and white and costs a mere 50 euros. A particle filter is included. Replacement and carbon filters also only cost a few euros. The competition reaches more, but Dyson & Co. also do more: Here, more power and HEPA-13 filters make allergy sufferers happier.
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