IQAir Atem X review: A unique and powerful air scrubber

At a look

Knowledgeable’s Ranking

Professionals

• An absolute powerhouse, performance-wise
• Subtle design and controls
• Spectacular app integrates properly with exterior air situation monitoring

Cons

• Very giant
• Extremely costly
• No scheduling system or timers
• No help for third-party sensible house ecosystems

Our Verdict

The professional-grade and expensive IQAir Atem X boasts a novel design and unequaled efficiency, however it doesn’t reply to Alexa or different well-liked voice assistants.

Boasting “high-performance filtration for big areas,” the IQAir Atem X shouldn’t be your typical white-box air air purifier with questionable credentials and iffy high quality. 

The German-made gadget is not like some other air purifier available on the market, and it’s constructed for rooms as much as 1,650 sq. toes in dimension. Additionally not like lots of its rivals, the Atem X truly has the ability to really stand as much as its lofty claims.

However whereas it’s among the many strongest air purifiers we’ve ever examined, the Atem X isn’t the neatest. It doesn’t work with Alexa, Google House, or Apple HomeKit, nor does it providing scheduling performance or timers.

This assessment is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the best air purifiers.

How large is the IQAir Atem X Room Air Air purifier?

The monstrous unit–designed to look a bit like a tire, 27 inches throughout and 10 inches deep–weighs a whopping 29 kilos, with or with out the non-obligatory casters that assist it transfer extra simply.

A thick leather-based strap on the again of the Atem X helps you reposition the gadget, which is designed to be positioned with its again towards a wall slightly than, as extra conventional purifiers direct, being positioned extra centrally within the room. 

Christopher Null/Foundry

The corporate says this “orbital structure” is designed to maneuver air as effectively as attainable, pulling air in from the edges of the wheel and emitting clear air via the highest.

What’s the IQAir Atem X’s CADR score?

On paper, the outcomes of the “HyperHEPA” filtration system (which seems to be the identical as HEPA H14) are spectacular: a CADR (Clear Air Supply Charge) of 440 cubic toes/minute (just one score is provided), a stable 19 p.c extra throughput than the most effective CADR score for our high choose for big areas, the NuWave OxyPure. And once I say “on paper,” I imply precisely that: Every unit comes with a printed certificates of efficiency that reveals what the printed and measured particulate removing price was at three of the eight completely different fan speeds.

Controls are recessed on the rear high of the gadget, giving the Atem X a clear look–although, given its dimension, the unit doesn’t precisely disappear into the room. These controls are touch-sensitive however primary, together with an automated mode and a light-weight dimmer. 

Christopher Null/Foundry

A filter standing indicator is offered, together with a button to provoke a Wi-Fi connection (2.4GHz solely). The fan pace slider additionally doubles as a real-time, color-coded AQI meter.

Does the IQAir Atem X work with Alexa or Google House?

Oddly, there’s no scheduling or timer system out there, and the unit doesn’t hook up with third-party sensible house environments, both.

Which means the Atem X received’t work with Alexa, Google House, or Apple HomeKit, nor will it reply to Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri voice instructions.

How loud is the IQAir Atem X?

IQAir makes broad claims that the Atem X may be very quiet even at excessive speeds, though your mileage will differ relying on the unit’s location. 

Whereas the maximum-speed 63dB is definitely too loud for straightforward consolation in a primary shopper house, in a real 1,650 sq. foot house–like an automotive working bay or a small warehouse–the noise can be far much less noticeable. Most purposes will get by simply fantastic with decrease speeds, as nicely.

What pollution can the IQAir Atem X’s sensors detect?

Sensors contained in the Atem X measure PM2.5 and, unusually, carbon dioxide ranges, plus temperature and humidity. The app provides historic measurements of all these numbers plus an general AQI score. 

I had no hassle connecting the Atem X to my Wi-Fi community, and was happy to see how the controller app integrates with IQAir’s exterior air high quality monitoring system, offering native situation info, a world map of AQI ranges, and even a city-by-city rating of the worst AQI spots on the planet.

Christopher Null/Foundry

Is the IQAir Atem X Room Air Air purifier well worth the money?

All of this doesn’t come low-cost, in fact. At $1,299, the unit is greater than twice the value of the NuWave, and even alternative filters (mentioned to final about 18 months) are expensive at $199. 

IQAir says that its models are designed for areas with the best want for air purity–particularly medical places of work–the place value could also be much less of a priority.

To make certain, it’s far an excessive amount of air purifier for the everyday suburban house, but when your office is in want of great air scrubbing, the IQAir Atem X is a high shelf selection to contemplate.