Home | All Product Reviews | Tell a Friend | Resources | Blog

9/17/2008 - Daniella writes:
I live in a home built in 1912 with a coal furnace, and we are located on a gravel road. The Ionic Breeze has made a huge difference in the amount of coal dust and gravel dust in our home. I do have to wipe the blades about 6 times a month during the height of winter, but that takes 5 minutes. We did have a problem with the first unit, but I had a replacement in hand within 12 days of shipping out the one needing repairs, and it has worked exceptionally well. We are very happy, and it's too bad that so many have had problems.

7/20/2008 - Pat writes:
My husband and I bought two of these about 2 years ago directly from a [] store , not by mail order. One is the []. They work great! They clean the air in my husband's office which had been really smokey from his 2 pack a day habit. The other is in the bedroom. I used to wake myself and him up at night from coughing but after about two days with the Ionic Breeze my coughing stopped. We have no problems with dust or noise. No sparks or crackling, hissing noises. I don't know but maybe there is a difference between buying them at a store or ordering by mail. All I know is ours both work great and we're really happy with them.

7/16/2008 - Wayne writes:
Yes, i too, fell for the clean air scam. about 2001 First of note, several people have mentioned Class Action lawsuits... Good Luck! Ionic Breeze has long since declared Bankruptcy! Wonder why? My unit lasted ever bit 4 months. BUT, note, i had a broken electric wall heater in a back room and used a small kerosene heater in that room on very cold nights. RARELY! Ionic Breeze CLEARLY stated that the unit should not be used if you burn. Candles, Hurricane Lamps, and Kerosene heaters. WAIT 1 hour after extinguishing such items BEFORE turning on the Breeze. I DID! I Guess the oil, candles n such put out, ruins the Ionic Breeze. instructions do not state this Who really knows? $400 for such a clumsy weak n meek item took me for a ride! Mine is in the shed, waiting for garbage day.

6/20/2008 - bob writes:
You remember the 30 minute infomercial that placed doubt and hassle on [] systems? HA! [] did a study a decade ago to compare the Ionic Breeze. Basically the [] did use 10 times the electricity but did more than 10 times the work! They concluded that the Ionic Breeze can't keep up with the real world. Today, the consumers do the research and pay for it to find out later the truth on just about any new product. What's really really sad is that there are so many people who missed out on that one time news study let alone they keep selling it with such lies and denial!

5/12/2008 - Miguel F writes:
Do Not Waste Your Money!!!!! Its All A Scam!!!!! Do Not Waste Your Money!!!! False Advertising! Cheap! Waste Of Money!, I Wouldnt Pay 10 Bucks For It If I Knew It Was Gunna Malfunction So Quik.

10/28/2007 - Gary writes:
For Shame, Sharper Image! And shame on all infomercials! I don't know where to begin. Besides the fact that you are paying for the name 'Sharper Image' and not so much the product, which I have found is often the case with Sharper Image. Before I go on I must say this: 80% of what comes in the mail is a SCAM; 99.9% of what comes over the phone (calls you get from telemarketers) are some sort of fraudulent racket/SCAM; 99.6% of what's sold on the radio is a Rip-Off; 100% of SPAM is a SCAM; and 98% of advertising on television is of CRAPPY quality junk AND a SCAM! If you find that you need something, go out to a real store and purchase it (so you have 'some' kind of guarantee) instead of acting on an impulse on a night that you can't sleep. I learned that the hard way with the Idiotic Breeze. After a few months of pleading, in 2000, by a former room-mate (Teresa -I miss you) who complained over the cat dander, I broke down and decided to buy two units to make her more comfortable. Fortunately the phone lines were busy as she tugged at my sleeve. So, we went out to the []. I don't recall what I paid for a Quadra and a refurbished model (the same size, only in beige, a different shape and was told it was only half as powerful) plus a "free" tiny bathroom unit, but I paid over $500. My roomy claimed an almost immediate difference, though it might have been in her head because of the Ozone oder? I can't be sure if it does anything. A few weeks later there was suddenly a mysterious gray dust starting to collect on everything. 7 or 8 months later the refurbished model needed to be replaced. I still had the receipt, but they gave us a hassle because the unit was refurbished. After a few well phrased legal threats they got the store manager who replaced the unit. Right around this time the Quadra began making loud hissing, zizzing and crackling noises. So we started cleaning "the grid" more often, though a mysterious black gunk kept growing on it, making it harder to clean. The gray dust was now turning black and gunky on electronic equipment (the TV, stereo and computers), needing harsher cleaners to remove it. I can't imagine what we must have been breathing! Friends used to joke about my having a respirator running, or that they had walked into a hospital room because the loud hissing sound cycled on and off like some kind of life-support. After another 6 months the re-refurbished unit stopped working. The tiny bathroom unit was covered in black gook and the stains on the wall were impossible to remove. That needed repainting. I don't know if it even worked when we retired it, but it made interesting noises. On the Quadra you could tell when it was "working " because you could feel a sort of light breeze in front while it hissed and zizzed. It was retired in 2003. The walls in the corner where it lived had to be scrubbed then they and the entire ceiling need painting. Last year I found it in storage and thought that perhaps I could resurrect it and maybe get rid of it. The main reason was really curiosity. I thought that if I cleaned the two thin charging wires in the rear (inside) it might work like new. Being an electrical engineer and with the unit out of warranty I couldn't wait to crack it open to see what made it tick. My disappointment turned to rage as I dug deeper. Not only is the construction amongst the worst quality I have seen, but the internal parts -in total- couldn't ad up to around $20 at the local electronics store. Nothing at all special electronically. In fact the circuit boards used are the cheapest a manufacturer can use (so cheap that you can't buy this poor grade at a retail store. These have to be special ordered out of country). The wiring was a mess, the soldering sloppy and sub-par and everything held together with the cheapest parts imaginable. It didn't take me long to realize that the only thing cleaver about this $500 tower of crap was the way it was held together and the great lengths they went to hide the CHEAP electronics! What you really pay for is the "shiny" (I know it's not shiny) space-age looking plastic case and the company name. It's no wonder they didn't have a problem replacing the units as they died, it cost them nearly nothing to refurbish the units! It looks like they just got greedier with the "new" units. (BTW When you clean those 2 wires up real good the mysterious dust stops for a while... go figure) Read the fine print on your Sharper Image crap some time. It says (on the older warranty anyway) that they can change the the conditions of the warranty at any time without any prior notice. When I first read that I thought it might be standard legalese and if it is, it certainly is suspect since it implies that the company issuing the warranty can SCAM you whenever it feels like in the future. Typical of a government that lies and cheats and encourages (even rewards) business to do the same. No surprises there. Also, avoid doing business with any company that ends in LLC. LLC's are government sanctioned havens for crooks! It's all about profit for them and payments from you! OH... In case it hasn't been made clear by looking over this web site, NEVER buy anything you see advertised on an infomercial! It's just not worth the chance of getting scammed... and most will at some time, some will all of the time.

7/25/2007 - AJ writes:
My husband is allergic to dust and mold, so I ordered him an Ionic Breeze Quadra. It took about 2 months to get here, and when it finally did, pieces were missing. We sent it back and got a new one. Same thing again. We called the customer service reps. and they claimed the line was disconnected. Do not buy this product. It would be best to buy an Oreck.

4/1/2007 - Jon writes:
I bought 2 Ionic Breeze units from my local [] store, and after a 2 week test, determined that they did nothing to relieve the amount of junk in the air. Sharper Image cheerfully took the units back, as if their return was a common occurrence. So I don't really have a horror story about customer service or anything, just want to say don't waste any time or energy on them.

3/19/2007 - Mike writes:
Like others, mine has a major noise problem. Out of the box, it makes a rediculously loud high-pitched noise. I can even hear it from outside my house. Its simply unusable (unless you enjoy a headache). A second unit did the same thing.

1/25/2007 - Angie writes:
This product(2) was purchased about 4 years ago as a gift to me. Initially, I did not know what to expect and was unsure if the product was providing the cleaning of the air effectively. But I continued to use the product. Approximately two months later after obtaining the product, I had to return them because of noises. Sharper Image replaced them without a problem ( I had the receipt). After that time, I continued to use the product for about 1-2 years without results in my house and continued to heard the noises when in use, even though I cleaned them regularly. For the past 2 years, I have not had them on at all. I found the noises too distracting. I am very disatisfied with this product and it did not clean the air. Individuals in my house still had severe allergies when in use.

1/20/2007 - Irmgard writes:
We bought a Sharper Image about 3 years ago. It never helped my bronchitis liked the promised. It made it worse. Now I have more dust then before. We bought 2 units. Now they are useless to us. We should get part of our money back

11/29/2006 - Stella writes:
I was given an Ionic Breeze as a gift in Dec. 2001. It lasted less than six months before starting to buzz and crackle--even after just cleaning it! I brought it back to the Sharper Image and they replaced it--no problems. The replacement unit lasted another six months ago before it was back to the Sharper Image. This happened a number of times before I got a unit that lasted two whole years! Then it started buzzing and crackling and no frequency or thoroughness of cleaning helped. I brought it back to the Sharper Image since the warranty on the unit indicated it was a full five year warranty as of 4/04. This time I'm told they've changed their replacement policy so that they only will replace the unit for the length of time of the warranty on the original unit--which unfortunately for me was 3 years when the original unit was purchased. Of course, when the original unit was purchased, their new replacement policy wasn't in effect--so why is the three years applicable, but not the original policy at time of purchase? I was told I could purchase a new unit--with only a one year warranty as they apparently not stupid enough to stand behind these defective products longer than that. The new units, I was told, have been redesigned and don't have the problems that old ones did. Um, like you have such an awesome track record with quality? For those of you defending this shoddy piece of equipment, I notice most of you have only been using the product for two months. It worked fine for me too the first couple of months. Write a review in six months. Or a year. Watch as your beloved Ionic Breeze crackles and pops unabated with daily cleanings--right after your warranty expires. Then tell us all how much you love this product and the rest of us must not be caring for it properly.

11/29/2006 - Kelly writes:
I don't know who I am more angry with; Sharper Image or myself. I have never felt so duped. I have two of these monstrosities. To think I have spent $500 on something utterly useless. I purchased 2 Ionic Breeze Quadras in 2004 to help alleviate my asthma and allergy sypmtoms. Shortly after, the Consumer Report article came out. The battle begins there. I too have experienced the hissing, the odor and the black walls. This thing is never clean enough. You clean it and 2 hours later its hissing. I have contacted Sharper Image customer service several times. In June of this year they agreed to take back the old ones and replace them with the "new" ozone guard model. What a joke! 2 different, REFURBISHED things come back with snap-on "ozone-guards". Its literally a plastic grid that snaps on over the original grates. I want a full refund. I am sending out a letter to Sharper Image Corporate, Attention Jerry Levin. Maybe he also has some snake-oil for sale. I hear the company is also being sued for falsifying their profit information to shareholders. How do I get on the list for Class-Action litigation?

10/24/2006 - Craig writes:
Amazing, this product was utterly worthless. It stopped working in just over a week. The next unit did a little better—it lasted almost a month. I noticed no difference in my allergies and the walls and counter next to the unit seemed to darken with dust as well. For the idiots who are bashing Consumer Reports (who tested and found the Ionic Breeze basically worthless), just ask yourself who would you trust? A non-profit consumer-oriented organization which has been around for over 70 years or some techno-gadget hucksters who with a slew of class actions against them?

7/12/2006 - Suzy writes:
I purchased this thinking it was a real good product cause of NO buying filters!! well the first week it was awesome clean air & nice smell...but after that forget it!! Doesnt have NO smell of clean anymore & those grates ya have to clean with q tips is unbearable!! what a waste of money for a lousy clean week!!!!!! i would never recommend it to anyone & wish they would take it back & give me my hard earned money back!!Dont get suckered into buying this.......

6/24/2006 - Dave writes:
Thought for sure this was going to be a great aircleaner based on all the huge claims. Even a restaurant owner they must've hired to pump the scam in their commercial, I was sold! Bought two of them, they got filthy right away. I also noticed some dirtying of the walls next to them but kindof ingored it at first. As time went on I found it nearly impossible to clean the blades. Then the noise started, buzzzzzzzz buzzzzzzzzzz hisssssssssss. Then I noticed lots of dirty residue collecting on the walls next to where I placed them. Tons of dust like a snow storm all around the countertop next to them too. Then the layers of gook building up on my TV and computer screen! Everything started getting dirty! I realized the Ionic breeze machines were actually making all the dirt and dust in the air become magnetic and it was all gluing itself to everything! My apartment walls became filthy, my couch, EVERTHING! I had to repaint the whole place and clean every single thing, and of course stopped using the lousy contraptions. One broke just before I stopped anyway, the cheap little spring that locked the thing broke. Now everytime I see that idiot from Sharper image on TV pumping his junk I want to grab him by the throat. There are class action lawsuits against them now so I feel better, I just applied! Apartment is much cleaner since I stopped using them and now I keep a fan in the window to exhaust the pet dander and dust! It works way better!

6/24/2006 - Robert writes:
I'm an "early adopter," always ready to try new products to improve quality of life, save money or simplify work. So we bought one of these a few years ago. The price was high, but after all you save on filters, and they are really quiet. Really. That should be the first clue. There is no way for this "cleaner" to circulate air through the machine. If air happens along, I suppose the machine might catch something, but even then I'm not convinced it filters out anything. Sure enough, when I cleaned the plates, which was frequent, I found a very fine BLACK substance. Frankly, I've never encountered black dust in my life. We don't live near a coal mine, don't leave windows open, and there are no smokers in the house, ever. We have 4 continually housebound felines that shed a lot of hair, and we never found a single cat hair in this contraption. This machine must somehow produce its own pollution or something, to make one think it is cleaning the air. I would have to think everyone who doesn't own one of these would surely have black lung disease, if this black dust is pervasive in our homes. We have a medium size tabletop Bionnnaire air cleaner with 4 filters, and it has been running non-stop, except for the three times a year I change filters, for over 22 years. It is one of those old fashioned machines with a FAN which circulates the air in a 160 sq ft room and filters out LOTS of cat hair and dust (so I know what good old house dust bunnies look like). Did I mention its been running 22 years? Our Ionic Breeze functioned, i.e, operated, for approximately 2 months and just quit. A call to Sharper Image, and they sent a replacement. It ran for less than 2 months, and we requested and got a refund--we weren't asked to return the pitiful, free bathroom unit. It is so worthless even they didn't want it back. It, too, was non-operatinal after about 4 months, but it did nothing anyway, except waste whatever energy it consumed. It is astounding to me that this company can continue to sell these things. I don't know why consumer protection agencies haven't come down hard on them for their false claims. I don't know how they sleep at night. It's certainly not owing to any benefit of their "air cleaners."

4/18/2006 - Donna writes:
I purchased 4 Ionic Breeze units.  2 of the GP units and 2 of the Quadra units.  I have not had any concerns with the Quadra units, to date.  The GP units are something else! Shortly after I purchased the GP units the UV lights did not work.  I took the units back to the store and they willingly replaced them.  Now, 10 months later, one of the units totally burned out and the other would only stay on for approx. 10 seconds, with a lot of noise, and then it shut off.  So....once again, both were broken. I took these back to the store today and was at first told that Shaper Image has changed their Replacement Policy....they will now only replace units with refurbished product.  Can you believe this?  A person pays $550 per unit and they want to give you a used item for replacement?  I put up a fuss and they agreed to give me 2 new units.  Then, they told me I should buy a replacement contract so that if I have problems in the future they will be replaced with new units.  So, I purchased a replacement contract for 80 something dollars.  Now that I am home I see that the replacement only applies to those items purchased at $500 or less!!!  Will be going back to the store again this week. Bottom line......these items are not built to last.  I would never again buy a large ticket item from Sharper Image.

1/9/2006 - Maxine writes:
I purchased this product for $400 and after a few months, I couldn't get the filter out to clean it. It was stuck. It was replaced at no charge, but it makes a zapping sound that drives us crazy, even with frequent cleaning. There should be a class action suit.

1/4/2006 - Maria Lu writes:
I was sold on this Theory of reducing air pollutants, allergies and the like. My neighbor got a deal so both of us like fools, took advantage of a great sale. Two for the price of $375.00  We each paid our share. Such a deal!! Mine clacks like a duck. Her's sounds like a static electric chair. Truly, we are disappointed. Once you have cleaned them, they need the same maintenance almost daily, otherwise they are no longer silent. Working? Maybe. However we strongly disagree. I still sneeze as often as before and I have owned mine for 10 months now. My neighbors pooped out along with her replacement. Such a scam deserves some dirt back. From now on I will buy only upon seeing reports published in Consumer Reports or those that have earned "The Goodhouskeeping Seal". Once fooled "Shame on me", twice fooled, "Shame on you!!".

Page 1 2