2/15    anyone own the Sharper Image air filter? Is it really better than
        HEPA filetrs? Is it worth getting? Please respond only if you have
        it, thanks.
        \_ I bought one of these at Bed Bath and Beyond. It doubles as a
           humidifier. It's hard for me to tell how effective it is as an
           air filter since I really don't have much of a dust problem.
           http://www.venta-airwasher.com
        \_ Well, I know someone who liked them. They do collect stuff pretty
           well, and are silent and simple to maintain. But I've read a
           consumer reports article that basically said there are much better
           air filters.
        \_ Honeywell HEPA air filters are more effective, cheapter and
           easier to maintain than Sharper Image's. I got mine at Home
           Depot. -allergic to everything
           \_ Hepa filters are expensive to replace, so how can they be cheaper
              than a wipe-n-walk device like SI's?
              \_ Buy replacement filters online. They are much cheaper. The
                 S.I. air filters may be silent, but how many changes of air
                 per hour? Are they really cleaning the air effectively? I
                 don't think so.
                 \_ Those are two different issues.  Buying filters online is
                    still more expensive than something that *never* requires
                    a new filter.  I don't own either.  I don't know which
                    cleans better or how much better one does than the other.
        \_ DO NOT GET ONE IF YOU HAVE ASTHMA!  What they don't tell you is that
           their ion technology produces ozone, a pollutant that will greatly
           exacerbate the symptoms of asthmatics.  I have the Hamilton Beach
           HEPA filter and love it.  Yeah, it can be loud when cleaning a room
           from an introduced pollutant, but it adjusts its speed and intensity
           based on the quality of the air.  It is usually pretty quiet, and I
           actually sleep better with some background noise.  Also, you may
           like to know that there is a class-action lawsuit against sharper
           image because of the ozone their unit produces hurting people with
           asthma.  The best ones are the BlueAir and IQAir (I think) HEPA
           filters, but they cost more than I can afford.