According to the World Health Organization, continuous exposure to air pollution can cause a significant number of health issues. Unfortunately, a lot of us live in cities where air pollution is rampant. The silver lining is we now have air purifiers that can clean the air in our spaces with the MEDIFY MA-15 as one option. Most of the previous MEDIFY MA-15 reviews seem to indicate the device is quite good at its job.
Furthermore, it comes certified by a few different authority bodies, which gives credence to the positive claims by most reviewers. However, like almost any other purchase in the market, there are a few dissenting opinions. That said, an independent review can help eliminate doubt or bring to light any issues the machine might have, which is why we decided to look into it. Our findings are as indicated below.
As mentioned above, the MEDIFY MA-15 is highly rated, with the only likely reason being the features. These dictate the purifier’s capabilities and whether it’s able to do the intended job. As such, if you need to find out whether the device is good enough to purchase and own, this is where you start. We look at all these MEDIFY MA-15 features below with a specific focus on the good and bad. That way, if there’s anything you consider a deal-breaker, you can find out beforehand. So, here’s a summary of each of the air purifier’s features.
There are various aspects to the overall performance of the MEDIFY MA-15 air purifier, and most of them make a case for the purchase of the device. One example is how the device comes ETL certified. ETL stands for Intertek’s Electrical Testing Lab, and the organization randomly picks and tests various electrical appliances from different manufacturers. Consequently, any line of devices with an ETL certification, including the MEDIFY MA-15, is considered safe for use and is unlikely to cause harmful electrical accidents.
The device also comes with an Energy Star certification which means there shouldn’t be a spike in your home electrical utility bill once you introduce the machine.
Besides the certifications, the device is easy to use while making sure your toddler, if you have one, can’t change the settings when you turn your back for a moment.
It’s easy to use because there’s an incorporated touch panel where you can access all controls, including the child lock, timer, fan speed, and sleep mode. The sleep mode dims the panel to better cater to a bedroom setting at night.
As for the fan speed, you can pick one of three options. The lowest setting is so quiet you might not even hear the fan’s rotation. However, the other two settings are noticeable, although most people find the noise levels tolerable. Nevertheless, if you’re insistent on quiet operation, you can select the highest levels when you’re out of the room and lower the speed when you’re close to the device.
That said, the air purification efficiency of the device seems to be the biggest selling point especially for those with 255 square foot rooms and smaller. The machine features two HEPA H13 filters which are among the highest-rated HEPA filters in the market. They’re even considered medical-grade, which is why the device can even be used in a hospital setting.
Nevertheless, the machine is more in tune with the needs of a residential setting. If you want more details about the various aspects of this air purifier’s performance, you’ll have to keep reading.
The MEDIFY MA-15 is a compact cuboid device that can easily find a home on your desk or bedside table. It also has dual air intakes, as you’ll see from the holes on the sides. Finally, you can either get it in a silver or white finish.
Below is all the information you need about the construction of the machine.
The H13 HEPA filters, as we just mentioned, are incorporated next to the dual air intakes. These dual filters are designed with about three filtration levels, which is why their efficacy levels are so high. In fact, they can trap 99.95% of the most penetrating particles, which are about 0.2 microns in size.
This will eliminate mold, bacteria, virus carriers, dust mites, smoke, dust, pet dander and even some unique air contaminants like asbestos and lead dust, leaving you with clean, fresh air. While you might feel this is overkill, it’s necessary, especially if you live in the city.
According to statistics by aqicn.org Trusted Source New York, USA Air Pollution: Real-time Air Quality Index aqicn.org , cities like New York can have an air quality index as high as 106, depending on the day. Notably, this website shows the real-time air quality index of any city. Also, for clarity, the ideal air quality index is 50 or lower.
Nevertheless, the filters need to be replaced every three or four months, which brings us to one of the issues with the machine. Replacement filters are pretty expensive and will no doubt overshadow the cost of the machine once you’ve bought a few sets. Additionally, you can’t pick off-brand alternatives since then you lose the warranty.
Nevertheless, if air quality is that important to you and it should be, the cost may be worth it because your lungs will be much healthier.
As for the fans, they seem pretty good. They’re quiet in the lowest speed setting, and the noise at the highest speed isn’t enough to deter most buyers. Besides, most people will only pick the highest setting when the air quality is terrible. However, you can choose a lower option once the air has cleared up a bit.
The machine even incorporates a filter replacement indicator on the touch panel. Once this light’s up, you know it’s time to buy and introduce some new on-brand filters. As such, you don’t need to worry about forgetting to replace the filters.
We did mention above that the MEDIFY MA-15 is quite compact. It measures 15.5″ H x 9.7” W x 9.7” L, and consequently, you can place it on your coffee table, kitchen counter, bedside table and even your work desk if you have space.
As for the weight, this air purifier stands at slightly under 7 lbs. Consequently, you don’t even need to buy two units if you live alone. You can easily pick it up and carry it to where it’s needed most.
You also need to know the various aspects of the working process of the machine. That way, you can determine if it works for your household and needs or not. We look into them in the following section.
First off, area coverage is one of the key performance indicators. This device can clear the air in a 660 square foot space at the maximum fan setting in about an hour. Since most single-family home living rooms are in the 340 square foot range, the machine should clean the air in half that time. That said, you also need to look at the CADR rating as it shows the air cleaning efficiency of the machine, and that should present a more accurate picture of where to use it.
Like ETL and Energy Star, CADR is another certification body that has independently tested the device and given a rating. Notably, CADR is specific to residential air purifiers and looks at airflow and the filter’s efficiency. These two factors help determine how much air is cleaned per minute.
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers(AHAM), which is responsible for CADR certifications, insists that the CADR rating should be about 2/3 of the size of the room. For instance, if your bedroom is 250 square feet, only a 160 CADR rating or higher would be enough.
In the case of this device, the CADR rating is 150. Consequently, while it can clean a 330 square foot space in 30 minutes, it’s better to only use it in a room that’s 225 square feet or smaller.
Buyers of this air purifier also get a timer so you can pre-configure it to shut down after a certain amount of time. The timer has a maximum duration of eight hours. As such, you can leave it on in the morning and be sure the air in a specific room of your home will be clean by the time you get back. In short, you control how long the machine stays on between zero and eight hours, even if you’re not close to the device.
There is also a sleep mode which should be handy when using the machine in your bedroom at night. The touch panel is relatively bright, which is necessary so you can see the buttons and controls. However, these lights may be a nuisance at night, so the sleep mode dims them down.
The controls of the device are all on the touch panel. They control some of the functions we’ve mentioned above, including the sleep mode, timer, and fan speed. Additionally, the child lock and the replacement indicator are also part of the touch panel.
As we stated above, the noise level of the device is not a problem. It’s noticeable when you pick the highest fan speed but not noisy enough to make you return the device. However, if you dislike the hum of the machine, you can always leave it running for longer while you pick the slowest fan speed, which is much quieter. For those interested in the exact noise level figures, 51 dB is when you’re using the fan on the high setting. On the low setting, fan noise is 31dB.
Remember, this device is energy star certified and is thus guaranteed to be economical with its power consumption. It only uses 18W of power at the highest setting, which guarantees you won’t have to pay much more in terms of utility bills while using the device.
Lastly, there’s the warranty, although we touched on it above. You get a lifetime warranty as soon as you purchase the purifier on the condition that you only use on-brand filters. If you break that rule, you can consider the warranty null and void.
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This MEDIFY MA-15 review should be enough to help you decide whether the purifier is worth buying. The only significant issues are the price of replacement filters and their lifespan. However, it may seem a trivial expense for most people since you’re guaranteed fresher, cleaner air in your lungs. That said, you also need to pay particular attention to the size of your rooms as that also affects the machine’s efficiency.
