GERMGUARDIAN AC4100 AIR PURIFIER REVIEW IMAGE SOURCE: GERMGUARDIAN

More and more people are waking up to the fact that the air they breathe might not necessarily be clean, in fact, it’s almost certainly quite dirty, which can be unhealthy for you and your loved ones. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, because there are more and more solutions arising out of innovative research into home air purifying units carried out by companies like Guardian Technologies. Today we are going to be discussing the GermGuardian AC4100 air purifier, to see how it measures up to some of the other air purifier appliances in Guardian Technologies’ growing catalogue.

GermGuardian AC4100 Air Purifier

Retailing at around $52.00, the GermGuardian AC4100 is the perfect product for a small, contemporary living space. Sitting back into modern décor with its minimalist and innovative design, this super compact and lightweight unit will effectively rid the air of pollutants with its built-in HEPA filter. While not a replacement for the larger units out there, the GermGuardian AC4100 is certainly an affordable way to ensure that you and your loved ones don’t have to breathe in harmful airborne pollutants. Check out our review below for more details.

Cleaning Capabilities

Utilising a 3-in-1 system that Guardian Technologies have refined through extensive design and experimentation, this unit’s filtration process consists of an activated carbon pre-filter, a UV-C light filter, and finally, the star of the show, the HEPA filter. The way this system works is large particles get caught in the activated carbon filter, combatting household odours, and protecting the HEPA filter from potentially harmful large intakes. The UV-C light will then destroy the DNA of germs in the device, preventing them from reproducing. Finally, the HEPA filter will catch the smallest of particles down to as small as 0.7 microns.

Efficiency / Certifications

Regrettably, this product does not come to Energy Star certified, nor does it come with any of the other major certifications we look for in home HVAC appliances. However, this may be forgiven due to the small size and calibre of this unit. Additionally, there was no Energy Efficiency Ratio relating to this product available to us at the time of this review.

On a more positive note, this unit’s 3 fan speeds allow for more efficient operation, by enabling the user to operate their device on a lower setting when full-powered usage is not necessary.

Convenience

Unfortunately, the GermGuardian AC4100 lacks almost all of the features that we would usually look for in a unit, such as a wireless remote control, operational timer, or range of functional settings etc. However, this lack of extra features is easily forgiven considering the price and class of the unit.

Design

From an aesthetics perspective, our team loved this unit. Usually when air enters through the front of the device, we are exposed to an ugly, obnoxious air vent, although we often tolerate it out of necessity. Well, Guardian Technologies have proven that there is no such necessity, placing a tasteful grey metal grill over the front of the unit, concealing the front vent. Also on the front-face of this unit is a user-friendly interface consisting of a dial and a “UV” button to toggle the UV-C setting. The company’s logo is then placed on the bottom left corner of the grill. Around the edges of the unit is a silver encasement, with bevelled edges. The result is a unit that is both sleek, and stylish.

We are not kidding when we say this thing is light-weight, weighing only 4.85lbs, this unit could not be easier to move around the house to where you need it most. In addition to this, the GermGuardian AC4100 is exceptionally quiet when running on a low setting, so it won’t disrupt you while you go about your daily business. Finally, a useful feature that we look for in every purifier unit, there is a filter replacement reminder on this unit, which is essential. It’s easy to forget to clean your filter, however we strongly advise that you do so as often as the manufacturer suggests, or risk your unit losing operational efficiency.

Dimensions (Inches)

Height: 11″

Width: 7.5″

Depth: 6.5″

Help & Support

The GermGuardian AC4100 comes backed by Guardian Technologies’ 1-year limited warranty, which is generous considering many units of this size and calibre aren’t backed by a warranty of any kind. In addition to this, Guardian Technologies customer service representatives are contactable via telephone, email, or social media.

In addition to their warranty plan, Guardian Technologies also provide their users with various online resources on the company’s official website, such as an extensive FAQs section, downloadable user documents, and more.

Verdict

To conclude our review of the GermGuardian AC4100, let’s get the negatives out of the way first. We would have liked to see some safety certifications attached with this unit, for peace-of-mind. It is not recommended to leave this unit to operate while you are not present, as it lacks all safety certs, and so should not be operated for extensive periods of time. Further, the absence of the wireless remote control is certainly felt, and the operational convenience of the AC4100 regrettably suffers for it.

With our criticising of this device out of the way, we must give credit to Guardian Technologies. This unit is the perfect combination between style, and function. Operating quietly on lowered settings, this light-weight compact unit will not disturb you in ways other units might. The sleek exterior sits back and enhances any contemporary décor. There may be a lack of features, however, with a price-tag as low as the GermGuardian AC4100’s, we cannot complain.  If you have a small room at home where you seek to install an air purifier, we would certainly recommend this surprisingly effective little unit.