Shark air purifier 4 HE400UK
Buy now £179.99, Sharkclean.co.uk
- Rating: 9/10
- CADR: Not supplied
- Room size: 34m² (approx. 85 m³ where 2.5 metres is used as an average height of a room) based on three air changes per hour
- Remote control: Yes
- Dimensions: 43.2 x 22.6 x 61.7 cm
- Power cable length: 1.8cm
There are far more important considerations when buying an air purifier than making a style statement. However, as this is one appliance that will be out on display all year round and can’t be hidden away behind a cupboard door, it’s handy if it looks presentable too.
This Shark model isn’t the best-looking air purifier we’ve seen but it’s hard to find too much fault with its glossy white exterior. We would have preferred if it was white all over though, as the shiny black plastic top surface shows dust and fingerprints very easily.
The purifier’s slim rectangular shape means it’s no hassle to find somewhere to leave it and it won’t take up too much room. However, it looks so much like a sleek mini radiator, one visitor on a sunny day expressed total confusion as to why we had a heater plugged in.
It’s definitely not as big as some other air purifiers we tested though so we soon forgot it was even in the room. A bigger version of the same machine (£199.99, Sharkclean.co.uk) is also available if you want to use it in a room larger than the specified size of 34m².
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We really liked the circle of coloured light on the front and top of the machine, which allows you to clearly see the quality of air from the other side of the room. The digital display is also easy to read with three different settings to toggle between to see the percentage of clean air and whether that is good, fair or poor, the time left to clean in minutes and the particle amount in the air. This can display two particle sizes – PM 2.5 for smoke and bacteria and PM10 which includes dust, mould and pollen.
Our only complaint is it would have been great to have somewhere on the machine to store the remote to prevent us from losing it.
PerformanceIt’s strangely compelling to use this air purifier. Shark’s “clean sense IQ” tracks air quality all day long and automatically adjusts the machine’s cleaning power and fan speed to respond to pollutants as it senses them.
It was fascinating to see what smells and particles triggered a reaction and hear the fans step up a gear when the percentage of clean air fell. It often upped cleaning when our windows were open and went into overdrive when we fried steak on the other side of the room it was in.
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It is fantastic at dealing with smells from cooking too. We thought the extractor fan above our hob did a fairly good job until we positioned this air purifier in the kitchen. The built-in carbon filter was unbeatable at neutralising odours, eliminating the smells of a curry we cooked in no time when it would normally linger until the following morning.
However, we were concerned the purifier didn’t include a HEPA filter, which is normally considered the best option for dealing with particles and pollen. Yet Shark says the machine’s multi-staged filtration process traps dirt, dander and particles, and the real-time display certainly backed this up.
The air felt noticeably cleaner too and a mild hay fever sufferer in our family really believed it helped her sleep more soundly than she usually does in summer.
Be aware that Shark determines the suitable room size for this purifier based on three air changes per hour. While this is perfect for anyone looking to improve the general air quality in their home, anyone with severe allergies should really choose a machine that will clean the air at least five times per hour instead.
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For our needs, the constant monitoring of air means this model couldn’t be easier to use. Although it can be operated manually with the touchscreen or the remote control, we found the auto mode ideal. You simply plug it in and leave it alone and the purifier will even switch into energy-efficient standby mode when the air is cleaned. Unlike similar machines, there is no accompanying app to see more information on air quality but we didn’t miss this at all.
Though there are four fans, it’s also not too noisy even on full power. However, there is a quiet mode available so it can be used overnight without disturbing your sleep.
The display screen also shows how long is left until the filter needs replacing, which Shark estimates to be between six and twelve months. Helpfully, no washing or maintenance is needed in between changes, so you really can switch this machine on and forget about it.
But be warned, filters can cost up to £59.99 – although they are currently on sale on Shark’s website (£29.99, Sharkclean.co.uk) – so you’ll need to factor in this ongoing cost to running the air purifier.
The verdict: Shark air purifier 4 HE400UKWe were hugely impressed by the Shark air purifier 4 HE400UK and really felt it made a difference to the air quality in our home. We loved the fact it adjusted automatically when it sensed particles in the air so we didn’t need to think about making changes ourselves and we definitely noticed a difference when it dealt with strong smells in particular.
It’s more than a match for models twice its price and a great investment for any home. But severe allergy sufferers may be better off choosing a model that cleans the air more times per hour for maximum impact.