Germ Guardian EV-9-102 UV-C Air Sanitizer, Stainless Steel

 (62 customer reviews)

This product works to STERILIZE air by destroying bacteria and mold spores DNA and does so well...if you are looking for something to remove particulate matter i'd buy a rabbit air by mitsubishi...OUTSTANDING PRODUCT FOR THE PRICE or IQ Air, BluAir, or Austin which are also outstanding but plan to spend some bucks for those units....this UV unit makes an EXCELLENT supplement....to those who complain about the low fan speed, if you research UV-C you'll understand why the fan speed is somewhat low which in turn does create less air exchange. The product does not claim to clean germs and mold in the air in a 200sqft space more than once in an hour.....which obviously by most air purifier standards is extremely minimal...BUT...find me a better machine at killing mold toxins and bacteria at the DNA level? Bacteria and mold need time in the aluminum lined light chamber to be destroyed so the germ guardian air exchange is low to allow the unit to perform its job while the aluminum...Read more

I'm a sustainable building consultant in Hawaii where we have very high humidity levels and indoor air quality issues are very common. I purchased two Germ Guardians recently. My purchase was both for personal use, and to provide a consumer review for my clients.

After less than a month of use, the bulb started to flicker and died in one unit. I am very familiar with UV-C sterilizing lights and have used them reliably for years in koi pond, potable water, and HVAC applications. I've never seen a bulb fail so quickly. In fact, quality UV bulbs typically last for several years even though their effectiveness diminishes over time. Note, that the bulbs are extremely expensive for UV C applications.

Additionally I find the fan units of these devices to be very loud, so much so that they cannot be used in a room if the room is occupied, and certainly not in a bedroom. I measured the sound at 5 feet at 50 decibels. And yes I take sound measurements...Read more

This is not a general air cleaner. It will not filter dust at all. I would recommend using a HEPA filter if you suffer from allergies. On the other hand, that also means that the Germ Guardian has no filters to clean or replace.

What it does do is blast viruses and bacteria with UV light to break them up and render them harmless. The advertising is correct: my wife works in a lab, and this is the same method of air sterilization used in hospitals and labs. The narrow tube in the middle of the Germ Guardian ensures that the air moving through it passes close to the UV light bulb and anything in it gets a strong dose of high-energy light. The slow fan speed also ensures that they spend a decent amount of time under the light. This is a feature, not a bug.

The good news is, once they're dead, they're dead. Unless you have someone constantly sneezing and coughing right next to you, I wouldn't worry about how quickly it filters. Just leave it running for a while, and...Read more