AirSource 3000

The AirSource 3000 works differently from other air purifiers, in that it emits a steady stream of negative ions that attach themselves to positively charged particles of pollen or mold -- which then drop to the floor and can be vacuumed up. (In other words, this machine is meant to be run for short periods of time in unoccupied rooms.) Shaklee, which manufactures the AirSource, claims it can clean 3,000 square feet, but Dan Schilling at ModernSolutionsInc.com points out that this machine doesn't move much air, which limits its effectiveness. For the money, the IQAir HealthPro (*Est. $750), which uses plain old HEPA filtration, has been proven effective in controlled tests.

The AirSource 3000 air purifier has yet to be subjected to rigorous testing by the likes of Consumer Reports or Air-Purifiers-America.com -- and it also hasn't attracted any reviews from owners at sites such as Epinions or Amazon.com. Fortunately, though, we were able to find two write-ups of this ionic air cleaner, a critical essay at ModernSolutionsInc.com and a more cheerleading piece at Associated Content. Overall, there's not enough unbiased data out there on the AirSource to draw major conclusions.