Outstanding Air Purifier with Automation Bonus

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This review is specifically for the single-room size FAP-SC02L Filtrete Smart Air Purifier. I had previously reviewed the extra-large, multi-room FAP-T03-A2 air purifier a couple of years ago. Although I was generally pleased with the older device's performance, it lacked any sort of automated control other than a simple timer. For that reason, I had given it four stars instead of five. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to discover that this newest generation of air filters were deemed “smart” devices and therefore leapt at the opportunity to trial test one of the units offered by 3M in exchange for my assessment. To simply say that this latest version of air purifier meets or even exceeds my expectations doesn't even begin to express my satisfaction with this device. Yes, it remains relatively quiet during operation. Yes, it also retains the timer function of the original filter. And yes, it is now WiFi-enabled and can be controlled not only by a smart-phone app, but is Alexa-enabled as well, allowing operation via voice commands. However, perhaps its greatest new feature is the “Automatic” mode that varies operation based upon room air quality, as measured by an internal laser-based sensor! Not only that, but the air quality is prominently displayed on both control unit of the unit itself and the smart-phone app as well - color coded and actual particle count. Eventually, the air purifier will likely wind up in the bedroom, as originally planned. However, in the meantime I am truly fascinated simply moving the unit from room to room and watching the article count quickly diminish over the course of a few hours, taking the air quality from “Poor” to “Good” and throttling down the fan speed accordingly as the quality improved. First of all, I was dismayed to find out just how poor the air quality was in certain rooms. Secondly, I was amazed how quickly the quality improved. This filter is extremely efficient. I will very likely be purchasing additional units to be permanently deployed in additional rooms strategically placed throughout the house. Out-of-the-box setup for basic operation was straightforward - remove bag from box, remove from bag, remove protective plastic from display panel, plug it in, press “ON”. The control panel provides basic functions as well as displaying device status and air quality. Air quality is displayed by a numeric measurement of particle count, which is then also rendered in an intuitive color-coded display that can be readily seen at a distance: Green (GOOD), Yellow (FAIR), Orange (POOR), Red (VERY POOR), and Purple (SEVERE). Initially, the particle count for room in which I set it up read approximately 120 (Orange - POOR). Within less than an hour, the particle count had decreased to less than 10 (Green - GOOD) and the fan was automatically adjusted downward to its lowest speed setting. At the lowest fan speed, you have to be no more than eight to ten feet away to even hear it running. At that point, I decided to experiment a bit and used a vacuum hose connected to the exhaust port of a small one-gallon portable ShopVac to stir up any dust that had settled on various items situated throughout the room - initially, the particle count climbed immediately to the mid-60s (Yellow - FAIR) and the fan speed kicked into medium, but within 30 minutes, the count had dropped to zero (Green - GOOD). The room is 12 feet by 13 feet, so fairly closely matched to the 150 square foot rating of the air purifier. Setup of the Filtrete smartphone app was on a par with other similar home automation apps. The only problem I encountered was that the app did not initially recognize my home WiFi, preferring to link to several of my neighbors' networks instead. I actually had to place the purifier in closer proximity to the router in order to get a lock. However, once the setup was complete, the app was absolutely bulletproof during operation. All of the pertinent operating controls and status are available on a single screen. The only minor gripe I have is that it is not intuitively obvious how to bring it out of Sleep Mode following shutdown at the expiration of a self-timer period of operation; HINT - switch the grayed-out Fan Speed from 0 to 1. Integration with Amazon's Alexa was a little trickier and the results somewhat less than satisfactory. In the end, Alexa responds to SOME of the commands listed under the Filtrete skill set, but in many cases it'll respond with the purifier's air temperature instead. An accurate, concise set of instructions for integrating the Filtrete system with Alexa would be greatly appreciated. Also, the functionality needs to be expanded to include all of the listed commands. Still, it's at the very least on a par with other such Alexa-enabled skills for other home automation tasks associated with other devices. In conclusion, 3M's Filtrete Smart Air Purifier (FAP-SC02L) has exceeded my expectations and easily deserves a five-star rating. I would recommend it for anyone dealing with allergies, living with a furry pet, or simply concerned about the quality of their home's air.

DaleW . Review provider: walmart.com

Live the Air Quality reports

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I received this air purifier from 3M as a pre-release product review unit. Setup was very easy, including connecting to my wifi. It's nice to have the inside air quality reports - very surprising to see that particulates have such an impact on our air quality. I've had a few issues with the unit not staying connected to wifi. The attached pictures show noise levels at fan speeds 1-4.

8string . Review provider: walmart.com

Set it and forget it.

Love these so much. They adapt to the air quality automatically so I can set them and forget them. We had poor air quality a few days this summer and these purifiers all sensed it. Cant say enough good things about these.

BHam . Review provider: walmart.com

Smart Makes a BIG Difference

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I received this product to review and am so happy I had the opportunity to use it. I was really skeptical that the technology would be accurate and useful. Was I proved wrong. The air quality sensor works great. It knows within a minute that I have opened an outside window to let in “fresh” air. The fan speed adjusts itself to meet the needs of the air quality and I can see the air quality on the app. The linkage to “Alexa” allows me to set a schedule for it's operation. If I have any criticism, it is that the app or the instructions could be more intuitive. I had to go looking for the way to link the Air Cleaner to “Alexa”. GREAT PRODUCT for the Smart Home.

Wiscbob . Review provider: walmart.com

Best air filter purifier without UV that I've tried.

Kay D . Review provider: walmart.com

3M air purifier

Great Priduct!! Love 3M air purifier is Wi-Fi enabled and allows monitoring,/control of device through an iPhone. Notifies me of air quality and the fan cools the room

J . Review provider: walmart.com

Is perfect for medium room

Very recommend

Francisco . Review provider: walmart.com

Does everything it says and more!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I set up the air Filtrete in the living room and was surprised about how quiet it was. That night we had a mishap in the kitchen that filled out house with smoke. It's was only 19 degrees out and I really didn't want to open a window. The Filtrete system immediately responded to the increase of toxins in the air and had most of the smoke cleared out of the living room in 8 minutes. Very thankful to have it and can't wait to get a second for the upstairs. It's compact and powerful.

Smokie in PA . Review provider: walmart.com

Wow! I'm in love with this purifier!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This machine looks very sleek! I love that you can turn off the lights on the panel so you don't have to see all of the stats. If you keep them on it shows filter life, air quality, whether it's connected to WiFi, fan speed, and there's even a timer you can set. I haven't used the timer - as I use my air filter all the time. In the photo the timer is turned on to show how it looks when it is on. I really appreciate the automatic feature on this machine. I have noticed a couple of times when I was cooking, and the air quality raised, the fan sped up to help clean the air faster. Usually it just sits at the lowest setting. There is also a light on the front of the machine that shows a color for how good your air quality is. So if you have the display turned off, you can still see if the quality is getting worse. Or you can set up app alerts to notify you of air quality problems. You can also hook it up with your smart systems - like Google Home or Alexa. I love that this purifier shows the air quality too! It gives me a lot of peace of mind to know how healthy the air is around me, and to be able to do something about it if the air is not at its best. The app is really fun, and lets you see a graph of the last day, week, or month of air quality. I've only had this filter for a week, but I'm already in love with all of the features and with the way it looks. I don't often give 5 stars unless I'm really impressed with a product, and this product has completely impressed me. I love having it in my home! I did receive this product in exchange for my honest review, but I would totally buy one of these - and I probably will for my child's room!

Cheveyo . Review provider: walmart.com

A powerful, quiet purifier

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I've tried several small air purifiers and found that this has been the best overall. It really cleans the air in my room (about 110 sq ft). It is also very quiet for the power. The wifi connection makes it convenient to operate without getting out of bed. However, the connection does sometimes glitch. The app is helpful, but the information is not as useful. Overall a winner. I did receive this product to use in exchange for an honest review.

eugkim . Review provider: walmart.com