IQAir air purifiers are quickly becoming the most popular brand with both consumers and consumer reviewers alike. The HealthPro series has cutting-edge features that bring together groundbreaking tech and sophisticated style in a modular tower design in the way that the future should be. The New Edition systems announced in September 2012 look identical to previous HealthPro models but offer more clean air and longer filter life. They’re also quieter thanks to a first-of-a-kind, aerodynamically optimized fan that minimizes sound.

IQAir has three different models in its HealthPro line-up—the HealthPro Compact, the HealthPro and the HealthPro Plus. For the most part, these air purifiers offer the same features. However, there are factors that differentiate them, chiefly in terms of gas and odor control. Simply put, only the top-selling HealthPro Plus offers as standard what is known as V5-Cell gas and odor filtration. This advanced feature is not available with the HealthPro Compact but you can buy it as an option with the HealthPro. But do you really need V5-Cell? Is the HealthPro Compact or HealthPro without the V5-Cell option more than sufficient? Or is the extra punch worth shelling out nearly $900? We think we have the answers right here, so read on.

The good

As technology continues to advance, every so often, a product comes along that's truly game-changing. And the HealthPro Plus air purifier is already redefining things and promises to do so for a long time. In all our years, we have never seen an air purifier as polarizing as this. The HealthPro Plus is basically an upgraded HealthPro. But the simple act of including the V5-Cell filter as standard changes everything. Because of this addition, the HealthPro Plus has received more #1 reviews than we can shake a stick at, including Consumer's Digest Best Buy Award and Newsweek. So let's talk about it.

For starters, the word "Plus" in the name refers to the air purifier's ability to remove low-level gas and odors in addition to allergens such as dust mite matter, pollen, pet dander and mold spores. As we mentioned, the HealthPro Compact and HealthPro do not feature V5-Cell technology, although the HealthPro can be upgraded with a V5-Cell filter at any time.

By now you are probably wondering what V5-Cell stands for. As an authorized IQAir dealer, we've been educated to answer questions like this. So at the risk of sounding a bit technical, the "V" refers to the five V-shaped filters that make up the V5-Cell. It's these V-shaped filters that hold over 5 pounds of carbon mixed with alumina based potassium permanganate in such a manner that air flow is not decreased more than 20 cubic feet per minute when passing simultaneously through them. As a result, the Plus' filtration works more efficiently than with other type filters. Okay, maybe that was a bit technical. But hopefully you get the point.

Something less technical we can tell you about the V5-Cell is that it removes more than 200 pollutant gases and odors from your home or office down to 0.003 microns with a guaranteed minimum efficiency of over 99.5%, making the Plus ideal for asthma sufferers who in addition to allergens are sensitive to ultra-fine particles that can get into their lungs.

Now, how does I t work? The Plus draws dirty air in through vents in the bottom of the device, passes the air through the PreMax Pre-filter, then the V5-Cell gas and odor filter, then finally up through the patented HyperHEPA filter and out through exhaust vents. IQAir chose to place these exhaust vents at the top of the Plus far from the floor intake. We found this design particularly efficient because it avoids the recirculation of already cleaned air.

The Plus does have a shortcoming you should be aware of: it does not filter out dense tobacco smoke. This is because dense smoke saturates the carbon of the V5-Cell and causes it to lose its effectiveness.

As far as running the Plus is concerned, we found the control panel to be as simple as simple gets. There are 6 fan settings and an intelligent filter life monitor that we suspect will come in real handy as time goes on. The Plus can handle up to 1,125 square feet on its maximum fan speed. It's amazingly quiet at all fan setting thanks to its new aerodynamically optimized fan. The thing is, we actually found the noise of the old fan acceptable. It took a little getting used to, but it wasn’t totally annoying either. But this new fan is really terrific!

We mentioned that the Plus holds 5 pounds carbon, so it has some weight to it, tipping the scales at 35 pounds. While this might be too heavy for some people, the Plus sits on wheels and can easily be moved when necessary. But if you're like us, you'll find the perfect spot and park it there.

So the verdict? We think you are really going to like the HealthPro Plus. There's nothing complicated about running this amazingly efficient device. Even when the intelligent filter life monitor says it's time to change filters, you'll be right at home…and that's exactly how IQAir wants it.

The not so good

The device is not suitable for the removal of dense tobacco smoke.

The bottom line

HEPA Filtraton Technology

If you are looking for an all-around air purifier that will remove allergens, chemicals and odors from the air with quiet and medical-grade performance, there is nothing on the market better than the IQAir HealthPro Plus. Its durable construction, advanced filtration technology and incredible ease of use bolster the Plus' claim to being the king of the all-around air purifier. However, if you are looking to clean your home or office of dense tobacco smoke, we would suggest checking out the IQAir GC Series.