Whoops this wasn't meant to be a top level post. Erp. Moved it here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31813424 sorry for those responding
Contra Wirecutter on the IKEA air purifier
101–110 of 723 posts
Re: Contra Wirecutter on the IKEA air purifier
#102The Wirecutter is a highly flawed review site, but at least it's a real one. There are vanishingly few left for general consumer products. There's WC, Consumer Reports, and what else? They've seem to have all been killed off. When I'm researching some category of product, I feel lucky if I find any professional reviews written by people who have actually touched the thing they're reviewing. I know we've all had the e…
Or specific categories like America’s Test Kitchen for kitchen stuff.
Re: Contra Wirecutter on the IKEA air purifier
#103Protip: you can turn a box fan into an incredibly effective air purifier[0] (particle measurements in thread). The one they show is pretty elaborate, using 4 filters and some construction, but you can also use a single filter and slap it on the back of the box fan and have similar results. The air purifier industry is more about aesthetics than it is function. 0. https://twitter.com/LazarusLong13/status/1425517352624…
> The air purifier industry is more about aesthetics than it is function Well, sure, to a point. I could make my own air purifier (like the one you link) but it looks awful. I would not want that in my home. So yeah, aesthetics do matter. Its not the only thing but it is a factor.
Second, you know you can max a box yourself or hide a thin purifier under a desk or above a tall cabinet?
Re: Contra Wirecutter on the IKEA air purifier
#104Earlier quoted context omitted.
Regarding "reviews written by people who have actually touched the thing they're reviewing", I'm not sure Consumer Reports deserves to be listed these days either. I bought a subscription a few months ago because I needed to buy several large appliances for my home, but all I found behind that paywall curtain was computer-generated tables of star ratings and statistics about mechanical reliability. Which is probably…
I found similar at the UK take, Which. Everything is boiled down to star ratings and then Mail Merge creates the review text. Apparently, each air purifier which can handle a large room is big, heavy and loud. And the air purifiers that score highly on being quiet have the downside that they can only handle small rooms. Oh, and they did measure the CADR, and will tell you that "this air purifier scored five stars on…
Re: Contra Wirecutter on the IKEA air purifier
#105The Wirecutter is a highly flawed review site, but at least it's a real one. There are vanishingly few left for general consumer products. There's WC, Consumer Reports, and what else? They've seem to have all been killed off. When I'm researching some category of product, I feel lucky if I find any professional reviews written by people who have actually touched the thing they're reviewing. I know we've all had the e…
Regarding "reviews written by people who have actually touched the thing they're reviewing", I'm not sure Consumer Reports deserves to be listed these days either. I bought a subscription a few months ago because I needed to buy several large appliances for my home, but all I found behind that paywall curtain was computer-generated tables of star ratings and statistics about mechanical reliability. Which is probably…
Some of this can't be entirely determined until years after the product is released but you can check the company.
As for me, I went with SpeedQueen for the washer/dryer and wish I could find an equivalent company for refrigerators, but I basically consider those disposable.
Re: Contra Wirecutter on the IKEA air purifier
#106IKEA really mussed the chance to provide a way to connect their air quality sensor with the air purifier. I was hoping to have an automated system that would start the air purifier when a certain threshold is reached, but there is no way to achieve this (except with intensive hacking). Also, the air quality sensor ALWAYS shows green. Did it show yellow or even red for anyone not living in Hotang?
An easier option is just forking over the cash for the Starkvind, which does exactly what you want and optionally comes in the form of a coffee table.
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/starkvind-air-purifier-white-00...
Re: Contra Wirecutter on the IKEA air purifier
#107I am legit wondering if air purifiers wouldn't be a good addition in preschools. A classroom isn't that big and one of these things would probably be enough. A school year would require 2-3 replacements, ie. not much. Anybody did something like this?
Yes. Especially since covid. This was just the first link that came up, but there was state-level funding going back to 2021 at least for this in some places. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/how-covid-funding-could-...
Re: Contra Wirecutter on the IKEA air purifier
#108Re: Contra Wirecutter on the IKEA air purifier
#109Protip: you can turn a box fan into an incredibly effective air purifier[0] (particle measurements in thread). The one they show is pretty elaborate, using 4 filters and some construction, but you can also use a single filter and slap it on the back of the box fan and have similar results. The air purifier industry is more about aesthetics than it is function. 0. https://twitter.com/LazarusLong13/status/1425517352624…
Is that what you use? What is your personal experience with it? I think this is good if you are in a wild fire scenario and air purifiers are sold out, or for your home work shop. Otherwise I suspect it is very energy inefficient and noisy.
0. https://deohs.washington.edu/edge/blog/how-make-box-fan-filt...
Re: Contra Wirecutter on the IKEA air purifier
#110Earlier quoted context omitted.
But the problem is that it ultimately skews the incentives and contradicts their claim that the editors are totally isolated from the commercial part of their business. Their homepage currently suggests the following: > We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission [emphasis mine] The "about" page claims: > There’s no incentive for us to pick inferior produc…
Sure, and I'm not saying there's no possible influence in any direction. At the same time, I suspect things are more separate than in 2014, and I don't see that claim on their pages from back then [0][1]. In fact they seemed to have independently reviewed the desks and only then asked about an affiliate program. When they switched their recommendation to Fully, they apparently didn't have an affiliate relationship wi…
The CEO was explicit in his email that he looks to maximise revenue on the standing desks page (and by implication, every other page on the site).
The "business team" was explicit - the editorial team doesn't act directly, they can only get review units arranged by the business team - which is refusing to receive review units because no affiliate program is in place.