Surround Air XJ-2000 Air Purifier

Pros: Quiet, inexpensive to operate, effective.
Cons: Replacing cleaned plate can at first be tricky.

I purchased my first XJ-2000 roughly a year ago. My husband and I are both smokers and we own two large dogs. My goal when purchasing it was to keep my home from smelling like smokers live here. The first one I purchased was to cover a area that is ...

Pros: No filters to replace, Low electric consumption, No moving parts
Cons: Questionable pricing tactics, Cheap materials, Poor performance, Noisy, High ozone

I've had a Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Compact Quadra (IB) for a couple years now (and been very happy with it), but when I heard about the XJ-2000--which appeared to be a comparable product but for about half the cost--I figured I might as well pick one ...

Pros: Non-intrusive, higher negative ion generation, can be position to optimize performance and interval mode.
Cons: None that a little common sense can't overcome.

Like the reviewers of 03/30/04 and 04/25/05, I too own or owned both the XJ-2000 and Ionic Breeze. However, my findings were significantly different. Rather than focus on the manufacturer's pricing strategy or ones ability/inability to remove a ...

Pros: tiny size, some results possible in very small rooms
Cons: cheap plastic, ozone smell, overpriced, hard to clean

I'm not sure why anybody would rate this product 5 stars. Either they don't have any other basis for comparison or they have some other motivation which is beside me. This is one of those "you get what you pay for" purchases. Someone already ...

Pros: Love these purifiers. Works, cheap, small, what more do you want?
Cons: Haven't found any yet. Just don't pay over $50 for one.

I purchased a Surround Air Purifier for a Christmas present for my father. We pulled it out of the box, plugged the cord into the unit and into the wall and pushed the on button. In 30 minutes the bedroom smelled like a fresh rain shower. No sound unless ...

Pros: Very inexpensive, effective.
Cons: Poor collection plate design and surface area.

I really wanted to buy the Ionic Breeze Quadra from Sharper Image, but that price! $350 seemed waaay too steep. When I discovered the XJ2000 on the web while searching for a lower price on the Quadra (impossible), I was skeptical, but for the price, I ...

Pros: Improves air quality, quiet, affordable
Cons: None

I was sceptical at first when I saw the ionizer infomercials on TV, so instead of buying one from there, I purchased the cheaper XJ 2000 from a seller on eBay. Contrary to my beliefs, the unit works very well! Within a day of plugging it in and ...

Pros: Silent, helps with allergies and asthma and odors.
Cons: Inconvenient to clean and does not cover much square footage.

I bought one of these about a year ago. I was skeptical because it was so small and so quiet. I put it in my bedroom about two feet from my bed. I really think it helps! I have cats that sleep on the bed and I am allergic to them. I think it also hel ...

Pros: effective, well made, inexpensive, works well
Cons: thumb screws for plate cleaning are not effortless

I was very sceptical of the XJ-2000, but it does seem the most popular on the internet. A look at epinions shows a wide variance of opinions. So, a couple clarifications. The 12v 10w power supply does get hotter than one would expect, but it's not ...

Pros: Inexpensive, quiet, freshens air
Cons: Distinct ozone smell near unit

I bought the Neotec XJ2000, which is the same machine made by the same company in China. I burn a lot of wood in winter months and needed some way to keep the dust down. The highly marketed Ionic Breeze Quadra was just too expensive. I ended up going with ...

Pros: It does make your house smell fresh. Can really tell the different
Cons: It's not worth taking a chance of you house catching fire.

If you bought this item please check the plugs often. I bought 6 of them 5 months ago and all the plugs are cracked. I had to move the one in my daughters bedroom and was horrified to see the plug part was damaged so I checked the others and they were all cracked. The one in the basement feel apart when I went to unplug it. I e-mailed the company but my e-mail came back. I've tried calling but the line is always busy. I'm just thankful I found out before my house burned down. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT.

Pros: Small, compact & attractive. Good Price. No filters.
Cons: Emits strong ion smell.

I purchased this ionizer just under 30 days ago and will be sending it back!
The strong ion emission smell gives me a headache. Stinks up my whole apartment! I have since researched ion emission and have found that if can actually cause asthma. No wonder I was coughing & sneezing right after I got it! Guess I will go back to the old HEPA filters!

Pros: Good price, cheap operation, abundant negative ions!
Cons: The pins may wear out over time, they cost alot to replace!

One aspect that may confuse people, is that these units aren't so much "air filters" as they are negative ion generators.

Negative Ions have a very positive effect on people's moods and brain chemistry. Creating a sense of well-being. They are part of the reason people feel so good at places like the coast, or out in nature.

The negative Ions also bind to particles in the air, making them fall to the ground, where they can be vacummed(or at least, where you won't be breathing them in). So naturally, they aren't collecting as much dust on the plates as other products. If you want sheer cleaning and filtering power, the Ionic Breeze is superior(but much more expensive). But they DO knock stuff out of the air. I burned incense in my room, and the xj2000 gets rid of the smell in like an hour.

They do require cleaning about once a month, and an annoying hiss will let you know when it's cleaning time.
It's not hard to clean, unscrew the plates and wipe down the metal with an alcohol soaked cotton ball.

Pros: Easy to clean, puts out a good amount of ozone and is affordable.
Cons: No fan to blow the air through.

The goof offs who complain about too much ozone are just wimps. I bought mine over 2 years ago and like it. I have used it in a 15 x 15 office. It's an older place and has always given off a moldy smell. This unit has been kept on 24 hours a day for 2 years and the mold smell is gone. My brother walked in my office and noticed the difference right away and he knew nothing about the purifier. The collector plates are easy enough to clean and those who can't must be more clumsy that a toddler. The only reason I'm not going 5 stars is I wish it had a fan to push the air out.

Pros: XJ-2000 puts out ozone which is good for liter box areas.
Cons: No fan so no negative ion production at 5 feet

I'm a member of an allergy club in California. I recently tested the XJ-2000 and "Multi-Tech" vs a competitive product with an ion meter and was shocked to find out the XJ-2000 didn't produce any negative ions at 5 feet and the "Multi-Tech" didn't produce any negative ions at all! The XJ-2000 also makes a buzzing sound from the dust buildup inside and the pins inside are very hard to reach and clean, as is the collector plate grid. A family member who has one says their power adaptor on the XJ-2000 melted and had they not been home could have burned their house down, so that scared me and it now collects dust sitting on a shelf. If you're looking for negative ions, Surround Air is not the place to look according to the results from our tests.