Well here it is, my full review of the Rabbit Air MinusA2 SPA-780A air purifier with the odor filter used for the special filter you can choose.
This has taken a bit to get done because the wrong filter was included at first, which I never noticed till a month later and I was hoping to have it long enough to see when the filters would need changed with the amount of cigar smoking I do. Sadly I figured i better review this and get the test unit sent back before they send big scruffy guys to my door to retrieve their property.
Give the video a watch, it seems a bit “commercially” to me but I hope it will give you the overview you are looking for.
If you have any questions about it please let me a comment, email, tweet or forum post to ask it and I will do my best to answer.
It is not a cheap unit at $550 but I am really impressed with how it has worked and if I had the funds right now, I would be buying one.
There, so now you know how I feel about it but take a look at the video to get a lot more detail about the unit other than me being thoroughly impressed with it.
Audio –> Right Click: Save As
Here is a link to my preview video of the unit – CLICK ME
Great review Mike. I’ll definitely look into it when I can actually afford one. I think they should let you keep it for doing the PR work for them. 😉 Does it detect cooking odors, etc?
It detects any air quality change. It sits in my computer room about 10 feet from the kitchen and it will kick on if I cook something on the stove (well burn it lol). It really picks any change in the air quality and tries to remove it.
It really works well and keeping it clean would make it work even better I imagine.
So you basically film an infomercial for that company and they don’t let you keep the unit? Dude that’s so totally lame on their part! Great review as always though.
lol – it happens all the time in the computer industry 😉 Most products sent out for review are just loaner items. Can’t loan out a cigar so they have to just gift them.
Thanx for the comment love!
Mike,
Perfect timing ! I’m in the process of re-doing my basement and have been reading up on air-purifiers. Was looking into ORECK at some point but I’m liking this Rabbit.
1) Have you asked a non-smoker (that doesn’t live in your house) to evaluate before and after, both visually and smell-wise ? If not, did you at least ask your wife for her opinion ?
2) What was that yellowish / rusty looking deposit around the filter cartridge when you took off the cover ? Is it simply small part falling off the first layer ?
3) You said $75 for replacement. Is it $75 per insert or per set presented in the video ?
4) Any major impact on electric bill ?
Thanks, bud !
1. Nobody outside the house was asked but my wife noticed a huge difference. It is still not a miracle worker and will not eliminate all the smells instantaneously.
2. That was dirt, dust, cat hair, etc. It sucks everything in around the front cover and pulls it into the pre filter which should be cleaned more regularly but like I said, I was playing to see if the filter change would notify me 🙂
3. $75 for a complete set. I do not think it includes the pre-filter but that can just be washed anyway. Basically it is a mesh screen like in a window ac unit.
4. No idea. Our electric bill is always high so I did not notice anything. I can try and hook it up to my one battery backup unit that shows what power is being used and see how much juice it takes. I think their ratings are probably real close – 8 to 58 watts. 8 would be while sleeping i imagine.
You are welcome Jay!
Wow…they aren’t letting you keep it? Are they at least paying for shipping it back?
Yes, sent a ups label with the test unit for return.
I would love to keep it but like I said above, I know a lot of test units for computer products have to be returned so it falls in line with that.
I wouldn’t say NO if they told me to keep it but I understand why they wouldn’t.
Maybe we should start a “Let Mike Keep It” campaign. 🙂
I liked the run down of this device, seems to deliver what it claims. But I agree with everyone who is saying… They should just let you keep it. Bastards!
Just picked one up on Craigslist. Great machine! Great review! I agree, they should let u keep it! if I hadn’t known about it, your review would’ve certainly put it in the mix. Peace.
That’s a shame they aren’t letting you keep it! You’ve definitely placed a good review for them.
Looks sweet Mikey but that is exoensive
Great Review Mike, Looks like it does a hell of a job. I can see your paying for what you get with this product it does sound like a lot of money but for what it will do and the comfort it should provide doesn’t seem like to much to ask. Looks like it would be great for a finished basement.
Mike:
I’ve corresponded with an Elaine from Rabbit Air to ask her a question on a unit. I told her I heard about it from you. And they should let you keep the unit.
Hope it helps,
Mike
A well done video, hippie. They really should make you their spokesman, because you talk about cigars which works for the clean-cut crowd, but all the stoners watching know you’re really talking about doobies. And who needs air purification more than the patchouli people?
Hey who knows, maybe they’re making you return it so they can send you a brand new one as thanks. Probably not, but it’s fun setting you up for disappointment.
Where’s Wayne & Garth???
So would you say it pretty much gets rid of all the cigar smell?
Worth the $550?
Good review, thanks
Unless you have hundreds of pounds of charcoal, I don’t believe anything will totally get rid of the smell if you are smoking at least 1 cigar a day in the room.
That said, I could not test in a small environment so I am not 100% positive if it will remove the odor or not from an enclosed space.
Worth $550? Yea. I would have bought one if i had the cash at the time. Filters could get pretty darn expensive and it reminds me of the inkjet printer scheme where you can buy the printer cheap but the 50 cents of ink will cost you $15, except the unit isn’t cheap either. I really miss the automatic feature this has compared to my Whirlpool I bought.
If you have the funds, buy one but do not expect to never smell cigar smoke again.
I like your review but i wonder , there’s any coupon for this product . it’s rather expensive for me.
So if I understand correctly, your test unit did not come with the Odor Remover filter? I guess there are 4 different kinds of filters you can choose from when you order this unit, depending on your needs (Germ Defense, Pet Allergy, Toxin Absorber, and Odor Remover). I wonder if the Odor Remover filter (RA website specifically states it’s for cigar/cigarettes) would have made a significant difference and reduced the cigar smell in your home even further? Thanks for the review, it would be nice to smoke a good cigar inside during winter once in awhile and this may be the answer.
Kurt,
I purchased a model (MinusA2, I believe) with the odor remover filter, and it works really well. I use it in my office, which is carpeted unfortunately, so some aroma lingers for about half a day. By the next day you can’t tell I was smoking. Big difference.
Yes, it did come with the odor filter. It is a great little unit that has an awesome automatic feature. Like Brian said, it does seem to have lingering odor if you have carpet, drapes, or other large areas of a cloth material around but the charcoal will remove that odor pretty darn well.
I am a daily cigar smoker, with that being said….. I have the rabbit air 2 with the odor control filter. I just replace the filters with new ones($85.00). This unit is not removing the cigar odor at all. It’s cleaning the air in this 16×24 ft room but the cigar odor stays. The machine shows that it’s working and cleaning but odor is still left behind. I have been using fans to exhaust the room but odor still remains. Does anyone have any advise before I change over to an industrial unit?
A couple of things: Are you disposing of your cigar butts promptly? That has a huge impact on room’s smell in the following hours and days. And, is the room carpeted and/or have cloth-covered furniture or drapes? Carpet in a room is a sponge for odor. If you do have carpet or a lot of other cloth, I think you’ll find that no matter how powerful the air purifier is, there will be some lingering smell. Hope that helps.