Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2022
Opening statements:
Yes, yes, I know, this isn't really designed for use with 3D printers.
But that was the MAIN reason why I bought this filter.
It was easily the most economical up-front option for the feature set I wanted, and cost-of-ownership is favorably competitive.
It's small! Fits nicely on my computer desk. Barely the size of my Anycubic Photon that I got it to use with.
It really does a number on the resin fumes, exactly as I wanted it to.
But I found myself also using it for its intended purpose! (What a concept.)
I have seasonal allergies, and this little champ does a real job on kicking those down.
Anecdotes done, let's actually talk about the design of this thing. There are things I like, and things I don't, so here's a breakdown of my thoughts on all of its bits and pieces.
- Electrical
You really expect me to type a review of an electrical gizmo and NOT over-analyze its electrical characteristics?
> The AC adapter maintains an 85% conversion efficiency across the operation range of the purifier.
> The adapter's average power factor is 0.5. This is expected.
> The adapter outputs 12.1v open circuit, which falls as low as 11.87v. I'm happy with this.
-- All subsequent tests performed on the DC side. Wall power will be 15% higher.
> The control systems in the purifier draw 11mA/140mW in standby. Parasitic load at the wall is negligible, and my equipment cannot measure it.
> The fan draws 69mA/810mW on Low, 175mA/2W on Medium, and 485mA/5.8W on High. This increases briefly during acceleration, when you turn the fan speed up for example.
> The night light draws 140mA/1.6w.
> The UV lamp draws 61mA/0.75w.
> At full power, the purifier draws 680mA/8.1W. The AC adapter is rated for 1A/12W, for plenty of headroom.
- The UI
I'm not a huge fan of how they implemented the controls on this.
There are two capacitive touch pads on the front of the unit, with indicator lights above them.
It beeps happily (and softly) whenever you actuate a function. I'm fine with this. It provides some much needed feedback, and is quiet enough to not be annoying.
The upper button adjusts fan speed when you tap it, and turns on and off the night light when you hold it for an agonizingly long 3 seconds.
The lower button turns the entire unit on and off when you touch it, and turns on and off the UV LEDs inside of the purifier when you hold it for the same agonizingly long 3 seconds.
It always powers up in medium fan, with the UV on and the night light off. It does not remember the last configuration you used.
- Filter Replacement and Performance
Access to the filter is quite easy. Just flip the unit over, click the base counterclockwise to unlock it, and lift the base off.
You can then pull out the spent filter, drop in a new one, and follow the reverse steps to lock the base back on. Viola, you're back in business.
You'll want to check on it every so often - maybe once a month? - to clean surface dust off the outer prefilter surface.
As of the typing of this review, Toppin offers two OEM filter cartridges. The green "All Purpose" and the blue "Allergy and Pet". An "Allergy" cartridge is included in the box.
You can also buy third-party compatible cartridges.
The OEM filters are not rated for "True HEPA".
The "Allergy" cartridge appears to perform better than the "All Purpose", but the latter costs significantly less.
Some third party compatible cartridges are "True HEPA", and are priced as of the date of this review, somewhere between the two OEM options.
-- Footnote, prices are kinda screwed up right now when I'm reviewing this, so this info could change.
Do your own shopping before purchasing, to get the best value for your needs.
The included "Allergy" filter does the job, and effectively removes odors and allergens from the air.
My allergy symptoms are improved while I am inside with it running, and it even works well on my resin printer's fumes and odor, as well as the odors left behind from burning candles or kerosene lamps.
The air coming out of the top of the unit smells clean and refreshing.
I cannot provide objective analysis though, as I do not have an air quality measuring device.
- Noise
I honestly quite like the noise profile of this purifier.
On Low, I can't even hear it running unless I put my head within a foot of the thing.
Medium provides a pleasant level of white noise that I can comfortably sleep to.
High is... loud. You can get used to it, if you need the added performance of this speed, but I don't find it as pleasant. Especially to have right next to you.
- Night Light
It's a nice effect. Shines a nice blue light on the table below it in a ring, and onto the filter inside, shining up through the lower intake grille. Not so bright that I couldn't sleep with it on the table in the same room.
The effect may be a bit different on the inner grille if you use the green "All Purpose" filters.
- Scent Pad
I've never used this feature, so I can't weigh in on it. It's there if you want it though.
- UV light
Don't confuse the night light (the soft blue accent at the base) with the UV sterilization lamp (located deep inside the device). If you look directly down into the top of the unit with the lamp on, you can see the dull purple glow of the UV lamp reflecting off the interior.
Please do not look up into the bottom of the unit with the base plate removed and the UV turned on. You may suffer eye irritation, and you also aren't getting any filtration.
I can't really weigh in on how effective the UV light is at sterilizing the air, as I have no objective way to measure it. However, it is generating ultraviolet light, as advertised.
It does not produce any Ozone.
- Sustainability, Lifespan, Build Quality
This is the part where I get a little squirmy talking about cheap plastic products.
The Toppin's design so far has been mostly praise.
Build quality is great. Not that there's much to it. A solid hard plastic construction, with a large main fan.
The two halves are held together with large plastic clips and a few screws.
But I'm going to have to get a little harsh on it.
It's not an easy product to disassemble beyond the night lights in the base, and the intended user serviceable filter cartridge.
The fan at first graze looked like a repurposed computer fan. However, it seems to be a bit more substantial than that. I don't want to ruin my purifier by dismantling it to determine what kind of bearing is in the fan, but it produces no audible bearing-y noises with intermittent use since I bought it.
That said, it's still a mechanical part, and will probably be the thing that dies first.
It's also ... nearly impossible to get to, being connected to the core structure that I'm not really eager to figure out how to remove.
While I don't LIKE the electronic control, it seems reliable enough, and the AC adapter is of fine enough quality to neither limit the product's lifespan or actively blow up the circuitry.
The UV LED is not really replaceable. It's buried deep in the chamber of the machine, and would require near complete disassembly to reach it, since it's mounted to a small protrusion that extends into the core module. If it wears out you're just not going to have UV function. Or just throw it away and buy a new one.
The night light in the base is just some 5v LED light tape run under the diffuser. This has modification potential. You can replace it with a different color, or just swap it if it burns out.
In short, this is basically a throwaway product. The moment anything at all goes wrong, you'll throw it in the trash and buy something else. It's so cheap that you won't even miss it when it goes.
Ironic that I'm participating in this same throw-away culture by buying this thing, and then berating the selfsame throwaway culture in an Amazon review.
The main redeeming factor is that the build quality seems good enough that the unit's inevitable death should take several years of constant use. Hopefully SOMEONE is still selling filters for it by then.
But you're not here to hear me whinge about the state of the world, you're here to see if I recommend you buy this product.
- Summary, Final Thoughts
I can comfortably recommend this little air purifier.
It's not going to purify your entire house, but it'll definitely clean up one room or office, and is small enough to bring between them. I deliberately chose a small one that I could take with me.
Build quality is perfectly adequate, it's energy-efficient, the AC adapter performs well and is sanely rated, and it subjectively looks good doing it.
It's not repairable, but it's built well enough that you should be able to get a reasonable several years' service life out of it before it inevitably ends up in a landfill, and SOMEONE should keep making aftermarket filters for it until that day comes.