Oreck ProShield Air Purifier Review
Review updated December 2009.
The ProShield air purifier is Oreck’s latest electronic air cleaner and replaces the Oreck XL air purifier model. The Oreck ProShield air purifier uses the Truman Cell to capture airborne particles in the electronically charged plates. The Truman Cell is a permanent filter also known as a filter-less air filter that requires cleaning by the user and the plates in the ProShield have less surface area than the Oreck tower air purifier so the room coverage is smaller. The Oreck ProShield air purifier can lay flat or stand up giving the user some options in how they want to display the air purifier. With measurements of 10.5” by 18”, this air purifier is much smaller than most other air purifiers. Oreck does not list the air flow ratings for the ProShield air purifier on their web site however they do state it can clean a 12’x18’ room twice per hour. For allergy or asthma relief we suggest an air purifier clean a room four times per hour so that would translate into the Oreck ProShield having an effective cleaning coverage rating for a 9’x12’ room – that’s a very tiny bedroom. Oreck does not list specifications on their web site that relate to the amount of ozone that is produced by the ProShield air purifier so we are not able to make a comparison on this safety item with other air purifier model reviews.
Approximate Price: $349
Overall Air Cleaner Rating: 4.75/10
- Ease of Use Rating: 1 out of 2. The Oreck ProShield air purifier has a simple user interface with push button controls. Operation choices include fan speed and a filter clean check. These controls are easily accessible whether the air purifier is positioned upright or on its side. The electrostatic plates require cleaning in order for the air purifier to operate at its peak efficiency and this can become a chore compared to a maintenance free air purifier.
- Air Flow: 0.5 out of 2. Oreck does not publish the amount of air that is pushed through the ProShield air purifier. From their room coverage positioning we can estimate the air flow to be approximately 80 cfm (cubic feet per minute) which is quite low. A low air flow will result in a quieter air purifier but in our testing, this generally translates into a smaller room coverage. While the coverage is small the purifier is quiet.
- Filter Efficiency: 1.5 out of 3. The ProShield was somewhat of a disappointment after the results we observed with the Oreck tower air purifier. The larger tower air purifier did a better job in particle removal in our test lab but the ProShield was still able to deliver average results when compared to other air purifier models.
- Consumer Feedback Review: 1.75 out of 3. We were surprised to find very few independent reviews for the Oreck air purifier models but this is likely due to Oreck maintaining a very tight control over distribution of its air purifiers. Similar to the Oreck XL tower air purifier, the positive reviews read very similar to the ad copy that Oreck presents. This may be by coincidence and a reflection of the power of the Oreck informercials and marketing. Many customers purchase the Oreck due to not having to replace the filters (ie filter-less air purifier). We found the most reviews at Amazon for the Oreck XL model that is the predecessor for the Oreck ProShield air purifier. The average review is 3 out of 5 stars and that places it in the lower 50% or reviewed air purifiers. The negative reviews can be quite lengthy with strong emotions regarding a loud buzzing and zapping noise “that can be quite annoying”. Overall we found most reviewers passionate on both the positive and negative side with a nearly even mix of each. Given the consumer concerns, if you are sold on an Oreck air purifier we would suggest the Oreck tower air purifier.
See how the Oreck ProShield compares to the review of top rated air purifiers.