Oreck XL Tower Electrostatic Precipitator Air Purifier Review
The Oreck XL Tower electrostatic air purifier is an electronic air cleaner that uses a series of electronically charged plates that they call the Truman Cell to clean the air. The Truman Cell is a permanent filter that requires cleaning by the user and is much smaller than the plates in the Friedrich C90B. Since the Oreck XL purifier has a tower design, it has a relatively small footprint that fits better within a smaller sized room. The Oreck XL tower air purifier also features an Oxygenator that they claim “converts harmful ozone into breathable oxygen”. Oreck does not list specifications on their web site that relate to the amount of ozone that is produced by the tower air purifier so we are not able to make a comparison on this safety item with other air purifier models.
Approximate Price: $599
Overall Air Cleaner Rating: 6.25/10
- Ease of Use Rating: 1 out of 2. The Oreck XL tower air purifier has a simple user interface with push button controls. Operation choices include fan speed, a night light and a filter check. 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: 1 out of 2. The Oreck XL tower air purifier has an average air flow rating of 150 cfm (cubic feet per minute). Tower air purifiers typically have lower air flow ratings than a box style air purifier due to a reduced filter surface area with the tower air purifier.
- Filter Efficiency: 2.25 out of 3. The Oreck XL air purifier performed very well in removing airborne particles in each pass when compared to other electronic air cleaners. When measured against all air purifiers the Oreck tower performed in the top 25%.
- Consumer Feedback: 2 out of 3. For a strong brand name like Oreck, we were surprised to find few reviews for the Oreck XL air purifier. Epinions had a few reviews and consumers either love this air purifier or hate it. The favorable reviews read like the Oreck marketing copy with positive reviews on the Truman Cell and its ability to remove airborne particles particularly dust. Customers found the ordering process easy and the tower air purifier was simple to set up and turn on. The negative reviews read just the opposite with frustration over cleaning the Truman Cell every week or two. Customers wash the filter with water however it must be totally dry before it can be placed back in the air purifier so there is downtime where the Oreck tower air purifier is not doing any air cleaning.
See how the Oreck XL Tower Air Purifier compares to the listing of top rated air purifiers.