Last year, Sharper Image settled a class-action lawsuit which alleged that the company misled customers about the effectiveness of their Ionic Breeze air purifiers. Sharper Image agreed to offer $19 merchandise credits to each of their 3.2 million customers who’ve bought an Ionic Breeze air purifier since May 6, 1999. The company also agreed to pay $1.875 million in legal fees to settle the case.
Like other ionic air purifiers, the Ionic Breeze emits ozone. Ozone is a lung irritant that can actually cause allergy and asthma attacks!
Consumer Reports initiated Sharper Image’s downward spiral by publishing several negative reviews of the Ionic Breeze air cleaner.
Yesterday, Sharper Image filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to CCN Money. They’re currently seeking a loan to continue operating, and they have plans to close 60 of their 183 stores.
If you have allergies or asthma, stay away from ionic air cleaners; instead, choose a HEPA air purifier.
Learn more with the Air Purifier Buying Guide.
I just realized I have this ionic breeze in my child's room. He has asthma. I did not hear about the class action lawsuit until now when I called to return another product I purchased thru sharper image. What do I do? am I stuck with it. I will not use it anymore. Please help
Elsa,
I've researched this quite a bit, and unfortunately I don't think there is much you can do at this point. The lawsuit offered a pittance in terms of compensation ($19), with the units retailing for as much as 10x the settlement amount. I have been unable to find anything current on the state of the lawsuit.
However, considering the number of units sold, the small amount of compensation to be dispensed, the fact that the Sharper Image was dealing with multiple lawsuits and that the company went bankrupt and sold all of it's assets shortly thereafter, there is likely nothing left in the settlement fund. The new company has essentially washed their hands of mess created by the original Sharper Image.
I would cut your losses and simply discard the machine. There are a variety of inexpensive HEPA air purifiers that can be found.
A Sharper Image salesman sold me an Ionic Breeze unit. I paid over $200 and had no improvements in my health as promised by this salesman. I have had respiratory problems related to the dusty air in my NYC apartment which is why I tried this unit in the 1st place. I guess I got taken.
Karl,
Sorry to hear that. Though the original incarnation of the Ionic Breeze has been rightfully sent to the scrapyard, a reworked model, including a few fans and other tweaks was designed and sold after the bankruptcy I believe another company bought the brand name. Unfortunately, there remains a glut of cheap air purifiers or models that promise far more than they can deliver. HEPA style/HEPA like are common, as are systems that lack seals or those that are simply designed and built to pass a test like AHAM's CADR without actually doing much for the user under real life conditions. Inferior materials, poor design and sales pitches that promise a miracle and deliver a mud pie abound.