If you worry about catching germs in your enclosed car space, the Steriluxe Aire Mini could be a good buy. I say could because we can't exactly test how much filtering is being done without a lab, but our normal tests show it can clean the air around it somewhat. This small purifier is meant for spaces that are 10m².
Quick specs
- HEPA filter that catches 99.7% airborne particles
- Odour neutralisation with carbon layer
- UV-C air disinfection
The Aire Mini will automatically switch modes if it detects poor air quality. There's no button to press. It's simple enough to use, I guess. At max performance, it's a bit loud, especially in a small space like a car. My Apple Watch measured it at around 70dB. You can swap out the HEPA filter inside for a new one after a few months. The Aire Mini LED light will switch between blue (excellent air quality), yellow (good air quality), and red (poor air quality). I've never seen it at blue in a normal setting, even when I placed the air purifier on top of say, the very good LG PuriCare Air Purifier Pet Mode with Clean Booster. Sadly, because it's relatively simple, there are no notifications to let you know when you need to change the filter.
Opening up the Aire Mini to change the filter is easy. Just twist the top part and it comes apart. The HEPA filter is easy to take out and swap. You can also try to clean the insides while you're at it. Honestly, after two weeks in the car, there wasn't much dirt. The size of the Aire Mini means that it sits in a cupholder easily. It does take up one slot, though. That means someone will have to hold their bubble tea in hand since most cars have two cupholders in the centre.
The Aire Mini comes with UV-C and Anion functions. The former allows it to kill germs and bacteria (we can't really test this), while the latter is supposed to remove odours and allergens. To see if this feature works, I sprayed some air freshener near my Sensibo Elements detector, then loaded up my app to monitor the air quality. After that, I turned on the Mini Aire to see if the air quality improved. The results show that air quality did improve after that, with TVOC also dropping.
At S$158, the Steriluxe Aire Mini is expensive for its size. You can get a full-sized air purifier for around that price from Xiaomi. To be fair, you can't fit a full-sized purifier into a car. My tests show that it works somewhat, but it can be loud when it's working at full blast. I don't think you need it for your car, but if you're a private hire driver, and want to feel safer, then get it from Steriluxe.
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