Rating:

- There doesn’t seem to be much difference between the 582A and the lower-coverage 421A, except for the calibrated fan speeds. If you don’t intend to run the unit “full-tilt”, or if noise is a concern, you’re better off saving the extra 70$ and buying the 421A.

- The “auto” mode seems to be of dubious value, and will significantly reduce the coverage area of the unit, because it relies on the on-board sensors to adjust fan speed, and they can’t sample air quality over the entire advertised coverage area unless the unit is on very high. You can test this yourself by hitting the “turbo” button — the dust/odor sensor will spike as the unit pulls in more air. You’ll be better off to manually set the fan to the highest setting that you find acceptable (noise-wise), and purchasing multiple units for coverage. See my previous comments about the 421A.

- The “odor” sensor seems to be possessed. I assume the manufacturer is using some sort of an industrial chemical sensor, so it goes off at mysterious times for mysterious reasons. Unfortunately, it can’t be disabled (easily). You’ll notice this feature is missing from the new microA2 model.

- My 582A shakes at low fan speed, no doubt because of an imbalance in the internal fan (which is oddly somewhat off-center). This problem is entirely cosmetic, as the unit makes no additional noise as a result, but the shaking is oddly disconcerting and wouldn’t exist if the fan’s axis was at the center of the unit.

The good stuff;

- For the money, you would be hard pressed to buy a similar device.

- The five year warranty is exceptional, although the unit is of such simple design, its hard to imagine anything breaking or wearing out.

- The multistage filtration system is well conceived, filter life is excellent, and replacement costs are low.

- When run at an appropriate speed with a reasonable coverage area, the unit is quiet and power efficient.

- It will actually remove many household odors, despite the oddities of the sensor.

Rating:

The new Oreck Tower Pro XL was first. It was an amazing product, made the entire area smell fresh and the turbo mode is powerful like a rocket. Why did I return it? After a month or so, it started to *hum* in an annoying oscillating way.

Then I tried the Friedrich C-90B. The ugliest unit by far, looks like it was designed in 1970. But it worked great. Why did I return it? After a week it started to *rattle*, the fan blades hitting.

Then I tried the Alen A375. I was impressed, it had a low-tech remote control, seemed advanced compared to the Friendrich but still a dull white color. Why did I return it? It was weak, didn’t purify the air or deodorize, and the fan vented air straight up.

So then I found out about this Rabbit, and purchased one. It is by far the most impressive looking unit, Lighted display, high-tech remote, beautifully designed. The good news is its function is as advanced as its features. While the vent is upwards, it is angled so that the entire room gets a blast of fresh purified air. The 4 speeds are perfect, from silent to turbo. The filters are huge, and inexpensive. And it works as good as it looks.

I had some dust on a tv stand from construction work in the area. I blew the dust off, and for the first time, I saw the display light up warning of *bad air*. That is how sensitive it is. After a few minutes, the display warning went down and back to normal.

This is the unit that does it all, does it quietly, and does it while looking great.