Still little known in France, the Dutch brand Duux is nevertheless very active in the field of home equipment around air treatment, such as with air conditioning systems. auxiliary heating, air conditioners, humidifiers… and air purifiers.
At a time when the sunny days are returning and pollen is about to bother nearly one in three French people, according to ANSES (the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety ), an air purifier installed at home, or even in the office, can help protect yourself from the consequences of allergens. With its model called Sphere, due to its rounded design, Duux intends to offer a simple and effective purifier, suitable for small rooms.
Product rating: 4/5
- Design: 5/5
- Ergonomics: 4/5
- Features: 3/5
- Performance: 3.5/5
- Interview : 4/5
A growing market
Although it is extremely developed in Asian countries, the air purifier market only appeared in France for the general public around three years ago. The devices offered by manufacturers alternate between models with significant filtration capacity (for a large room, for example), and smaller equipment that can be dedicated to a single room in the house.
With or without ionizersucking in ambient air, filtering it then rejecting it, air purifiers rid the air of dust, pollen, particles, volatile gases, bad odors and VOCs (volatile organic compounds, the best known of which is formaldehyde) which can be found in particular in parquet glues and maintenance products.
Their use is particularly suitable if you are subject to certain allergies, such as in spring, or if you live in a potentially polluted area (for example near a major road or an airport), or even during heatwaves where the air loses quality.
A modern and refined design
The aptly named Sphere takes the shape of a large ball measuring 20 x 20 x 20 cm and weighs 860 grams. Available in black or white, the device can be separated into two parts, allowing access to the internal filter. While below Sphere are discreet cells which allow to suck in the air, its upper half, like a hat, will office of broadcaster. This part includes a deactivatable blue LED lighting. The device opens in two to provide access to its HEPA filter, but also a small receptacle that can contain essential oil. It plugs into the mains using a USB cable (provided).
Ergonomics that goes to the essentials
Minimalist in its design, Sphere is also minimalist in its use. Located at the back of the purifier, an On/Off button allows it to be activated. From then on, the device comes into operation and begins its purification process, while a blue light turns on under its upper dome. This light can be deactivated by additional pressure on the On/Off button.
Limited features, maybe a little too much
Dedicated to small rooms, the Sphere purifier has a CADR (Clean Air Distribution Rate) of 68 m3/hour. This is something that you absolutely must check when purchasing an air purifier. The higher the CADR, the more the device is able to perfectly and quickly filter the ambient air. Offering onlya single filtration speed, Sphere thus has a constant CADR, where other purifiers, at several speeds, have a CADR which can be increased. As it stands, Sphere can be recommended for rooms up to 10 m2. The device thus filters 68 m3 of air per hour.
Clever: Sphere has the good idea of integrating a essential oil diffuser. Simply add a few drops of product (not supplied) so that its essence is immediately diffused in the room where the air purifier is installed.
Finally, Sphere has a deactivatable night light, legitimizing its installation in a bedroom, moreover a child’s bedroom. This is a good point if we want to ensure the quality of the air that a baby will breathe, for example. This light is blue, impossible to change the color. It’s a shame that Duux did not see fit to provide a remote control with its purifier, which would have been very practical for turning the device on and off remotely.
Good performance, but in a small room
As we have seen, Sphere is sized for a small room: bedroom, office, and why not kitchen. We tested it for 10 days in a room, at night, and noticed that when we woke up, our noses were less blocked than usual. Note that the sound level emitted by Sphere is only 32 db(A), which is practically inaudible. Also tested in a small kitchen which cannot be properly ventilated, to remove cooking odors after a dinner, Sphere was quite effective: a good hour after it was started, there was no longer any odorous trace of the meal. prepared. A good point for this easy-to-use device which, according to its manufacturer, eliminates between 90% and 99.97% of pollutants.
Simple maintenance
Apart from its HEPA activated carbon filter which must be replaced, Sphere does not require any maintenance, apart from regular dusting of its coating. With a announced lifespan of up to 4500 hours, its filter can simply be replaced. Allow around fifteen euros for a new filter. This lifespan obviously varies depending on the use made of Sphere and the environment in which the purifier is installed.
The best alternatives to the Duux Sphere
There are different models of the Duux Sphere purifier vein on the market, but the low-cost models are not legion. Let us nevertheless mention the brand’s bedroom air purifier Sees it which, for a similar cost, offers three speeds and the possibility of diffusing essential oils.
For about double the price, the Philips 600 Series suitable for a room up to 44 m2 (with a CADR of 170 m3/h). This model is also connected, for more personalized control.
Conclusion
Benefiting from a very attractive selling price, the Duux Sphere air purifier obviously does not offer the performance of a high-end model – and necessarily more expensive. But this entry-level model with a pretty design can be perfectly suitable for a simple room with a area of around ten square meters, in which it will be effective to purify the ambient air, even eliminate unpleasant odors and undoubtedly help to better tolerate episodes of pollen, pollution and heat waves. We highly recommend it for a child’s bedroom.its silence and night light being real assets for this type of use.
Product rating: 4/5
Why trust us
Tech journalist for over 30 years having collaborated with numerous specialized and general public media, Christophe Séfrin tests a wide range of connected objects. It is through use that he understands all the equipment which it implements in a real situation, in order to better analyze their operation and their potential response to consumer expectations.
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