Molekule Air Mini+ Purifier Gains HomeKit Support, Now Available on Apple's Website for $500

[MacRumors]

Molekule today announced that its connected air purifier, the Air Mini+, now supports Apple HomeKit. Alongside the news, the Air Mini+ is also available to purchase on Apple.com and in Apple stores across North America, at a price of $499.95.

The Molekule Air Mini+ is designed for spaces of up to 250 square feet, and regulates pollutants in the air with its patented PECO Filter. The device filters and breaks down VOCs, bacteria, mold, viruses, allergens, and other pollutants.

Molekule said that the addition of Siri and HomeKit support enables users to accomplish quick and easy device setup, as well as control the air purifier from afar. The Air Mini+ can also be added into Apple's Home app, and set to automate alongside other HomeKit lights and accessories.

The purifier includes a six month filter, and additional filters are available for $75 on Molekule's website. You can find more information on the Molekule Air Mini+ on Apple.com as well, and it's available to order today.

Article Link: Molekule Air Mini+ Purifier Gains HomeKit Support, Now Available on Apple's Website for $500

 

[orbital~debris]

More HomeKit support is good to see, particularly for the important area of indoor air pollution. Would be interested to find out what AQ info/data Molekule are able to relay to the Home app, if any.

Now hoping that Dyson are aware of this and it spurs them to add HomeKit support for their Dyson Pure line of purifier fans.

 

[Regbial]

That's a nice minimalist painting... how does one go about painting something like that? Hmm.. 🤔

 

[doboy]

Sorry, but that doesn't look anywhere sufficient for a 250 sq ft. Maybe if it's blowing at max speed all the time. Likely enough for a bathroom size

 

[dmx]

The Worst Air Purifier We’ve Ever Tested

In this week's newsletter: The worst air purifier we've ever tested, plus the best new iPhone 11 cases.

www.nytimes.com

The Best Air Purifier

Get cleaner air in a range of room sizes with air purifiers we’ve tested and measured firsthand.

www.nytimes.com

"The Molekule Air turned in the worst performance on particulates of any purifier, of any size, of any price, that we have tested in the seven years that we have been producing this guide. The Air Mini outperformed it, but that’s not saying much: It still gave the second-worst performance we’ve ever seen."

 

[velcrovan]

Reminder that in June, Molekule had to retract nearly all of its advertising claims after an investigation, and is the worst-performing air purifier ever tested by The Wirecutter.

 

[Ron21]

isn't there a whole controversy with Molekule's air purification claims and it's not recommended?

 

[AngerDanger]

That's a nice minimalist painting... how does one go about painting something like that? Hmm.. 🤔

Step 1: cut a chunk of drywall out that sustained water damage.
Step 2: there is no step 2.

 

[vanillaboy]

The Worst Air Purifier We’ve Ever Tested

In this week's newsletter: The worst air purifier we've ever tested, plus the best new iPhone 11 cases.

www.nytimes.com

The Best Air Purifier

Get cleaner air in a range of room sizes with air purifiers we’ve tested and measured firsthand.

www.nytimes.com

I would recommend reading Molekule's response to this article. The gist of it is that Molekule's approach is different in that it's main function is to destroy, rather than trap particles, which the NY Times did not test for. I am not agreeing or disagreeing with either argument, I am just saying that it's not black and white.

 

[orbital~debris]

Step 1: cut a chunk of drywall out that sustained water damage.
Step 2: there is no step 2.

😄 This delivered in the dulcet tones (plus a light chuckle) of a certain Mr Goldblum, I would hope?

 

[Trik]

"Perhaps most notably, in its final recommendation in the appeal report, NARB wrote that Molekule’s long-standing claim to be “‘Finally, an air purifier that actually works,’ is not supported and should be discontinued.”

Molekule agreed."

That should say everything anyone ever needs to know about this air purifier. I'm actually ashamed Apple is selling it in their store.

 

[Makosuke]

I've gotta admit, while I've seen the utility of a Homekit-integrated thermostat, and I can imagine situations where lighting could be useful, I'm having trouble seeing the value in an air purifier. I guess if it has a really good sensor you can track the air quality in your house so you know whether it's doing its job or something?

Reminder that in June, Molekule had to retract nearly all of its advertising claims after an investigation, and is the worst-performing air purifier ever tested by The Wirecutter.

Ahh, wait, I guess tracking whether it's actually cleaning the air is more important than I thought. Who cares if it's got fancy cloud integration skills if it can't actually clean air?

 

[newphone22]

what an expensive home decor!

 

[titusm]

150 $ every year for filters - this is a luxury good.

 

[Trik]

I would recommend reading Molekule's response to this article. The gist of it is that Molekule's approach is different in that it's main function is to destroy, rather than trap particles, which the NY Times did not test for. I am not agreeing or disagreeing with either argument, I am just saying that it's not black and white.

They had every opportunity to prove it works. They appealed, had more chances and still couldn't prove it works. The guy that sells Snake Oil also says you can't test it the way you test other things... you need another device that he also sells to test it.

 

[jicon]

Very similar looking to the trash can Mac Pro. $150 a year for a product with poor performance? Inclined to just keep using a Home enabled outlet with a good air purifier for the time being.

 

[w5jck]

The Molukule Air is way too physically small to be of much use. The laws a physics should prove that well enough. I think most of the so-called air purifiers, especially the ionizers, are just false advertising. They are basically overpriced fans with a so-so filter in many cases, and in many other cases just BS ionizers that don't do much at all. But if the manufacturer tells us how great it is with a slick marketing campaign and puts a ridiculous price on it, then fools will line up to buy it.

 

[Apple-is-Cool]

If you really need a high end HEPA filtration system I highly recommend the IQAir HealthPro Plus. Swiss made and reliable. I've been running mine 24/7 for the past 10 years. Add a HomeKit plug and you can control it from your Home app.

 

[chachawpi]

What kind of first world crap is this?

 

[saxon48]

Coway Airmega or bust (I believe there's also a "smart" model somewhere in their lineup, if you desire).

 

[sub150]

I would recommend reading Molekule's response to this article. The gist of it is that Molekule's approach is different in that it's main function is to destroy, rather than trap particles, which the NY Times did not test for. I am not agreeing or disagreeing with either argument, I am just saying that it's not black and white.

How does one destroy particles? That would be quite the invention!!

 

[Aichon]

I would recommend reading Molekule's response to this article. The gist of it is that Molekule's approach is different in that it's main function is to destroy, rather than trap particles, which the NY Times did not test for. I am not agreeing or disagreeing with either argument, I am just saying that it's not black and white.

While Molekule initially defended itself, that defense later fell apart after a branch of the Better Business Bureau that reviews claims in ads started investigating their claims and found nearly all of them to be false. Molekule eventually agreed to back off on virtually every claim of substance that they had previously made. The poster above linked the first two Wirecutter articles that covered Molekule, but didn't link to the two later ones that are more pertinent:

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/watchdog-rejects-molekule-air-purifier-claims/
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/molekule-retracts-most-of-its-advertising-claims/

To say the least, I'd consider it overpriced at any price.

 

[orbital~debris]

To all the naysayers… indoor air pollution is a thing and it can have an impact on health.

Just look at emissions from common sources such as particleboard furniture & laminate flooring (formaldehyde), vinyl floor covering (phthalates) gas hobs and things like artificially fragranced air fresheners (volatile organic compounds).

Some air purifiers can and do trap these pollutants. They can also help people with allergies, making air in their homes less likely to trigger their symptoms.

 

[jarman92]

Reminder that in June, Molekule had to retract nearly all of its advertising claims after an investigation, and is the worst-performing air purifier ever tested by The Wirecutter.

Came here to say the same thing 😂

 

[icanhazmac]

I've gotta admit, while I've seen the utility of a Homekit-integrated thermostat, and I can imagine situations where lighting could be useful, I'm having trouble seeing the value in an air purifier.

I struggled with this at first when the air filter I have in my office came out with a new model that (not HomeKit) has an app to control it and set schedules. After considering it I thought that if I had that function I would set a rule to have it run at full speed overnight and in quiet mode during the work day. First world I know but still useful.