Most air purifiers take the form of a white or beige cylinder, and while there is nothing wrong with this tried and tested design — it is unobtrusive and blends with a range of home decors — it does not offer much to those who prefer something with more artistic flair.
RabbitAir is among a handful of companies that go off the beaten path, offering air purifiers with bold and colorful designs. Its latest creation, the RabbitAir A3 air purifier, also known as MinusA3, could be its best to date.
According to the brand, the RabbitAir A3 is the most powerful and least noisy air purifier in its range, able to cover up to 1,070 square feet (99 square meters) and filter 8,560 cubic feet (242 cubic meters) of air in 30 minutes. The RabbitAir A3 air purifier comes in 10 color options, not including special editions, and offers five different filters, a wealth of smart features, and a generous 5-year warranty.
The RabbitAir A3 has the potential to land in our guides to the best air purifiers and best air purifiers for allergies. But is its high cost justified? To find out, we put this air purifier through a series of performance tests. Here is our take on the features, design and ease of use of the RabbitAir A3 air purifier.
RabbitAir A3 air purifier review
RabbitAir A3: Design
- Multiple color options to choose from
- Customized filters
- User-friendly design
- Light and compact build
Key specs
Dimensions (inches): (H) 19.7 x (W) 18.9 x (D) 8.4
Weight: 20.3 lbs (9.2 kg)
Filters: Pre-Filter, Medium Filter, Activated Carbon Charcoal Filter, BioGS HEPA filter, Customized Filter
Negative ions generator: Yes
Max noise: 51 dBA
Max power use: 60 watts
Coverage: 1,070 sq ft
Modes: Auto mode, 5 fan speeds
Timer: Yes
Colors: 10, plus special editions
Warranty: 5 years
Energy Star Certified: Yes
Smart features: App control
The RabbitAir A3 air purifier is easy to personalize, with a whopping 10 color options (and that does not account for any of the special editions) and a choice of four customized filters, namely Germ Defense, Pet Allergy, Toxin Absorber and Odor Remover. This is a big brownie point for us: as we mentioned before, it is not common to see such a wide array of options when buying an air purifier. In this review, we tested the A3 in the Vase of Flowers color option, with the Odor Remover customized filter — and we were impressed by its design.
To start with, the RabbitAir A3 air purifier looks nothing short of beautiful. The artwork on the front panel is vibrant and detailed and comes with an elegant matte finish that reduces glare. The sleek, rectangular display is bright and easy to read, and the “mood light” below it — which can be purple, blue, green or a combination of the three — adds a nice finishing touch. You can switch the mood light off or keep it on, with the possibility of having it switched off automatically at night.
The design of RabbitAir A3 is also very user-friendly. This air purifier is quite light and compact, yet stable enough to, for example, survive an encounter with a curious pet. The front panel that covers the filters can be easily removed thanks to a magnetic fixture, but at no point during our testing did it accidentally detach from the unit. Also, if the front panel is removed when the A3 is running, the purifier will immediately switch itself off.
Unlike many models on the market, the RabbitAir A3 can also be mounted on a wall. All the necessary fittings come in the box, alongside detailed step-by-step instructions. Keeping an air purifier off the ground may be useful for those short on floor space, households with small children, and pet owners.
We also liked its touch-sensitive display. It tells us all essential information about the purifier, including when to clean the Pre-Filter, when to replace the other filters, the strength of the Wi-Fi signal and air quality in the room (in the form of an easy-to-understand dot indicator, with one dot being the worst, four dots being excellent).
The industry has taken notice, too — this sleek air purifier has won the prestigious Red Dot Design and IF Design awards and has been certified Asthma & Allergy Friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
There are several downsides to the design of the A3, though. First, the lack of handles, wheels, or any other fixture that would increase the portability of the purifier. We found moving the A3 from room to room to be quite a hassle, mostly due to the sheer width of the unit. Second, the cost of the replacement filters — $115.95 for the whole kit. In all fairness, the filters are said to last at least a year with continuous use, which is above the industry standard. However, the cost of replacing the filters in the A3 is far greater than what is offered by the competitors. Lastly, the cost. RabbitAir A3 comes with steep price tags of $749.95 and $769.95, depending on the color option.
RabbitAir A3: Features
- Five different filters, including one of your choice
- Negative ions generator
- Auto mode plus five fan speeds
- App control
The RabbitAir A3 air purifier features five different filters:
- Pre-filter that traps large-sized allergens, such as dust mites, pet hair and pollen.
- Medium Filter that traps airborne particles larger than 1 micron, such as pollen, pet dander allergens and dust particles.
- Activated carbon charcoal filter that removes cooking odors, exhaust fumes, pet odors, tobacco smoke and other volatile compounds.
- BioGS HEPA filter that “builds and improves on the traditional HEPA” to “reduce common allergens and bacteria trapped on the filter to support optimum filter efficiency”. According to the brand, it can trap particles less than 0.1 microns in size with over 99% efficiency.
- Customized filter to suit personal needs. These include Germ Defense, a filter designed to “trap airborne bacteria, mold spores and particles that carry viruses,” Toxin Absorber, a filter that reduces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals, Pet Allergy filter for removing pet dander allergens, and Odor Remover for reducing odors from pets, cigarettes, cooking and more.
The appliance also comes with an air quality sensor and negative ion generator — a device that releases tiny odorless molecules that latch onto airborne particles to weigh them down, enabling the purifier to trap them more easily.
The RabbitAir A3 features an auto mode, which adjusts the fan speed based on air quality readings, and five fan speeds when on a manual mode. The purifier can be controlled directly via the interface or remotely with the RabbitAir app.
Using the app gives you access to additional features, such as a child lock, timer and the ability to set detailed schedules. We liked the app for its simplicity, intuitive controls, and seamless connectivity, and we preferred it to the manual settings.
RabbitAir A3: Performance
RabbitAir A3 truly impressed us with its day-to-day performance. This air purifier made the air in the home easier to breathe, without making excessive noise or requiring much maintenance. It did a particularly good job of removing cooking odors and cleaning chemical smells. However, since most air pollution can not be detected with human senses alone, we carefully assessed the A3’s purifying power using an industrial-grade air particle monitor.
First, we conducted an ambient test, measuring air quality before and after running the air purifier on the auto mode. After 15 minutes, the A3 removed 65% of particles measuring 2.5 microns, and 61% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. After 30 minutes, these values had gone up to 93% and 88% respectively. No 10-micron particles were detected at any stage. When we repeated the test in a different room, we obtained similarly good results.
Then we challenged the A3 to match smoke. We measured the air quality before and after burning 10 matches, then ran the air purifier on auto mode. It only took 15 minutes to clear the air of particles measuring 10 microns and reduce the 2.5- and 0.3-micron particles by a whopping 98.9%. After half an hour, all particles above 2.5 microns were removed, and the tiniest of particles were lowered by an impressive 99.8%. When we repeated the match test on the highest fan mode, the A3 removed all pollution in just 15 minutes.
Lastly, we pitched RabbitAir A3 against incense smoke. We measured the air quality before and after burning five incense sticks, then ran the air purifier on auto mode. After 15 minutes, the A3 removed 98% of particles measuring more than 2.5 microns and 98.5% of 0.3-micron particles. After 30 minutes, the air returned to the ambient state. And just like with match smoke, the A3 had fully dealt with air pollution in 15 minutes on its highest fan setting.
We also measured the noise generated by the A3 with a decibel-counting app. On its lower setting, when you can barely hear the purifier working, the A3 remained below 20 dB. On its highest setting, we clocked 43 dB — equivalent to background noise in an office. The gentle hum generated by the A3 was unobtrusive and easy on the ears.
RabbitAir A3: The good
There is plenty to like about the RabbitAir A3 air purifier. It combines powerful air-purifying abilities, sleek design, and intuitive controls, all packed into one compact unit that can be placed on the floor or mounted on a wall.
This air purifier would be a particular treat for those in favor of unique, artistic appliances. With A3 designs, you can spruce up your living room with Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, ponder on the iconic waves by Katsushika Hokusai, or brighten up your child’s room with Peanuts characters. The RabbitAir A3 will surely be a talking point in your home.
RabbitAir A3: The bad
It is impossible to talk about the A3’s downsides without mentioning the elephant in the room: the high price. The air purifier itself will send you back a hefty $749.95, with replacement filters adding a further $115.95 to your annual bill. This makes RabbitAir A3 one of the most expensive air purifiers we have tested. Moreover, the unit can be tricky to move around. It has no handles or ridges that would increase its portability, and its width makes it difficult to hold.
RabbitAir A3: User reviews
The RabbitAir A3 scores an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars on the RabbitAir website, with users raving about its design, performance, and ease of use. Many buyers said that this air purifier helped them manage their asthma and allergy symptoms, with one user commenting, “What a machine!! My husband suffers terribly from allergies and the cost of pills and nose spray was just getting beyond a joke. […] I persuaded my husband to order the A3 just to give it a whirl because we were spending around $650.00 a year on his medication. It took about a week of the A3 going but since then my husband has not once used his spray or pills. We are beyond blown away.” Several reviews also mentioned caring and knowledgeable customer service from the RabbitAir. Negative reviews are few and far between, and they mostly cited the high cost of the air purifier, and that it does not seem to remove heavy smells.
Amazon‘s customer reviews place the A3 at an equally impressive 4.7 out of 5 stars rating. Positive reviews praised this air purifier for its quiet, excellent performance, ease of use and stylish design, even despite the steep price tag. As one user commented, “It seems to work flawlessly and really moves the air in the room despite being so quiet. 5 stars for performance but if I were being totally fair it would be 3 stars because of the price. However, I chose to spend that money so that’s on me. At least it was money well spent!”
Should you buy the RabbitAir A3 air purifier?
If you are looking for an air purifier that excels at removing air pollutants, you will not regret investing in the A3. This sleek-looking machine harbors a real beast of a performance, without being too noisy, requiring a lot of maintenance or putting a strain on the energy bill. It is also one of the few appliances on the market that can be mounted on a wall.
However, the RabbitAir A3 air purifier does require a hefty upfront investment, and its filter replacements are on the expensive side, too. Moreover, it may be a bit difficult to move from room to room, due to a lack of handles and other portability features.
If this product isn’t for you
The Levoit Core 600S air purifier boasts excellent performance and a wealth of smart features, but will not drain your budget nearly as much as the A3. True, the 600S may not offer any bold artistic designs, but its toned-down colors and rounded edges mean it will fit in with most home decor.
But if you do not mind splashing out on a top design, check out the Dyson Purifier Cool. This modern-looking appliance offers excellent performance and superb connectivity, and it doubles as a cooling fan for when the temperatures get scorching.
RabbitAir A3: How we tested
We spent over a week testing the RabbitAir A3 air purifier, assessing its performance, design, ease of use, portability and connectivity with third-party devices. We also checked the cost and availability of its replacement filters and measured how loud it is on different settings using a decibel-counting app.
Lastly, we conducted a series of performance tests using an air particle monitor, an industry-grade piece of equipment capable of detecting air pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. We started with an ambient air quality test, where we measured the air quality before and after running the air purifier on its auto mode for 15 and 30 minutes. Next, we performed a series of smoke tests, where we burned matches and incense sticks, and then ran the Rabbit Air3 on different settings for 15 and 30 minutes to see how it handles heavy air pollution.
