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Air purifiers can make a whole lot of difference to the air quality indoors and are particularly useful for those with seasonal allergies or certain respiratory conditions. There is only one problem — these appliances, as clever and functional as they are, are also a major source of plastic pollution and packaging waste. This is the issue that the IQAir Atem Earth is trying to solve. It is the most eco-friendly appliance we have ever tested, by a mile.
The IQAir Atem Earth is the first air purifier made with sustainably sourced beech wood and a paint-free finish, and unlike most, if not all, other appliances on the market, it is designed to last 25 years. To put that into perspective, most air purifiers come with just a two-year guarantee.
The IQAir Atem Earth is also Energy Star-certified. According to the brand, this air purifier can clean the air in rooms measuring up to 1,460 square feet (135 square meters) while using just 50 watts of power at the maximum fan speed. Again, most appliances of this size and power would use way more energy. The cherry on top? This air purifier is equipped with a HyperHEPA filtration system that “uses five times less plastic than conventional air purifiers.”
IQAir Atem Earth air purifier review
IQAir Atem Earth: Design
- Exceptionally elegant, sustainable design
- Designed to last 25 years
- Surprisingly light and portable
Key specs
Dimensions (in): 13.5 x 24 (W x H)
Dimensions (cm): 34.3 x 61 (W x H)
Weight: 17.2 lbs (7.8 kg)
Coverage: Up to 1,460 square feet (135 square meters)
CADR: 390 CFM
Fan speeds: Six
Auto mode: Yes
Max noise: 56 dB
Ionizer: No
Smart features: App control
Energy Star-certified: Yes
Warranty: 10-year warranty and 25-year maintenance and repairability guarantee
The first thing we noticed about the IQAir Atem Earth was its minimalist wooden design. This tower air purifier is exceptionally elegant, and would not look out of place in the office of the CEO of a million-dollar company. This is a big plus point for us. Most household appliances look like rectangular white boxes and can really clash with some of the more stylish interiors. The IQAir Atem Earth, on the other hand, is very easy on the eye.
The next thing we noticed was how surprisingly portable it was. This is quite a big appliance: it measures 24 inches (61 centimeters) in height and 13.5 inches (34 cm) in diameter, but it only weighs 17.2 pounds (7.8 kg) and comes with a big handle. We found it easy to move it around with just one hand.
That does not mean the IQAir Atem Earth is a fragile piece of kit — quite the opposite. Both the wooden body and the touchscreen control panel at the top of the unit feel quite durable and scratch-resistant. We did not see any wear-and-tear damage after a month of intense testing.
It is also worth noting that this air purifier is backed by a generous 10-year warranty and a 25-year maintenance and repairability guarantee. This is another big plus point for us. Most household appliances are designed, consciously or not, to be discarded within a few years of purchase. The IQAir Atem Earth, on the other hand, is meant to be maintained and repaired for more than two decades.
Specs-wise, the IQAir Atem Earth is equipped with a HyperHEPA filter capable of removing up to 99.5% of particles measuring as little as 0.003 microns, as well as an activated carbon filter that helps reduce unpleasant odors and VOCs (volatile organic compounds, such as potentially harmful gases from paints and varnishes). In contrast, a regular HEPA filter can “only” capture 0.3-micron particles at 99.97% efficiency. As these are premium filters, they unfortunately do come at a premium price. The replacement costs $99 — two to three times more than you would pay for a typical HEPA-carbon combo.
Overall, we liked the design of the IQAir Atem Earth, even despite the pricey filter replacements — with one small exception. We noticed that this air purifier produced a weird smell when we ran it for the first time. It was not too pungent or nauseating, true, but it was distracting nonetheless. In all fairness, though, this smell did dissipate completely after a few days.
IQAir Atem Earth: Features
- Six fan speeds and an auto mode
- Basic smart features
- Underwhelming air quality monitoring
The IQAir Atem Earth features six manually adjusted fan speeds and an auto mode in which the air purifier adjusts the fan speed based on its real-time air quality readings. These settings can be controlled either with the touchscreen buttons located at the top of the unit or remotely via the IQAir AirVisual app. The app is also where you can monitor air quality data, control fan speeds, set schedules and track filter life.
That is pretty much it when it comes to features. The IQAir Atem Earth can’t be synced with smart home assistants or other household appliances, it does not respond to voice commands, nor does it have a “welcome home” mode so you can schedule it to turn on 15 minutes before you arrive home. This is pretty disappointing given that many air purifiers at much lower price points do offer such advanced smart features.
The IQAir Atem Earth’s air quality monitoring is also underwhelming. It measures just two metrics, the indoor/outdoor AQI (Air Quality Index, a general measure of air pollution) and PM2.5 (airborne particles that are 2.5 microns in diameter). True, both of these data points are meticulously tracked over time and you can see in the app how they drop and spike on neatly presented graphs, but we would expect much more from an air purifier that costs nearly a grand.
To put all this into perspective, the Molekule Air Pro — an air purifier that costs a whopping $1,014 — tracks not only AQI and PM2.5, but also PM1.0 (airborne particles that are 1 micron in diameter, such as certain microbes and tiny combustion particles), PM10 (airborne particles larger than 10 microns, such as dust and hair), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), relative humidity and carbon dioxide levels. Not only that, but it analyzes the trends over time and alerts you to the biggest air quality “offenders” in your home.
As such, the functionality of the IQAir Atem Earth is somewhat limited. For example, it may not be informative enough for people with certain allergies and respiratory conditions, or simply those who like to keep a close eye on the air pollution levels. Again, for an air purifier at such a premium price, this is a huge oversight.
IQAir Atem Earth: Performance
- Quiet and unobtrusive
- Excellent air-cleaning performance
- Relatively low energy consumption
The IQAir Atem Earth impressed us with its sensitive air quality sensors and great day-to-day performance. This air purifier swiftly kicked into action every time we used cleaning products, sprayed cosmetics or fried something on the stove, efficiently cleaning the air and removing odors.
What is more, it was not particularly noisy for an appliance of this size and power. We could barely hear the IQAir Atem Earth working when it operated at the lowest fan speed (which was most of the time). Understandably, it was much noisier at the highest fan setting — when we measured the sound levels using a Sound Meter decibel-counting app, we noted around 55 dB. That is equivalent to the sound of a normal conversation or music playing in the background. However, we did not find it disruptive or annoying as we did with some other large air purifiers we tested.
The IQAir Atem Earth did seem to work well for us, but it was up to our Perfect Prime air particle monitor to determine its overall air-cleaning performance. This industry-grade device is capable of detecting airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns — these include super-tiny irritants, such as dust mite allergens, tobacco smoke particles and certain bacteria, for example. We use this air particle monitor to test all of the air purifiers that land in our hands.
We started with an ambient air quality test. We placed the IQAir Atem Earth in our medium-sized living room, locked the doors and windows, then measured the air quality before and after running this air purifier on its auto settings for 30 minutes. The results were promising. It removed 69% of particles measuring 0.3 microns and 77% of pollutants measuring 2.5 microns (no 10-micron particles were detected), and since both the air purifier and air particle monitor already indicated good air quality at the time of testing, it is fair to say it was quite a significant drop.
Then, we moved on to the smoke tests. We began by burning a handful of matches, then running the IQAir Atem Earth for 30 minutes on its auto setting. The air purifier hoovered up 99.8% of 0.3-micron particles, 99.9% of particles measuring 2.5 microns, and all the pollutants larger than 10 microns. When we repeated the match test on the highest fan speed setting, the air quality after 30 minutes was better than when we started.
Next, we burned a handful of incense sticks and repeated the procedure. The IQAir Atem Earth removed nearly all particles after 30 minutes on auto mode, and just like in the match test, the air quality was better than our baseline readings after we cranked this air purifier up to the highest fan setting. All in all, we have no qualms about the air-cleaning performance of the IQAir Atem Earth.
Last, but not least, the energy use. This air purifier is Energy Star-certified and, according to the brand, it uses only 50 watts when at the maximum fan speed. This sounds about right — we did not notice any significant spikes in our electricity consumption during the testing period. For an appliance of this size and power, such energy efficiency is no mean feat.
IQAir Atem Earth: User reviews
At the time of writing this review, there were not enough online reviews available to give us a good sense of general user feedback (the IQAir Atem Earth had only been on the market for around four months and was exclusively available through the IQAir website). However, the few initial testimonials we saw were largely positive.
Should you buy the IQAir Atem Earth air purifier?
The IQAir Atem Earth hits the sweet spot with its exceptionally stylish design, excellent air-cleaning performance and novel take on appliance sustainability. We think this air purifier is a worthy addition to any medium to large living room or home office, and it will definitely keep its pride of place in ours. However, we just can’t hide our disappointment at its basic functionality and underwhelming app features. We would expect way more from an air purifier at such a high price point.
✅ Buy it if: You are looking for a beautifully crafted, unobtrusive air purifier for a stylish living room or home office.
❌ Do not buy it if: You are an air quality data geek or want something smaller and less powerful.
If the IQAir Atem Earth air purifier is not for you
The IQAir Atem Earth is a class of its own and not many other air purifiers can fully match its combination of style, sustainability and purification power. However, some appliances make for better alternatives than others.
Take the Molekule Air Pro, for example. This air purifier may not be as eco-friendly as the IQAir Atem Earth is, but it is of a similar size, has comparable air-cleaning capabilities and costs roughly the same (around $1,014). It also offers a much better selection of app features and more in-depth air quality monitoring.
If you like the idea of an ultra-stylish air purifier but do not want to spend as much money, consider the RabbitAir A3 instead. This air purifier comes in 10 unique designs, can be mounted on the wall, and does a fabulous job of removing airborne pollutants without making much noise or sending your energy bill skyrocketing. All that, and it costs around $250 less than the IQAir Atem Earth.
Looking for something even more affordable? Then you can’t go wrong with the Levoit Core 600S. We named it the best overall in our guides to the best air purifiers and best air purifiers for allergies, and it costs less than a third of the price of the IQAir Atem Earth.
IQAir Atem Earth: How we tested
We spent over a month trying and testing the IQAir Atem Earth air purifier. We looked into its design, eco credentials, features, day-to-day performance and ease of use. We also measured how loud it was using the Sound Meter decibel-counting app, and noted the cost and availability of its replacement filters.
Finally, we performed a series of air quality tests using a Perfect Prime air particle monitor, an industry-grade device capable of detecting airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. We placed the IQAir Atem Earth in an enclosed, medium-sized room, then measured the difference in airborne particles before and after running it for 15 and 30 minutes on different fan speed settings. We started with ambient air quality tests, then followed them up with more challenging match smoke and incense smoke tests.
After this testing protocol had been completed, we gave our final verdict on the IQAir Atem Earth’s overall functionality and value for money.
