The Indian weather and pollution levels require every home to have an air purifier. However, the high price point of good air purifiers is a barrier for most people. This is where Smart Air comes into the picture, a company that started its journey with DIY air purifiers and has now evolved into the most popular affordable air purifier brand worldwide.
Smart Air Sqair
Rs 9,999
What Is Good?
- Attractive design
- Plug-and-play usability
- Easily replacable filters
- Economical filters
What Is Bad?
- No smart features
- No remote
The Smart Air Sqair is a petite and cute air purifier from the brand that packs a punch when purifying air in a small room. I was intrigued by its simplicity and wondered whether it has what it takes to tackle the Indian pollution levels. I am glad to report that the Smart Air Sqair impressed me, and here’s my review of it.
Smart Air Sqair Air Purifier Review: Design and Build
Here’s a thing. I have a pet peeve when it comes to air purifiers. I hate looking at the monolith of a purifier sitting in the corner of the room. Not only is it unsightly to my minimalism-trained eyes, but the glaring LED display sticks out like a sore thumb. The Smart Air Sqair takes care of both these issues for me.
Not only is the Smart Air Sqair petite and compact, but it also weighs just 4kg. The cute 360-degree Nordic design with beechwood legs looks more like a decor item than an appliance. In fact, it’s a good conversation starter as it draws attention to looking like unusual ornamental decor and takes people by surprise when they hear it’s an air purifier.
The Sqair managed to tickle the DIY bone in my body slightly, as you need to screw on the beechwood legs to the appliance before you start using it. The sleek white plastic body and naked beechwood are in stark contrast with each other, creating an artistic illusion. You can place it anywhere in the room, and it will blend in with the aesthetic, which is a huge prop for me.
And get this: the Smart Air Sqair offers a coverage area of 430 sq. ft. and a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 185, which is higher than the more expensive Coway AirMega 150 I recently reviewed. Despite its smaller size, the Smart Air Sqair is capable of purifying air in medium—to large-sized rooms.
The simplicity extends to the interface and filter-changing mechanism as well. Two push-lock buttons are on either side to remove the outer panel and replace filters. As for the controls, there is a giant knob on top with three-speed settings. That’s it! All I had to do was plug it in and turn it on. It doesn’t get simpler than that.
Smart Air Sqair Air Purifier Review: Filter and Air Quality Testing
Don’t let the Smart Air Sqair’s simplicity fool you. The compact appliance comes with powerful two-stage filtration for effective purification. The brand claims that the purifier contains no ioniser and doesn’t emit dangerous ozone.
Filters
As I mentioned above, Smart Air Sqair has two-stage filtration. It’s a combination of two filters, which are listed below.
- H12 HEPA Filter: The Smart Air Sqair uses a 1.5 ㎡ high-grade H12 HEPA filter, which brings particulate pollution down to 0.005 μm. It’s capable of effectively removing 99.5% of pollutants PM2.5, PM10, dust, viruses, allergens, pollens, and mold from the air.
- Carbon Filter: The carbon filter removes unwanted odors, smells, toxic fumes, and other VOCs. However, this is an optional filter that needs to be purchased separately. According to Smart Air, not everyone needs carbon; hence, the Sqair comes only with a HEPA filter.
Corner Placement Test
At MySmartPrice, we believe that the true test of any air purifier is its corner placement because of less-than-optimal air circulation. To push the envelope further, we placed the air purifier in the furthest corner, which had extremely poor air quality, showing a reading of PM2.5 around 400 and AQI at 100. Here’s how the Smart Air Sqair performed.
| Time (Minutes) | AQI | PM2.5 (µg/m³) |
| Starting Reading | 100 | 401 |
| 10 Minute Reading | 91 | 228 |
| 20 Minute Reading | 47 | 118 |
| 25 Minute Reading | 36 | 90 |
| Ultimate Reading | 33 | 83 |
I was impressed to see that the Smart Air Sqair brought the AQI down in a short span of time for an air purifier of this size. Starting at 401 µg/m³, it gradually reduces levels to 228 in 25 minutes before stabilising at 118. Its AQI improvement is noteworthy, dropping from 100 to 47 in 25 minutes and settling at 33. Among the air purifiers under the Rs 10,000 mark, it is the only air purifier with an AQI that drops from 100 to 91 in just 10 minutes of usage. For Qubo Smart Air Purifier Q200 (review), Sharp Air Purifier FP-JA30M-B (review) and the Eureka Forbes Air Purifier 150 (review), the AQI levels did not budge at all after using them for 10 minutes each. The Smart Air Sqair purifier also excels in managing HCHO and TVOC levels, ensuring a healthy and safe indoor environment.
Center Placement Test
The brand is marketing the Sqair as a 360-degree purifier, and to test this claim, I ran the center placement test on it. Below are the data points from various times during the test.
| Time (Minutes) | AQI | PM2.5 (µg/m³) |
| Starting Reading | 100 | 404 |
| 10 Minute Reading | 93 | 233 |
| 20 Minute Reading | 55 | 138 |
| 25 Minute Reading | 40 | 100 |
| Ultimate Reading | 33 | 82 |
At the start of the test, we recorded the PM 2.5 levels of 404 µg/m³, and it brought pollutants down to 233 in 10 minutes and 138 in 25 minutes. Its final PM 2.5 reading of 82 µg/m³ showcases its impressive long-term filtration capabilities. Additionally, the AQI improvement from 100 to 40 in 25 minutes highlights its effectiveness. Despite slightly higher HCHO (0.203 mg/m³) and TVOC (0.918 mg/m³) levels compared to other models, it excels in maintaining a cleaner indoor environment.
Ease of Changing Filters & Cost
Smart Air has ensured that changing the Sqair filters is not rocket science. Simply press the push lock buttons at the sides to remove the bottom and replace the filter pads. The brand suggests replacing the filters on this air purifier every six months for optimal performance.
If your house doesn’t have odour or smoke issues, just use the HEPA filter, which is efficient enough. You can purchase the Smart Air H12 HEPA Filter for The Sqair on Amazon.in for Rs 1,799. If you want the Smart Air Carbon Filter for Sqair, it’s also listed on Amazon.in for Rs 1,299.
Smart Air Sqair Air Purifier Review: Noise Levels
At its peak running mode, the Smart Air Sqair is a little loud at 61.3 dB. However, its minimum sound level is 37.6dB at a distance of 1 foot, which will be more pleasing for people who like total silence. I found the noise levels comfortable to sleep in and it did not disturb my sleep.
Smart Air Sqair Air Purifier Review: IoT Integration and Features
Smart Air is on a mission to provide fantastic air cleaning performance with a simplistic approach. The vision of the brand is reflected in the Sqair air purifier. The Smart Air Sqair is a simple plug-and-play air purifier that comes with only one feature, speed control through the knob on top.
Smart Air Sqair Air Purifier Review: Verdict
If you are a tech nerd looking for an air purifier with smart features, the Smart Air Sqair is not for you. With that out of the way, the Sqair is for those who want an air purifier they can plug in and forget it. Its stunning aesthetics and efficient performance make it one of the best value-for-money air purifiers on the market.
