Are Oreck Air Purifiers Any Good? What Is the Best Oreck Air Purifier?

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), roughly 68 million tons of pollutants and contaminants were emitted directly or indirectly into the atmosphere

. While outdoor pollution is a major problem (with 4.2 million related deaths annually), indoor pollution from fuels and dirty cookstoves is also a major issue across the world (3.8 million deaths annually, according to the WHO).

When you think about air quality, the appliance that comes to mind is air purifier.

As one of the pioneering manufacturers of air purifiers, Oreck is a true American brand that has continually strived to contribute to the global agenda of improving air quality across the world.

As a brand, Oreck is often viewed as an appliance for a certain class of people. One thing is clear though, Oreck is a brand for anyone seeking a way to prevent allergies, lung infections and diseases and other bacteria-induced ailments.

However, the most important question to ask is, “how good are Oreck air purifiers”?

Evolution Of Oreck Air Purifiers

At the dawn of 1960, a certain David Oreck discovered a vacuum in the cleaning industry and decided to do something about this.

By 1963, he founded Oreck Corporation, manufacturing vacuum cleaners for the hotel industry in the U.S. Oreck’s vacuum cleaners didn’t have the drudgery that existing brands at the time had, were lighter and more powerful.

Consequently, even the hotel staff began to desire his vacuum cleaners and his business grew tremendously as Oreck became a major supplier for hotels, homes and offices within and outside the United States.

Decades later, the company added air purifiers to its portfolio and has continued to evolve ever since. While most of its models are for small rooms and spaces, there are also a few that cater to the needs of medium to large rooms.

The brand is known for its line of durable, easy-to-use, lightweight and powerful air purifiers. Its main manufacturing facility is located in Cookeville, Tennessee. However, it is not clear if the units are actually manufactured in the U.S. or simply shipped in from China and boxed in the U.S.

China and the rest of Asia, the Middle East and parts of South-East Asia often provide grounds for cheap labor, causing major brands to set up manufacturing factories in those regions.

While Oreck claims its manufacturing is mostly done in the U.S., some have faulted that claim as unlikely, unrealistic and largely impossible.

This may also be linked to the fact that the company was bought over by Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary of TTI Group based in Hong Kong.

Best Oreck Air Purifiers and Suitability [Considering All Oreck Air Purifier Reviews]

Air Purifier Model	Best Suitable For
Oreck Proshield Plus	Effective for odor removal and common household smells. Also great for all other types of pollutants in small rooms.
Response Turbo XL	For large rooms and spaces, including living rooms and large attics. Effective for dust, odors and allergens.
Air Tower Purifier	Dust, allergens, pet dander, smoke and all other pollutants as tiny as 0.3 microns can be taken care of by this unit. Great for small to medium rooms.

Are Oreck Air Purifiers Good?

Based on known indices such as quality, effective filtration, ease of use, and performance, it is safe to say that Oreck is a good brand for air purifiers.

While there are a few flaws and areas that require improvement, Oreck more than makes up for those with such offers as warranty and the fact that they’ve built a reputation for themselves over the years.

To emphasize, Oreck has at least a 2 to 3-year warranty on its products, which is the ultimate form of after-sale support and customer satisfaction.

What’s more, Oreck prides itself in advanced technology giving users the freedom to breathe in clean, healthy air in the most convenient manner.

The units are also equipped and enhanced to self-regulate, monitor and self-activate for whatever purpose required.

Add that to the insistence on quiet operation on all its products and the desire to maintain safety at all times, then you’ll see why Oreck deserves our attention. If we’re to rate the brand, we’ll give it a 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Most Popular Features of Oreck Air Purifiers

1. Portability

This feature is closely tied to the mission and objective of the founder of the Oreck brand; to offer products that are portable and lightweight. No wonder Oreck has been able to maintain that standard over the years.

Its air purifiers are portable and compact to simply sit on a side table or on the floor at a corner of the room. Point is, they are not ambiguous and do not take a lot of space.

2. Durability

This comes next on our list of popular features of Oreck air purifiers. Verified users and our own independent investigations have shown that Oreck air purifiers are durable.

This is what you should expect from an American brand in the first place. This helps with increased value and long-lasting usage.

3. Lightweight

It is one thing to be portable and another to be lightweight. Oreck air purifiers are generally not bulky or as heavy as many other brands. It’s easy to move them from one place to another or from one room to another when you start to use it.

4. Dust Sense Technology

This is Oreck’s trademark technology that is similar to the Air Quality Sensor in most other appliances. With this, the unit is able to monitor the air, detect the presence or absence of dust and pollution and respond appropriately.

If significant pollution is detected, the fan is activated to go on full speed.

5. Multi-Stage Filtration

This is something else that Oreck air purifiers are known for; multiple filtration stages. Most of the brand’s units have three filtration stages for increased effectiveness.

6. Air Quality Indicator Bar

Most Oreck air purifiers also have an air quality indicator bar, characterized by colored lights; Red, Purple and Blue- with Red being the worse and Blue the best.

This helps to ascertain how well your unit is working you can watch your purifier’s indicator move from Red to Blue, indicating that the air has been purified.

Problems Reported from Oreck Air Purifiers Reviews

We have carried out comprehensive research and looked at what the most complaints have been from people who have used one or two air purifiers manufactured by Oreck. Here are just the most common;

• Oreck air purifiers are generally pricey.
• It is often difficult to find replacement filters for some of its units.
• Most of its models are designed for small rooms and spaces, starting from around 100 sq. ft to about 600 sq. ft.

Best Usage of Oreck Air Purifiers

The best place to use Oreck air purifiers is indoors.

In fact, many of its units are most effective in small to medium rooms and spaces, such as dorm rooms, small bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, etc.

The large to extra-large units are meant for medium to large rooms including living rooms, large bedrooms, hotel rooms, etc.

There are cases where the small units can be used in RVs and large vans to help keep the air clean and healthy.

Technical Highlights and Specifications of Oreck Air Purifiers

1. CADR

An air purifier’s efficiency is often tied to its Clean Air Delivery Rate. A look at Oreck’s models reveals CADR levels between 70 CFM and 200 CFM.

Although this is modest considering their coverage capacity, it is quite low when compared to many other brands. It is also one area that the brand that can do better.

2. Coverage

There’s no way coverage can be overlooked when air purifiers are discussed. In fact, it is one of the main factors you must consider before making a choice.

Oreck air purifiers fall within the small purifier category in this regard. Its models cover areas between 100 sq. ft and about 600 sq. ft. so, you can pick the model that serves your need, based on the size of your space and every other specification and feature.

3. Wattage

Wattage comes next. While the wattage for most of its products are not stated, we can presume they fall within the range of 20W and 60W, as most products within its category.

The XL Professional unit uses around 32 watts, while the Oreck Proshield Plus takes up around 55 watts.

4. Filtration

Filtration is what determines how much cleaning an air purifier does and how well it does it. The type of filter the appliance has can be the difference between clean, healthy air and allergies or lung infections.

With Oreck, you get between 3 and 6 filters in a single unit, ranging from pre-filters, odor removing filters, HEPA filters, positive charging wires, oxygenator, and sometimes UV-A light.

5. Fan Speed

When you want rapid cleaning, set the fan on Fast Speed, and when you want slow operation, your fan should be set on Low Speed.

This flexibility is offered by Oreck air purifiers, offering as much as 3-4 fan speeds, in most cases. This means you can set the unit’s fan speed as you want based on your immediate needs.

6. Turbo Mode

Turbo Mode refers to high Fan Speed. This mode is present on some Oreck models and becomes necessary when it is detected that the air is grossly polluted. This gives really fast results in very little time.

7. Replacement Filter Indicator

Air purifier filters do not last forever. Even washable filters eventually require replacement when they get old and worn out. Oftentimes, it’s hard to tell when this happens, but this is not the case with Oreck air purifiers.

The Replacement Filter Indicator alerts you when it’s time to change your unit’s filter and saves you from the inconvenience due to constant polluted air.

8. Timer

A timer is a priceless piece of feature in any air purifier. With this function on your Oreck unit, you can set your unit to work for a specified number of hours and shut off automatically afterwards. This is good for nap usage or even when it’s bedtime at night.

9. Silent Operation

Oreck understands the importance of good sleep, while not compromising quality air. This is why their units are known as some of the quietest purifiers in the market.

Noise levels often hover between 10dB and 40dB on average. Whether it’s bedtime, during an important board meeting or even during a nap, you can be sure of near-silent operation.

How Good Is the Coverage of Oreck Air Purifiers?

If you want an air purifier for a small room, living room or bedroom, you’re sure to get something from the Oreck collection, up to 500-600 sq. ft.

However, if what you desire is an air purifier for whole house usage, large living rooms, patios, lobbies, or even industrial settings, Oreck may not be the best for you.

Oreck air purifiers do not have the capacity to cover very large areas; they cover areas from 100 sq. ft to about 600 sq. ft.

How Long Do Oreck Air Purifiers Last?

It is usually tricky to tell how long an air purifier will last. On average, air purifiers last between 3 to 7 years.

High-quality brands may prove very valuable and give as much as 5 to 10 years. It is safe to say Oreck air purifiers will last for about 4-8 years on average. This is due to its proven durability and design.

Also, most of its products come with a 2 to 3-year limited warranty, giving credence to the brand’s confidence in their technology.

Oreck Air Purifiers Customer Service and Technical Support

There are mixed feelings regarding Oreck post-sale support, a factor of the difference between a system and actual response.

Generally, Oreck has a stand-by post-sale customer support system in place and strives to serve its customers as adequately and promptly as possible.

This system includes a hotline, an email address, and a live chat page on the company’s website.

Oreck Air Purifiers Price Range

We can say everything we want about a product; if the price does not fall within the budget of the target market, it would all be in vain.

Oreck air purifiers have a price range of $250 to $400.

This ranges from small units like the Airvantage Air Purifier which costs around $250 to the Air Fresh Air Purifier and Humidifier that goes for around $400.

Running Cost of Oreck Air Purifiers

Oreck air purifiers’ running cost is dependent on the durability of its filters, the unit’s wattage and the durability of the entire appliance.

Repairs that may come up in the course of the unit’s lifespan cannot be estimated, and may actually never be required. So, it is best to stick to costs that are inevitable and can be evaluated. These include electricity cost and filter replacement.

Electricity Cost

The energy charge on any Oreck air purifier is dependent on its wattage and the cost of electricity in the area per kW-hour. If we take the 55-watt Oreck Proshield Plus unit as an example using $0.13 as the national energy charge per kWh, we’ll arrive at the following;

0.13 x 55/1,000 (to get kW) = Cost of running the unit/hour

0.13 x 0.055 = $0.0072

If you use the unit for 12 hours every day, you’ll be spending $0.086 per day, $2.57 per month and around $31 per year. To get the actual cost of your own Oreck unit, use the wattage in place of the 55W that the Proshield runs on.

Filter Replacement

Oreck air purifier filters are sold for between $25 and $50 for HEPA filter, $45 to $65 for odor absorber, around $65 for the Air Response Turbo Filter, and up to $85 for the Truman Cell AirP Series filter.

All these filters have a lifespan between 6 to 12 months.

Depending on the unit you use and what replacement filter you require, you’ll be spending between $60 and $100 annually on filter replacement.

The Truman Cell filter may last for the lifespan of the purifier and may never need replacement as it is washable and reusable.

Top Oreck Purifiers with Excellent Reviews

Considering all the Oreck Air Purifier reviews and ratings, we selected the most popular air purifiers for your convenience.

Final Words:

Despite the changes in ownership over the years, Oreck has been able to maintain a strong brand image across the globe.

While its air purifiers are yet to gain as much recognition as its vacuum cleaners among homeowners, it is important to note that Oreck has done quite well in the area of producing air purifiers that meet specific air quality needs and also offer value for money.