The KeySmart CleanLight Air Pro offers a handy solution to a growing concern: preserving clean air quality. While the design is simple, impressive technology powers this air purifier, which reportedly removes 99.99 percent of pollutants. The CleanLight Air Pro requires no filters and uses UV light and ionic air purification to sterilize and clean the air. An onboard air quality monitor provides real-time feedback about the health of the air around you, and two fan speeds offer control over how much cleaning power you want to use. The rechargeable, battery-operated design also adds to the portable appeal for personal use in smaller spaces around the office, at home, or while traveling.
Design: Simple but effective
The CleanLight Air Pro has a shape that’s a cross between a cylinder and a three-dimensional rectangle. It’s pretty compact at just a little over 3 inches wide and 4.6 inches tall, which makes it easy to place just about anywhere. With the cup holder base attached, the height extends to 8.11 inches. While it loses stability and is prone to wobbling with the base attached, the CleanLight Air Pro fits into most cup holders. This device maxes out at just 1 pound, making it convenient enough to pack in a bag for short commutes and traveling. The sturdy ABS and rubber oil build gives the overall design a matte but substantial feel. The top of the air purifier contains the main interactive area with a multi-purpose button and LED readout that analyzes the air quality level, fan speed, and battery charge. This slightly reflective display is attractive and accented by another LED air quality indicator light surrounding the unit’s air vents.
Setup Process: Plug-and-play ready
The beauty of this portable air purifier is how plug-and-play the design is. The only extra equipment beyond the air purifier base is the cup holder, which the main unit slides on and off easily, and the USB-C to USB-A charging cable. Out of the box, it came 50-percent charged and ready to go.
What’s New: CleanLight Air Pro vs. CleanLight Air
The Pro version of the CleanLight Air offers similar air-cleaning prowess with even more portability and user-friendly features. Instead of requiring a HEPA filter, the Pro is filterless and uses UV-C and ionic sterilization to clean the air. The CleanLight Air Pro also comes with monitoring features that the original version lacks. Perhaps the most distinguishing difference is that the Pro model can operate without a power source. It also detaches from the base for tucking away in small bags and compartments when you don’t need it, whereas the CleanLight Air fits nicely in a cup holder at all times, as designed. If aromatherapy matters, the Pro version lacks that compartment but makes up for it with a highly portable build.
Performance: Consistent with little variation
This KeySmart air purifier uses UV-C wavelengths of 260nm to 280nm. Studies have shown that UV wavelengths of 222 nm could be effective against airborne viruses. I used the CleanLight Air Pro in numerous rooms throughout my apartment, all (except one) of which are larger than the 160-square-foot range of this device. The CleanLight Air Pro worked best in the smallest room I used it in, a 72-square-foot space, notably improving air quality. Regardless of room size, the CleanLight Air Pro consistently registered the air quality at around 10-11 on the PM2.5 (particulate matter) pollutant scale. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates exposure to PM2.5 pollutants, which are ultra-fine and measure 2.5 micrometers or less, similar to a strand of hair. According to the manufacturer, the CleanLight Air Pro uses a highly accurate Sharp PM2.5 sensor to actively detect air conditions and adjust accordingly. Based on the EPA’s index for measuring air quality, the U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI), readings from zero to 50 indicate good air quality. KeySmart uses a similar scale, noting that zero to 50, represented by a blue LED light indicates excellent air quality, followed by yellow, from 50 to 100 representing good air quality. Orange and red cover a range of 100 to 250 and above and correspond to what KeySmart calls moderate and heavy haze. These levels correspond to the AQI’s ratings of unhealthy for sensitive groups and unhealthy to very unhealthy or hazardous. When I placed the CleanLight Air Pro in the kitchen while cooking or outside, the level generally remained around 10-14. This reading generally tracked with the AQI reading for my zip code, which also fell in the Good range. Near cooking conditions, I ran a fan on exhaust and opened windows, which could be why levels were so low, even when the air seemed smokey. The only time the indicator changed significantly was when I extinguished a candle right beside it. The rating increased to 36 on the highest fan setting, and it steadily decreased over 40 minutes back down to 10. For this use case, I noticed that the CleanLight Air Pro helped dissipate the smoke smell and improved the air quality much more than when I didn’t run it. The CleanLight Air Pro has two fan settings, both of which are very quiet. The lowest setting is just a whisper, while the second mode is more akin to a very low volume from a fan or white noise machine. KeySmart reports that even at the highest setting, this device registers at under 50dB. The CDC states that whispers are around 30dB and that anything under 60dB, which is close to conversation volume, is generally safe against hearing loss.
Battery: Nearly 4 hours of use
This compact air purifier comes with a 1800mAh rechargeable battery that’s rated for nearly 4 hours of use on a single charge. I found battery life consistent at just under that time, regardless of fan speed. Unfortunately, charging took almost as long at about 3 hours. The good news is that this air purifier is usable while charging, so you’ll never miss out if you have access to a USB port.
Price: Steep but for a reason
The CleanLight Air Pro retails for approximately $220, which rivals much larger, top-rated air purifiers covering large rooms up to 360 square feet. That’s exactly the coverage you’ll find from the Coway Mighty, which retails for around $20 less, and the Winix 5500-2, which retails for about $160. These competitors also offer a slew of different settings and speeds, including air quality indicators and automatic modes. Still, neither of these competing models are filterless or as portable as the CleanLight Air Pro. The mobile design and compelling performance as a personal air purifier for travel put this CleanLight Air Pro in a rare category that could be worth the steep asking price.
KeySmart CleanLight Air Pro vs. GermGuardian GG3000BCA Desktop UVC Air Sanitizer & Odor Reducer
The KeySmart CleanLight Air Pro offers unique value based on its design and feature set. While there are less expensive portable air purifiers, none exactly match the filter- and cord-free, UV-C cleaning design, but the GermGuardian GG3000BCA comes close in certain respects. Like the CleanLight Air Pro, the GG3000BCA has a sleek, modern tube-like design that uses UV-C light to reduce bacteria, allergens, and odors in the air. The UV light in the GG3000BCA does need to be replaced every 4,000 to 5,000 hours, while the CleanLight Air Pro’s LED light offers an estimated 10,000 hours of use. The GG3000BCA, while smaller, won’t fit in most bags or cup holders and is best for use in smaller spaces of up to 100 square feet. It’s heavier than the CleanLight Air Pro, weighing 3.6 pounds and standing 15.55 inches tall. It also requires a wall power outlet to operate. However, when comparing price points, the GermGuardian requires much less of an investment retailing for $100.
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The KeySmart CleanLight Air Pro is a compact, convenient device for users who want a personal air purifier wherever they go. While the price point is steep, thoughtful touches such as the wire-free design, UV and negative ion filtering technology, and dynamic PM2.5 sensor distinguish this portable air purifier from similarly sized competitors that lack this complete feature set.
