RENPHO Air Purifier (RP-AP088W) – Hands-on Review

Full Review

I have not tried any RENPHO air purifiers so far, so I bought a RENPHO RP-AP088W, which I have used for some time, tested it in detail, and in this article I want to write how satisfied I am and whether I recommend this air purifier.

The RENPHO is characterized by a cylindrical design, a basic package of advanced options, and solid-quality filtration technology, but in truth, nothing revolutionary or innovative.

RENPHO RP-AP088W is designed for spaces up to 220 sq. ft. This air purifier purifies the air in a room of these dimensions 4.8 times in one hour. However, if the air is not significantly polluted, it can be used in rooms slightly larger than the recommended dimensions. Take a look at my in-depth review of this small air purifier, where I’ll show you performance tests, noise tests, energy consumption tests, and much more.

Finally, in the end, you will find out whether the RENPHO air purifier is worth buying, and if it isn’t, what are the best alternatives.

Setup and Installation

The most important thing to do before using the RENPHO air purifier for the first time is to prepare the filter. The filter is supplied with the device, packaged, and located at the bottom of the device. You need to remove the filter from the device, remove it from the protective bag, and put it back into the machine.

In addition, I advise you to peel off all the protective strips and foils from the device. With these steps completed, you are ready to place the air purifier comfortably in the desired location, connect it to the electricity and switch it on. Please note that under no circumstances should you block the air inlets, so I recommend moving the machine at least 10 inches away from walls and other objects.

Design

The RENPHO air purifier has a cylindrical shape, reminiscent of many similar air purifiers currently available on the market. This model is characterized by being fully sculpted, and the plastic is not smooth, which is an interesting design addition.

It consists of two parts, the filter on the lower half and the motor and control panel on the upper half. The LED light is just below the control panel, which is initially white; however, it can be set to glow in 7 different colors.

The build quality is OK, and the plastic is OK, but nothing too sensational. It doesn’t have a carrying handle, but it is compact and light and can easily move from place to place. It is available in black or white, so I think it can easily fit into almost any environment. For the purposes of this review, I purchased the RENPHO RP-AP088W, which is white.

Controls and Indicators

The control panel, consisting of control buttons and indicators, is located on the top side of the device. The buttons are touch-sensitive enough, but in my opinion, they are too close to each other. The icons on the buttons are a bit outdated and oversized.

Each button is an indicator of its own so that when it is active, it glows blue. On the left, you can see the timer indicators and fan speed indicators on the right. The buttons on this device are; filter change indicator, night light, sleep mode, child lock, timer, power, and fan speed.

Overall, this air purifier is very easy to use, but an addition such as a smart app or remote control would be very useful and would make daily use much easier.

Airflow

The RENPHO RP-AP088W is a cylindrical purifier with air inlets distributed on the lower half of the unit, on all sides. The air is drawn in through these openings, then filtered, and exits through the grilles on the top side.

Size and Dimensions

The air purifier weighs 6.85 lb (3,1 kg). The dimensions of the machine are 8.5 x 8.5 x 14.25 inches (21,6 x 21,6 x 36,2 cm). The RENPHO AP088W is a small air purifier, it is very compact, and even if it does not have a carrying handle, you will have no problems moving it from room to room.

What’s in the box?

When you buy the device, you will receive a RENPHO RP-AP088W air purifier, user manual, and warranty card. Before you start using this device, I recommend you read the preparations before the first start-up, which I described in detail at the beginning of this review.

Features Overview

The RENPHO air purifier does not have many advanced features to boast about. This air purifier is not smart. It has no remote control, auto mode, and air quality sensor, but it has enough options for everyday use.

Although there are a few options, some will make the device easier to use. Find out what these options are, what they are for, and what the RENPHO RP-AP088W offers below.

Sleep Mode

Sleep mode is a fantastic option, especially if you like me and need an air purifier in your bedroom. This mode basically switches the fan speed to the lowest speed and turns off all the indicators on the device. Sounds ideal, as it should be if you use an air purifier in your bedroom.

The problem with the sleep mode on the RENPHO air purifier is that this air purifier is slightly louder in this mode than the competition. You will find a much better device for this specific situation in a similar price range. You can read more about what I’m talking about in the device’s loudness tests.

Night Light

The night light is a soft ambient light located between the air outlet grilles and the controls. This light can be a perfect addition if you plan to use the air purifier in a living room, office, or similar room. The night light initially glows white and has the option of automatically switching between 7 different colors, which blend very well in some environments.

Timer

A timer is kind of a standard option, and not many air purifiers on the market have this option. The timer sets the time you want the device to turn itself off. When it comes to the RENPHO RP-AP088W, this time can be 2h, 4h, or 8h.

Child Lock

This is another option that can be very useful, especially if you have young children. Basically, the child lock option locks all the controls on the control panel, preventing accidental or deliberate switching between operating modes and switching the device off.

Filter Reset Indicator

As the name suggests, the filter reset indicator is an indicator that lets you know when it is time to change the filter. On average, this indicator lights up red every 6-8 months to alert you when the filter needs to be changed.

Filtration Technology

The RENPHO RP-AP088W uses a cylindrical filter located on the bottom half of the device. What’s interesting about the filtration is that RENPHO claims that this air purifier has a 5-stage filtration technology, but I can’t agree that the last stage, designed to save the carbon pellets from being wasted, is effective.

Although RENPHO claims to use 5-stage filtration technology, I cannot agree that some layers are effective in filtering anything, so I consider this device to have 4-stage filtration, which I will describe in more detail below.

Basically, the filter quality on this device is fine, as confirmed by the performance tests. The fact that it uses a True HEPA filter, as well as the fact that it uses a pellet-based carbon filter, is very important. I would also like to point out that this filter is not washable, which means that it needs to be changed from time to time when the filter reset indicator, located on the control panel, lights up.

Pre-filter

The pre-filter is the first stage of filtration. Its purpose is to collect larger particles of dust, fibers, lint, and the like to protect and extend the life of the True HEPA filter.

The fact that it is the first to be impacted is the reason why this filter gets dirty very quickly, especially in an environment with pets. I recommend cleaning this filter regularly with a vacuum cleaner or dry cloth at least once a month.

Intercept Coating

This is the second stage of filtration, which aims to remove five allergens from the air. Although it is an interesting level of filtration, I still believe that the True HEPA filter is much more effective at removing allergens.

True HEPA Filter

The True HEPA filter is the third and, in my opinion, the most essential level of filtration on this device. A True HEPA filter removes 99.97% airborne particles down to 0.3 microns. This means that this filter removes dust, pollen, smoke, pet hair, and other particles that may be found in the household.

Activated Carbon Filter

The activated carbon filter is the final filtration stage and is designed to neutralize odors. It is commendable that RENPHO uses a pellet-based carbon filter, but I cannot say that I am satisfied with its performance in neutralizing odors.

How to Replace the RENPHO Filter?

This air purifier does not use washable filters, so you need to change the filter occasionally. The RENPHO RP-AP088W filter lasts 6 to 8 months. Fortunately, this air purifier has a filter reset indicator that lets you know when to change the filter. This means you don’t have to manually track when you need to change the filter.

Noise Test

When measuring noise, I use a unique device that measures noise levels on a dBA scale. My results may differ from the manufacturer’s results as noise is tested in laboratory conditions and with different measuring devices.

I tested the noise levels of the RENPHO RP-AP088W at all speeds. I was surprised by the sound level it produces in sleep mode, which is 43.6 dBA, slightly louder compared to some other devices in the class. However, I am not surprised about the loudness at different speeds. Furthermore, the RENPHO is not too loud at any speed except in sleep mode.

As it is slightly louder in sleep mode, I would not recommend it for use in the bedroom, especially as many similar air purifiers on the market are much quieter in sleep mode. One such air purifier would be the Levoit Core 200S or another Levoit air purifier from the Core series.

In short, I do not think you will even feel like it works in everyday situations, except if you use it in the bedroom, you may not sleep like a baby.

Performance Tests

The RENPHO RP-AP088W is a small air purifier designed for rooms up to 220 sq. ft. This air purifier purifies the air in a room of these dimensions 4.8 times in one hour. This coverage makes the RENPHO air purifier ideal for smaller spaces such as a small bedroom, small living room, kids’ room, office, or similar room.

In addition to testing in everyday use, I have tested this air purifier in standard rooms, where I test all air purifiers here at Air Purifier First. When testing the RENPHO air purifier, I noticed that it has slightly poorer results in neutralizing odors, smoke, and similar pollutants. As far as the effectiveness in removing dust, pollen, pet hair, and the like is concerned, I am very satisfied.

Read on to find out how RENPHO performed in other tests.

120 sq. ft. Room Test

In the first test, in a room of 120 sq. ft., which is slightly smaller than the recommended dimensions, the RENPHO gave fantastic results. In 60 minutes of running at maximum speed, it improved air quality by about 91%.

This is a solid result with which I am delighted. In fact, RENPHO improved the air quality index from 136 to even 12.

194 sq. ft. Room Test

In the second test, the room size is 194 sq. ft., which is much closer to the recommended dimensions for this air purifier. In 60 minutes of operation at maximum speed, the RENPHO improved the air quality in this room by about 89%, which is also an excellent result.

To be honest, this test is much more important than the previous one, mainly because the room is closer to the recommended dimensions. I have to say that I am satisfied with the result, although some other air purifiers with similar characteristics have achieved much better results in rooms of this size. For example, the Levoit Core 300 was much more efficient.

Operating Costs

Given that the RENPHO RP-AP088W is a very small air purifier, I expected it to use a slightly weaker motor and consume less electricity. This air purifier uses a 32W motor. At maximum speed, it consumes about 31.8W, which is fine, but sleep mode consumes 20.1W, which is a bit too much. In my opinion, I think the engineers could have reduced the consumption a little better.

It is also interesting and important to note that the night light does not consume much power, not more than 1W, to be precise, which I think is just fine.

Suppose we translate the power consumption into the cost. In that case, we come to the conclusion that the RENPHO will cost you only $2.8 per month if you were to use it at maximum speed, 24 hours a day, for one month.

In addition to the cost of electricity, there is also the cost of changing the filters, which fortunately need to be changed on average between 6 and 8 months.

Considering the high price of replacement filters, which is in the rank of some much larger air purifiers, and considering that the electricity consumption could be much better optimized, I cannot argue that the RENPHO AP088W needs little maintenance.

FAQ on RENPHO Air Purifier