Honeywell’s allergen remover monitors air quality in real time

With the season changing to spring, allergies are coming to life, so it could be the opportune time for sufferers to try the Honeywell Bluetooth Smart True HEPA Allergen Remover ($259.99).

The purifier can be controlled from a top panel or wirelessly after pairing it with an iPhone or Android device.

With the smartphone app, users can track local pollen counts and utilize that information to adjust the cleaning levels. Modes and alerts allow users to customize settings for cleaning levels to help reduce the presence of indoor allergens. The alerts include levels of outside pollen and mold in the area.

Controlling the purifier is like any other simple home electronic device and it’s designed for almost any household room.

An internal fan continuously draws in airborne pollutants, which pass through the activated carbon pre-filter, trapping large particles and absorbing volatile organic compounds, gases and odors. Then the air passes through a HEPA filter to capture small particles such as dust. The clean-filtered and fresh-smelling air is then sent back into the room.

It’s recommended for use in rooms up to 310 square feet.

Specifics, according to Honeywell: the True HEPA filter effectively captures up to 99.97 percent of microscopic allergens as small as 0.3 microns. It features an auto VOC sensor that operates the air purifier automatically. The filters help reduce odors, VOCs and certain germs.

More: honeywellpluggedin.com

STEREO SYSTEM

There’s nothing not to like about the retro-looking Electrohome Signature turntable ($199.99).

Officially named the Signature Vinyl Record Player Classic Turntable Stereo System, the belt driven turntable plays 33 1/3 , 45 and 78 revolutions per minute for 7-, 10- and 12-inch vinyls.

The old school cabinet is real wood with a rich walnut finish. Records play with a conical shaped sapphire needle and the powerful sound is heard from four high-performance speakers inside the front-facing acoustic speaker chamber. The top-side player has a phonograph lid, which lifts to expose the turntable.

This is the first complete system I’ve tried that plays records, has a built-in AM/FM radio, CD player and a modern-day USB port for playing MP3’s. An auxiliary port lets users connect a smartphone, tablet or just about any other portable media player.

Radio stations are displayed on a front-facing AM/FM scale and controlled with a large tuning dial on the right side. Volume is controlled with a turning dial on the left side.

Users also can record from CD’s or vinyl to a USB device with the push of a button. Internal memory enables the sound system to store up to 99 MP3’s and 20 CD tracks.

The Electrohome system gave my music collection a great test; maybe the next version will have an 8-track player to make it even more old school. And yes, I still have a case of 8-track tapes, eagerly waiting to be tested.

More: electrohome.com

WIRELESS EARBUDS

Sennheiser’s HD1 in-ear wireless earbuds ($199.95) were announced this year and absolutely were worth the wait to try. Not only is the sound great, but they also have a comfortable fit along with an attractive leather neckband.

The sound is crystal clear, just as I have come to expect from Sennheiser products. Every type of music came through as clear and precise as can be with the right amount of bass. But past the great sound, the look and design can’t be ignored.

The vibrating neckband doesn’t give a massage but instead provides alerts to users to an incoming call from the paired Bluetooth 4 or NFC-enabled device. Users can pair up to two devices simultaneously.

I’m somewhat new to neckband earbuds and I’ve tried some that felt as if the neckband was pulling down when I had the attached earbuds in my ears. These new HD1 headphones have a few inches of extra cable attached to the earbuds to ensure the neckband doesn’t pull down while in use.

The earbuds have a mirrored chrome finish and come with four different sizes of adapters for the right fit. Users can expect about 10 hours of use before a 1 1/2 -hour charge is needed. A hard shell carrying case is included.

More: en-us.sennheiser.com

This story was originally published May 3, 2017 at 11:47 AM with the headline "Honeywell’s allergen remover monitors air quality in real time."