CritterZone Pet Air Purifier with Cord

This product immediately maxed out the ozone tester in our lab (>1000ppb) in a container. The assertions that this is not an ionizer and doesn't meaningfully generate ozone by the very active PR campaign in these reviews are utterly disingenuous and misleading. Claiming that it "catalyzes reactions" is a dodge of exactly how it catalyzes said reactions and what the products are. In a large enough space with ventilation to outside this product might be acceptable but to say the ozone created is incidental and minimal is misleading. That's one thing, but to say that it is not an ionizer is an outright lie. See those two flat metal spikes through the grill on the front of the unit? That is exactly what an ionizer looks like. It is certainly not *only* an ionizer. If the documented risks of ozone are acceptable to you and you keep the area ventilated (will the "temporary smell" really go away if the air is constantly refreshed and new odors are created?), then this product definitely dominates pet odors and you're free to use it. I've tried it in my 900sqft house and it certainly doesn't smell of litter box anymore but waves of chemical/bleach (read: ozone) smell come and go. It's worth noting that ozone deadens your ability to smell *anything* on top of its other harsh effects.I bought both and tested the corded version for convenience of test setup but they're exactly the same.

I am writing this review for two people.First, I do want to comment on the ozone creation. Yes, the item does create ozone, and I have read all of the reports by the EPA. The problem I find with their logic is that a thunderstorm creates the same ozone (have you ever gone outside after a thunderstorm, and taken a deep breath? That crisp, slightly metallic smell is ozone). The report also only cautions against ozone usage for people who have respiratory problems, infants, and some senor citizens. Personally, I take any government agency's word with a huge grain of salt, but that's just me.Now that that's over. On to the review. My mother, who I live with, is allergic to cats. For over 20 years, she has lived in a home with cats, and she has had to eat allergy medication. The rest of us have done our best to try to keep the cat dander and hair down, but she will still start coughing the minute she walked in the door. I finally thought, "Well, the one thing we haven't tried is an air purifier."I did my homework, and I researched different kinds of air purifiers, and I payed specific attention to those with breathing problems from allergies. This particular one was the one that the majority of reviewers with allergies praised, and the price was affordable. Therefore, I purchased it, and I waited for it to arrive.When it got here, I did not tell my mother that I had purchased an air purifier (a blind experiment, if you will). I simply plugged it in for a few hours each day. I was also sick with a cold at this time, so I did experience some nausea, but I am unsure of what caused it. I cannot say it was the purifier because I was already sick with a rather nasty cold. To eliminate the purifier as the source, I would only plug it in for 2-3 hours on Low, and then I would unplug it til the next day.Now that I am no longer sick, I have tried leaving it on all day, and I have not experienced any nausea, headaches, etc. Basically, I have not experienced any of the negative side effects that the EPA warns ozone can cause.However, I digress. Back to my mother. After it had run for a few days, for a few hours a day, I noticed that my mother was not coughing as much, if at all. I asked her how her allergies had been for the past couple of days. She responded inquiringly, "Actually, they have not been nearly as bad as they usually are. What are you doing differently? I can actually breathe in here now." I told her about the air purifier. She said that it must be working because she has been able to breathe normally for the first time in quite a while.As a confirmatory test, I skipped a day of plugging the unit in, and I waited for my mother to get home. When she walked in the door, she started coughing A LOT. She immediately asked me if I had had the purifier plugged in at all that day. I told her that I had not. She said, "I can tell. The air in here is heavier today, and I am having trouble breathing." I immediately plugged in the purifier, and within a few minutes, she stopped coughing.The conclusion of my little experiment is that this small, deck-of-cards-sized unit, works! If my mother can breathe easier without having to eat allergy medication with a cat in the same house, then that speaks volumes to the effectiveness of this tiny unit.During my use of this purifier, I have also watched my cat very closely (think Canary in the coal mines). I watched for any unusual actions, breathing, or coughing on my cat's part. She has been completely unaffected by it.As a bonus: my room is a master bedroom (there are two in this house). I have one, and my parents have the other. I have the purifier plugged in on the wall opposite from the bathroom, and the walk-in closet where my cat's litterbox is. I have to actually walk all the way into the closet to smell the tiniest hint of litterbox smells. UPDATE: Actually, I just walked into the closet, and I cannot smell the litterbox AT ALL.Conclusion: This little unit certainly packs a punch. It has lessened the ill effects that my mother has with her allergy to cats, and it keeps my cat's litterbox smells from assaulting my nostrils. Well worth the $100 for those two factors alone.

As an owner of 7 cats, I am VERY focused on eliminating litter box odor. The Critter Zone is very similar to a previous unit I used to own (Zontec Air Purifier), so I was very interested when I saw it being promoted by various cat focused blogs. To summarize, I give the corded unit 5 stars in part because it is behind a closed door under the stairs (with a pet door access to the boxes)...I can't hear it at all, and it is doing an absolutely AMAZING job at eliminating all odor. On the other hand, I give the plug in unit 4 stars simply because it seems much louder and leaves an ion fog on my bathroom mirror where it it is plugged in right next to the wall. The more you can contain the unit in a small area, the better job it does and the less irritating it is. However, I have had a couple of people (who knew I bought both units) mention what a great job they do. But if I had to buy one or the other, I would pick the corded unit.9/11/13: Just a quick update on this purchase. My house is getting ready to go on the market, and I have been interviewing listing agents. Every one of them has been amazed that I have 7 cats because they smelled zero pet odor, and a couple flat out asked what my secret was for odor control. My neighbors have also commented on the vast improvement. (my cleaning lady says they emit an "industrial odor" but she breathes Pine Sol fragrance all day, so I take that with a grain of salt). Worth every penny!4/10/14 Update: the units totally work at the beginning, but despite cleaning them following Critterzone's instructions, I have had 3 out of 4 units die within about 3 months of using them. I have been VERY impressed with Critterzone's customer service and willingness to replace units within the warranty period, but the longevity of the units is suspect at this point. They said it is the FLA humidity, but I run my a/c constantly and keep temps at 67-72 degrees throughout the year, plus their instructions say that humidity helps.I am now testing the GT50 Professional-Grade Plug-In Adjustable Ionic Air Purifier, and will compare the 2 in a few months.