The Briiv 2 Air Filter is an unforgettable air purifier. It doesn't look like anything else on the market and, whilst its expensive, if it scores high on style and performance, I think it's worth the splurge.
I have always believed that even the best air purifiers don't manage to turn themselves into home decor. And yet, here, I stand corrected. The Briiv 2 Air Filter has locked onto the earthy tones trend and made air purifiers beautiful for the first time ever.
I've had mine on the mantle for four months to find out whether this is really as good as it looks. The results are in. The Briiv is a breath of fresh air.
Specifications
Who would it suit?
The Briiv 2 Air Filter has a broad appeal. Unlike most other air purifiers, this is obviously made to be admired. The terrarium aesthetic taps neatly into the earthy trend that has taken interiors by a storm. It's perfect for homes that love houseplants, especially those that pick up on natural tones too.
If you're eco-conscious, this is a great air purifier to own. It's crafted from all natural materials and the filters are biodegradable too. The brand was conceived out of the founders' frustrations with greenwashing, so they dug deep for some authentic, biodegradable materials.
From my experience, the Briiv is brilliant for general maintenance and air purity. It's most at home in a bedroom - the air in mine has never felt cleaner - rather than by a cooker. Whilst this does work on more robust tasks, it's a little slower and much more gentle.
As you might expect, the pretty air purifier comes with a price tag. This costs as much, if not more, than lots of the models in our best air purifiers buying guide. Given that you don't get the same techy, medical-grade assurances as the Molekule, for example, you'd be forgiven for wanting to pocket the cash and opt for something a little more functional. Unless you're a magpie, like me.
Design and features
It's a well-established fact that the Briiv 2 Air Filter is attractive. There's no point in anyone trying to pretend that it's not to their tastes. This earthy, modern little dome looks as good as it is. I sat mine in the bedroom, with a cluster of my plants and candles and then eventually migrated it into the lounge, where it sat like a trophy on my mantle, awaiting the 'oohs' and 'ahhs' of curious home visitors.
The design is more than just pretty though. It does good for the planet. The recyclable air filter, for example, claims to be the most sustainable in the world. It's made up of three clever layers with a fan nestled underneath then to pull air through the filter. On the top, you'll see moss. This is designed to filter out dust, pet dander, and pollen that's around 10 micrometres. Then, the air passes through a coconut layer that'll sift our smoke particles and similar pollutants that measure 5 micrometres. And finally, the PM2.5 particles that sneak through should be caught in the activated carbon nano matrix. This picks out the odours and VOCs that you'd smell in the air. All of that works inside the pretty dome, so you can see why the brand is pleased with its results. The filters are said to work as effectively as 3,043 houseplants. So, with that in mind, you either need to move into Kew Gardens or invest in the Briiv 2 Air Filter.
Unboxing and set up
As you might expect from a brand that's vocal about its sustainability and eco-credentials, the Briiv comes in completely sustainable packaging. The smart, small cardboard box houses the moss (sent in a hessian bag, which sits inside the glass cloche. Briiv also sends three carbon matrix filters (which last three months each), they pre-fit one filter in the base, and include 10% off your first purchase of filters.
The moss will need to be replaced in about a year and the filters need to be replaced every three months, so you're well set for a whole year of pure air.
There aren't many instructions that come along with the Briiv 2 Air Filter, but it doesn't really need them. There is a QR code on the box for your troubleshooting, but it's all very straightforward: place the glass dome on, arrange the reindeer moss on the coconut layer, and then plug in the 140cm USB cable and adaptor.
If you're not near a plug, Briiv suggests connecting to a power bank, which is really clever. It opens up the potential to display the Briiv in a whole host of new places.
What is it like to use?
Once the Briiv is plugged in, it can start working. The front isn't an obvious screen, but if you wave your hand in front of it, you'll see the icons light up. Even selecting controls doesn't require you to touch the Briiv, just hold your hand in front of a button. There might be a little delay (in my impatient chaos I've ended up walking away from the Briiv before now), but it's generally pretty reactive.
This follows the general patterns of how an air purifier works. On the control panel, you'll see there's a boost button, which will increase the speed of the fan for one four to clean the air, or you can pick from four different speeds. These generally run pretty quietly: the lowest, true to their promise, is about 32 dB, which is like a whisper. The fourth and highest speed setting clocked in a little louder than Briiv's estimate (I counted 60 dB), but it's no louder than a fridge, which is still really good for an air purifier.
I tried to connect to the app, but very quickly lost patience and waited for my techy other half to come home. The good news was that this works without the app, but the bad news is that you do miss some great features if you haven't got it downloaded. For example, you can schedule different speed settings, dropping it to a lower speed at night, turning it off when you're out, and boosting it before bed. I have my routine with the Briiv and I like it, especially when I walk into the house and it's been boosting for an hour. The air feels so fresh and clean, rather than stuffy.
I have a series of tests designed to challenge all the different impurities in your air. I roast, fry, and bake in the kitchen; burn a scented candle; spray my dry shampoo; and burn my morning toast. Briiv claims to be able to filter 53 cubic feet per minute on its maximum setting. One of the rooms in my flat happens to be 6 x 6m, so that's exactly where the tests took place, aside from the cooking.
Funnily enough, cooking in my open-plan kitchen living space (which is bigger than Briiv says it can handle) is the one test that was somewhat disappointing. I could smell the food in the air, even when running it on the recommended level three. After an hour, the Briiv had done most of the work for clearing the air, but I only know this because one of the other air purifiers I was testing was monitoring the air quality. The Briiv doesn't have any feedback or graph system, which means you really have to rely on your intuition.
The burnt toast, scented candle, and dry shampoo saw a lot more success. I could see the particles being dragged into the Briiv and the air was certainly kept much fresher. As I said, the Briiv is most notably effective when you've left a room and returned to it. This petite powerhouse will make the air taste fresh and light, rather than stale.
I've also seen reviews from hay fever and asthma sufferers who live in busy, polluted areas and they've said their wheezing disappears. I put this to the test on my asthmatic mother-in-law, reluctantly handing over the Briiv to her for a month. She loved it. "My chest felt a lot less tight and I didn't find myself wheezing going up and down the stairs as much." It's not medical proof, but I'll take it. Taking the Briiv back was a lot more difficult, mind you.
All that performance doesn't come with a big price tag, you'll be pleased to know. The 5V energy demands should only cost you £3.60 a year and the filter replacements come at £34.99, so even though this is a big investment, you start saving money (and the planet) from the get-go.
Cleaning, storage and maintenance
Sometimes, appearances take a lot of maintenance, especially when it comes to knowing how to clean an air purifier, but that's not the case for the Briiv. The glass dome didn't collect dust or dirt like I expected it would. The only things you'll have to do is change the filter every 3 months, occasionally give the glass a clean, and add new moss every year. Keep those things in a routine and you've set yourself up for some sustainable success (and lovely, fresh air).
How does it compare?
If you've done some shopping around, you'll know to inescapable truths about the Briiv: it's the most attractive air purifier, but it's also one of the most expensive. Actually, let's not play it down. The Briiv is £300 more expensive than the MeacoClean CA-HEPA 76x5 Air Purifier at the top of our buying guide, so without some seriously substantial statistics, how can you justify the splurge?
The Meaco can clean air in the same sized room as the Briiv (in fact, it's not recommended to put it in rooms any bigger), but it's quicker and much smarter. You can monitor the air quality (a huge flaw with the Briiv) and it's much more effective on reducing cooking odours. I smelt results in 9 minutes (which is two minutes quicker than average with the Meaco) and the Briiv needed the privilege of a full hour.
The reason I'd still support you in buying the Briiv is twofold. First, it's much more attractive than the Meaco. I find myself apologising for the Meaco and trying to hide it away, even though it is compact. The Briiv doesn't pose any of those problems and so you can set it in the optimal place for air purifying, rather than tucking it away. Second, Briiv is a B-Corp doing more than its fair share for the environment. This works to your advantage: it's cheaper to run than the Meaco and you don't end up with single-use HEPA filters. Instead, your air purifier is 90% natural and biodegradable. That's a feeling to be proud of.
You might be sold on Briiv, but wondering about the Briiv Pro. Lots of people asked the same question as you. It's crafted from the same materials (all natural, all good), but with a 'hive' mode that links together Briiv air purifiers in your home, so you can use multiple and link them up. You'll also - finally - get the air quality monitoring and the 'canary' setting responds automatically to changes in air quality. If that's not enough, you also benefit from a 'rapid purification' mode which can clean a 4 x 4m² room in 21 minutes, which is perfect for cooking. It's a little bigger and more expensive, but also a lot more powerful. The choice is yours.
Should you buy it?
The Briiv 2 Air Filter is the best natural air purifier you can buy. I'm bowled over by the impressive eco-credentials, style, and efficacy with which the natural materials work. However, there are some more crude aspects that the clinical air purifiers amongst us will miss.
How we test
At woman&home, how we test air purifiers is a technical business. It's not all hot (and cold) air, it's burning toast, making roasts, spraying dry shampoo, and smoky candles. I put every air purifier through the same tests, designed to emulate the different pollutants that you'd find in your home. I monitor them, compare them to each other, and try to calculate an average result for what the best air purifiers are capable of. Then, I cover all the important details, from basic function through to maintenance and packaging. At the end of a review, I like to think you've had a good insight into what these are like to live with. However, if you have more questions, please send me a message. I'll shoot the breeze about air purifiers all day long, just ask the rest of the team.
