GermGuardian AC5350W Elite 4-in-1 Vs AC5250PT 3-in-1 | Reviews

Manufactured by Guardian Technologies, GermGuardian’s top-of-the-line air purifiers are known for their incredible performance and durability.

Guardian Technologies is a company based in Euclid, Ohio. The company has received several awards over the years from Weatherhead School of Management, Ernst & Young Global and EDGE for its innovative approach to providing its customers with solutions for their everyday needs.

The manufacturer is one of the most renowned producers of ingenious and high quality appliances that deal with health and wellness. Among the most popular products made by Guardian Technologies is the air purifier.

In this review, we have compared two of its best-selling air purifier models -  the GermGuardian AC5350W Elite 4-in-1 and the AC5250PT 3-in-1 Air Cleaning System.

 

How do Purifiers Work?

While there are plenty of air purifiers out there with different features, their basic function remains the same. An air purifying unit comes with a one-speed or multi-speed fan. This fan is responsible for drawing in dirty air from the room it is in through the inlet on the machine.

As air passes through the air purifier’s filters, its particles and contaminants get trapped inside the machine. Thereafter, clean air is redistributed into the air through the outlet on the machine.

Some air purifiers offer various kinds of particle-destroying technologies like ionizers or UV-C lights that help clean air particles more rigorously as they pass through the machine before they are redistributed.

GermGuardian Elite 4-in-1 AC5350W Vs GermGuardian 3-in-1 AC5250PT

One basic thing to understand is that the larger a room is, the more difficult it is to control the air quality circulating in the room. Luckily, that is something you do not need to worry about if you have either the GermGuardian Elite 4-in-1 (AC5350W) or the GermGuardian 3-in-1 (AC5250PT). Both of these air purifiers are tall units, but they have manageable weights, which makes them easy to move around whenever you need to.

Both these GermGuardian models have decent clean air delivery rates and feature variable fan speeds. The GermGuardian Elite 4-in-1 AC5350W and the GermGuardian 3-in-1 AC5250PT are able to handle the workload required for cleaning large indoor spaces. At the same time, their ability to distribute clean air in spacious settings does not make them wasteful in terms of energy consumption. They require very little electrical energy to operate.

Each of the two models relies on a triple-filter system that removes harmful and irritating contaminants from the air. The 3-in1 model contains a special Pet Pure HEPA filter for animal fur. The Elite 4-in-1 and the 3-in-1 contain UV-C light bulbs, which give them extra germ-killing ability.

It is incredibly easy to control the UV-C light, the timer, the fan speed and everything else regarding the operations of both these models because of the digital control panels on the top of the units. The long lifespan of the filters in both of these models is also an attractive factor. The cherry on top is that Guardian Technologies also gives a generous manufacturer’s warranty on both these products.

Size and Placement

The major difference that you will find between the GermGuardian Elite 4-in-1and the GermGuardian 3-in-1 is in their color and shape. Of course, there are minor differences between the units other than their physical appearances. The Elite model has a rectangular shape, which is more like a white tower. In stark contrast, the 3-in-1 is a tower but black in color with a more oval-like shape embellished with a chrome chevron.

Both the GermGuardian Elite 4-in-1and the GermGuardian 3-in-1models are 28 inches tall. The Elite 4-in-1 has a length and depth of 6.7 inches by 9 inches while the 3-in-1 model measures at 6.1 inches by 9.5 inches. The Elite 4-in-1 is heavier than the 3-in-1, but it is only a minor difference with their weight being 11.25 pounds and 10.5 pounds, respectively.

You can use both of these comfortably in large rooms. They have 6 foot long power cords, which allow you plenty of room to move them around, based on their relative distance from the wall outlet. Moving both of the machines around is easy due to their light weight.

Filters

Guardian Technologies went all out with both the GermGuardian Elite 4-in-1and the GermGuardian 3-in-1 . Both units have three major air filters. The purifiers contain a pre-filter responsible for keeping large dust, coarse particles and hair from even entering the machine and disrupting its operations. The filter is covered with a layer of activated carbon that eliminates smoke, food and pet odor as well.

Both of these filters also contain the HEPA filter. This filter traps 99.97% of germs and allergens in the air, which are as small as 0.3 microns. The HEPA filter in the 3-in-1 unit is a Pet Pure HEPA filter that is infused with an antimicrobial material. This stops mildew, bacteria and mold from accumulating on the filter.

As effective and lasting as the air filters on both these purifiers are, their owners should make it a point to replace the product filters after every 6 to 9 months to make sure that they keep performing at their best. Each of the purifiers has a filter change indicator that can alert you to replace the filters.

Replacing filters is a simple matter of removing the back panel with a push of a button and accessing the filters to swap them out. It is as simple as that.

Extras

While the air filters in both the air purifier models by Guardian Technologies will clear the air properly for you, the company went a step beyond by introducing some bonus features for both of the air purifiers.

Both the GermGuardian Elite 4-in-1 and the GermGuardian 3-in-1 have 5-watt UV-C light bulbs. These UV-C lights interact with a titanium dioxide photocatalyst in the machines to break down the viruses and bacteria right down to the molecular level, so that they are completely destroyed as they enter the air purifier.

The timers on both the purifiers allow you to limit the use of the UV-C light filters to 8 hours per day so that you can cut down on the energy consumed. Setting timing for the UV-C light filter or simply turning it on and off is a simple matter of pressing the appropriate option right next to the digital display screen on top of the air purifiers.

Fan and Efficiency

The thing that makes the filtration and purification system of both the GermGuardian Elite 4-in-1 and the GermGuardian 3-in-1 so efficient is the five-speed fan you will find in both models.

The fan in the Elite 4-in-1 model uses just 56 watts of power while the 3-in-1 one uses 62 watts. Their low energy consumption means your energy bill will never spike up because of the air purifiers. In order to give you more peace of mind for their longevity, Guardian Technologies gives you a 5-year limited warranty on both the models.

If you have taken a look at the CADR numbers for both the GermGuardian Elite 4-in-1 (AC5350W) and the GermGuardian 3-in-1 (AC5250PT), you might have noticed that the 4-in-1 has lower CARD numbers than the 3-in-1 model.

For the 3-in-1 model, the dust CADR is 139 cfm [cubic feet per minute], the pollen CADR is 149 cfm and the smoke CADR is 125 cfm. For the Elite 4-in-1 model, the dust is 122 cfm, pollen is at 130cfm and smoke is at 111 cfm.

Both of These are Excellent Air Purifiers

Picking between these two brilliant products can be a nearly impossible task, considering how similar the two of them are. Both of them have an activated carbon-layered pre-filter and a UV-C light.

The GermGuardian Elite 4-in-1 and 3-in-1 have lengthy warranty periods, programmable timers and five-speed fan settings. They have long cords and digital displays, which makes them look a lot more expensive than they are.

Both the GermGuardian Elites are similar in size. The Elite 4-in-1 model has a rectangular shape and it comes in both black and white colors. The 3-in-1 model comes only in black. That being said, when it comes to long-term consumption, the Elite 4-in-1 uses slightly less energy than the 3-in-1 model.

Regardless of which GermGuardian air purifier model you choose, your investment will be quite rewarding for you and your family.