This compact model is quiet, but is it effective?

Name of product: Blueair AirPod

Price we paid: $100

Date of Consumer Reports full report: December 2007

What it is. This HEPA-filter-equipped air purifier, which sort of resembles an oversized iPod, stands a compact 13 inches high x 6.3 inches wide x 4.3 inches deep. The manufacturer claims this air purifier can clean the air in a 5x6-foot space. Keeping with the iPod motif, the cardboard casing of the filter slides into a so-called “docking station” that includes a small electric fan.

This air purifier comes in a number of patterns and colors, including “waves” (shown), “trees,” and “paisley,” so you can match it to a room décor. When you buy a unit in pink, Blueair will donate 5 percent of the proceeds to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

What we liked. In our preliminary tests, the AirPod was quiet even when running on high and used the least energy of all the portable models we tested.

What we didn’t like. The manufacturer’s claim that it can clean a 5x6-foot space is, in our judgment, a significant limitation since most rooms are bigger than that. We’ve been testing the AirPod in our standard 12x18-foot chamber, and it has not done a good job removing dust and smoke.

Our initial take. The AirPod is quiet and stylish, but its air-cleaning performance so far has struck a bad chord.

Look for our full report on room and whole-house air purifiers, with Ratings of 60 different models, in the December 2007 issue of Consumer Reports.