Introducing briiv- a review of the world's most sustainable air purifier.
The majority of us have just spent the past two years indoors, but do we have any idea how clean the air is we have been breathing?
Poor air quality can be caused by a number of things. We may automatically assume poor air quality is a result of pollution from factories and cars but the truth is it can be from what we clean with, the nail polish we choose and the candles we’re burning.
A backstory- how I discovered briiv…
If you follow me on Instagram you will have most probably heard that we have recently moved house after our Landlord made a decision to sell the cottage we were renting. We soon found the rental market was non-existent in this area, or unbelievably expensive. We found a place that was suitable but would need to wait three months until it was available. Believing it was worth it, we did, staying with friends in the meantime and on January 4th I walked into our new cottage to text Joseph immediately ‘Wow, I think they’ve cleaned this place with petrol.’ After a while, I realised that the smell had a source which was the boiler that resided in the middle of our kitchen and with it, a tray full to the brim of oil. This then started an ongoing journey of visits from the boiler man, more leaks being found, having to move out because of the intensity of the smell causing headaches and some unwanted skin breakouts and a back and forth email conversation with our landlord.
For me, the worry and urgency in wanting to sort the smell out was the fact that I am very aware, and wanting to be more aware of toxins in our day to day life. This means I am intentional with the foods we eat, what we drink and what we put on our skin, and here we were ingesting something so out of my control. I tried lots of different things to remove the smell: Bicarb poured all over the floor, jars of apple cider vinegar around the house as well as coffee grounds. Steam cleaning and opening all the windows and doors despite how utterly freezing it was. As the weeks passed the smell did seem to be settling but for my own peace of mind we brought somebody in to assess the air quality.
I was trying everything to eradicate the smell, bicarb poured all over the floor, jars of apple cider vinegar ad coffee grounds over the floor and steam cleaning but to no prevail. Through their testing, they discovered that while we weren’t dangerously at risk with the air quality, it was enough to warrant some attention and labelled as what they call a ‘nuisance smell’.
Realising that coffee grounds and ACV wouldn’t cut it, I started searching for other ways to remove the smell or the threat of the smell and discovered that air purifiers could be helpful in removing VOC’S (volatile air compounds). The sale of Air purifiers completely went through the roof in lockdown with data suggesting they could reduce traces of airborne viruses. With Joseph also having a dust allergy, it was a bit of a no brainer to give it a try.
On searching I discovered briiv. Fairly new to the scene and far exceeding their ask on Kickstarter, calling themselves the most sustainable air purifier on the market their design and promise caught my attention.
So let me take you through.
What’s in the box?
USB charger and plug
3 filters: Reindeer Moss, coconut coir and their own bespoke made Silk Matrix – a combination of activated carbon bonded with fine silk, all designed to degrade and return to earth in just a matter of months.
Here’s how they work:
Reindeer Moss: This natural dried reindeer moss will capture large particulates, including animal dander and dust in the air. Can filter PM10 (pollen and allergens).
Coconut: The coconut husk is responsible for trapping harmful substances present in the air. Filters PM5.0 (bacteria and mold spores).
Silk Matrix: Working in the core of the machine is the bespoke Silk Matrix filter. Combining Activated Carbon bonded with a fine silk-based protein web, this can trap the smallest of particles down to PM0.3 like harmful fine dust and large viruses. The activated carbon element will pull and absorb the odour in the room. This allows briiv to not only improve your indoor air quality but also make it smell better. This layer is responsible for filtering VOCs (harmful gases).
A review
Design/Appearance: 5/5
It is safe to say that this product is beautiful. Air purifiers have come a long way in recent years and there truly is some really streamlined ones now on the market but nothing even close to this. briiv won the Red Dot Product Design Award in 2021 and it’s no surprise. It looks like a terrarium or art installation?! and we’ve already had so many comments on it as well as it being a talking point! It’s incredibly discreet which is a far cry from the eyesore of a white block sitting in the corner of the room whirring away as in previous years!
Sustainability: 5/5
briiv is self-proclaimed as the “world’s most sustainable air purifier”
A massive problem with conventional air purifiers is that they use HEPA filters that cannot be recycled. briiv’s filtration system can be composted at the end of it’s life cycle. Not only that, briiv is using a new bio-plastic derived from elephant grass, which is grown where agricultural crops can’t be. The unit is designed and manufactured in the UK and hand-assembled in Leeds. The glass is formed by hand using recycled glass and the reindeer moss is sustainably harvested in Finland from managed woodlands. On ordering the unit arrives in a plastic-free box without any excess packaging. It’s completely fascinating to me how the whole unit works, and especially so without cost to the environment.
Energy-wise it is one of the most energy-efficient and is thought to cost only £2 a year in energy to run thanks to the 5v USB connection which smartly and efficiently powers the machine.
Usability: 5/5
There were very few instructions in the box, but it was simple enough to get going- and a video can easily be found online! After putting together the system you can turn it on straight away. There’s a range of speeds to choose from which you select by swiping your hand over the front of briiv to reveal a touch screen.
There is no upkeep apart from changing the filters infrequently which if you are connected to the app, when the time is right to change them, you will be notified.
The App: 2/5
I am rating this low purely because the app hasn’t worked for me but I know they are having technical issues with it which is totally understandable for a startup! I have read reviews of the app in general and people have said there is a number of features that don’t exist which would be really helpful and I assume will be added in time.
The app will come in really useful when it’s back up and running as you can control the briiv from another room and it alerts you when filter parts need changing! GENIUS!
Functionality: 5/5
The simplicity and hands-off nature of the unit makes it really practical for every day life. It doesn't get in the way and doesn’t require assistance! Something I need as a mum of two kids!
The filter will clean a 6 meter x 6 meter room in about an hour. That’s the size of a pretty large living room or a studio. You can set briiv on a timer so that it can turn on or off when you are out and about. Or press the boost button for an extra surge of filtration if your room needs is, say after cooking or dusting your home.
Value for money: 4/5
The briiv currently costs: £299. I think this is incredible value for money. For reference, two other units I was looking at were the Molekule air mini and the Mila Air. The Molekule air came in at £449 with a peco filter costing £69 needing to be changed every 6 months, and the Mila Air came in at $349 with the filters costing $69 and needing to be changed every six months too. I appreciate different units have different benefits but for the appearance and low running costs, plus a yearly set of filters costing only £30…it’s a win-win! I’ve only given it 4 because I realise this price point will never be accessible to everyone!
Performance: 5/5
You can see what is capable of here
For us personally, we have been keeping it in our kitchen. When we did the air quality test in our home, this was the most affected area and is also the part of the house we probably spend the most time in. The briiv has so far been a total success. We have noticed the smell of oil has decreased, which could be a combo of the warmer weather meaning we can air the house more. But we’ve also noticed FAR fewer headaches (I was getting a headache almost every day), far less sneezing due to allergies and the kids had lingering coughs before we received it both of which cleared up VERY quickly.
Joseph was sceptical, and to be honest so was I and now we’re kicking ourselves we didn’t get one sooner!
Final thoughts: In my case, I’ve found, you can clean and clean some more, but there is little you can do to affect the air in your home! I love that this took it out of my hands and has made me feel so much more peaceful as we wait for the rest of the nuisance odour to leave. briiv is the equivalent of having 3,043 medium-sized house plants and I have fallen in love with this powerful little living monitor working its magic in our home.
The unit was gifted to me in return for an honest review. All these thoughts are my own! Find out more here.
Check back soon for my spring cleaning series and ways to clean your home naturally!