Gadget of the Week: A spring clean for the air

What is it?

The end of winter leaves an office with an ancient problem: dust that seems to return almost as soon as it has been wiped away. Then Spring adds pollen to the mix, along with the temptation to open the windows and let the warmer weather in.

That’s a perfect recipe for allergies and hayfever – and a perfect excuse for an air purifier. The timing could not have been better for the arrival of the compact Solenco 204 Air Purifier, or the “Kusasa”, from Solenco, a supplier of home air-treatment appliances in South Africa.

The Kusasa, “tomorrow” in isiZulu, draws air through filters that trap airborne particles, including dust and pollen, and returns filtered air to the room. An activated carbon layer helps tackle odours.

I chose it for its suitability for both an office or bedroom, where a small appliance can work through the hours spent at a desk or asleep. I used it in the office during the day to deal with end-of-winter dust, and in the bedroom overnight to join in my perennial battle against early-Spring pollen.

The office is a great place to start with a purifier. We give plenty of thought to a comfortable chair and a decent screen, while the air around the desk tends to get whatever the weather sends through the window.

The 204 is bulky as gadgets go, but small enough to find a place near the desk without needing the room to be rearranged. At 36cm high, with a cylindrical body about 23cm across, it looks more like a bass sub-woofer in a sound system than an imposing household appliance. It weighs around 3.5kg, making the move from office to bedroom an easy enough part of the evening routine.

Its automatic mode is well suited to a working day. An air-quality sensor adjusts the fan speed as conditions change, leaving the purifier to get on with its job while the user gets on with theirs.

That means switching it on becomes part of opening up for the day, and the automatic setting takes care of the rest. The option to choose a fan speed manually is useful when more control is wanted, but I made automatic operation the everyday setting.

In the bedroom, I used sleep mode, in which the 204 was effectively silent. Its lights switch off in this setting, so it can run overnight in a dark room.

Phone control is available through the Smart Life app, allowing settings to be adjusted over WiFi. It is a convenient option for switching between uses, although the controls on the purifier itself make it easy to operate as an ordinary household appliance.

In the longer-term, one would need to be aware of the need to replace the filter. The indicator provides a reminder after 4,320 hours of operation, roughly six months of continuous use. Replacement filters are available locally, which is somewhat crucial for an appliance bought with several years of service in mind.

Keeping a spare filter on hand would be sensible for someone who plans to run it regularly.

What does it cost?

The Solenco 204 costs R2,999 from Solenco’s online store at www.solencostore.com, with free delivery throughout South Africa and a two-year warranty; replacement filters cost R699.

Does it make a difference?

The 204’s appeal is how easily it fits into an ordinary day, from automatic operation alongside the desk to sleep mode in the bedroom. Its recommended coverage of 17–30m² suits those individual spaces, and its compact size makes it practical to move between them. App control adds convenience, while local replacement filters make continued use straightforward. It is a straightforward solution to a seasonal problem that affects most homes and offices. For anyone dealing with dust and pollen, it’s the kind of appliance you fully appreciate once it is running.

What are the biggest negatives?

• Replacement filters add an ongoing expense of R699 each.
• At 3.5 kg it’s easy enough to move, but the cylindrical body offers no dedicated grip point or handle for moving between rooms.

What are the biggest positives?

• Automatic mode makes it easy to leave running during the working day.
• Sleep mode combines unobtrusive bedroom operation with lights that switch off.
• Pre‑filter, H13 HEPA, activated carbon, antiviral layer, and UV‑C gives it filtration normally found in larger, more expensive purifiers.

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za, and author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI – The African Edge.