Puribar is a pocket-sized purification device for sanitisation and getting rid of smells

I like things clean and as you can see by some of my cleaning-related posts, it’s an ongoing endeavour.

Because of the pandemic, I started thinking about the hidden nasties in the air, and decided to do some digging to understand what can be used to clear air. I had some John Lewis vouchers for Christmas, and waited for a deal to come through and bagged myself a Dyson Cool Auto React Purifying Fan. This was crazily decadent but hayfever is something I really suffer from, and we keep our windows and doors open, so I noticed that my symptoms really improved through use of this fan.

As I can’t carry a fan around with me all the time, I was looking for something smaller so came across the Puribar. It’s a pocket-sized sanitation device that neutralises odours and kills up to 99% of bacteria and viruses in minutes – I asked the manufacturers for some proof and they sent me some lab reports. I am not a scientist, so will take that.

The science bit

The PuriBar cleans air via two layers of purification – ozone and negative ions, which doctors acknowledge increase the flow of oxygen and clear the air of lung irritants and airborne allergens such as pollen, mould spores, bacteria and viruses. PuriBar also eliminates chemicals, smoke and even odour, leaving no secondary pollutants – only oxygen remains.

With its extra oxygen atom, the resulting reactive ozone from the PuriBar can decompose and catch polluting molecules to change their molecular composition, while its negative ions thoroughly absorb tiny airborne particles to clean the air, removing pollutants.

How it went

Firstly, the device looks very smart. Orange and white with a hanging cable, it is small enough to fit into my handbag (143.5mm x 25mm x 25.4mm) and lightweight (100g).

As I can’t physically see air being purified, I decided that smell would have to do. I started with a gym bag and stuck a smelly sheet in there. I turned on the Puribar by twisting half of it and first selected ruck sack mode (as per picture) but decided instead to go for recycling mode, as I didn’t think less than 10 mins would do the job! I zipped up the bag, and I left it in there for an hour – recycling mode can go to two hours, but I needed the bag. Well when I opened the bag, the smell was still there, BUT nowhere near as bad as before and trust me it was bad, so I reckon the full two hours would have been better.

Next I headed to my cat’s litter. I used Felight and he has the amazing Omega Paw self-cleaning enclosed litter tray. Combining these two definitely reduces smells, but my cat isn’t known for covering up as it were. So I stuck some Blu Tack at the top of the litter inside and chose suitcase mode. I was impressed, the smell was no longer there even though the offending article was. I scooped and all was good again. However, my cat didn’t like the fact that his scent had gone and I needed to coax him back into the litter later that day. Therefore, I would use this for a pet carrier or for a dog’s house.

Thinking about enclosed spaces, I asked my friend to try this on her baby’s changing bag. She gave it a go and was happy to report that her bag stayed “fresh” and that the Puribar gave her peace of mind, knowing that it was effectively disinfecting her bag.

In terms of other uses, it works for makeup and jewellery boxes, gym bags, drawers, small cupboards, handbags and rucksacks and suitcases – before and after travel, and basically any small enclosed space.

With just one twist the built-in ozone generator automatically releases a combination of both ozone and negative ions to permeate every corner of enclosed space in whatever it is being used to purify. The PuriBar even notifies users of disinfection success by beeping to indicate start and finish of sanitisation cycles.

There are four modes. In handbag mode, the PuriBar purifies up to 5L in just 4 minutes. In backpack mode, it covers up to 20L in 6 minutes, suitcase mode gives up to 30L in 8 minutes and, finally, in loop mode, the PuriBar releases ozone for 4 minutes on a recurring cycle every 2 hours until the battery runs out.

Fully charged after 2.5 hours, the PuriBar’s 1600mAh battery capacity means it can be used – in loop mode – for up to 9 hours. The 6.75W rated power also benefits from low power consumption, but PuriBar also supports an LED battery display and real-time charging.

From safeguarding the health of the whole family to disinfection in just a few minutes, users can negate allergy risks and lingering pet and cooking odours in and around the home, leaving a clean and fresh environment. PuriBar is small enough to be easily put into any bags or even pockets, so it is ideal for commuters and those that travel regularly.

The PuriBar is manufactured by ZHIYUN, a firm that is better known for making award-winning camera stabilsers, and is available from here, priced at £54.99.