Live Science Verdict
Don’t let the higher price tag put you off — the Turonic PH950 air purifier is a great product if you’re after fantastic performance, ease of use and versatile settings
Pros
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2-in-1 humidifier and air purifier
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Efficient
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Easy to use and assemble
Cons
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Relatively expensive
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Pricey filter replacements
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Bulky design
Why you can trust Live Science
In this Turonic PH950 air purifier review, we’ll be evaluating this advanced 2-in-1 air purifier and humidifier, thoroughly assessing its performance, features and ease of use. And to give you an honest and balanced opinion, we’ll also be discussing in detail what we liked and disliked about this piece of equipment. The Live Science team has reviewed many different air purifiers, so even if the Turonic PH950 doesn’t seem like the right choice for you, our guide to the best air purifiers can help you find a better option.
Turonic is a relatively new brand on the electronics market, and its aim is to produce high quality products suitable for all budgets. The PH950 model is one of the latest additions to their growing range of health and beauty devices. What’s more, it may be a strong contender for the title of the best mid-range air purifier.
· 2-in-1: air purifier and humidifier
· Mesh pre-filter, combination filter (cold catalyst + activated carbon filter) and combination filter (antibacterial cotton + HEPA filter)
· Ionizer + UV sterilization
· PM2.5 laser air quality sensor
· 8 fan speeds, auto mode and sleep mode
· Timer (up to 12h)
· Child lock
· Remote control and Smart Life app
· 1-year warranty
Big and bold, the Turonic PH950 is a powerful 2-in-1 machine combining an air purifier and a humidifier. This complex piece of equipment is equipped with an ionizer, UV-C technology and several different filters designed to neutralize as many unwanted particles as possible. According to the manufacturer’s claims, the Turonic PH950 can even remove up to 99.98% of particles as small as 0.1 microns. It also comes with a remote control, a designated app, a timer, particle sensor, and 10 different operating modes — all for approximately $400 per unit.
If you’re wondering whether you should get the Turonic PH950 air purifier, but you’re unsure whether it’s worth the money, read on. We’ve put this device through its paces to answer any questions you may have before making the final call.
Turonic PH950 review: How big is it?
- Height: 27 (in)
- Depth: 9 (in)
- Width: 16 (in)
- Weight 24 (lb)
Weighing in at almost 24 lbs, the Turonic PH950 is definitely not the lightest piece of equipment on the market. It is also bigger and wider than most competitors, but since its display is inconveniently located on the top, your options as to where to put it in the house may be limited. If you decide to give the Turonic PH950 a go, you may need to sacrifice some floor space. But taking into account what this air purifier can offer, it’s not necessarily a deal breaker.
In terms of design, the Turonic PH950 isn’t the most attractive piece of equipment. The machine feels a bit ‘chunky’ and flimsy, particularly around the cover. It’s also available in white only. On the other hand, such a bland demeanor may allow this machine to seamlessly blend in with most decors.
Turonic PH950 review: How easy is it to use?
The Turonic PH950 comes with a detailed instruction manual. The booklet is packed to the brim with useful information related to machine usage and maintenance. The air purifier itself is relatively easy to assemble and use, and can be up and running within minutes. Its circular display is pleasant to look at and the color-coded indicators are easy to understand. The display is also suitable to use in a bedroom at night, as the icons are bright, but not flashy.
The Turonic PH950 has eight different fan speeds, which you can set manually, via a handy remote control, or using a dedicated Smart Life app. With so many modes available, picking the most appropriate settings may feel difficult. But don’t worry — the auto mode can do the heavy lifting for you. As the Turonic PH950 is equipped with an intelligent PM2.5 laser sensor, it will continuously monitor the air quality and adjust the fan speed as needed. What’s more, its ambient light sensor will send the machine to sleep mode automatically two minutes after the surrounding light is lower than 5 lux (or, in simpler terms, when the daylight disappears). Similarly, the unit quits the sleep mode three minutes after the surrounding light is more than 5 lux. The sleep mode operates on the lowest fan speed, without switching on the LED indicators.
When it comes to noise levels, the Turonic PH950 should not keep you awake at night or interfere much with your daily activities. On the highest setting, the measured levels did not breach 55 dB - a sound level comparable to quiet conversation at home or background music.
The Turonic PH950 also incorporates a humidifier. Since we were focused on the air purifier aspect, we didn’t test this fully, but we did notice that the water chamber seemed rather small and tricky to use, which could affect how often you’d need to refill it. Still, this feature is optional and you don’t need to switch it on if you don’t intend to use it.
Turonic PH950 review: Performance
When it comes to performance, the Turonic PH950 air purifier is a true beast. This sophisticated piece of equipment comes with UV-C technology and an ionizer, which, according to the manufacturer’s claims, can effectively kill most harmful microbes. It also contains several different filters to ensure no unwanted pollutants, no matter how big or small they may be, are left hanging in the air.
The complex design starts with the washable pre-filter, which picks up large particles, such as specks of dust, pollen or pet hairs. A built-in carbon filter and a cold catalyst filter then neutralize lingering odors and the so-called volatile organic compounds (harmful chemicals that are mostly used in the manufacture of paints and pharmaceuticals). Then, a cotton filter traps medium to large particles. On top of that, the Turonic PH950 is equipped with a powerful HEPA 13 filter, which according to the manufacturer claims, is able to remove compounds as small as 0.1 microns.
But how do these claims stack up against its actual capabilities? To find out, we put the Turonic PH950 through its paces in our designated testing facility.
Firstly, we wanted to check how the Turonic PH950 would perform in our ambient air test. We measured the air particles using an air particle monitor and left the machine running for half an hour in an enclosed room. This test was repeated. On both occasions, the air purifier did an excellent job of getting rid of small (0.3 nano) and medium (2.5 nano) particles, removing 89% of them on average. This was after running the purifier for just 30 minutes on the automatic setting, so we'd expect to see an even bigger reduction after this.
Next, we tested the ability of the Turonic PH950 to neutralize match smoke. We burned a handful of matches and left the machine running for half an hour in an enclosed room. We measured the pollution 15 and 30 minutes into the test.
After 15 minutes on the lowest setting, the air purifier removed 44% of small particles (0.3 nano), 43% of medium particles (2.5 nano) and 45% of large particles (2.5 nano). After 30 minutes, this rose to 82%, 83.4% and 78% respectively.
After 15 minutes on the highest setting, the Turonic PH950 removed 58.2% of small particles, 57.7% of medium particles, and 56% of large particles. After 30 minutes on the highest setting, it had removed 89.9% of small particles, 89.1% of medium particles, and 84% of large particles. So after a whole hour, we'd expect even better results.
Lastly, we burned several incense sticks and left the machine running for half an hour in an enclosed room. We measured the pollution levels 15 and 30 minutes into the test. After 15 minutes on the lowest setting, the Turonic PH950 removed 60.3% of small particles (0.3 nano), 59.9% of medium particles (2.5 nano) and 56.4% of large particles (10 nano). After 30 minutes, it had removed 82.4% of small particles, 81.9% of medium particles, and 79.4% of large particles.
After 15 minutes on the highest setting, the Turonic PH950 managed to remove 50.5% of small particles, 40.3% of medium particles and 36.8% of large particles. However, after 30 minutes on the highest setting this had risen to 85%, 84.5% and 77.2% respectively.
Overall, the Turonic PH950 demonstrated a very good performance in several different circumstances. We can't testify that it was able to remove up to 99.98% of particles as small as 0.1 microns, because our air particle monitor is only able to measure 0.3 microns or larger.
Turonic PH950 review: What’s good about it?
One of the biggest advantages of the Turonic PH950 is definitely how versatile this device is. It comes with multiple operating modes and a built-in humidifier, so no matter how dry or polluted the air in your house may be, this machine is likely to provide a solution. And if you’re not sure which settings may be the most appropriate, you can always rely on its handy auto mode.
Another plus is its efficiency. The Turonic PH950 may not be the most compact or the quietest air purifier available, but it boasts some serious horsepower. It succeeds at removing even the smallest particles from the air, while being fairly energy efficient. And thanks to its color-coded particle sensor, you can keep an eye on its work in real time.
Moreover, the Turonic PH950 air purifier is relatively easy to use and assemble, while its display is easy to understand. And you can always set it up remotely using a remote control or the Smart Life app. The Smart Life app is definitely a plus — and it’s been rated 4.6 stars out of 5 on Google Play.
Turonic PH950 review: What’s not so good about it?
For some, the Turonic PH950 may seem like an overly complicated piece of machinery. It comes with ten different operating modes, and additional features that may not prove particularly useful for a beginner. So if you’re only just stepping into the world of air purifiers, and would prefer something relatively simple and straight-forward, the Turonic PH950 may not be the best starting point.
The Turonic PH950 unit is relatively big and bulky, so you may struggle to fit it in tight or narrow spaces.
It’s also worth noting that depending on the retailer, the Turonic PH950 unit tends to cost between $380 and $500. Taking into account what this product offers, such a high price may be justified. However, this air purifier is definitely on the more expensive side, and it may not suit those on tighter budgets. Changing a filter in this piece of equipment may also prove quite costly — a price for a single filter pad tends to fall between $45 and $60.
Another potential issue may be the fact that Turonic PH950 operates using an ionizer, which is not considered to be a particularly effective, or healthy, method of cleaning the air. The role of an ionizer is to spray charge ions (an atom or group of atoms that bears electrical charges) into the air. These ions then attach themselves to unwanted air particles and ‘pass’ the electric charge onto them. As a result, charged air particles ‘stick’ to nearby surfaces, like walls or furniture, instead of lingering in the space.
Turonic PH950 review: User reviews
The Turonic PH950 scores a good rating of 4.3 stars out of 5 on Amazon, with 60% of reviews awarding it the full 5 stars, and 5% of them giving it only 1 star. Positive reviews tend to praise this air purifier for its multiple settings, effectiveness at improving air quality, and ease of setup. Many users are fond of the Turonic PH950’s great energy efficiency, relatively low noise levels and the ability to schedule the timing of the machine turning on and off.
Parents often mention the child lock feature, while allergy sufferers report a significant improvement in their symptoms. In the words of one of the users, it may be “the fanciest purifier I have ever seen”, but it’s “worth every penny”.
Negative reviews tend to focus on the high cost of replacement filters, difficulty integrating the machine with apps like Google Home and the “awkward” design of the water chamber (“annoying to fill up and carry, water spilling everywhere”).
Should you buy the Turonic PH950?
Despite a relatively high price point, the Turonic PH950 is worth the money. It’s a quality air purifier that boasts high efficiency and a multitude of settings, while being easy to set up and intuitive to use. If you struggle with air pollution, airborne allergens, lingering odors and pet hair, this device could be an answer to your problems. The Turonic PH950 is also energy efficient and doesn’t generate a lot of noise. It may look rather bland and bulky, but if you look past its appearance, you’re likely to be satisfied with the purchase.
- Related: Dyson air purifier deals
If this product isn’t for you
If you’re after an air purifier that closely matches the efficiency of the Turonic PH950, but costs a bit less, check our the Levoit 400s air purifier. You may also be interested in reading our Blue Pure 211 review, as this piece of equipment uses electrostatic and mechanical filtration.
And if you’d rather invest in something smaller, the Coway Ap 512HH weighs just 12.3lbs, and is light enough to pick up in one hand.
Anna Gora is a health writer at Live Science, having previously worked across Coach, Fit&Well, T3, TechRadar and Tom's Guide. She is a certified personal trainer, nutritionist and health coach with nearly 10 years of professional experience. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, a Master’s degree in Nutrition, Physical Activity & Public Health from the University of Bristol, as well as various health coaching certificates. She is passionate about empowering people to live a healthy lifestyle and promoting the benefits of a plant-based diet.