Review: Burtran Nano-Oxy Smart Air Purifier

Burtran’s mesh metal box may look plain and industrial, but it offers something extra in the world of air purifiers: negative oxygen ion technology. The company’s claim is that its purifier's release of high-density (2,000–5,000 ions per cubic centimeter) negative oxygen ions delivers a “refreshing, forestlike atmosphere,” which will boost energy, reduce stress, and improve sleep—all without ozone, radiation, or static. It also uses a HEPA 14, a denser filter than the more ubiquitous HEPA 13s that most air purifiers use.

I’ve tested air purifiers for years, and I usually stay away from purifiers that serve up ion technology. As the EPA explains, “Ozone, a lung irritant, is produced indirectly by ion generators and some other electronic air cleaners and directly by ozone generators.” The California Air Resources Board has a list of those air purifiers that do more harm than good.

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

The Burtran has been tested and is not on that list. In fact, it is listed as a CARB-Certified Air Cleaning Device. In other words, the Burtran has not been proven to create ozone, so I had to wonder, would this proprietary technology actually improve my sleep?

Breathe Safe

The second issue with negative oxygen ion technology—even bigger than ozone—is the possible release of radiation. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission has studied negative-ion-producing consumer products, some of which contain radioactive materials.

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality has explicit warnings about the risk of negative ion technology, stating, “Negative ion technology can involve the use of minerals that contain a naturally occurring source of radiation, such as thorium or uranium.”

Burtran boasts at the top of its landing page that the Nano-Oxy doesn’t create radiation, but the mere appearance of the word “radiation” had me reaching out to Seattle-based GQ Electronics to let me demo its popular and user-friendly Geiger counter, the GQ GMC-800 ($84).

I’m happy to report that Burtran's claim was correct—its operation did not result in a spike of radioactivity. My entire apartment was measuring around 20 clicks per minute, or CPM—for context, 5-50 CPM is normal background. It’s when the number hits over 2,000 that the GQ GMC Geiger Counter Nuclear Radiation Safety Guide says to evacuate and report it to the government.

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

Filter Fortitude

Burtran also claims that, with its beefed-up HEPA 14 filters, the Nano-Oxy “captures 99.995 percent of ultra-fine particles down to 0.1 micron, surpassing HEPA 13 efficiency by up to 90 percent.”

HEPA is an acronym for “high-efficiency particulate air.” The number that follows HEPA is the MERV rating, or minimum efficiency reporting value, which measures a filter's ability to capture particles between 0.3 and 10 microns. As the EPA explains, “The higher the MERV rating, the better the filter is at trapping specific types of particles.”

There’s a catch to all that density, though—in certain appliances, MERV 14 can restrict airflow. For example, DIY air purifiers like the Corsi-Rosenthal Box recommend MERV 13 filters, not MERV 14. The air flowed freely out of the Nano-Oxy, so I wasn't able to confirm if this was the case with this particular machine. There is an indicator light that alerts when the filter needs to be replaced; the dirtier the air, the sooner the filter will need to be changed. Replacement filters cost around $100.

To Sleep Mode or Not to Sleep Mode

Burtran Dashboard via Lisa Wood Shapiro

The Burtran Nano-Oxy packs a large punch in its foot-and-a-half by foot-and-a-half body. At 17.5 pounds, it’s easy to move with its two side handles, but it can effectively clean the air the recommended five times an hour in a 270-square-foot room. I usually see that kind of room-cleaning power from larger appliances. It also has an activated carbon filter to capture volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and a prefilter to capture larger particles like pet hair. The front metal mesh comes off easily to access the filters. The control panel has a timer, fan speed, auto and sleep modes, and three degree angles—30, 60, and 90—that control the three slats for airflow direction from the top of the appliance. The Burtran works with the Smart Life app, which has one of the easiest dashboards to use and pair.

I will always recommend using the auto setting, as an air purifier’s built-in air sensor knows when to adjust the fan speed. But this can be an issue for air purifiers in the bedroom, as the highest setting creates the most noise. That is why most air purifiers have a sleep mode option.

Therein lies the sleep mode paradox: We spend the most time indoors in our bedrooms. Sleep mode is the quietest fan setting, but it's also the weakest for air cleaning. The Burtran is one of the quietest medium-size models I’ve tested. At its highest setting, it registered in the 50-decibel range on my consumer Toptes handheld sound meter, and in the 40-decibel range on the free NIOSH Sound Meter App on my phone. That ranges from the sound of rain falling to a quiet library. I left the Nano-Oxy on auto mode, and it woke me up on at least one occasion. Since then, I’ve put it on sleep mode.

The Verdict

There are three different air quality indicators on the Nano-Oxy. The first was the familiar PM 2.5 number that displays blue LED numbers that can be seen behind the mesh front panel, though those numbers can be difficult to read if I’m not looking at the purifier head on.

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

Next, the Burtran has a horizontal color-coded VOC indicator light band that glows blue for good, green for moderate, yellow for warning, and red for poor.

It’s sensitive—I noticed that when my neighbors opened their front door to their apartment across the hall, the Burtran’s fan would go into high mode and the indicator light would turn crimson. At first, I kept thinking the indicator light was for PM 2.5, but it’s not—it is for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

VOCs can be vapors, like those from paint thinners, compounds from petroleum fuel, or dry-cleaning agents. I also found it confusing that the colors didn’t align with the US Air Quality Index (AQI) colors. Even if the colors are VOCs, green should mean good air, not moderate. The last air quality indicator was new to me—it was for negative oxygen ion concentration (emulated value). Below 500 is poor, 500–1,000 is moderate, 1,001–2,000 is good, and 2,001 and above is very good. In my weeks of testing the Burtran, the negative oxygen ion concentration hovered above 3,000.

What is negative oxygen ion concentration? According to this study, “An air ion is formed when a gaseous molecule or atom receives sufficiently high energy to eject an electron. [Negative oxygen ions] are those that gain an electron.” Scientists have known about negative oxygen ions for over 100 years. They occur naturally during thunder and lightning storms, near waterfalls, in sunlight, and in forests through the process of photosynthesis, to name a few examples. Negative oxygen ions are found everywhere in Earth’s atmosphere, have been studied, and are beneficial to humans.

The average indoor environment is not going to have the naturally occurring high levels found in dynamic natural environments, and this is where Burtran comes in. The appliance is pitched as an air purifier that promotes sleep because it generates negative oxygen ions. Negative oxygen ions were also used as a treatment to help reduce the viral load for Covid-19 patients. Researchers have studied the positive relationship between negative oxygen and sleep. Could an air purifier do more than clean the air of PM 2.5 and VOCs? Would using an air purifier with negative oxygen ions promote a super sleep?

For my unscientific real-world use, I placed the Burtran in my bedroom to find out. The answer is yes, I slept well with the Burtran next to my bed. I left it on auto mode and turned off the indicator and control panel lights. The first night with Burtran, I had several vivid dreams and wondered if the negative oxygen ions were the cause. I’ve continued to use the Burtran in my bedroom, though I have since switched it to sleep mode, and while it could be a placebo effect, the air purifier seems to promote a deep sleep. The purifier costs $359 and has a two-year warranty. For those looking to improve their sleep, it might be worth a try.