Ible Airvida M1 Wearable Ionic Air Purifier Review: An Elegant But Pricey Air Purification Device

Ible Airvida M1 Wearable Ionic Air Purifier Review

I travel a lot. And even though the face mask mandates from the COVID-19 pandemic have been removed, I got sick from travel long before COVID raised its multi-spiky protein-laden head. I had Comic-Con crud and CES crud more than once. I now regularly sanitize my hands throughout the day, which help—but airborne illnesses laugh at clean hands. Masks, though still donned by many on the conference circuit, make it hard to talk and even harder for the intended audience to hear. So, I started researching alternatives to masks that might not meet all of their features but would help create some kind of protective barrier without the fabric.

Through this research, I came across Ible at CES 2023. A year later, the Ible team sent me a couple of their ion-based miniature air purifiers. The modules can be worn as a necklace, attached to clothing via a clip, or used on a desk when perched in the charging stand.

The convenient device doesn’t provide all of the protection that a physical barrier will, but it does provide significantly more protection than walking around without a cloud of ions to push vectors and pollutants away.

What we like

Pros

• Multi-delivery design (necklace, clip, surface)
• Fashion agnostic
• Simple operation
• Helps eliminate a number of airborne pollutants, bacteria and viruses
• May offer other health benefits from its materials

From a design perspective, the $189 Airvida M1 is simple and easy to use. The necklace magnetically adheres to the ends of the purifier, to the charger and to the clip. Unlike regular necklaces, no one will have a difficult time putting this necklace on.

I would consider the design culturally ambiguous, leaning into the primitive, which makes it a non-conflicting complement to almost any attire.

A single button turns the unit on. A blue LED indicates power. The device runs for up to 28 hours. I have worn it multiple times for extended days, including two days recently at Disneyland, and it lasted the entire day without interruption.

The key to the device is the tiny carbon threads that project from the middle of the top 20g device. According to Ible, the Airvida M1 creates 2,000,000 negative ions/cm, which is 100 times more than the natural forest ion concentration. The Airvida M1 improves indoor and outdoor air quality by removing PM2.5 pollutants, pollen, and smoke.

Test results report a 99.7% reduction in Coronaviruses, 99.9% on PM2.5 (2.5 micron particles.) They make no claims on PM10 (10 micron particles).

The titanium necklace offers a benefit independent of the unit (a benefit not associated with the included clip). Ible has created a material that enhances what is known as far infrared emissivity, an approach to UV protection.

The improvement in far-infrared emissivity within the range of 5–14 µm, which overlaps with the peak range of human skin radiation at 8–14 µm, results in increased absorption efficiency, and have the potential to enhance thermal and biological effects. 

Enhanced far infrared emissivity, UV protection and near-infrared shielding of polypropylene composites via incorporation of natural minerals for functional fabric development (He, et all, Nature 15 December 2023 – Link).

Their report shows a test sample was 86.4% effective at 40ºC. There appear to be many variables involved in the efficacy of infrared emissivity. I would encourage those interested in this feature to explore more about this benefit and for Ible to make a better effort at explaining it to potential customers.

Through Airvida M1, 2 million negative ions are created around your face. The ions attach to airborne particles (including PM2.5, formaldehyde (CH2O), and allergic substances such as smoke, dust mites, pollen, and pet dander). This turns them into bigger, heavier particles, which results in them falling out of the air.

While I can’t see these tiny particles fall, I do feel a sense of cleaner air when wearing the M1.

What could be improved

Cons

• The charging stand and clip need to be accounted for regularly (especially the charging stand; if lost, the Airvida cannot be charged).
• Blue operational LED hard to see in daylight.
• The brush can give a jolt when it contacts skin.
• Support site uses very poor colors and is hard to read. Product narrative could be better.
• Packaging could be improved for sustainability.

I always have an issue with “small” things during travel. The charging stand for the Airvida M1 is one such small thing that could easily be misplaced during travel. Owners need to ensure they track and protect the charger, or they won’t be able to benefit from the M1 when it runs out of battery charge.

When I first started using the Airvida M1, I found it difficult to see if it was on, so I would fiddle with its very simple single switch too often. I now check it in a darker space before placing it around my neck. After that, I don’t worry about its status. If fully charged, I know it will be on all day. Ible should consider a white LED to make it easier to see the status of the device in bright light.

I sometimes receive a brief jolt of electricity from the Airvida M1. According to the support pages, this is normal. It happens because the device uses electricity to generate its ions, and when the brush comes into contact with skin, the combination of moisture and proximity can create a micro-arc. I now think of it as a way to check that the device remains around my neck. For those bothered by this, the included clip can keep the device further from skin without reducing its effectiveness.

I don’t usually provide feedback on marketing or support, but I found the yellow-on-white support site very difficult to read. I would like to see Ible invest in some UX improvements on their support pages. More critically, I think Ible could do with some copy updates that would make their narrative clearer. As already mentioned, links to the supporting reports would be good. I would also like to see them spell out acronyms and document each feature independently (for instance, their Mechanism paragraph conflates Titanium’s anti-inflammatory powers with the ion stream, making for a confusing narrative about how the product works).

On the sustainability front, the elegant packaging could use an eco-friendly makeover to eliminate the large block of glued-on foam that holds the product in place during shipping, which makes recycling the otherwise mostly paper and cardboard box difficult.

Airvida M1 Wearable Ionic Air Purifier: The bottom line

Although I can’t prove that the Airvida M1 is doing what it claims to do, I know it’s doing something because it occasionally reminds me of its presence with a very slight jolt. I find the simple, elegant solution a worthy investment for offering some peace of mind for those of us who travel regularly into areas with high rates of air pollution, or for those seeking a mask alternative that brings some, if not all, the protection of a physical barrier.

Ible provided the Airvida M1 Wearable Ionic Air Purifier for review. Images courtesy of Ible unless otherwise noted.

Serious Insights is an Amazon Affiliate. Clicking on an Amazon link may result in a payment to Serious Insights.

For more serious insights on hardware and accessories, click here.