More Furniture Than Appliance | My Impressions of Using the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table

Air purifiersbring to mind famous manufacturers like Panasonic or Daikin.
As a category of home appliances, honestly, they all tend to look similar.
White, tall, and just "sitting" in the corner of a room.

Of course, performance is important, but
the "white appliance look" inevitably dominates the scenery of a living room or study.
Even if you've installed one, haven't you ever felt that sense of discomfort that you just couldn't shake?

The product I'm introducing this time,the "SwitchBot Air Purifier Table",is a product that attempts to solve that difficulty of placement
from a different angle: design.
And while it is an air purifier, it can also be used as a side table.

The idea is to place it in the room with the premise of showing it off from the start, rather than hiding it.

About product specifications

About the air purifier part

First, let's start with the basics as an air purifier.

This product isn't positioned as a so-called "large and powerful air purifier," but rather
it gives the impression of being a product that packs sufficient performance for home use
into a form that can be naturally placed in a daily living space.

The filter configuration is a combination of a standard HEPA filter and a deodorizing system,
handling daily air concerns like pollen, house dust, and household odors.
Assuming it will be used constantly in a living room or study,
I felt the specs were just right.

What's interesting is how to remove the filter part.
While it's the same as the general method of removing it from the back,
the cover has magnets attached, so it's quite easy to attach and detach.

And the filter part is a cylindrical type that you pull out
to clean or replace.
It's large in size, but I thought the fact that it can be easily attached and detached is simple and good.

You can also set the timer and airflow using the physical switches on the unit,
but as expected of a SwitchBot product, it also supports app integration and auto-operation.

Registration to the app is also easy,
and since you just follow the app's instructions to connect to your home Wi-Fi and select the room,
it was incorporated into my home's SwitchBot product lineup in no time.

If you link it with Alexa, you can turn it on or off with a single voice command,
so being able to turn it on/off whenever you think of it is the charm of IoT appliances.

About the table

In terms of air purification functions alone,
SwitchBot already has similar products available.

This time, it comes with a table, so I'll briefly explain this table as well.

With a load capacity of 5kg, you can literally place items on it like a side table.
And there is a "+" pattern on the right side of the table.

You can charge wirelessly here.
It's mainly a space for charging your smartphone,
but this means it has the added benefit of being able to charge your phone just by placing it on the side table.

Also, since this table itself is fixed to the main unit with screws,
you will hold this part when moving the unit,
and it's more stable to carry than holding the unit from the bottom.

Since the manual mentions moving the table around,
it is officially recommended, then.

A subtle but convenient point.

About the design and colors

Currently, the colors available officially are

• White

• Natural

• Walnut

These three types are currently available.
While some e-commerce sites seem to only offer the white version,
I was provided with the natural color this time.

Even if you choose white for the table color, it seems to be a natural color,
so making the main unit natural as well creates a stronger sense of unity for the entire product.

White is fine for a white appliance, but
by daring to choose natural (wood grain), I personally feel that
the furniture aspect is brought to the forefront more than the appliance aspect.

And for the natural and walnut versions,
the product logo printed on the front is debossed,
making it much less noticeable.
Therefore, it gives off more of a furniture vibe.

Whether or not the logo is present is a matter of personal preference,
but for those who care, isn't this quite a good point?

The part between the table and the main unit is a light.

In addition to automatically changing colors based on air quality,
it is also possible to change it like a tape light or floor light.
(Though, with only 10 patterns, it's more of a bonus feature.)

Detailed settings can be changed in the app,
so let's customize it to your liking.

As a general assessment of the design

Regarding the natural color I chose this time,
the wood grain is not too overpowering,
and I felt it wouldn't look out of place when placed next to furniture in a living room or study.

If your room is unified with white or black appliances, tastes might vary,
but I think this design will really appeal to those who want to make their appliances feel more like furniture.

The fact that it is designed with the premise of being seen from the start,
rather than hiding the air purifier, is a point that can be honestly praised.

Impressions after using it

Since this is not long-term use, please assume these are impressions from short-term use.

First, about the sound.
When set to auto mode, it changes intensity based on air pollution levels,
but in low mode (the quietest state in auto mode),
the sound of the airflow is barely noticeable.

Since I am writing this in winter, I have the air conditioner on, but
the sound of the air conditioner is actually louder, so
I barely notice the sound of the air purifier.
Even when I have it placed right next to me.

When set to High or Medium mode, the sound does get louder, as you would expect.
This is subjective, but the sound in High mode is definitely noisy if you keep it right next to you, but
if you keep it at a distance, I don't think it's a sound that would bother you that much.

Also, since you probably won't be running it in High mode all the time,
I felt that there is no need to be too concerned about the noise.

I think the usability as a table is pretty good.
The height of the product is about 50cm from the floor, so
it seems perfect as a side table for a sofa or something similar.

We also tried placing it next to the sofa, and the height was just right,
making it quite convenient for placing mugs, smartphones, or remote controls.

The tabletop is waterproof,
so you don't need to panic if you spill water or tea on it.

The wireless charging function also worked properly.
I wondered about charging on a side table, but it's worth trying anything.

Perhaps it really is more of a piece of furniture than an appliance.

Points of Concern / Disappointing Aspects

Since I was told to be honest without holding back, I will write about these points thoroughly as well.

I had trouble with the assembly

The product comes with the main unit and the table separated, so a little assembly is required.

The screw-fastening to secure the table to the main unit was extremely difficult.

There is a part where you have to screw the connection from the side, but
getting the screw to reach that spot was very challenging!

Since it is perfectly horizontal, the screw would just fall out if you tried to put it in as is.
The included screwdriver did not have a magnetic tip,
so I couldn't use the method of sticking the screw to the tip of the screwdriver and inserting it into the hole.

What if I tilted it to the side to insert it?
I thought about that, but that requires a bit of ingenuity.
Since the table is larger than the main unit, if you want to tilt it horizontally, you would have to place it on a stand or something,
and then tilt it horizontally to pass the screw through the hole, which is the method I think you would have to use.

In the end, I used my own screwdriver (though it was a 100-yen shop one) to stick the screw to the tip and fasten it.
The fastening itself was not a problem at all.
It was just the process that was difficult.

Wireless charging detection is a bit strict

However, this depends on the device, so it's hard to say for sure.
If you place your smartphone on the wireless charging surface, it charges properly, but
when I tried the following device, there was a difference.

• iPhone 17 -> No problem when placed. Continuous charging possible afterwards

• Google Pixel 7 Pro: No issues when placed. However, charging stops within one minute.

• Anker wireless earphones: No issues when placed. Charging continues successfully afterward.

I cannot rule out the possibility that this happened because the Pixel is older, so
please take this as a reference.

The power adapter is a bit large

For a SwitchBot product, the plug section is quite large.

Therefore, depending on the outlet, it might not fit, or
it might block the adjacent plug socket, so
you need to be careful about that.

The plugs for things like robot vacuum cleaners (and their dust stations)
were a standard size, so I wonder why this one is so big...
Perhaps the power consumption causes this difference in size.

In any case, try adjusting the insertion position or
use an extension adapter if necessary.

Who is this recommended for?

After using it, I felt that
this product clearly has people it suits and people it doesn't.
To summarize briefly, it is as follows.

People who would likely find it recommended

• People who hesitated to get an air purifier because of how they look

• People who don't want to ruin the atmosphere of their living room or study

• People who want to combine furniture and appliances to save space

• People who are already using SwitchBot products

People who it might not be suitable for

• People who prioritize maximum airflow and purification speed above all else

• People who want to choose based on price as the top priority

• People who like simple white appliances

Conclusion

The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table is
not the "ultimate" product if you look at it strictly as an air purifier.

However, as an air purifier that blends naturally into your living space, I felt it was a quite unique option.
I felt that the new Natural and Walnut colors, in particular,
have an aspect that makes them easy to integrate as furniture.

For those who think of an air purifier not as "something to place,"
but as "something to incorporate as part of daily life from the start,"
I think this is a unit worth considering.

As we head toward spring,
if you are thinking about an air purifier for hay fever or yellow sand countermeasures,
or if you have pets and are looking for ways to deal with pet hair and dander,
why not consider this product as an option?

Finally, we have also been issued a coupon that can be used during the sale period, so please refer to the sale information in the next section.

That is all for this time.
See you next time.

Lastly: A notice from SwitchBot

■ Purchase here