Philips Series 800 Vs IKEA FÖRNUFTIG – Comparison (2023)

Philips and IKEA are well-known brands, the first one in the home appliance category and the second in the furniture category. Philips has released many air purifiers in the past years, while IKEA recently expanded its product line with air purifier products. 

In this article, I will be comparing the IKEA FÖRNUFTIG and the Philips Series 800 air purifiers. These are two small air purifiers, ideal for bedrooms, small offices, small living rooms, or other similar spaces.

The IKEA FÖRNUFTIG is a minimalistic air purifier suitable for up to 108 sq. ft rooms without advanced features. It uses a mechanical wheel, which enables connectivity with a smart plug. Not only does Philips cover larger room sizes, up to 176 sq. ft, but it also has many more advanced features, of which I like the air quality sensor and indicator the most.

The three-stage filtration is the basis of these two air purifiers. Neither IKEA nor Philips has a True HEPA filter, but even without it, they made some fine results in performance tests.

Let’s check out more specifications that might help clear the picture.

Specs: Philips Series 800 Vs IKEA FÖRNUFTIG

Features Overview

Control Panel 

One of the first differences spotted straight at first is the control options. The Philips Series 800 air purifier has a small control panel, whereas the IKEA FÖRNUFTIG air purifier comes with a control wheel.

Pressing the power button on the back side of the Philips air purifier will turn ON the appliance, and the control panel will light up. From that point on, you can use it to switch the operating modes and as a filter reset indicator. It is as simple as that.

On the other hand, the control wheel, on top of the IKEA air purifier, can be used to switch between desired speed levels, and next to it, you can find the filter reset indicator.

No matter how boring they may appear, the simplicity of controls on both devices doesn’t harm the performance of either one. 

Air Quality Sensor and Air Quality Indicator 

Having an air quality sensor and an air quality indicator is what makes a Philips series 800 air purifier the advanced one in this comparison, as opposed to the IKEA air purifier that comes without these features. The air quality sensor is a tiny sensor located at the backside of the appliance detecting the real-time presence of PM2.5 particles. The one thing that makes it particular is that the sensor is always active, whether a device is running or not.

By working in partnership with the air quality indicator, the sensor can offer the user a complete overview of the air pollution in the room. Located at the top of the device, the indicator will begin switching colors depending on data sent by the air quality sensor. The colors will vary between blue, purplish, and red. 

Auto Mode

The automatic or auto mode is another feature found in the Philips Series 800 air purifier exclusively, contrary to the IKEA FÖRNUFTIG.

This feature works jointly with the air quality sensor and indicator. When the auto mode is activated, it starts receiving the data collected by the sensor. In a way, this will force the air purifier to adapt to the current situation and set the adequate operating mode granting an optimal performance.

Filter Reset Indicator 

The first common feature for Philips Series 800 and IKEA FÖRNUFTIG air purifiers is the filter reset indicator. No matter how good your memory is or how well you keep track of this and that, you will always need a little extra help on the side.

This indicator is just the help you need. It is designed to keep track of the filter exhaustion, and you can entirely rely on it. Once the necessity for a filter replacement occurs, the indicator will light up and inform you. The filter within the Philips air purifier can last up to 12 months, but the filter of the IKEA air purifier lasts between 4-6 months. 

Wall Mounting

As always, IKEA is paying close attention to the details and how to adapt any of its products to the surroundings. The air purifier is no exception.

Besides being trendy and adaptable to almost any interior design style, the IKEA FÖRNUFTIG air purifier can also be wall-mounted. Perhaps some of you dislike keeping too many devices on the floor, so this might just be the solution you need.  

Smart Plug Compatibility

Since IKEA FÖRNUFTIG has a control wheel instead of a control board, there isn’t much space left to adjust the air purifier other than just switching between modes.

However, IKEA air purifier can be plugged into a smart plug and become partially a smart device. By partially, I mean to set the desired operating mode and then connect the air purifier to a smart plug. That will allow you to remotely turn ON or OFF the appliance from any place or time. Not as Smart as you might have expected, but still handy.

Airflow

As these two air purifiers are entirely different in shape, so are the ways they control the air that comes in. The Philips air purifier has a cylindrical shape, with a filter located in the bottom part. That means the air inlets are located straight around the filter, covering the entire surface at 360 degrees. Once the air runs through the filter, it gets dispersed into the room through the grills on the upper side.

Contrary to Philips Series 800 air purifier and the IKEA FÖRNUFTIG air purifier is rectangular with filters located frontally. The front side of the air purifier, which functions as a pre-filter, draws in the air and directs it through the filtration system before releasing it from the upper side of the device. 

Warranty

In terms of warranty coverage, here you will find two completely opposing manufacturers. On one side, the Philips company will provide you with a 2-year warranty, available worldwide in any registered Philips service center.

On the other hand, the IKEA company does not provide any type of warranty for its product and leaves it to the customer to contact them in case of need. Not only was I surprised, but also disappointed. For some rational reason, I expected IKEA to have better customer service for these types of products.

Filtration Technology

The filtration process is one of the essential reasons why we decide to purchase an air purifier. No matter how low the product price can be or how well the air purifier can fit in our space, we all expect it to do what it is supposed to do: clean the air we breathe. 

One of the major differences between Philips and IKEA air purifiers reflects in the number of filters each device possesses. It is important to accentuate that neither one has a True HEPA filter. Instead, the Philips Series 800 air purifier has a pre-filter, a NanoProtect HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter. Meanwhile, the IKEA air purifier has only two filtration stages: a pre-filter and a HEPA filter. Optionally, there could be a third stage if you decide to buy a carbon filter. 

As for the pre-filters, the most important thing you should keep in mind is that neither the Philips nor the IKEA air purifier has washable pre-filters. All you can do to keep it clean is to use your vacuum cleaner every once in a while, preferably every two weeks. Keeping it clean means making sure the pre-filter traps all the large particles of dust, pet hair, pet dander, etc. By doing so, you will prolong the life of the second filter in the process.

As mentioned previously, the core filter within the Philips air purifier is the NanoProtect HEPA filter, which does an excellent job of removing all the finest examples of dust, pollen, and various allergens that can’t be seen with a bare eye. 

Oppositely, the IKEA air purifier uses a simple HEPA 12 filter, which also runs smoothly, trapping all the tiniest particles in the room. 

Even though neither of the comparing air purifiers uses a True HEPA filter, I must say I was extremely surprised by both of them. More about it in the sections below. 

The third stage is optional for IKEA FÖRNUFTIG, which means if you want the carbon filter, you’re gonna have to buy it. The carbon filter used by IKEA will neutralize the odors, but the Philips air purifier will do the same job, in a better way. All, thanks to the pellet-based activated carbon filter. This fact makes it more reliable than the basic carbon filter. 

How to replace filters on both of these devices?

Replacing the filter is not as complicated as it may seem, especially if you are a beginner. I have mentioned it before, and I will say it once more, filters within Phillips Series 800 and IKEA FÖRNUFTIG air purifiers are not washable. Also, both air purifiers have a filter reset indicator which means you will be reminded in due time to replace the filter. The durability of filters within the IKEA air purifier varies between 4 to 6 months, while filters of the Philips air purifier can last up to 12 months if maintained properly. 

No matter what air purifier you decide to buy, keep in mind that various factors have an impact on filter durability. If you are a smoker, if you have pets, or are obsessed with cooking, keep in mind that disciplined pre-filter maintenance will prolong the life and effectiveness of your air purifier. 

Performance Tests 

Since today’s two comparing air purifiers are completely different, I had to take various tests to be able to properly testify to each one’s performance.

The tests were taken separately, in three different room sizes, leaving the appliances running on top speed for a whole hour.

Let’s check out the outcome of each test.

120 sq. ft. Room Test

Being designed for a 108 sq. ft. room size this was a basic performance test to see how IKEA FÖRNUFTIG would manifest. By the end of the test, the air improvement rate was around 91%, which is a solid test result. This room size was way too small for a Philips air purifier, which is why I left it out. 

194 sq. ft. Room Test

Testing the IKEA air purifier in a 194 sq. ft. room size was a slightly pushing boundaries, just to see how would it act on. The result came up with an 89% improved air quality, which is excellent, considering it uses a MERV-12 HEPA filter. 

At the same time, the Philips air purifier demonstrated its supremacy by reaching up to 93% of air quality in the same amount of time. This is a great result, considering it doesn’t use the True HEPA filter. 

320 sq. ft. Room Test

This room test was reserved strictly for the Philips Series 800 air purifier because of the room size, which exceeds the possibilities of the IKEA air purifier. Also, a 320 square feet room size is almost twice as large as the recommended dimensions for the Phillips air purifier.

However, this device didn’t fail even in these circumstances, which resulted in 91% cleaner air. This is more than a satisfying outcome.

Noise Test

Nowadays, we all have so many electric appliances in our homes that run simultaneously, 24/7. Adding some extra devices to your home can create a significantly noisy atmosphere, which is why users and manufacturers yearn for more silent home improvement appliances.

The Philips Series 800 air purifier has three operating modes: Sleep, Auto, and Turbo mode, while the IKEA FÖRNUFTIG air purifier has three basic speed levels. This is the main difference. 

The quietest of the Philips air purifier is the Sleep mode with 41.8 dBA, which means this air purifier is more than welcome in your bedroom all through the night. By default, the IKEA air purifier creates the least noise while on speed one which is 42.2 dBA. This may sound like a fair amount of noise to be tolerated, but it is still less than most of the other air purifiers, running at the same speed level. My only complaint would be the missing Sleep mode which I consider a must-have.

The level of noise elevates as the speed rises reaching around 58.2 dBA at top speed. Even though the IKEA air purifier is not one of the quietest devices, it is still not too loud to be disregarded. There are no unpleasant sounds, no squeaking, and no irritating light indicators to disturb your night’s sleep. On the other hand, the Philips air purifier can create up to 62.8 dBA while in turbo mode. Even though it sounds as if it may be too loud for your taste, I can’t say I was annoyed or disturbed in any kind of way by this air purifier. For those of you that like to keep it simple, there is also the Auto mode, which can create different levels of noise, while switching speeds throughout the purifying process. 

Overall, I find the Philips air purifier is more tolerable in noise production because it runs smoothly and doesn’t attract attention while operating. After all, it is the highest speed that produces the best airflow and the best outcome, which equals clean air, so keep that in mind. 

Operating Costs

One of the relevant factors that have a significant impact on the purchase process is most definitely the overall profitability. By this, I am referring to the product price and the operational cost.

As for the price, I must admit that paying almost twice as much for the Philips series 800 air purifier, as opposed to the IKEA FÖRNUFTIG air purifier is not something to be disregarded. At the same time, the new filter price is pretty much the same. These are the costs that we might call short-term, but the average monthly or annual cost should also be taken into consideration. Considering that the Philips Series 800 air purifier requires a filter replacement once a year, whereas IKEA air purifiers have a significantly longer interval, it would cost you more to keep IKEA’s filters clean.

For this reason, I have decided to test both air purifiers for a month to see how much each would cost. Leaving both air purifiers running 24/7 on top speed, would cost around $1.60 if using the Philips air purifier, while the IKEA air purifier would pinch you a $1.20. 

From a long-term perspective, in my opinion, the Philips air purifier is a more affordable solution.