HoMedics Brethe Air Revitalizer: Is It Just an Over Priced, Oversized Deodorizer?

After seeing hundreds of commercial about the HoMedics Brethe Air Revitalizer and hearing the claims of how it removes up to 99% of odor causing bacteria from the air I myself was skeptical as to how well it would really work. Would it truly leave the air smelling fresh and clean or was it nothing more that an over sized and overpriced deodorizer? After visiting a family member who owned one of the HoMedics Brethe Air Revitalizers I knew I would have to buy one for my own home. The blue LED light combined with the gentle swishing motion of the water rotating in the bowl can almost become hypnotizing. I now own two of the brethe air revitalizers; one is used in our master bedroom where my dog spends most of her time and the other in a room closer to my main living room. The lavender and citrus are my favorite of the four oil- based scents.

The product is incredibly easy to use right out of the box with no assembly required. Simply take the top off of the clear bowl, fill the clear bowl with regular tap water to the fill line, pour in about a cap full of your choice of lavender, vanilla, lime or citrus oil scent, set the top back onto the bowl and plug into an electrical outlet. After turning the machine on you will notice the water begin to swish back and fourth in the bowl. Eventually the water will begin to rotate; you will then notice a mist of water falling down into the center of the rotating vortex. This is where they claim the magic of the product really happens. HoMedics explains that the brethe air revitalizer uses an immense "rainforest" mist to wash the air that is pulled into the vortex then fills it with an emulsified botanical solution before releasing the now cleaned air back into the room.

The HoMedics Brethe Air Revitalizer can be purchased online through the HoMedics website, at many department stores and even at many Walgreen's drugstores. It comes with three two-ounce bottles of the botanical oil based scent, one citrus, one vanilla and one lime. The product ranges in cost from $44.99 to $59.99. The oil-based scent that comes with the product is simply a trial size. You can purchase more of the wonderful smelling oils online through the HoMedic website. The refill bottles are a much larger eight-ounce size. I was also able to find them at Linen N' Things and Bed Bath & Beyond. The refill scented oils are reasonably priced at $14.99 at all these both places. The botanical solutions are said to be environmentally safe, non-toxic, non-pollutant, non-flammable, biodegradable and alcohol-free. The active ingredients in breathe are derived from natural botanical extracts.

My household accommodates three heavy cigarette smokers and a dog, which can all have a tendency to create a nasty smelling odor. The first time I turned on the brethe air revitalizer I noticed an immediate difference in the room. The air immediately filled with the citrus scent and the air in the room actually appeared much cleared. Before using this product there was always a slight haze in the room from smoking indoors. The brethe air revitalizer seemed to pull the smoky air and odor into the machine and returned it smelling clean and fresh. Using the botanical oil based scents is optional. I have tried it many times without any scent and although it does seem to help, it does take much longer to freshen the air in the room. Although the instructions suggest using a complete capful of the scented oil I only use half that amount. The scents do tend to be a little strong in my opinion.

Although a little pricey, in the end I believe I made a good choice in purchasing this product for my home. I am also considering purchasing another one for husband's office at work. This product seems to do the trick when comes to neutralizing and virtually eliminating odors especially from pets and cigarette smoke.