Launched as part of the Samsung BESPOKE Home range, the Samsung BESPOKE Cube is designed to remove particles from the air. This process is said to make your home smell and feel clean. But kind of like the Samsung BESPOKE Jet vacuum cleaner, does this Cube thingy actually work? Does it look cool and techy while still being functional? How does it stack up against other air filtering systems? Is it worth what seems to be an exorbitant price tag?
We got our hands on the Samsung BESPOKE Cube Smart Air Purifier AX53 to test out and provide you with all the answers. So what did we think?
How does it work?
There are those fancy air purifiers that have no fans, there are ones that just have a void, there are ones that come with heat, and those without. So what exactly is an air purifier, and how is it different to a fan? Firstly, an air purifier is designed to filter particles in the air so it’s easier to breathe, smells great, and the air feels cleaner. If you suffer from hayfever—like I do—then air purifiers will help filter out these larger dust and pollen particles. Some models help with pet fur, and many remove smoke particles too. When the bushfires hit Australia, lots of people ran to the shops to purchase air purifiers to remove the smoke. And it works! If you purchase a good system, then you can visibly see less smoke in the room.
Lots of units on the market these days, including the Samsung BESPOKE Cube, will even show you the particle count. This gives you an indication of how many dust particles are being removed. Fans on the other hand are designed to simply push air around the room. They will not filter particles from the air in the same way water isn’t filtered unless you have a filtration system.
So how does the Samsung BESPOKE Cube stack up against the market? What’s its filtration system like?
Samsung BESPOKE Cube
The Samsung BESPOKE Cube is said to have one of the best filtering systems available. It uses HEPA filtration to remove 99.97% of 0.3µm ultra-fine dust particles; also known as PM0.3 (for Particle Matter). Microns (µm) are a measurement of length. One micron is equivalent to one-millionth of a metre. As a comparison, beach sand is between one hundred and ten thousand microns. Bacteria is anywhere between 0.3 and 60 microns. Thus, being able to filter out almost all of 0.3µm means bacteria, some viruses, lots of dust types, dust mites, hair, sneezes, mould, and smoke will mostly be filtered out of your household air.
One of the coolest things about the Samsung BESPOKE Cube is that is modular. It doesn’t just use one layer of filtration. Some models on the market will have one filter to capture dust and particles. The cube has four individual pieces to collect particles. The first is the pre-filter which is two layers. The front layer grabs all the big particles like human hair and pet fur. Large dust is then trapped by the second layer. A deodoriser captures some of the air particles that cause smells, and finally, the dust collection filter picks up all the ultra-fine particles.
The best thing about this whole system? You can take it off, clean it, and replace some of the filter layers. This means your unit is always clean and being used to its maximum capacity. Getting access to the filter is super easy. The front panel pops off and a filter layer can be added or removed.
WindFree Air Purification
What I love about this Cube, is that it’s quiet. You heard some fans, purifiers, and air conditioners and they make such a racket! I don’t feel like I’m being blasted with air when I use the Cube. Instead, it’s a nice, quiet, steady stream of purified goodness coming out of the Samsung BESPOKE Cube™. And it’s the best quality air being sent back out into the room. This is because the Cube sucks air in from five directions: up, down, left, right, and through the front, and then uses an internal system to analyse the air. The air is then sent back out in either one direction or all three directions depending on the indoor air quality.
Great design
Aside from being great at actually making your air nice, the BESPOKE Cube is stylish. In one word is “beautiful”, or “stunning”. The first time I spotted the Cube was at a Samsung house display. It was inconspicuously placed in the lounge room and it looked fantastic. Surrounded by complimenting colours, the cube looked like a piece of art.
It looks great in any space and feels like it’s a feature piece rather than an appliance that must be there. Similar to the Samsung BESPOKE Jet vacuum cleaner, I feel like the Cube is meant to be on display rather than stashed away in a corner.
Air purifiers work better if they are out in the open so they can circulate and filter the air. Some models however leave you questioning whether you want to simply forgo the benefits of air purification in favour of an eye sore. That’s not the case with the BESPOKE Cube. I feel like I need to point it out to all my friends and family when they come to visit!
Lots of options
The Cube comes in three different colours and two sizes. We have the AX53 which is the smaller cube. If you have a larger space, look for the AX70 which is almost double the size. The cubes have three colours for you to choose. Clay Beige—the one we opted for—green, or silver.
Owners of the smaller cube can choose to purchase an extra stand to elevate the cube. This gives you a little more floor space and might be more useful for your room. If you have large ceilings, raising the cube would be very useful. I didn’t really need this in my small apartment so I opted to have the cube on the floor. It does also save you $249 AUD.
Smart
Everything I have in the house is smart now… well, almost everything. My lights, WiFi, power boards, RGB strip lighting, air conditioner, and doorbell. So why shouldn’t my air purifier be smart too? Using the Samsung SmartThings app, I can control the BESPOKE Cube, check the air quality, see the status of my filter, and get notifications on when the filters need replacing.
It was really quick and easy to set up, both physically and on the app. For the Cube itself, it only needed the power to be plugged in and it was ready. There’s the option to add the additional front double filter, but this isn’t a requirement. And then to add it to the app, your SmartThings app should automatically detect your Cube. Click through the on-screen prompts and then your Cube can be controlled from anywhere.
What I like about the SmartThings app is that it gives you information about the air quality and allows you to easily change the mode. There are five modes up and having numbers on the screen helps to decide which mode is best.
Speaking of modes, one of the coolest things about the cube is all the sounds. It has a techy startup sound as the front panel emerges from the unit to start purifying. There are also sounds as the modes change. The Cube even says “Hello” when you turn it on! If you’re a little techy like me—then you’ll love these added features.
The SmartThings will provide notifications about when the filters need to be changed or cleaned. You can set up a schedule for when your Cube should be on or off, and there’s also information about care of your device and energy usage. Check out some of the stats you can view: (screenshots by TechAU)
Verdict
Okay, it sounds like I really like this Cube right? So what are the limitations? The Cube is slightly on the larger side. The AX53 measures 38×43.8×40.6 cm which is a bit larger than some other devices. It does however cover a much larger room space at 53 m2. The larger AX70 measures 38×71.2×40.6 cm and covers 70 m2, making the larger model simply taller rather than longer or wider. The difference here is that you’ll need fewer units to cover the same amount of space. This brings me to the second drawback… price.
These Cube are not cheap. They do cover a wide space and therefore you can get away with less for more, but you’re still up for a bit of cash. If you can afford it however, this is definitely the best air purifier on the market in terms of style and filtration. The smaller AX53 Cube is $1,299 AUD and the larger AX70 Cube is $1,699 AUD. This might not fit everyone’s budget, but if you’re looking for a high-end, beautiful, and highly effective air purifier, without compromising on performance, then the Cube is worth the investment.
BESPOKE Cube and Home Range
The Samsung BESPOKE Cube is simply amazing. It looks fantastic in any house and compliments the space. The Cube is part of the Samsung BESPOKE Home Range. We’ve reviewed the Samsung BESPOKE Jet vacuum cleaner and it’s equally as stunning as the Cube. The Samsung BESPOKE fridges are easily one of the most amazing pieces in the range.
Each fridge is modular, meaning buyers can choose what style they would like their fridge, colour, size, and even finish. There are over 220 different combinations so you can really choose exactly what you want to suit your house. Some of my other favourite products include the BESPOKE robot vacuum and BESPOKE AirDresser.
Earlier this year at CES, Samsung unveiled several new products to the BESPOKE lineup including an oven, cooktop, and microwave. It seems like Samsung is really playing into the kitchen and homemaker range. As a new homeowner myself, I can look forward to seeing these new products hit the market.
