This plant is secretly a smart air purifier with washable filters and it connects to Alexa, too

Date:
Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:56:15 +0000

Description:
This sustainable smart air purifier with washable filters is perfect for plant-lovers.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Smart Home Week This article is part of TechRadar's Smart Home Week 2024 , where we're giving you all the latest news, tips and tricks to help you make the smart home of your dreams.

Mother Nature may be powerful, but even she's struggling to tackle the state of our low air quality single-handedly. This is where clever creations such
as Vitesys Natede Smart plant air purifier can provide a helping hand. Combining the natural powers of household plants with new air-purifying photocatalytic technology, Natede Smart might also be the most sustainable
air purifier Ive ever used.

Since I purchased my first smart air quality monitor , Ive been paying a lot more attention to the quality of the air in my home and let me tell you, its been a bit dire at times. Granted, Ive been living in a black mold-ridden
flat until recently, but having the ability to see just how badly certain products such as hairspray and cleaning products affect my air quality in my home has had me reaching for my purifier more often.

The issue is, its a bit of an eyesore, the filters need replacing regularly, and it uses quite a lot of energy when used regularly. As such, Ive been on the lookout for a more attractive and sustainable alternative. Enter Natede Smart, the only app-connected plant pot youll ever want or need. (Image credit: Future) A green thumbs-up

While we probably all like to think were safe inside our homes, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), VOC (volatile organic
compounds) levels are two to five times higher indoors than outdoors. Then there are mold spores, dust, bacteria, and pollen in the air, too, all of which can result in a host of health issues if allowed to fester in the right environment.

Thankfully, there are a host of plants that are particularly good at cleaning air; but, unfortunately, they dont hold a candle to some of the best air purifiers . And, if youre anything like me, half the fun is getting to see
how much of an impact theyre having in real-time. And the Natede Smart serves up the best of both worlds. (Image credit: Future)

So, how does it work? Well, aside from the built-in fan that encourages the circulation of air towards the naturally purifying plant, in a similar vein
to the Vitesy Shelfy that I also tried recently , Natede Smart uses Vitesys reusable Tungsten trioxide (WO3)-based filter.

This washable and therefore far more sustainable filter creates elementary charges when hit by the LED lights inside Natede Smarts base, which react
with oxygen and water present in the air to create highly reactive free radicals. These then ricochet and break down harmful molecules in the air
into less harmful ones. Natede Smart ventilates air through the reaction chamber to be purified, delivering an endless and sustainable means of air purification.

This goes some way to explaining one of the only major criticisms I have of the Natede Smart, however: its enormous base pot. In addition to your plant and the provided expanded clay pellets that help air and drain your plant,
the pot packs a lot of tech. However, that means its fairly large at 252 x
271 x 264 mm (H x W x D) and weighty at 2.8kg.

Design-wise, there are other flaws, too. For example, Natedes cable is incredibly short at one meter, limiting you massively in terms of plug
sockets within a reasonable distance of a window or another natural light source. The LED light on its base is super bright and doesnt turn off, which makes the Natede Smart unsuitable for bedrooms if youre sensitive to light, and the button on the bases underside used during pairing is terribly placed, given youll likely already have your plant in situ if youve followed the printed instructions. Weeding out the bad stuff (Image credit: Future)

You can choose from a variety of plants recommended by Vitesy to sit inside the Natede Smart pot; I opted for a Peace Lily, which is supposed to be great for bedroom or living room purification. Once connected to the Vitesy Hub
app, you can remotely control your purifying plant to ensure your home is properly purified.

If youre using some of the best smart home devices paired with one of the
best smart speakers , rejoice; the Natede Smart is both Alexa and Google Home compatible, meaning you can control your device from near or far with the power of home automation, through voice, or in your smart home ecosystem app. I never thought Id ever need an app for my plant, but when youre contending with a million different apps at all times, it's handy to be able to
integrate Natede Smart into your smart home controller.

In the app, you can control Natede Smarts settings, with a choice of four pre-set modes (auto, silence, standard and performance) as well as a custom, timer, and off modes. You can also view the daily, weekly and monthly graphs of various pollutants, as well as view a live view of your air quality. An industry plant? (Image credit: Future)

It's here that the next of my major criticisms arises; the accuracy of air quality reporting from the Natede Smart. While Ive observed its app clearly respond to small particulate stimulants such as hairspray, corn starch and smoke, it seems at least a little dramatic, sometimes spiking to outrageously high levels, only for those to dissipate in just as little time. This alone isnt too much of an issue, but when it comes to succinctly identifying
whether or not the Natede Smart is really having any impact, its a little tricky.

What I can say is that Ive certainly seen the benefits of the Shelfy, which uses similar filtration technology, and that my air quality according to the Vitesy app has generally improved. Im just not entirely convinced the plant component of the product is really doing anything. And while the Natede Smart makes for a moderately priced air purifier at $349 / 279, youre certainly paying as much for the plant-accommodating design as you are for the tech itself.

I can understand the reasons that Vitesy has opted for this approach its photocatalytic filters are exciting for nerds but the gimmick of the
attached plant is far more likely to catch attention in a crowded air
purifier market.

I want to believe in the power of plants, but I remain a little unconvinced with that aspect of Natede Smart. Nonetheless, Im excited to see where Vitesy takes its new purification technology next, and I'm thrilled to have such a high-tech pot for my new Peace Lily. You might also like... For less than the price of a weekly shop, this smart home gadget could double your food's shelf life, reduce odor and save energy The best Alexa Skills and commands: the
most useful voice assistant tips and tricks Everything you need to know to
set up your smart home



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/home/smart-home/this-plant-is-secretly-a-smart-air-p urifier-with-washable-filters-and-it-connects-to-alexa-too


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