I’ve been using Shark’s new air purifier to freshen up my home for the past two weeks – this is where it thrived, and where it fell short

While many air purifiers require regular, expensive filter replacements, Shark has been on a mission to make this must-have appliance more accessible to everyday users. And the filter of the Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 doesn't need to be replaced for - you guessed it - a whopping six years.

But does it have what it takes to compete with the best air purifiers out there? I tested it out in my home for two weeks to see for myself.

In a nutshell

The features that sold me on the Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 are found in the name: it’s a compact air purifier that clears the air and boasts a filter that doesn’t need to be replaced for a whopping six years. But during testing, I also found it incredibly responsive and easy to use.

This fancy, modern air purifier also uses its sensors to scan the air 3,600 times per hour, automatically adjusting its purification power when it detects pollutants or even someone walking by the appliance. Couple that with easy-to-read air quality data, and you’ve got an air purifier that ticks the boxes for many everyday users.

However, it’s not without its niggles. As it can only be used in rooms up to 27m² to fully benefit, it’s really only suitable for smaller homes rather than larger open-plan spaces. During testing, I also found that it wasn’t quick to react to all pollutant types.

The lack of app and smart home connectivity can also be seen as both a positive and a negative, depending on your personal preference and experience. But if you’re looking for a big-brand air purifier that gets the basics (and a bit more) right, I do think you’ll be happy with its abilities. If you’re already au fait with air purifiers and want something more high-tech, this one won’t be for you.

Specifications

• Recommended room size: 27m² (1 air change per hour), 6m² (4.8 air changes per hour)
• Noise levels (tested by us): 27- 57 dB
• Filter type: HEPA Filter, Activated Carbon, Pet Particle Barrier, Debris Defence Washable Filter
• Dimensions: 23.32 cm L x 23.72 cm W x 29.31 cm H
• Weight: 2.58 kg
• Wattage: 20W
• Smart App connectivity: No
• Timer: No (but does have Sleep mode)
• Auto mode: Yes

Unboxing and setting up

True to its name, the Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 arrived in a very compact box. It was lightweight, easy to carry, and, as I’ve come to expect with SharkNinja products, free of unnecessary packaging.

Instead, the air purifier was encased in cardboard scaffolding and the recyclable, fabric-like material that Shark likes to use to protect its products. There was also very little assembly required. All I had to do was open up the base of the air purifier, remove the filter from its plastic wrapper, and re-insert it.

This took all of 2 seconds, so I could plug it in and start setting it up soon after. However, this next step took a bit longer. A lot longer, in fact.

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After going through a brief ‘get to know your air purifier’ segment and using the onboard controls to set the day and time, I then got to the sensor calibration stage.

The BreatheClear Compact requires calibration on first use or after long periods without use, but the kicker is that this process takes a whole 48 hours. And for best results, Shark suggests setting the air purifier up in a well-ventilated space while this sensor calibration takes place.

This is the first time I’ve come across an air purifier that requires such lengthy, intensive calibration, so it was a little annoying on my part, as I wanted to start using it as soon as possible. However, I figured this process was designed to make the air purifier as effective as possible, so I decided to suck it up and wait the required 48 hours.

Design

Personally, I’ve always struggled a little with Shark’s air purifier designs. When I tested the brand’s NeverChange 5 Air Purifier last year, I said that it ‘looks more like an alien spaceship than a typical home appliance’ - and the same can be said for this upgraded model. Shark has kept the modern look, and I still think it’ll be divisive in houses that prefer more traditional home decor.

However, I do appreciate the air purifier's size, as its compact design is small enough to remain fairly inconspicuous without drawing too much attention.

It’s also extremely lightweight at just 2.58kg, which means you can carry it from room to room with very little effort.

Shark also sells the BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 in multiple colourways if you’d rather it make a statement in your home. I tested the standard ‘Dove’ colourway, but it also comes in a darker Charcoal, Blush, Butter Yellow, or Sage Green (my personal favourite).

Performance

We take our air purifier testing at Ideal Home very seriously, and we conduct four dedicated assessments to evaluate their performance. The first is the smoke test, which shows how well an air purifier reacts to the introduction of smoke (PM2.5) particles. So, with the air purifier in Auto mode and my air quality at 94%, I lit a match and blew the smoke toward it.

Within seconds of my introducing the smoke, my air quality decreased rapidly. And within 28 seconds, it had gone all the way down to 0% - as far into the red level as you can go. You can see just how quickly it detected these changes in the video below.

However, as quickly as it reacted to the negative change in air quality, it worked just as quickly to capture the polluting particles and improve the air quality again. In fact, just 3 minutes and 50 seconds later, my air quality was back up to 95% - which the air purifier rates as ‘excellent.’

This isn’t as impressive as the 2 minutes and 30 seconds it took the Blueair Blue Max 3250i Air Purifier - which is currently the number-one-rated model we’ve tested - to do the same, but it’s still not far off.

I then moved on to the next test, the spray deodorant test. This tests an air purifier’s ability to detect and respond to VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). So, I sprayed the deodorant at the same distance away from the air purifier and noted the starting Air Index level - which was 96%.

The Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6’s VOC reaction time was slightly slower than in the smoke test, but it was still a fast response, and the air purifier once again took it down to 0% in less than 30 seconds. Two minutes later, it was back in the blue ‘excellent’ category.

Next, I moved on to the dust test, which typically consists of PM10 particles. I emptied my vacuum’s dust bin next to the air purifier and waited to see if it would pick up the dust introduced into the air. However, it didn’t - and that’s more of a testament to my vacuum than anything, as it is already equipped with its own filters to capture these particles.

So, I tried something else and shook my feather duster over the air purifier, as I figured it was full of unfiltered, raw dust. Once again, the air purifier didn’t pick up any change in air quality - although it did briefly decrease by 1%.

From this, I determined that the Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 isn’t as effective at detecting and removing larger PM10 pollutants, such as dust, mould and pollen. At least during my independent testing, anyway.

I saved the best test for last: the cooking test. This test sees how an air purifier reacts to gas and cooking smells, as many people now buy air purifiers primarily for kitchen use. So, I cooked up a few rashers of vegan bacon and assessed how well it fared.

Once again, it reacted very quickly to the change in air quality in my kitchen, and I could hear the fan instantly ramp up to combat the additional pollutants. About five minutes into the cooking process, the percentage was firmly in the red at 0%.

Then, it took about 15 minutes after I had finished cooking to go back to normal. The bacon scent also lingered during that time, but when I walked into the kitchen again about 30 minutes later, it was almost completely gone.

However, one thing I did miss during this particular test - and my entire testing process - was the odour cartridge, which Shark included with the older NeverChange5 and within its Shark vacuum cleaners.

This odour cartridge was a highlight during my test of the previous model and made my house smell amazing. It’s a shame that Shark decided not to add it to this model, but it’s not a dealbreaker for me as it was more of a nice perk rather than an essential addition.

After the initial testing period, I continued to use the air purifier for a few hours a day to monitor and adjust my home’s air quality - and it really came in handy when my husband started painting. The Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 reacted extremely quickly to VOCs and paint fumes in the air and worked hard to restore air quality to a healthy level when he’d finished.

As it’s so compact, I mostly used it downstairs in my living room and kitchen, but I could see people using it in their bedrooms to help them sleep at night - as long as you keep it on the lowest fan speed or Sleep Mode to minimise noise.

Just be warned that this model isn’t suitable for rooms bigger than 27m². If you need it for a more open-plan space, you can buy it in a larger size from Shark for £299.99. This larger model is suitable for spaces up to 70m², but is also bigger in size.

Ease of use

One thing I will always give Shark credit for - both in terms of their air purifiers, vacuums and even their robot vacuums - is that the products are designed for easy, everyday use. There’s nothing complicated about them, and novices can jump in and use all the features without an extensive learning curve.

But the Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 is a slight anomaly in today’s saturated air purifier market - and whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your own thoughts on the matter. That’s because this air purifier doesn’t have an integrated app, which means all of your controls are on the top of the air purifier itself.

On the control panel, you can turn it on, adjust your device and screen settings, view your air quality data, enable Sleep mode, or manually adjust the fan speed. You can even see the filter life here. And for those who want to understand the basics of their air quality, this should be enough.

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However, those who have used air purifiers with apps in the past may find they’re missing a phone-controlled interface that lets them compare historical data, understand what their air quality means, adjust settings without getting up from the sofa, and even buy spare parts straight from their phones.

This new Shark air purifier does come with a few little perks, though - and this can be found in the motion and light detection. And I found that every time I walked past the air purifier, the screen showed a little swirly display, which told me it was boosting air purification and dimming the low light. This does make it more of a hands-off appliance.

Noise levels

Any appliance can be noisy, but air purifiers are similar to the best fans in that they circulate the air. So, I always test the noise levels of any air purifier I test - especially if the brand has made its own claims about the noise levels. In this case, Shark hasn’t.

Using a decibel meter app on my phone, I recorded 27dB at the lowest fan speed and 57dB at the highest. For reference, 27dB is equivalent to a soft whisper or the rustling of leaves. 57dB is the sound of a normal conversation.

This is slightly above average for what you’d expect for such a small air purifier, but it’s also not the loudest I’ve ever tested. Personally, I couldn’t hear it at all over the TV or my music while I was working. I wouldn’t have it on its highest fan speed while I was trying to sleep, though.

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Energy use

Running at 20W, the energy usage of the Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 is pretty average. It’s not the most efficient air purifier we’ve tested - that honour goes to the Blueair Blue Max 3250i Air Purifier - but it’s also not the most expensive.

When you consider how much it costs to run an air purifier, this model will set you back just a few pennies to run per hour in Auto mode.

However, one thing that is slightly disappointing is that Shark has decided to do away with an Eco mode - something the NeverChange5 entered when it achieved 100% air purification status. The NeverChange6 does lower the fan speed when air quality improves, but it’s not known how this affects the energy usage.

Filter replacement

The main USP of the Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 is that you shouldn’t need to replace the air purifier filter for six years. This is a huge advantage for long-term use, as many other air purifiers require replacement filters around every 6-12 months.

So, not having to buy replacements makes it incredibly cheap to maintain, and is a major selling point for those who want an air purifier with minimal hands-on maintenance required. However, you still need to clean the pre-filters.

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These are located on the side of the unit, and you can use a vacuum cleaner on low speed or a clean cloth to wipe these mesh filters and remove the dust and debris. You should never use chemicals and ideally not use a damp cloth - but if you do, you need to make sure you leave them to dry for at least 24 hours before reinstalling them.

You don’t have to worry about forgetting this task, either. Not only does the unit alert you when the pre-filters need cleaning, but you can also check the filter life on the onboard display.

Verdict: Should you buy the Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6?

If you’re a Shark fan and want to add another appliance to your collection to manage everyday pollutants, the Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 will tick most of your boxes. It’s extremely quick to react to smaller particles and VOCs, and it’s easy to use and maintain thanks to the 6-year lifespan of the filters.

The motion sensor is also a nice touch, allowing you to witness real-time air purification as it happens. Just be warned that this model, in particular, is for smaller rooms under 27m², so would suit smaller living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms rather than large open-plan spaces.

However, my independent tests found that it struggled to react to high levels of dust, so it may not be your top choice if you are looking for an air purifier that tackles PM10 particles with ease.

Because of this, I see this air purifier as being an entry-level air purifier for those who know they want to improve their overall air quality but don’t have any specific air quality requirements - and don’t mind not having an app to control it.