Taking care of our bodies usually falls into how we use them. What we eat. What we drink. How we exercise. But we often overlook the air we breathe and our dull surroundings. Airy GreenTech GmbH has consolidated research and designed The Airy. A planter specifically designed to boost the cleaning of air in your home or office.

I live in Pittsburgh, a city known for it’s horrendous air quality. Our buildings, like many American cities, are retrofitted from the industrial revolution. There are still factories that fill the air with contaminates. This past January, the air was so bad that 1 in 4 days posed risks to those sensitive to air pollutants. Given this experience, I can assure you that improving your air quality at home or office greatly improves your life.

Let’s dive into, unbox, and review Airy’s solution.

Airy: A Naturally Smart Product

Overhead view of the Airy Purifier with a cornstalk plant. Foo Conner | Jekko

Helge B. Knickmeier read NASA’s Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement (NASA’s Clean Air Study) and applied it in the invention of the Airy – a smart planter that exposes the root system of plants that naturally process toxins in the air. Peer-Arne Böttcher would jump on as Co-founder and CEO. And they launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to produce the first run of the Airy.

The Airy planter’s setup is straight forward, though it may take some effort to push the plastic in place. Foo Conner | Jekko.

Airy reminds us technology can improve our life without the need for specialty thermostats, voice activated commands, or in this case power. The deceptively simple flower planter comes with 12 pieces of plastic, a book, clay and charcoal. You’ll need to bring your own soil and plant.

Not all plants are equal when it comes to extracting pollutants from the air. Airy has many recommendations on their website. Should you recieve yours in the winter, Home Depot and Lowes may not have the right plants in stock. We opted to order a Cornstalk Plant from eBay. It’s hard to kill and filters benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene.

Setting up the Airy Natural Air Purifier. Foo Conner | Jekko

A Space Age Improvement on the Classic Pot

This Airy, and brave little Cornstalk plant, will be living at the co-working space. I’m not always there. Occasionally I have to implore a colleague to water any plants I keep there. The 1.7 liter water reserve kept the soil damp for over a week. It’s fill and forget. The plants

Our ancestors didn’t come from concrete jungles. It’s a shame that spaces aren’t designed with vegetation in mind. Outside of the obvious there have been several studies that show the benefits of having plants in the work space:

  1. Plants Reduce Workplace Stress; According to research conducted by the University of Technology of Sydney.
  2. Plants Increased Productivity (15%); According to research conducted by the University of Exeter.
  3. Plants Reduce Illness and Absence Rates; According to research conducted at the University of Norway.
  4. Plants Offer Noise Level Reduction; According to research conducted at London South Bank University
  5. Plants Clean the Air; According to NASA’s Clean Air Study.
The Original Airy holds 1.7 Liters of water which waters plants over two weeks. Foo Conner | Jekko

This Airy is what we’ll call a passive air purifier. It is not a replacement for an active air purifier, but a supplemental one that assists and provides added benefits to your living space. There are no filters, electric, or sensors. This will last for years beyond. For a company’s first product you couldn’t ask for better. The evergreen nature of the Airy sets the tone of longevity when they look at improvements.

According to AIRY, the pot will purify around 40cbm (1400 ft3) within 24 hours. However, you may have to wait for the root system to spread out before getting the entire benefits of the pot.

The Airy Natural Air Purifier container with cornstalk plant at the office. Foo Conner | Jekko

Overall, the AIRY is a update to the age old flowerpot. The science behind the design amplifies normal house plants to absorb toxins eight times faster than normal. It accomplishes this with a modern design that fits into any aesthetic. Besides the price, it does come with one draw back – it might inspire you to start a green house.

The Pros

  • Passive – No electricity or software updates.
  • Progressive – One of the first consumer planter designs to expose the root system for increased air purification.
  • Bundle – The Airy includes clay and charcoal. Bring your own soil to mix it up.
  • Self Watering – The 1.7 liter (~2 weeks) reserve waters upwards of two weeks.
  • A Kickstarter that actually fulfilled it’s promise!

The Cons

  • Price – $79.99, but remember it’s 12 different parts and a one-time purchase.
  • Plastic – The plastic is thin, but then again it’s meant to sit in one place.
  • Not a replacement for an active Air Purfier. If you don’t already have one the Rabbit Air MinusA2 is Jekko’s suggested pick.

Foo is the founder of Jekko. Unlike other publishers, Foo attends thousands of events, interviews personalities from startups to Fortune 500s, and blows stuff up on YouTube.