Germ Guardian GG1000 Review

In this review, we’re going to tell you all about the Germ Guardian GG1000, a compact air sanitizer and deodorizer that uses UV C light to kill bacteria.

Read on to learn more about the GG1000’s design, performance, required maintenance, and features.

Pros

• At only 7.5” tall, it’s much smaller than many other air sanitizers.
• Relatively quiet
• Inexpensive
• No filter to replace

Cons

• Will not filter the air from particulates the way a HEPA air purifier will
• Performance tests show reduced smell, but not 100% deodorized

Germ Guardian Design

The Germ Guardian GG1000 air purifier is simplistic in design as far as what meets the eye. This air sanitizer has a spherical body with a slight curve along the middle. It is white and silver with the appearance of stainless steel on the front, though the actual material feels more like a plastic.

This air sanitizer is one solid piece with a lid that is removable via screwdriver. On the inside, there is a bulb that needs changing every 6 to 8 months.

There is a wall socket on the back that rotates, allowing the user to place the Germ Guardian GG1000 into a wall plug straight up, sideways, or upside down.

Unlike a lot of bulky air purifiers, the Germ Guardian GG1000 is compact in design so it can fit in almost any space.

The Controls

There is only one fan speed on the Germ Guardian air sanitizer and deodorizer. There are no buttons to push or switches to turn it off or on.

One thing to mention…

When the Germ Guardian GG1000 is plugged in and running, there is a faint light emitted by the UV C bulb, which obviously is brighter when the lights are off.

This won’t be an issue for most people, but if you want your room (or your nursery, etc.) to be completely dark, you’ll want to consider this feature before purchase.

How It Works

The Germ Guardian room freshener deodorizes the air using UV C light, the part of the ultraviolet light spectrum that the earth’s atmosphere filters out.

What is UV C light?

UV C light works to inactivate or kill bacteria in the air. It’s the same basis for technology used to sanitize many hospitals, custom homes, and commercial buildings.

And the tech isn’t new; in fact, it’s been around since the early 1900s when France used it to disinfect the water supply.

Specifically, UV C light works by damaging the DNA of airborne bacteria and viruses permanently so they can’t reproduce.

But how does it actually sanitize?

The air sanitizer pulls in air through vents at the bottom of the device, exposes it to the UV C light using an enclosed bulb system, and then pushes the clean air out through the vented top.

According to the manufacturer, the room freshener works with titanium dioxide to accomplish this.

Because it uses UV C light to purify a space, the Germ Guardian GG1000 does not have a filter.

See the maintenance section below for more information about how to keep your air purifier operating in peak condition.

According to the manufacturer, UV C can kill approximately 99.99% of airborne germs when used in household and similar appliances.

At the same time, the Germ Guardian GG1000 is designed to eliminate odors.

Because it is compact, it’s most effective in smaller rooms and spaces, such as a baby nursery, laundry room, bathroom, kitchen, or pet area. In addition, the Germ Guardian can reduce mold and mildew, which can be present in places with lots of moisture.

Size and Dimensions

The Germ Guardian is one of the smallest air sanitizers I’ve tested to date. In fact, it’s one of the only air sanitizers we’ve tested.

Other models are more traditional air purifiers, like the Oransi EJ120 or Molekule, which are larger, more expensive, but also more effective at drastically improving indoor air quality.

Here are the size specs for the Germ Guardian GG1000:

• Width: 3.2” wide
• Height: 7.5” tall 
• Depth: 3” deep
• Weight: 14.4 oz

Setup and Usability

There really is no setup necessary with the Germ Guardian air sanitizer. You remove it from its package (which will require scissors or something else you can use to cut through the plastic packaging), and you’re good to go.

From there, running the Germ Guardian GG1000 is simple. Simply plug it in and go. Since there are no controls on the unit, it automatically turns on when you plug it in.

For the best results, the manufacturer suggests running the Germ Guardian continuously.

Top Features

Though small, this air sanitizer has some nice features.

• 3 Ways to Install: The Germ Guardian fits into any 120V plug. In addition to its traditional right-side-up installation, the base can also rotate to sit upside down or sideways.
• UV C Light: Instead of using a filter of some sort (HEPA, carbon, etc.), the GG1000 makes use of UV C light to clean and disinfect the air.
• No Ozone: One benefit of the Germ Guardian GG1000 is that the product doesn’t emit ozone outside of itself, despite the fact it uses a UV C bulb.
• Easy to Use: With the Germ Guardian air purifier, there are no buttons or controls to figure out. You simply plug it in and let it do its thing.

Performance & Testing

As with most products on this site, we completed actual tests of the Germ Guardian. For the initial test for the Germ Guardian GG1000 review, I placed the air purifier in my baby’s room.

It did a pretty good job of removing bad smells in the room. It wasn’t 100% deodorized, but it was notably better.

How do we test?

To start the test, we begin with a baseline measurement, using a Temtop LKC-1000S+ professional air quality detector.

Once we’ve documented the baseline air quality, we run the purifier in a closed room and document the change in air quality after 60 minutes is up.

Here’s what our Germ Guardian GG1000 tests showed:

Based on our tests, the GG1000 was not able to remove particulates from the air. Despite the fact that the air did smell notably better.

Summing It Up

When a lot of people hear the phrases “air purifier” and “air sanitizer,” they think of an air deodorizer with a HEPA filter. These filters can capture up to 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. True HEPA filters meet a strict standard determined by the U.S. Department of Energy.

RELATED: Learn more about how HEPA filters work.

The Germ Guardian GG1000 does not reduce particulates within a room like a traditional HEPA filter is going to. For that, please see our full list of air purifier reviews here.

How loud is the Germ Guardian GG1000?

Thanks to its compact size, the Germ Guardian air sanitizer is quieter than a lot of air purifiers. It does produce white noise, though, so if you plan to put it in your bedroom and you don’t like white noise, then it might not be right for you.

The white noise produced was consistent, without rattling or anything that would disturb most people. 

Maintenance

Maintaining the Germ Guardian is actually pretty basic. The only replacement part is the bulb (model LB1000). For the best performance, the manufacturer recommends changing the bulb every 6 to 8 months depending on usage.

You can find replacement bulbs here.

If you’re using the air purifier constantly (which is what the manufacturer recommends for maximum results), then this number is accurate, because the UV C bulb lasts somewhere between 4,000 to 5,000 hours. After 4,000 hours, the bulb’s efficiency reduces by about 15%.

You’ll know it’s time to replace your bulb when the one currently installed begins to change colors or flicker. It’s important to note that the fan might still run, but if there is faint blue light glowing from within, it’s time to replace the bulb.

Essentially, you unplug the air sanitizer, use a small Phillips head screwdriver to remove the lid / top cap, remove the current bulb, put a new bulb in, and reassemble the device.

Is the Germ Guardian GG1000 a good value?

So overall, considering the balance of specs, features, price, and performance, is the Germ Guardian GG1000 a good value? I would say yes, with the reservation that you know what it is made to do.

The Germ Guardian GG1000 is not an air purifier.

It is an air sanitizer.

It effectively reduces some airborne bacteria and odors, but it is not designed to reduce the overall number of particulates like a traditional air purifier.

If you’re looking for a compact air sanitizer to help reduce odors and freshen the air in small rooms (like laundry rooms, nurseries, or pet areas), the germ Guardian would certainly fit the bill.

It’s inexpensive, easy to use and did a nice job of deodorizing.

Germ Guardian Specifications

Who should buy the Germ Guardian GG1000?

Wondering if the Germ Guardian GG1000 is the right fit for you? It might be if you are looking for the following in an air sanitizer:

• A good value: The Germ Guardian is a solid value for its ease of use and good performance. Sure, you will periodically need to replace the bulb, but the cost is pretty negligible in terms of overall value.
• Portable: This sanitizer is compact, lightweight, and easy to plug in into different areas around your house. For the cost, you could buy a couple and distribute as needed, or simply unplug and move one unit around to meet your needs.
• Compact size: At only 7.5”, the Germ Guardian GG1000 air sanitizer fits into a plug on the wall, which means it’s out of the way and off the floor. It’s lightweight and can be a great solution for small spaces.

For more information or to buy the Germ Guardian GG1000 see here.