For over a decade, Airthings has been synonymous with making the invisible visible. From radon detectors to precise indoor air quality monitors, the Norwegian company has built its reputation on empowering people to understand the air they breathe. Now, with the launch of Renew, the brand’s first-ever smart air purifier, Airthings steps into a new chapter.
Renew arrives at a moment when awareness of indoor air quality is higher than ever. As homes double as offices, gyms, and sanctuaries, the question isn’t only what’s in our air, but how do we take control of it? Airthings proposes a purifier that marries rigorous engineering and easy-to-read data with the quiet confidence of Scandinavian design.
Unlike the sometimes bulky, often cylindrical, and unpleasantly clinical purifiers that dominate the market, Renew’s design bears a closer resemblance to minimalist electronics. Its matte gray body and audio-grade woven textile front give it a tactile softness, more furniture than appliance. Flexibility informs its design: it can stand tall, lie flat, or mount neatly to a wall, with a cleverly hidden cord and a strap handle for easy mobility. The effect is an object that recedes rather than shouts, catering to those who appreciate unencumbered interiors.
This Scandinavian restraint is more than surface-level. The guiding principle was to design a product that looks unassuming but performs powerfully. It’s a deliberate departure from the gadget-heavy approach of some competitors. “We sought to design an air purifier that would look premium and sleek, yet unassuming, without sacrificing the core purpose of the product: making your air healthier,” says Laoise Ballance, Product Manager at Airthings.
Underneath that softness lies a powerhouse. Renew uses a 4-stage HEPA-13 filtration system to trap 99.97% of particulates, from pollen and pet dander to the fine dust that drifts unseen through our lives. A high-performance carbon filter absorbs gases and odors, while dual washable pre-filters extend the unit’s lifespan and sustainability.
Renew can cleanse a typical bedroom in just ten minutes, covering spaces up to 525 square feet. Modes range from Silent – a whisper-quiet 23 decibels – for nighttime use, to Boost, which clears a space rapidly in an hour, to Auto, where the unit’s laser-based particulate sensor adapts fan speed based on real-time air quality.
But perhaps its greatest achievement is what it makes accessible to consumers. Thanks to the Airthings app, Renew has the potential to enlighten and educate its users, tracking particulate trends and correlating spikes with everyday activities like cooking or lighting a fireplace. It helps operators understand their rhythms, offering a data-driven nudge toward healthier living.
Equally central to Renew’s design is Airthings’ sustainability ethos. The purifier uses 50% recycled plastic and ships in recyclable or compostable packaging, part of the company’s broader commitment to reducing new-use plastics and embedding UN Sustainable Development Goals into product development.
For years, the company has monitored pollutants: volatile organic compounds from furniture; particulate matter from pets and cooking; and carbon dioxide that blunts focus. Renew closes the loop, shifting from passive measurement to active intervention.
Renew succeeds precisely because it doesn’t try to shout. Instead, it whispers while folding technology into design in a way that feels simple and livable. With its release, Airthings demonstrates that the future of air quality isn’t about novel functions – it’s about empowering users to take care in the spaces where we live, work, and rest.
To learn more and shop Airthings’ Renew, available online for $299, visit airthings.com.
Photography courtesy of Airthings.
