We test a smart plant pot that purifies the air in your house
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You don't need to be Alan Titchmarsh to know that houseplants improve the air quality in your home. They literally draw in CO2 and give off oxygen. Some can absorb volatile organic compounds and other airborne pollutants through their leaves, soil, and roots, while others will reduce humidity.
The effects, however, are limited. And that's where the Natede Smart comes in. It's a plant pot with an air-purifying system built in. Using a filter, combined with the natural purifying effects of a plant's roots, it gently reduces the number of pollutants in a room up to the size of 36 square metres.
The smart version, which costs a fairly hefty £179 on Amazon at the moment, links up to an app, and the app is excellent. It reports from sensors that give you a live view of the air quality around it, and you can make adjustments to the effectiveness of the purification system.
Cleverly, it uses a filter made of ceramic. This means, unlike most air purifiers, it doesn't need to be replaced. You just wash it with tap water. The combination of a ceramic filter and the natural power of plants just gets to work, making your house more healthy.
Vitesy, the brand that makes the Natede Smart, recommends a handful of options when it comes to plants for your new plant pot. They're not included, but none of them were particularly expensive.
Actually, I say I had options, my hand was forced somewhat by my wife, who demanded the most colourful option, an Anthurium, or "Flamingo Lily".
I'm a couple of months in to running the Natede Smart now, and the plant is absolutely thriving. That's the good news.
The Natede Smart supposedly has a self-watering system, but it's really just a reservoir from which the plant absorbs the water. Vitesy reckons you can go a month between refills, but I'm topping it up every week. Largely because I'm paranoid about overfilling it (again) and the water spilling out. It's a shame that's possible, but if anyone's going to do it, it'd be me.
There is a handy dipstick thingy that tells indicates when the water supply is running low, but it's a shame the app can't do more to monitor the plant's progress. In reality, the only smart thing about the plant pot is its smart air purifier.
And, at first initially, it wasn't actually all that smart. I was plagued by notifications telling me the levels of particulate matter in my house were catastrophically high.
Concerned about my possible imminent death, I contacted the Vitesy support team and they were very helpful. A bit of sensor cleaning and a reset later, and things had stabilised.
I do still get the odd bizarre reading from time to time, but generally, the app is good at keeping tabs on my temperature, humidity, pollutants, fine particulates, and carbon monoxide.
Has it made my hallway feel any different? Perhaps. But it's a high-traffic part of the house with a doorway that opens to the elements regularly, so I'm certainly giving the Natede Smart a workout.
What's arguably more useful is having a constant idea of what air quality issues I might be experiencing at any given time. I've tested smart air purifiers before, and it can be quite alarming to learn just how much work they're having to do, and how it might be worth adjusting the way you live.
Unlike other air purifiers, though, the Natede Smart is quite an attractive shape, and remarkably innocuous, given it doubles as a plant pot.
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The only other issue, though, and it is a big issue, is its physical size. It's quite enormous. It makes it tricky to place on a shelf or windowsill, and you wouldn't use it in a bedroom because the LED that indicates what mode it's in is too bright.
This won't be a problem for everyone, and it does mean the plant has plenty of room to grow, but it's worth bearing in mind if you live in a small space.
Other than that, I really like it. There are more powerful air purifiers, and there are cleverer air purifiers, but this one actually harnesses the power of a plant to make your room more healthy.
That makes it smart, sustainable and interesting. It's a lovely thing.