The GermGuardian AC5250PT is a mouthful. This upright air purifier is not the fanciest, most technologically integrated machine, but it does have basic features such as five fan speeds, a sleep mode, and a timer.

Looking around at the best air purifiers, none of them use UV light as part of the air filtration process. Check out our GermGuardian AC5250P review to see the difference.

At $149, the GermGuardian AC5250PT is very affordable; in addition to Amazon, it is available directly from Walmart, Best Buy, Guardian Technologies, and other brands. It is only available in black with silver trim. Replacement filters cost $60 a pop, which is not cheap.

As for appearance, the GermGuardian AC5250PT is not going to win any beauty contests. It stands upright at 28 inches tall and weighs about 11 pounds. This puts it in the middle of the pack in terms of weight, similar to the not-so-heavy Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto. It is encased in a plastic shell that does not feel high quality and has a fairly sharp edge on the bottom. This is not ideal, as there is a possibility of scratching with these edges while moving. In a modern home where bright, lofty aesthetics are important, the GermGuardian AC5250PT would stand out like a sore thumb, even before it is plugged in.

The device comes with five different fan speeds and an eight-hour programmable timer, but no automatic mode. This means that the speed cannot be automatically adjusted based on current conditions. Basically, it blows a set amount of air through two layers of filters, including a charcoal layer and a HEPA layer. The included UV light claims to reduce certain bacteria and airborne viruses, but its impact is not clear. Furthermore, if left on all the time, the bulbs could burn out, incurring another replacement cost.

When the GermGuardian AC5250PT is switched on, it emits an intense, bright red light from its V-shaped crest. Sleep mode can reduce the fan speed, but the light itself cannot be dimmed, making it difficult to get to sleep.

Installation is quite simple. Simply remove the back panel and remove the plastic inside. The manual is very short and concise, filled with illustrations of the device and its operation. However, the booklet did not provide instructions on how to remove the bag from the filter. Replacing the filter is easy; simply repeat the above steps to replace it with a new one. The control panel is easy to operate and very user-friendly.

The GermGuardian AC5250PT lacks smart connectivity and Internet capabilities, which is a bit lacking. Other devices, such as the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH and the Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto, can do more for the same price; the HEPA filter makes it slightly more attractive to those who want to remove virus contaminants, but most air purifiers these days tend to have this feature.

In the CADR test, which tests how quickly and efficiently an air purifier can purify the air, it scored 189/122/132 for smoke, dust, and pollen, respectively, in the bottom half of our bracket. The recommended room size was 189 square feet, which was not as good as other midsize air purifiers like the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto, but it was clearly the best performer on smoke particles.

As for noise, it was one of the loudest. At the lowest speed, it was 6 decibels above the ambient noise level in the room. At the maximum setting, it was more than 25 decibels louder. While it was not the loudest air purifier tested, it was the loudest at the lowest setting, along with the Honeywell HPA300.

However, the power consumption of this device is shocking. Just 24 hours of use on the middle setting consumed 0.853 kWh of power, making it one of the most power-hungry air purifiers tested. By comparison, the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto used only 0.159 kWh.

Unfortunately, the limited filters, lack of auto mode, and cheap feel make the GermGuardian AC5250PT hard to recommend. The UV light technology, while quirky, does not cover the disappointing CADR score. It also doesn't do as good a job and costs more to run when compared to other mid-size air purifiers like the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto.

The GermGuardian AC5250PT is one of the more affordable units designed for larger spaces and is a very popular device. However, it is inadequate in design, use, and practicality, making it one of the weaker options on the market.