If Massage Gun was the iconic new product of 2019, Hand-held electrolyzing sterilizer is definitely the new star for 2020. You can find them on Kickstarter, on Indiegogo, on Amazon and likely others. In a time of global pandemic, sterilizer makes benefits by killing virus around us.
Today we are reviewing Egret, a full-size sterilizer that was funded in November 2019. It is the first of such devices available on the market.
Its technology is quite simple – using the electrolysis process, water and salt are transformed into EO water containing hypochlorous acid, able to kill bacteria and virus as well as particle pollutants. Egret can generate up to 800ml EO water within 5 minutes at around 200 PPM, which is among the strongest on the market. Most products claim 35-100 PPM.
As a higher-end product in the genre, Egret is priced at $219 MSRP, although it can be as low as $109 on Kickstarter if you backed early enough. It has more features than the average sterilizer. Personally, these little additions do make life easier!
Most sterilizers dispense the completed EO water by a squeeze pump operated by hand. While it doesn’t take much effort squeeze it once or twice, it gets exhausting fast if you have to spray all over a room. Egret has a power pump installed near the nozzle, just by depressing on the trigger, it sprays continuously unlike water runs out.
Egret uses platinum-plated titanium alloy electrodes. While it is not observably different from other electrodes, it does claim a longer working life and does not require replacement for 3 years.
The device is charged through Type-C USB, which is rather common and recharges fully within an hour. The socket is covered by a rubber cap to be water-resistance, while the battery is supposedly placed inside the handle. Overall it is rather comfortable to use, the shape is ergonomic and weight isn’t excessive. Here is a rundown on how to use it:
- I plugged in the USB cable to get it fully charged. It took around 30 minutes, as it was already partially charged from the box.
- Twist the bottle for around 90 degrees to remove the top.
- Fill in water and salt as instructed. I shook it around a bit to get the salt dissolved.
- Replace and twist the top back on, I pressed the button on the top to start electrolyzing. It was completed in around 5 minutes. You can see tiny bubbles around the electrode during the process.
- I pressed on the trigger and start spraying. It takes 1-2 presses before water actually come out. The range is around 1 meter.
I can smell the odor of chlorine once the EO water is sprayed out, which is similar to diluted bleach. I have no specific instruments to test its concentration, but it does appear to decrease the tobacco smell from a room where someone has just smoked.
Conclusion: While Egret is priced above the mean price of sterilizer, it is better designed, having more features (who wants to pump the handle for 20 times every time you use it?) and appear to have better material. It feels solid on hand and the electrode can be replaced after 2 years, which is a plus as a replacement to chemical sterilizers.
Though I am largely satisfied with the product, I do see improvements possible. Currently the device cannot electrolyze while it is plugged in for recharge, which is slightly annoying. I also find the default concentration to be slightly too strong for light use (you can smell 200 PPM hypochlorous acid from a distance), though running it for shorter time (1-3 minutes) will make a less concentrated solution for other uses.
Overall, it is a decent sterilizing product. $142 isn’t exactly “cheap”, but considering Egret can replace many of your sterilizers and cleaning products for a few years, it will pay itself quickly. Recommended.
