What is a UV Light Sterilizer Box?
A UV sterilizer box is a device made to ensure small household goods that can harbor many harmful viruses and bacteria can be completely disinfected and rendered safe.
How Do They Work?
They employ led bulbs which bathe the object in UV-C light, the shortest wavelength of the UV light spectrum.
This kills germs by breaking apart the bonds between their DNA molecules.
No type of microbe can withstand UV-C light, the only question is what amount of light is required to kill it.
Note that UV Sanitizer Boxes can sanitize pretty much anything but will do far less well on porous materials with non linear surfaces such as clothing or fabrics for example, compared to smooth flat, non porous surfaces, ie. plastic, glass, metals etc. And they are perfectly safe to use on any inanimate object.
Can a UV Light Sterilizer Box kill Coronavirus Covid-19?!
As mentioned above, UV-C light can certainly kill the Coronavirus the only question is how much light is needed and whether these devices can produce enough of it.
Because Covid-19 is so new none of the products now on the market have been able to test themselves against it yet.
But, having been shown to be able to kill at ease such viruses as those responsible for the common cold and the seasonal flu, it would be reasonable to imagine it would do the same to Covid-19.
But, this being a scientific question, the official answer is that it is…as yet unproven!
Where can I buy a UV Sterilizer Box online?
As everybody seems to, quite sensibly, now want one for their home production has not been able to keep up with demand.
In our reviews below we have included links to where we think you have the best chance of buying them, but you may find they will be out of stock at any given moment.
We will do our best to monitor the situation though, and if we find any of the products we recommend available elsewhere we will update the links as soon as we can.
>> THE BEST UV STERILIZER BOXES YOU CAN BUY – OUR TOP 3
There are three we can particularly recommend; HomeSoap, HoMedics Portable and Vioguard Cubby.
They are all from reliable companies which have a track record of successful independent testing, both in terms of efficacy and safety.
The HoMedics grabs the attention more because of its (well…almost) stylish exterior and 1 minute sanitize cycle, which is a full ten times quicker than HomeSoap.
But the HomeSoap doubles as a universal charger and, quite importantly, is quite a bit larger than the HoMedics so can fit larger objects.
Both have official retail prices of around $150 (though you can expect to pay more during the present pandemic.)
Either of them may fit your needs but if you have an extra few hundred bucks to spare and want the speed of the HoMedics and the size of the HomeSoap then the last of bunch, Vioguard Cubby, wins hands down. See below…
HomeSoap:
HomeSoap is from the same company that brings you the very successful and in demand PhoneSoap range of phone sanitizers.
As one of the first manufacturers of phone sanitizers they had the time to be tested extensively against a variety of harmful microbes, from E-Coli and the MRSA ‘Superbug’ to the Common Cold and Seasonal Flu.
They haven’t had the opportunity to be tested against Coronavirus yet but the other tests were passed with flying colors so we can say their patented technology is as good as it gets.
Also HomeSoap, like all the other UV Sanitizer products featured on this website, functions through bathing objects in UV-C light, something which hospitals around the world are already doing, with much success it seems, to combat Covid-19.
HomeSoap is basically a larger version of a PhoneSoap, roughly 27 times larger in fact, with a depth of about 13 inches, a door height of 9.13 inches and a width of 3.43 inches.
So, large enough to sanitize tablets as well as phones, plus basically anything that will fit inside; games consoles, remote controls, charge cables, headphones, baby bottles, toys, toothbrushes, jewelry, false teeth (yep!), books, eye glasses etc. etc. You get the point.
Note: As mentioned at the top of the page these devices can sanitize pretty much anything but will do a lot less well on porous materials with non linear surfaces such as clothing for eg., compared to smooth flat, non porous surfaces.
A handy feature of the HomeSoap is that, like the PhoneSoap, it also has two charge ports, both a standard USB and a USB-C (for newer iPhones & iPads) so you can charge up your electric items while they are getting sterilized. Though with a sanitization time of just 10 minutes it might hardly be worth your while.
You can though turn off the sanitizer function at any time and use it just as a charger. HomeSoap works automatically, cutting off after the 10 minute mark but you can also choose to operate it manually.
THE LOW DOWN:
- Kills 99.99% of microbes in 10 minutes.
- Doubles as a universal charger.
- Length: 9.13 inches. Width: 3.43 inches. Depth: 13 inches.
HoMedics UV-Clean Portable Sterilizer:
Another company with a very strong reputation for effective UV sterilizers in HoMedics.
Their household UV sterilizer boxes are much smaller than the HomeSoap with their dimensions being L: 7.08 x H: 3.93. x W: 2.75 inches.
This means you can’t fit a tablet in there for example, just small items such as cellphones, watches, keys, eyeglasses, jewelry, brushes, remote controls etc. etc.
Where it does lead the HomeSoap is that with the help of extra UV-C led bulbs it can sterilize these items in just one minute!
That’s ten times the rate of its main competitor, which is quite something. With that in mind the HoMedics UV Box doesn’t double as a charger; 60 seconds just isn’t any time to even slightly charge anything.
It is, as the name suggests, fully portable with a rechargeable battery that they say can do a full 18 sanitization cycles before needing a recharge.
It is designed with an outer, soft fabric, protective case which gives it a more homely feel than the semi-industrial looking HomeSoap.
THE LOW DOWN:
- Kills 99.99% of microbes.
- Does the job in just 60 seconds.
- Fully portable with a rechargeable battery.
- Length: 7.08 inches. Width: 2.75 inches. Depth: 3.93 inches.
Vioguard Cubby:
Another company with a strong reputation for UV-C technology is Vioguard, its Cubby UV Sanitization Box was originally designed as a fitted keyboard sterilizer for hospitals and lab computers.
While it can of course still be used for that it is perfect for sterilizing iPads, tablets and small lap-tops as well as phones and various smaller objects too.
It is more expensive than the others, coming in at around $500, but as it combines the size of the HomeSoap with the speed of the HoMedics Portable (all done in 60 seconds) it is definitely the pick of the bunch.
Unlike the HoMedics and, to a lesser extent, the HomeSoap it could never really be described as portable. It is designed to be more of a household or a workplace fixture.
THE LOW DOWN:
- Kills 99.99% of microbes.
- In just 60 seconds.
- Large size: Can fit keyboards, tablets etc.
- Length 21 inches. Width 4 inches. Depth 12 inches.