1. SteriShoe Essential Ultraviolent UV Shoe Sanitizer
2. SteriShoe+ UV Shoe Sanitizer
3. Kendal UV Shoe Sanitizer
4. Lukirch UV Shoe Deodorizing Ozone Sterilizer
UV Shoe Sanitizer Buying Guide
We’ve looked at quality UV shoe sanitizers, but now it’s time to find out what makes them tick. Here we’ll show you how we came to our decision on the best UV shoe sanitizers, features you should be on the lookout for, as well as operating instructions to ensure you’re getting the most out of your sanitizer.
How We Chose Our Selection Of UV Shoe Sanitizers
Quality - With something like this, quality is measurable by a variety of factors. You look at the thickness of the exterior, the power of the UV light, safe user operation, ease of use, and the life expectancy of the product. While determining quality, we were able to inspect these individual brands and take their track record of quality production, warranty fulfillment, and customer service response into consideration. A good quality UV shoe sanitizer should be able to withstand years of use. Most ultraviolet light bulbs are only able to handle so much stress and time, so having a quality sanitizer that works through the life cycle of multiple bulbs is paramount. You can get about 9,000 hours of use out of a UV bulb, so your sanitizer should last for even longer.
Reviews - User reviews help us determine the viability of purchasing and testing a product. We look for reviews on Amazon sales pages, as well as independently hosted reviews on a variety of websites to get a well-rounded perspective on the quality of the product and brand. We consider a wide range of user reviews to help us in the preliminary process while we create a shortlist of products to test, especially personal accounts and recommendations from those with nothing to gain apart from sharing their opinions and experiences.
Price - Pricing is tricky when you branch into medical technology. UV lighting is designed to improve your health, and the brands that manufacture these lights do their best to get the opinions of doctors and the support of the medical community. Prices will always dictate the sale, but we were able to find a variety of excellent UV sanitizers that don’t cost an arm and a leg. There are high-tier, nearly four-figure UV lights out there that don’t necessarily outperform inexpensive alternatives. We kept price in mind throughout this entire curation process.
Features To Look For In UV Shoe Sanitizers
Size - What shoe sizes will it accommodate? Most UV lights will fit a variety of shoe sizes, but if you have small feet, you may find that these don’t fit properly. Some manufacturers offer their UV lights in a few sizes to accommodate nearly every user. Keep your eye on the size before committing to the purchase.
Safety - All UV lamps come with some sort of safety features. These allow you to set the sanitizer to a certain level that is safe for contact with human skin. Even with these features flipped on, you want to minimize your contact with UV light as much as possible. You shouldn’t look at UV light for more than two to three seconds in an effort to minimize potential harm. These safety features work well to prevent harm, but most of that prevention relies on your capable handling.
Timer - Leaving UV light to sanitize your shoes for too long can actually cause harm. It’s a fine balance, but if you have a timer feature on your UV sanitizer, then this will take all the guesswork out for you. Set it and forget it: leave the house, go to sleep, do whatever you need to do in the meantime. These timers usually come with presets to ensure you don’t damage the interior of your shoes.
Duration - The total amount of time that the sanitizer needs to be near the unsanitary surface for it to be effective. There is a very short range of effectiveness, which is why these sanitizers fill your shoes and why you need to purchase different sizes for different size shoes. As much as half an inch of space can drastically reduce how effective a UV sanitizer is, which is why most uses of a UV light are between ten and twenty minutes to accurately clean your shoes.
Ozone Sterilization - Ozone sterilization is the totalitarian category of sanitizing. This is the manipulation of the most effective sanitization method on a small scale. Most ozone machines are full enclosures, but some of the same effects can be replicated with covers or bags that many UV sanitizers include with your purchase. Ozone, the sterilizing agent, has been used to disinfect drinking water but is now being used in other fields as the strongest antimicrobial method of sanitization that we’ve ever had.
Bulbs - When you buy new UV bulbs, they’re built to last for about 9,000 hours before burning out. The ones that are included in your purchase are designed to demonstrate the full power of the UV sanitizer, and can usually be counted on for about half as many hours. Since the bulb is usually pre-installed in the sanitizer, you can’t predict how much stress or testing it has gone through. We recommend grabbing one or two additional UV bulbs with your purchase so you’re never left without your sanitizer in the future.
How To Use A UV Shoe Sanitizer
UV sanitizers are very simple to use, and extremely effective when operated properly. We’re going to walk you through usage from start to finish.
- Empty your shoes of debris. UV light will kill bacterial buildup, but if there’s lint or bits of a torn insole, there will be shadows cast on sections of the interior and your shoes won’t be fully sanitized.
- Place your sanitizers in the shoes, following the directions as instructed. Due to the positioning of some UV sanitizers, they may require closer contact with the insole or toe box. Pay special attention to the requirements so you can be assured that all bacteria have been neutralized after the timer goes off.
- Turn the sanitizer on, and set the timer. You’ll also have additional instructions on how to properly time your sanitization so that you don’t damage your shoes. Most sanitizers are built for ten to twenty minutes of use, though smaller units can require up to forty-five minutes or more. Since the lifespan of your unit and light bulb is very long, the length of time required will not impact the quality of your sanitizer, it just ensures a thorough sanitizing process.
- Make sure that you can’t see the light emitting from the shoes. If you can see a glow through the fabric (common with synthetics, textiles, runner shoes, etc.), that is okay. The strength of the light will be diluted and won’t cause you any harm. If you have pets, you’ll want to keep the door closed and make sure they can’t enter the room to avoid damaging their eyes from prolonged contact.
- Turn off your sanitizer, and allow ten to twenty seconds before removing them from the shoes. Return them to their proper storage to prevent damages, and your shoes are good to go. There will be a noticeable drop-off in terms of odor and firmness of your insoles. Your shoe sanitizers have done their job.
