We all need to breathe to stay alive and indoor air quality can often greatly affect our health. Indoor air pollution such as dust, mold, smoke and other allergens can cause your family to get sick more often. Vacuuming and dusting can help but the best way to keep the air in our homes and offices safe is through the power of filtration. This is where air purifiers and cleaners are useful.
However, there are many models to choose from and not all of them are created equally. It can be quite a daunting task trying to compare all of the features, models, and prices on air purifiers. Luckily for you, we’ve taken the time to test out some of the best air purifiers available and rate them.
Let’s take a look at some of the top air purifiers and compare their features.
We’ve taken the time to test out some of the most popular models available and rate them. We have gathered the most important information such as filter type, max room size, CADR rating, and warranty to help you before making a buying decision.
Check Out These Air Purifiers
Things to Consider When Shopping for an Air Purifier
There are many types of air purifiers on the market these days and not all air purifiers are created equal. So how do you know what to look for when searching for the best air purifier for your needs? First, you will of course need to think about why you want an air purifier. This shouldn’t be very difficult at all since you have already decided that you need one. Here are a few of the methods that air cleaners utilize to remove the contaminants in the air.
Air Purifier Filtering Methods
I’ll talk about various filter types here but you should keep in mind that a lot of the best air purifiers out there combine multiple types of filters into one unit and then pull the air through them all at once. In fact, our favorite filtration system combines a pre-filter, carbon filter, UV-C, and a HEPA filter for maximum effectiveness.
HEPA Filters – The HEPA filter is by far the most popular way to capture particles in the air. HEPA air purifiers can be very effective in removing particles of
contaminants but it is important to note that not all HEPA filters are created equally. HEPA filters typically use a sheet of fibers that are usually made of fiberglass and use 3 different methods for trapping particles. Most HEPA air purifiers will rate their effectiveness by measuring the percentage of particles caught that are bigger than a certain size. For example you might see “captures 99.5% of particles .1 microns or smaller.” You should pay particular attention to the size of the particles and the percentages when comparing HEPA air purifiers.
Ultraviolet Filtering – UV air purifiers make use of an ultraviolet light that all air and particles pass under. The UV light kills bacteria and other contaminants in the air making it much safer to breathe especially for those that have weakened immune systems.
Activated Carbon Filters – The primary purpose of a carbon air purifier filter is to capture any odors in the air. They feature a super absorbent carbon material that captures odors by converting the chemicals and gasses in the air that cause them into a solid state that can be trapped in the filter. They are not 100% effective at absorbing all odors but can be a great help in homes with someone who smokes or where there are any unwanted odors such as from cooking or even from wet paint.
Ionizer Filters – These are air purifiers that typically utilize an electrically charged surface to generate charged ions in the air that cause unwanted particles in the air to become electrically charged. These particles are then attracted to an electrically charged collection plate. The most effective ionic air purifiers typically have a fan to draw air through them at a slow to moderate speed. If the speed of the air passing through it is too high or low it will lose it’s effectiveness. Ionic air purifiers also tend to release a small amount of ozone as a byproduct but the amount released is very low and is well within a safe range.
Ozone Filtering – These are usually the type of air purifiers that you will want to stay away from but with a few exceptions. They clean the air by producing ozone which then reacts with the gasses in the air to clean and purify it. The problem is that too much ozone can be an irritant to our lungs. There are some ozone air purifiers however such as Biozone Air Purifiers that release very little ozone but instead mostly release a more effective alternative known as hydroxyl radicals. These are safe in larger quantities and much faster at reacting with bacteria and other pollutants in the air.
So now that you know what kinds of air purifiers are out there it is time to compare a few. You can utilize the menus above to learn more about each model and compare them with your specific needs in mind.