How to Choose the Best Air Purifier for Your Home
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If you're living in an area with poor air quality (such as most urban areas, or rural areas with significant dust or agricultural pollutants), you could do your lungs a lot of good by investing in air purification.
Air purifiers are particularly crucial for anyone with seasonal or dust-related allergies, but they can help everyone by keeping particulate contaminates from reaching the lungs. Plus, air cleaners work to rid the air of airborne illnesses. This benefit is especially relevant with the emergence of diseases like coronavirus (also known as COVID-19). With the right air purifier, you can improve both your long term and short-term health.
So, what is the best air purifier for you? To narrow down your options, read through the suggestions below.
Factor in the size of the space you want to treat
The size of the space where you want to improve the air quality is the biggest factor in your choice of air purifier model . A reliable air purifier will provide a square footage number within the product specifications that indicates the ideal room size for the purifier to operate efficiently. Product specifications can be found in the online description, or on the product’s packaging.
Keep in mind that if you have high ceilings, you will want to choose a purifier with a capacity beyond the recommended square footage. Another consideration to make is whether any of your rooms feed into each other because they aren’t separated by doors. If so, you need to figure all that shared air space into your calculations.
As a helpful touch, many air purifiers indicate how long it will take for them to thoroughly change over the air in your room. This knowledge can help you run your air purifier in an energy-efficient manner. In general, it takes anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours to fully filter the air in a room, depending on the model.
Know what you want to remove from your air
Do you want to remove allergens, dust, viruses, or chemicals like formaldehyde? Yes, you read that correctly, formaldehyde is something that can linger in the air inside your home. Let’s look at some of the requirements for various contaminates you may want to address.
Allergens: To effectively address dust, pollen, and other particulate allergens, look for purifiers with HEPA filters or ones described in product specifications as anti-allergen.
Odors: Unpleasant smells can be difficult to eliminate. Therefore, you will want a purifier that specifically states it will work against odors. This feature might be listed in the product specifications as having a filter with an “odor lock.” Many odors come from gases released into the air by elements in the room. To capture gases well, filters in the purifier should include activated charcoal or carbon. After the purifier removes the unwanted air particles, you can also choose to place an oil diffuser in your home to add a pleasant aroma to enjoy.
Airborne illnesses: No air purifier can fully protect you from airborne illnesses, such as coronavirus. However, many do an excellent job of removing pathogens from the air. For the most protection, you need a filter that captures particles down to at least 0.3 microns. HEPA filters do this, and medical-grade HEPA filters capture down to 0.1 microns. Watch out for purifiers that say “HEPA type” filter as this does not mean certified.
Formaldehyde: Many things in a home—new wood flooring, upholstery, carpets—can emit formaldehyde, an irritant and possible carcinogen, into the air. Because it is more difficult to remove, purifiers designed to remove formaldehyde specifically state this capability.
Consider how much sound an air purifier makes.
Avoid air purifiers that produce ozone
Some air purifiers models use ozone to kill bacteria, viruses, and other airborne particles. Ozone is also effective against odors. However, it can be dangerous to your health by increasing allergies and lung irritation while decreasing lung function.
Some companies sell ozonators or ozone generators, which they market as a natural way to clean your air. Don’t be fooled, “natural” in this case does not mean good for you. Other air purifiers that produce ozone as a byproduct include ones that use electrostatic precipitation or ionization. Even some UV filters can put out ozone through design flaws.
Consider how much an air purifier will cost over time
The cost of an air purifier is not just in the price you pay for it up front; it’s also in the cost it takes to run. To keep your electric bill down, look for air purifiers that are ENERGY STAR Certified. This means that your air purifier uses less energy to fully turn over the air in your room. You can also choose a smart air purifier that can be scheduled with your smart home system to only run once each day.
Additionally, check the cost of the replacement filters for the air purifier you’re considering. Since it’s important to practice proper maintenance by replacing filters in a timely manner, you don’t want the cost to be a burden. Another option is to buy an air purifier that has multiple uses. For example, some models not only clean your air, but they also have built-in heaters or coolers to warm or cool your room.