According to the EPA, indoor air in America is significantly more polluted than outdoor air, and indoor air pollution has come to pose a health risk. Indoor air can carry allergens like dust and dander, health hazards like mold and mildew spores, and simply unpleasant smells associated with cooking, cleaning products, or pets. A home air purifier can make a home or office not only smell nicer and be a more enjoyable place to be but can also make a space healthier and safer.
Types of Air Purifiers
When shopping for the best air purifier, here are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, it’s important to know about the types of filters in an air purifier, and what they do:
Pre-Filter
A pre-filter will catch and trap pet hair, dirt, and larger particles in the air before they get inside the purifier. A carbon filter will trap and remove odors from the air.
HEPA Filter
A HEPA filter will trap tiny particles like dust, dander, pollen, and many microbes. A UV light filter will kill living microbes, such as germs, viruses, mold spores, and bacteria. UV methods are more effective the slower the UV exposure process is (and therefore the longer the particles are in the light), and the UV process always creates ozone, which is why these devices sometimes don’t meet emission standards.
Ionic Filter
Ionic filters work by emitting electrons into the air, which attach to air molecules and create negative ions. These ions attach themselves to particles in the air, making the particles larger, and therefore more easily trapped in the device’s air filter. If these particles don’t get trapped in the air filter, either due to the design of the air flow in the machine, or because the filter is clogged, ionic devices may have the effect of seeming to produce more visible dust and debris on surfaces, because the particles are bigger than they were originally. Ionic devices also emit ozone.
What Type of Filter to Choose
Many air purifiers employ several different filtration methods in a single device, but it’s good to know the role of these different filters, and their replacement schedule, in order to find the air purifier that meets your needs.
- For example, if you have mold or mildew, many of those spores will be caught in a HEPA filter, but they will not be killed; as the filter gets full, it may just emit these spores back into your air.
- A UV-C light will kill organic matter, but turn those microbes into dust and debris. Without a complementary (and clean) HEPA filter, a UV-C light or ionic device may make your room actually seem dustier.
- A Therapure air purifier has HEPA, UV-C, and Photo Catalyst technologies to clean indoor air, making it a good air purifier for allergies.
- Severe allergy sufferers may consider a whole house air purifier system, but those can be expensive to install.
Best Air Purifier – Top 3
Today, we’re examining room air purifiers. We’ve taken a close look at air purifier reviews, and here are the results:
Levoit LV-H132 Air Purifier
This small, attractive Levoit Air Purifier is fast, quiet, and effective. Unlike an ionic air purifier, this one works without emitting any ozone into the air. Reviewers love how well it works, and the night light feature is pleasant for many people.
Features
- Three filtration stages: pre-filter, activated carbon filter, true HEPA filter
- Removes smoke, odor, dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores
- Filters particles as small as .03 microns and air pollution of 2.5 PM
- Ozone free, does not use ions or UV
- Three speed settings
- Two brightness settings
- Cleans up to 86 square feet or 8 square meters of air
Pros
- Two brightness settings allows a night-light function at night
- Lifetime support and a 2 year warranty
- Compact, attractive design
- Quiet and effective
Cons
- No negatives at this stage
VEVA 8000 Elite Pro Series Air Purifier
The larger, tower-sized VEVA 8000 has a dual filtration system with a HEPA filter as well as activated carbon filters and does not emit ozone.
Features
- True HEPA filtration like you would find in an Idylis air purifier
- Includes 4 precut activated carbon pre-filters
- Removes 99.7% of pollen, dust, odor, smoke, mold spores, and pet dander
- Filters particles as small as .03 microns and air pollution of 2.5 PM
- Convertible design from tabletop to tower with removable base
- 3 speed fan
- Ozone free, does not use UV or ions
- Automatic shuts off feature turns off power to the machine when front panel is removed
- Cleans up to 325 square feet of air
Pros
- 2 year warranty and lifetime support
- Affordable replacement HEPA filters
- Automatic shutoff feature improves safety
Cons
- No negatives at this stage
Oregon Scientific Air Cleaner with True HEPA Filter
This compact air purifier from Oregon Scientific draws air in through 4 front vents and emits clean air out the top, which is a nice, efficient design and creates more options for placement. In design, it is similar to a Winix air purifier. Unfortunately, the low quality and high deception in reviews casts doubts as to the effectiveness and quality of the product.
Features
- 3-in-1 true HEPA filter
- 4 stage air filtration: pre-filter, activated carbon filter, HEPA filter, UVC light
- Removes 99.7% of pollen, dust, odor, smoke, mold spores, and pet dander
- Filters particles as small as .03 microns and air pollution of 2.5 PM
- UV-C sanitizer kills microorganisms such as germs, bacteria, and fungi
- Smart filter indicator
- Energy star approved
- 3 speed levels
- At low speeds emits less than 32 dB
- Timer function has automatic shut off after 2, 4, or 8 hours
- Side air intake
- Compact and lightweight
- Cleans up to 323 square feet of air
Pros:
- Side air intake circulates air faster for more efficient cleaning
- 1 year warranty
Cons:
- Only negative is that there is no remote included with this air purifier