15 Of the 20 most polluted cities in India as recorded by WHO. Yet shockingly, more than two million people die premature deaths due to air pollution indoors. A new study shows indoors could be five times more deadly than outdoor air! Yeah, you understood it correctly!
This is primarily due to inadequate ventilation, stove gas fumes, smoke, paint fumes, varnishes, fungal spores, and electronic devices we bring home. Since we spend most of the at-home, we have higher chances of all those dangerous allergens exposed to it.
This is where Air purifiers will be of great benefit! It consists primarily of powerful particulate filters designed to remove approximately 99.97 percent of allergens in the air.
To clean out dirty air, the best air purifier should have those sensors:
- HEPA filters – It’s established that this particular filter mainly eliminates dust, pollen, mold, smoke, pet dander, and even hair.
- Carbon filtering can often be used to remove gas and chemical emissions, unpleasant smell and smoke, etc.
- Ionic sensor – This will kill dust, pollen, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and smoke.
- UV Light – This sensor will wipe out large micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, germs, etc.
CADR refers here to the distribution rate for clean-air. This tests the air purifier’s cleaning speed and efficiency in eliminating airborne allergens. Another important trait is ACH. That refers to changes in the air per hour. Generally, a decent air purifier begins at a level of 6 to 8 ACH.
Other notable considerations are noise, suitable location, maintenance costs, and energy usage. If you find all of these a little daunting, don’t worry, you can go through our “Buy Guide” to make your purchasing process smooth and trouble-free.
Benefits of an air purifier
- Within the house, it retains clean, safe air. Indoor air is double to five times dirtier than outdoor weather, according to the EPA. So a decent air purifier helps to maintain a safe home lifestyle.
- It does away with the bad scent of burnt food. At the same time, the house could start stinking when cooking foods like fish curry.
- Air purifiers trap allergens, dander, and hair in the air, normally released by pets.
- The air purifiers will capture and neutralize smoke, as smoke stinks a lot.
- The air purifiers also trap dust over the surface of your house and reduce its build-up.
- Seasonal allergies may be a hassle for many people, and air purifiers can also help you. Often even these allergens can make you feel bad when breathing.
- The purifiers avoid the transmission of germs and other illnesses. With Real HEPA filter s and UV lamps, the air purifiers absorb and neutralize up to 99.7 percent of the airborne germs and viruses.
- Water purifiers help to keep the lungs safe. Constant exposure to dust, pollen, and other airborne particles can cause respiratory and breathing problems in the long run.
- An air purifier can be mounted anywhere in the building. They come in various sizes and various features to breathe new and balanced air inside your home.
Best air purifiers to shop for in 2020
Here is a rundown of the best air purifiers you must look out for in 2020
Mi 2S (Best air purifiers)
While the Mi brand entered the Indian market a few years ago, its consistency, reliability, and cost-effective products have impressed consumers. And Mi Air Purifier 2 S is no different – as it has an efficient filtration system, self-adjusting brightness, and many other beneficial factors.
The key reasons why we first pick this product are-cost-effective and efficient three-layer filtration devices. The outer layer is designed to eliminate particles carried by large air, such as hair, dust, etc. The second (middle) layer extracts particles of micron size and harmful bacteria.
The innermost layer of carbon has triggered and can effectively eliminate formaldehyde, odors, and other toxic substances. With mobile access, you can change the settings, and you can see the room temperature and humidity. Even it notifies when to adjust the filter.
Phillips 3000 series (Best air purifiers)
Philips is one of the brands with the most confidence around the world. Philips AC3256/20 AeraSense air purifier is ideal for people suffering from respiratory conditions such as asthma. This product can detect even the slightest change in air quality with AeraSense technology and give a real-time reading of air quality and Vitashield IPS, a special, high-performance air purification system.
Its Nano Secure S3 activated carbon filter and True HEPA filter will remove up to 0.2 microns of ultrafine particles, which is more than many cleaners can do. Its filter s cannot be cleaned or vacuumed. If it’s finished, you will have to repair it. And its prefilter can be washed.
Honeywell air purifier (Best air purifiers)
Honeywell goods have the consistency and efficiency of excellence. There is nothing special to the air purifier type HAC25M1201W. It is an ECARF accredited product by eliminating microscopic allergens from the air for its superb air quality.
The reasons we chose this air purifier to be on our list are – it’s cost-effective, uses 3-layer HEPA filter , has a 3D suction method that distributes and circulates the air across the room, and comes fitted with sleep mode, auto mode, and a child lock / anti-fall feature. This device is ideal if you are not staying in a city that is heavily polluted.
Coway sleek pro (Best air purifiers)
Coway is a Korean company with a tradition of producing powerful and reliable home appliances. The Coway Sleek Pro AP-0509 air purifier comes equipped with a 3-layer HEPA filter running for a whopping 85000 hours, lasting 4 to 6 years. The robust designed & quality, elegant style, and negligible recurring cost have propelled us to put this Korean air purifier in 3rd place.
Its revolutionary architecture comes with an indicator of LED illumination. When there is some degree of pollution in the air, the LED light turns yellow. When the air quality is low, it is red; otherwise, it displays a blue light showing high-quality air.
Dyson (Best air purifiers)
The Dyson brand has supplied many household appliances such as vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, hand dryers, heaters, and several others since 1991. The quality of their products, their creative design, and performance are exceptional. Dyson’s cool connexion tower air purifier can filter 99.95 percent (0.1 microns) of harmful contaminants through the vacuum-sealed glass and lower face HEPA filter .
Its technology with air multipliers provides efficient air projection. The oscillation feature lets filtered air circulate throughout the space. Dyson Pure Cool Connection Tower Air purifier can sense the rate of air pollution, love air quality and temperature in the room.
Hindware moonbow (Best air purifiers)
Hindware has been extending its products to include home furnishings, appliances, and others for many years. Among them, one of the best air purifiers in their price range is the Moonbow AP-A8400UIN. This product has 5 pre filter filters, a real HEPA filter , an activated carbon filter , a UV lamp, and refreshing energizers. This filtration method has the potential to remove as small as 0.3 microns 99.985 percent of contaminants.
Vyom (Best air purifiers)
Tefal is an international company renowned for its high performance and creative products. According to the manufacturer, Tefal Intense product is the only air purifier capable of permanently destroying carcinogenic formaldehyde and filtering up to 99.97 percent of pollutants.
This package includes four filters – prefilter, activated carbon, HEPA, and NanoCaptur filter . The fourth layer is capable of trapping and permanently killing carcinogenic formaldehyde by converting it to neutral molecules. British Allergy Foundation supports nanocapsule filter technology.
How to choose an air purifier?
Since it’s a health problem, you should be extra careful when purchasing an air purifier for your home. If you’re not aware of filter form or other variables’ functionalities, buying one model out of so many choices may be difficult for you. Here is a thorough buying guide to help you with this to help you buy the best air purifier for your home.
Type of filter
Various air purifier filter s target various forms of air pollution. The pollutant they are targeting depends on the filtration equipment used within the device. We discussed below regarding each of the filter s.
These days most air purifiers come in with prefilters. A Prefilter is normally the first filter layer that is mounted in front of the main filter . He is responsible for eliminating large dust particles from the air. Prefilters are like any simple filter s that eliminate dust, danders or pet fur, and larger microbes. Usually, these prefilters are made of foam or nylon and can be quickly washed. So looking for an air purifier with a prefilter is fine.
HEPA filter
HEPA or High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters are designed to absorb 99.97 percent of airborne particles, which are around 0.3 micrometers or wide while going through the filter .
HEPA filter s can effectively eliminate airborne dust, dirt, smoke, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and bacteria. Purchasing an air purifier with HEPA filter s may be beneficial if you suffer from asthma, allergies, or some other respiratory conditions and if you are more vulnerable to illness.
There are several filter forms that use the acronym of HEPA, but there is only one mark that has an actual credential. You should check out the label “Real HEPA Filter.” A True HEPA Filter is accredited to remove about 99.97 percent of all 0.3 micron small microscopic particles.
Any more filter s use words such as “HEPA-type” or “HEPA-like.” These are inferior materials capable of collecting particles smaller than 2-5 microns. This leads to the purifier’s efficiency decrease of more than 600 percent.
Make sure you always look for the Real HEPA mark when looking for a HEPA air purifier.
Activated carbon
By absorbing gas fumes, smoke, pet odors, cooking odors, paints, cleaning products, and other irritants, the activated carbon filter s help to reduce the room odor. If you are sensitive to such chemicals, you may use an activated carbon filter to check for a purifier.
This filter uses a special type of activated carbon-containing tiny absorbent pores in millions. These pores provide a wider surface area for trapping gases, odors, and fumes.
These filter s are used in conjunction with other filter s in most air purifiers, as the activated carbon filter s cannot extract particles of dust from the air.
UV Lamp
You can purchase a model with a UV lamp if you are looking forward to purchasing an air purifier that can remove germs, bacteria, and other harmful particles from the air. A 20 Watt bulb is capable of killing bacteria, germs, and pathogens within a few seconds, according to studies performed by the California Air Resource Board. Since it does not emit any by-product of ozone, it is absolutely safe to use and can even be used in kitchens, hospitals, and laboratories.
An air purifier with a UV lamp is ideal for those places where the weather is usually hot and humid. Since they can’t handle other types of contaminants, a UV lamp filter is used in conjunction with other filter types to provide maximum efficiency. If they are not used with other filter s, the microbes can easily disappear and return to the ambient air with the contaminants. UV lamp filter s are either employed with HEPA filter s or activated carbon filter s in most air purifiers.
Ionic air purifiers
Often called an ionic air purifier as an ionizer, ozone generator, or ion generator. These air purifier types emit electrically charged molecules called ions into the air. The charged ions bind themselves to airborne dust, pollen, mold, and other allergens.
This charges the particles in such a way that they bind to each other, making them big and heavy to settle faster. As a consequence, the particles bind to surfaces such as walls, floors, and furniture. A few particles are floating around in the air. You should get them inhaled.
Looking at how these ionic purifiers operate, you have to realize that the air ionizer purifier is not simply collecting or removing dust particles from home. The dust particles charged by ions begin to expand and spread and finally adhere to the surface. Owing to tasks such as dusting, using a vacuum cleaner, or other household activities, these particles may be stirred up again.
Size of the room
Space size is one of the most significant variables you can look for before you purchase an air purifier. Smaller rooms need fewer air purifiers and vice versa.
Air purifiers can be found in various sizes, from small to large. So check the air purifier’s coverage area parameter and then equate it to your room size. Buying a model that offers a coverage area that’s slightly larger than the size of your room is always wise.
Clean air delivery rate
The CADR that is, Clean Air Delivery Rate, is either measured as a cubic meter of air delivered within one hour, or a cubic foot of air delivered within one minute. The CADR rating was created by the Home Appliance Manufacturers Association (AHAM) to help consumers find out how well the air purifier works and purify the air in specific size space.
The CADR rating becomes extremely relevant when you compare two air purifier models so you can buy the better one. Not all air purifier models list the CADR rating on the requirements list. Except for those manufacturers that have self-registered for the AHAM test.
ACH
ACH refers to the “Hourly Air Shift” An air purifier’s ACH rating indicates how many times an hour, the system can exchange air within a room. For example, if a purifier’s ACH rating is 5x, that means the full volume of air is exchanged five times per hour.
ACH on an air purifier is one of the least-understood ratings.
Whenever you compare two air cleaner models, it is very important to check for ACH ranking. It shows you quickly the product is better for exchanging fresh air within the room.
Replacement of filters
As well as the cleaner’s overall cost, you also have to check the filters’ repair costs or replacement costs.
Carbon and HEPA filter s need to be checked periodically. They cannot filter air when it is completely clogged up. So if you’re purchasing the purifier with these philtres, you’ll need to review the manufacturer’s instructions to see how much these philtres need replacement. The philtres last around three months to 1 year, depending on the use.
Suppose you are going to buy an ionic air purifier. In that case, you do not have to think about the maintenance costs as they do not use a filter that is degradable.
Brand
Every time you buy an air purifier for your home, we recommend purchasing it from a well-known, trustworthy brand.
There are so many brands out there that claim to deliver the best air purifiers, but they’re not all trustworthy. The explanation for this is that not all countries have the same product rules and regulations as those sold in the USA and Europe.
Buying a reputed brand air purifier lets you get a trustworthy product together with the best after-sales support.
How does an air purifier work?
An air purifier is made up of two major components – fan and filter . Although some cleaners come with a single filter , other philtres come in several. The fan helps to suck out the dirty air and to disperse the fresh air. The fan sucks in the air when you turn on the unit and flow through the filter . Both impurities and contaminants are eliminated from the air after they have entered the filter . Then filtered air is sent out into the local environment.
The philtres in the air purifiers are either made from fiber, wire, or paper. Regardless of the type of filter used, it needs to be periodically cleaned. Otherwise, the purifier’s output and efficiency would be affected.
Conclusion
This was a quick guide to help you grab your hands on the best air purifiers available and breathe in a calm and clean environment. Bring one home and enjoy giving the best health to your loved ones.
