A concise guide:

As per the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States, indoor air pollution is one of the top five environmental health risks in America. Buying an air purifier has become important as we spend most of our time indoors with increased allergens, viruses/bacteria and pollutants in the air.

 Why do you need an Air Purifier?

  • Reduce allergy symptoms: Allergy symptoms range from mild – rash or hives, itchiness, runny nose, watery/red eyes, swollen lips, vomiting, diarrhea which can be life threatening if left untreated. The best HEPA Air Purifier to help you mitigate allergy symptoms is the Airpura I600,Airpura UV600 and Airpura P600                           
  • Reduce Asthma triggers: The main contributor to asthma issues is breathing in polluted air. Air purifiers are one of the best ways to clean the air indoors so that asthmatics do not experience as many respiratory issues. The best HEPA Air Purifier help you reduce asthma is Airpura UV600,and Airpura P600
  • To Mitigate Airborne Dust: No matter how hard we try to keep our homes clean, there will be dust that  accumulates on surfaces. Dust attracts dust mites which many people are allergic to. The best HEPA Air purifier to keep away dust mites is Airpura I600 and Airpura H600
  • Remove Mold: Mold spores are very harmful to your health. Air purifiers are specialized to remove mold and bacteria. The best air purifier to remove mold and bacteria is the Airpura UV600,and Airpura P600
  • Remove Pet dander and hair: Air Purifiers collect and trap pet dander, which reduces related allergies, as well as the hair our pets shed. The best Air purifier to remove pet dander is Airpura P600
  • Remove Tobacco Smoke and Odor: The odor of tobacco smoke lingers in the air and so do the dangerous carcinogens released from it. Fortunately, there are air purifiers that can remove these dangerous chemicals from the air. The best air purifier to remove smoke, chemicals and carcinogens from tobacco and cannabis smoke is the Airpura C600 DLX and Airpura T600/T600 DLX
  • Remove bacteria/virus: Air purifiers are designed specifically to remove the tiniest airborne particles from the air with medical-grade HEPA filters and UV lights. The best UV air purifier to remove viruses and bacteria is the Airpura UV600 and Airpura P600.

How important is the Room size and ACH?

The size of a room is an important factor for choosing a suitable air purifier. Bigger spaces need larger air purifier. Buying an air purifier that does not move enough air for your space can result in sub-optimal cleaning.

The ACH rate or the air change per hour rate indicates exactly how many times the purifier filters the entire room’s air in one hour.

What are the different technologies and levels of filters used in an Air purifier?

  • HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) Filtration: HEPA is considered the gold standard in air purification. Our HEPA captures at least 99.97% of particles as small as 0.01 microns.  It can remove pollen, mold spores, fungi, dust, pet dander, hair and visible smoke. It does not remove odors and chemical fumes or any VOCs. It captures the ultra-fine particles. In studies conducted by McGill University, it was confirmed that the material used in Airpura's HEPA filters showed close to 100 % aerosol particle removal efficiency for nanoparticles. These particles are as small as 0.01 micron (10 nm)!

Always look for True HEPA designation .‘HEPA like’ or ‘HEPA type’ is not the same thing and can only capture particles as small as 2-5 microns.

  • Electrostatic charged Filters: Airborne particles are charged so they may stick to the internal filtration system. Even if they are cleaned regularly, their performance will decrease overtime.

 It has a 60-80% first pass efficiency rate and require a longer time to improve your indoor air quality.

  • Ionization: This air cleaning technology operates by emitting a cloud of charged ions into the air that latches onto airborne contaminants. This process forces these impurities to fall onto the floor and nearby surfaces.

Experts do not recommend this as it produces ozone which can lead to respiratory issues.

  • Activated Carbon filtration / Charcoal filter: A bed of activated carbon typically in granular or pellet form and consists of millions of tiny adsorbent pores. This air filter has been treated to be extremely porous, and this is the popular filtration against gases, chemicals and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). However, the Activated Carbon filter cannot remove fine particles like dust, dust mites, pet dander or pollen from the air. In air purifiers, the Activated Carbon filter is mostly used in conjunction with the HEPA filter to capture the other tiny particles as well, like dust, lint, mold spores, pet dander and pollen. Tests have proved, the higher the carbon content, better the air filtration and vice versa.  Always pick an Air purifier which has both Activated carbon and HEPA. Airpura uses 18 - 26 lbs Carbon, regular or special blend.
  • Ultraviolet (UV) Light: UV light technology emits an invisible light that attacks pathogens (Viruses and bacteria) as opposed to passing them through a physical filter. A UV light is contained inside the air purifier and not released into the room. A UV light air purifier with this technology uses the UV-C band of the ultraviolet spectrum. This band (254nm) is completely safe for humans and does not cause any negative side effects.

Airpura 's patented UV air purifiers destroy the DNA of microorganisms, (without emitting ozone) including the viruses that cause influenza and gastro as well as black mold, effectively neutralizing them.

Always buy it with an Air Purifier which has a HEPA filter to ensure all the pollutants are captured and not just viruses and bacteria.

  • Photocatalytic Oxidation (PCO) filter: This technology uses titanium dioxide coated metal plate along with the UV light to oxidize and physically break down chemicals during the filtration process. The Airpura P600 has a powerful Titan Clean™ Photocatalytic Oxidizer which significantly increases the range of dangerous airborne chemicals that can be safely and effectively neutralized. P600 is non-ozone emitting. Be wary of air purifiers on the market which use the Photocatalytic oxidation filter and emit ozone and other by-products.
  • Pre-filter :This filter captures the largest particles (such as hair and dirt) - larger than 5 microns and helps extend the life of the other internal filters.
  • Cold Plasma: A plasma purifier forms ions (negatively or positively charged particles) as air circulates over the ionization tubes. These tubes are usually mounted in the air conditioning, either in the unit itself or in the ductwork. A cold plasma breaks down dangerous gases, tiny particles, and effectively kills pathogens. 

What are CADR ratings?

Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) ratings were developed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) in the 1980s as a way for the general public to check the claims made by air purifiers. AHAM is an organization representing household appliance companies. They are not very reliable as they are outdated and do not test VOCs, viruses and bacteria. They only test dust, pollen and tobacco smoke. It only measures how quickly a purifier cleans the air and not how clean the air comes out.

As Helder, President of Airpura points out, that ``CADR only looks at part of a problem and not the whole``

CCM (Cumulative Clean Mass)-When it comes to long-term performance, CCM is the most relevant metric. It is another important parameter in the new national standard for air purifiers, which specifies the amount of particulate matter or formaldehyde that can be eliminated before the filter is “discarded”. The larger the CCM value, the better, indicating the longer the filter life.

What is the Maintenance of an Air purifier?

The maintenance required with air purifiers is replacing air filters. How often do you need to replace them?  The readings below indicate Airpura`s maintenance need.

  • HEPA Filters:  3-5 years (depending on the use)
  • Carbon Filters: 2 years 
  • Pre-Filters: 1 year(depending on the usage)

What is the Warranty and customer service provided by the seller?

Ensure the after sales service and warranty is sound. Make buying an Air purifier a good investment by ensuring the air purifier you are buying has an adequate warranty. Airpura provides 5 years of warranty on its Air purifiers.

Bottom-line.

Choosing the right air purifier can improve your life and indoor air quality but a wrong one can affect your health adversely.  Do your research and arm yourself with the know-how to help you make an informed decision.

For more information about air purifier technology, call us at 1-866-505-7872. You can also use the simple, helpful Airpura Help Me Choose tool.

Read studies here: https://www.airpura.com/pages/research-and-studies