Air purifiers can help if you suffer from respiratory illnesses. The problem is, if it's your first time looking into one of these products, it's not easy to know what to look for or how to choose the best model. Therefore, we're going to look at everything you need to know to buy the best air purifier.
What is an air purifier
An air purifier, as its name suggests, is a device designed to remove pollutants from the air. These include dust, mites, pollen, and even other contaminants like tobacco smoke.
In order to eliminate these impurities, various types of solutions can be used, but for the consumer market, the usual thing is to use special filters that capture the air from the room and expel it cleaner again.
This capture and expulsion process is carried out by means of a fan that is in continuous operation. Thanks to this and the current that is generated, little by little it is able to absorb all the air from the room in which it is located. Of course, depending on its capacity, renewing all the air will be a more or less slow process.
So, to choose the ideal purifier, you need to know what the key elements are and how they affect the needs of each user.
Types and characteristics of HEPA filters
A High Efficiency Particulate Air ( HEPA) filter is the component responsible for trapping all those airborne particles that reduce air quality. As you can imagine, there are different types of filters depending on their level of filtration. Furthermore, there's a specific terminology you'll find on many air purifiers that you might want to understand to know what it means.
A HEPA-type filter is not the same as a HEPA filter ; it's similar but doesn't meet the same functional standards. Therefore, particle retention may be less efficient or not as effective at trapping the same number of particles. So, since you're going to invest in an air purifier, even if it costs a bit more, ideally it should include a HEPA filter, not a HEPA-type filter. Yes, it might seem a little confusing now, but it's simply a matter of checking the technical specifications, which you'll find even on the box, before buying.
Going back to HEPA filters, they offer different levels of retention and nomenclatures.
- HEPA filters E10, E11 and E12: offer a total retention of between 85 and 99,5% PM (Particle Matter)
- HEPA H13 and H14 filters: they offer a total retention between 99,95 and 99,995% and more than 99,7% local retention PM (Particulate Matter)
- HEPA filters U15, U16 and U17: total retention between 99,99995 and 99,9999995% and local retention of up to 99,9999% PM (Particular Matter)
It goes without saying that the higher the retention percentage, the cleaner the air returned by the purifier will be. Nor that these filters will need to be replaced according to the manufacturer's instructions depending on the time or number of hours of use.
How to choose the ideal air purifier
Now that you know the function of a purifier and what HEPA filters are, the next step is to learn what other aspects to consider when choosing the most suitable model for your needs.
The first basic step is to know the volume of air you want to purify . Or, in other words, the volume of the room where you want to use it. If you intend to do this in several rooms, you will obviously need the volume of the largest room.
With that information, you can choose a purifier with the appropriate power . Otherwise, if it has less power, it will take longer to clean the air in the room, and its efficiency will decrease.
Since this is a device you'll have on for extended periods, it's ideal for it to be as quiet as possible . While it won't interfere with your daily activities at certain times of day, when you want some peace and quiet, you'll find the hum from its ventilation system quite bothersome. Anything below 30 dB is considered very quiet , perfect for leaving on overnight, and up to 40 dB would be optimal for daytime use.
From here, everything that a purifier adds compared to another model will be an extra that you will have to assess again to what extent you are interested or not. Because it is likely that the final price of the product will increase.
A manually controlled air purifier is not the same as one that integrates with home automation systems or can be controlled remotely via an app . Nor is it the same if it includes a system that monitors air quality and adjusts accordingly, or an activated carbon system to combat odors.
In summary, to choose an ideal purifier you must take into account the following:
- Power according to the room you want to purify
- Particulate matter or PM retention level you want to achieve
- If you want it to be a HEPA filter or a HEPA type filter is enough for you
- Maximum and minimum noise level
- Additional smart options
With that, you'll be ready to start looking at different models - like the ones you can find in this analysis -, assess their capabilities, and see if they're what you're looking for or not.
*Note to the reader: this article contains sponsored links. Even so, the agreement has not influenced the development and recommendations of the content of this publication.