5 BEST AIR PURIFIERS TO BUY IN 2020 | A BUYER'S GUIDE

They are specially designed appliances to improve quality of air in homes or offices. They aid in cleaning dust, smoke and particulate matter like pollen grains, sand particles etc from air. They help in breathing pure and healthy air. Based on type of filters, there are many air purifiers available in market. Hence, first we will try to understand about air purifiers. Based on these criteria we have sorted top 5 purifiers that are available in market.

INTRODUCTION:

Pollution, Pollutants, and Public – They are inter-related. Concerns over the present pollution levels in the environment are increasing.

With the attack of the corona pandemic, the world is now moving towards a much cleaner and hygiene environment. In this regard, air purifiers play a pivotal role in maintaining a hygiene environment at home.

In this context many AIR –PURIFIER manufacturers have come into the market with new and innovative products.

Improving air quality at home starts with personal hygiene. An interest over personal hygiene will definitely drive them to a cleaner environment. 

Along with it, a few important steps can help us in creating a fresh and dust-free environment. They are

1. Avoiding smoking: Smoking produces large and dangerous particulate matter that easily mixes with air and pollutes it. Secondarily it also aids in passive smoking, which is inexcusable.
2. Clean and tidy pets: Pets play an important role in polluting the home environment. The fur of animals and their dander should be cleaned regularly. Asthmatic people should be more cautious while dealing with pets.
3. Leaky door and window corners: Leakage indoor and window corners should be checked regularly and should be correct if found.
4. Regular cleaning of dust attracting equipment at home: Equipment like Fans, Curtains carry a lot of dust with them and should be cleaned regularly.
5. Regular cleaning of Chimneys: Chimneys carry a lot of dust around them mixed with oil. Hence they should be cleaned regularly.
6. Running exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms help in maintaining a healthy environment.

WHAT ARE AIR PURIFIERS?

They are specially designed appliances to improve the quality of air in homes or offices. They aid in cleaning dust, smoke and particulate matter like pollen grains, sand particles, etc from the air.

These air cleaners help in breathing pure and healthy air. Based on the type of filters, there are many air purifiers available in the market. Hence, let us try to understand more about air purifiers.

FILTERS:

There are many types of filters available in air purifiers. Hence let us try to understand them.

HEPA AIR PURIFIER

Air cleaners with HIGH-EFFICIENCY PARTICULATE AIR FILTERS (HEPA FILTERS) aid in air filtering. They are made of microfibers of 0.5 microns in diameter, which are arranged in sheets over one another. 

A jet of air is pushed into these microfibers through fans and the air is filtered at a microscopic level. 

But the main disadvantage of HEPA filters is, they cannot remove odors from the air. 

They purify only particulate matter in the environment. They are best in removing Dust, Spores, Pollen particles and Pet dander.

ACTIVATED CARBON FILTERS

The second type of filter uses ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER (Carbon filters). These carbon filters are best suited to remove Volatile organic compounds from the environment. 

They aid in removing odors and chemical aromas from the air. They contain activated charcoal with a large surface area for removing Chemical compounds from the air. 

They are best De-odorizers (removes smells efficiently) available in the market.

UV LIGHT FILTERS

The third type of air filter uses Ultraviolet (UV) light to purify the air. But they mostly aid in removing organic particles like bacteria, fungi, and viruses. 

They should be used along with HEPA filters to filter dust particles.

ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

The fourth type of filter uses Electrostatic precipitators to purify air. 

But during purification, they use Ozone gas which is a dangerous irritant in home environment. 

HENCE THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) contradicts usage of Electrostatic air purifiers with ozone at home.

Most of these filters in air purifiers should be replaced once in 6 months to a year. 

For carbon filters, it’s mandatory to change them every 3 months. But some machines are available with permanent filters. 

Hence Buyers should find out whether their filters are permanent or temporary before buying the product.

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE SELECTING THE BEST AIR PURIFIERS:

Before selecting an air purifier, we should check these following points:

CAPACITY OF MACHINE:

Always check for the capacity of purifiers. High capacity purifiers are more efficient in large rooms. 

If you are thinking to buy an air purifier for your living room, think of buying high capacity air purifiers, as these rooms involve more dust with good airflow.

TYPE OF FILTER:

Know the type of filter it has and also the number of filters it contains. Some machines contain a washable pre-filter which aids in cleaning larger particles before the filter. They help in extending the life span of filters. 

TIMERS:

Timers help in programming the device to autorun at a specific time. The turn on and turn off options aid in better handling of the machine.

CLEANING INDICATOR:

Machines with indicators to replace or to clean the filters stand out in proving high performance, as they are cleaned regularly. 

This prevents un-necessary checking of filters every time and also improves the performance of the machine.

DIRT ANALYZER:

Machines with dirt analyzer help in understanding the dirt level in the environment and automatically adjusts the purification speed.

CADR :

CARD stands for CLEAN AIR DELIVERY RATE. It quantifies the amount of clean air that the machine can deliver. In simple words, it denotes the amount of purification the machine is capable of. 

High CADR means a high purification rate. 

High CARD machines are good for large rooms like halls, while low CARD machines are apt for small bedrooms.

ACH (AIR CHANGES PER HOUR):

It indicates the number of times the air purifier cleans the room in an hour. Eg: If ACH is set to 6, it means the machine purifies the room every 10 minutes (60 minutes / 6 = 10 minutes). 

Check for the minimum and the maximum ACH available with the machine.

DO I NEED AN AIR PURIFIER?

Yes! today's world is full of pollution and pathogens. The day to day increase in these pollutants cautions us to maintain a much cleaner and healthier environment at home.

We are lucky enough to experience the taste of a clean and healthy environment. But, the younger generation is finding it tough to maintain such an environment at home.

The primary cause of it is POLLUTION. Moreover, the recent pandemic has made us understand the importance of personal hygiene along with environmental hygiene.

The only way to maintain a hygiene environment in our room is to have a good air purifier.

 The number of patients suffering from air born allergies like asthma is increasing day by day. The center for disease control (CDC) has published astonishing facts about asthma.

1. More than 25 million people in America are suffering from asthma.
2. One in every 13 people suffer from asthma in America.
3. Presently, more than 6 million children under 18 years, suffer from asthma.

People who are extremely sensitive to chemical smells can use air purifiers to get rid of them.

Finally, it is your decision, whether to use an air purifier or not. Some may not consider it worthy. But it is definitely not an unworthy instrument at home.

WHERE SHOULD I BUY AIR PURIFIERS?

You can buy air purifiers online or offline stores. These gadgets are widely available now. But online products have an edge over the price.

The best online stores are Amazon and Walmart.

For a wide range of products and models, you can search online. But if you have a confirmed model in your mind, you can buy it even from a local store where the stocks are available.

BEST AIR PURIFIER THAT FITS MY REQUIREMENTS

Air purifiers come in different sizes with different capacities. The required size of the air purifier depends on the room, in which you use it.

BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR LARGE ROOMS

A living room or hall requires a high capacity air purifier. On the other hand, a bedroom may require a small capacity air purifier.

A high CADR air purifier is best for living rooms or large houses. 

As high CADR denotes a larger volume of air purification per cycle, these air purifiers are ideal for large ventilated houses.

MY CHOICE

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Air Purifier, Heater + Fan - HEPA Air Filter, Space Heater and Certified Asthma + Allergy Friendly, WiFi-Enabled

[AMAZON REVIEWS]

BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR PATIENTS WITH ALLERGIES

A large ACH purifier is ideal for people with allergies and asthma.

ACH indicates the number of times, the air in the room is purified per hour. Patients with allergies and asthma may require frequent purification of air.

MY CHOICE

RabbitAir MinusA2 Ultra Quiet With Germ Filter

[US PRICE]
[INDIAN PRICE]

BEST AIR PURIFIERS BASED ON ROOM SIZE

Based on the size of rooms, the air purifiers are categorized as:

1. Room area from 100 to 250 Sft requires small air purifiers. - Ideal for bedrooms.
2. Room area from 300 to 700 Sft requires medium air purifiers. - Ideal for Living rooms.
3. Room area much larger than 700 Sft require large air purifiers

Best air purifiers for small rooms

MOOKA Air Purifier for Home, 3-in-1 True HEPA Filter Air Cleaner for Bedroom and Office, Odor Eliminator for Allergies and Pets, Smoke, Dust, Mold, 3D Filtration, Night Light,

[US PRICE]
[Phillips air purifier | INDIAN PRICE]

Best air purifiers for medium rooms (700 sft)

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Air Purifier, Heater + Fan - HEPA Air Filter, Space Heater and Certified Asthma + Allergy Friendly, WiFi-Enabled

[US PRICE]
[INDIAN PRICE]

Best air purifiers for large rooms (greater than 700 sft)

AIRMEGA 400

[US PRICE]

ADDITIONAL FEATURES THAT I NEED TO CHECK BEFORE BUYING AN AIR PURIFIER

Wifi operated air purifiers

If you are a techie guy, opt for air purifiers that operate on Wifi. It helps in operating most of its functions through your mobile.

Sitting at one corner of your home, you can always monitor the functioning of your air purifier. Moreover, the mobile supported alarms or messaging systems help you in quick troubleshoot if any problem arises in your air purifier.

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Air Purifier, Heater + Fan - HEPA Air Filter, Space Heater and Certified Asthma + Allergy Friendly, WiFi-Enabled

[US PRICE]

[INDIAN PRICE]

Energy saving

Most people prefer gadgets that consume less electricity. If you are one of them, opt for a 5-star energy-efficient air purifier.

Mobility

If you want to use your air purifier in multiple rooms of your home, opt for one that has wheels. 

A compact air purifier can be helpful in conditions like travel. I have my own friend, who is asthmatic and carries an air purifier where ever he goes.

Maintainance

I am a person who likes to maintain and service my gadgets regularly. Such people should opt for air purifiers with maintenance indicators.

The vital part of air purifiers that require frequent replacement are filters. Air purifiers with filter change indicators will help in the regular maintenance of the purifier.

Air conditioners with air purifiers

If you are a person who keeps the AC always on, you should prefer buying an AC with a built-in air purifier.

These air conditions can efficiently purify the air in the room, along with cooling the environment. 

These are the best appliances that I prefer in the summer.

BEST PLACE TO KEEP MY AIR PURIFIER

The best place to keep my air purifier is the place where I spend most of my time, at home. If you stay most of your time in a living room, it should be your ideal place.

I would prefer my bedroom, as we spend almost 12 hours a day in our bedrooms. On the other hand, a home working guy should place the air purifier in the region where he spends the day.

I personally would prefer an air purifier with a trolley, as it is mobile and I can place it where ever I need.

WHAT ARE THE MAINTENANCE COSTS OF AIR PURIFIER?

The only maintenance cost for an air purifier comes from the replacement of the air filters.

Remember! do not ever fall into the trap of cheap air purifiers. I have seen some air purifiers whose filters cost much higher than the purifier itself.

HEPA filters are much cheaper to maintain when compared to remaining filters. But they require frequent replacement.

The efficiency of a HEPA filter and Carbon filters decreases along with time. On the other hand, electrostatic precipitators maintain constant efficiency.

Some machines are equipped with pre-filters.  They help in the initial filtration of the air and aid in the longevity of the filter.

THE AIR PURIFIER THAT I SHOULD BUY

Finally, we have come to the end of our post. So I think, by now you got a complete overview of which air purifier you should prefer.

If you are allergic to particles

If you are allergic to smell

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