Are Air Purifiers a Gimmick? The facts that you should know

Air purifiers are said to be an efficient and well-liked method for removing fine dust and dangerous compounds to health as air pollution becomes a more severe issue. But some people don’t believe they can do all things as marketing claims. There are many conflicting opinions and arguments around the question: Are air purifiers a gimmick?

We’ll look into the evidence to help you decide whether purchasing an air purifier is the best option for your family or if it’s just a marketing gimmick. So let’s investigate and choose wisely together!

Are Air Purifiers a Gimmick? 

Air purifiers are not a gimmick. However, some air purifier brands make their advertising that exaggerates product features. It leads to wrong awareness and misconceptions about air purifiers from customers. Because of over-marketing claims, you may consider the question “Are air purifiers a scam?” 

So, the 4 misconceptions about air purifiers we mention below will provide useful information that help you a lot to become a wiser consumer.

Added features in an air purifier may increase costs

Extra features in an air purifier can make it more expensive. But sometimes, they are not really necessary for your needs. For example, a manufacturer may sell an air purifier that is designed with low noise levels through a quiet fan design at a higher price. But if you don’t care much about noise levels, you can buy an air purifier of equal quality (except the noise reduction) – which will cost less.

Therefore, we carefully consider the necessary features and budget limits to find the option that best suits your needs.

Without a HEPA filter, air purifiers are useless

Many individuals believe that only air purifiers with a HEPA filter are worthwhile to buy. They said that HEPA filters, particularly the certified True HEPA filters would be a fantastic complement to any system. But we see the fact that HEPA filtration is not the “be all and end all” of excellent air quality.

Some units can use different technologies to achieve filtering results that are comparable to or even superior to those of HEPA. The Meaco AirVax, for instance, employs a unique SEFF filter that can catch even finer particles than a typical HEPA filter. The Airfree units, by adopting a revolutionary thermodynamic sterilizing method, truly sterilize the air, destroying 99.99% of organic particles that pass through the ceramic core.

Allergies will be cured with an air purifier

An air purifier isn’t a “magic bullet” that can solve all of your allergy-related issues. They can lessen the allergies or asthma symptoms by removing a significant portion of airborne allergens, but they are not a cure. 

With an air purifier, no cleaning is needed

Many individuals are shocked to find that even after installing an air purifier, their rooms continue to accumulate dust. But we put forward keeping in mind that the majority of airborne contaminants that impact the quality of your indoor air, including the most dangerous ones, are unseen. The air purifier quietly tackles these in the background while you still do your daily activities that make dust.

Air purifiers perform a good job of trapping a lot of dust and debris in the filter, but they should never be used as a replacement for regular cleaning! In fact, some air purifiers with built-in ionizers may even give the surrounding region the appearance of being dustier. This is due to the ions’ attachment to the allergens, which results in heavier particles that might occasionally drop to the floor.

In fact, we still have to clean the house although using an air purifier

How Does an Air Purifier Really Work? 

An air purifier functions by drawing indoor air into its system, where it undergoes filtration. During this process, the filter effectively captures a wide range of pollutants and contaminants, ensuring that only purified and cleaner air is released back into the room. Different air purifiers are made specifically to get rid of different kinds of impurities in your home or place of work, like dust, mold, pet dander, smoke, and offensive odors.

You can have a general overview of some air purifier operation methods below:

• Filtration: Mechanical filters, such as HEPA, trap particles using fabric-like materials, removing 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns. Meanwhile, activated carbon absorbs odors and chemicals by trapping them in its porous structure.
• UV-C light: UV-C light emits ultraviolet light that can neutralize or kill airborne pathogens like bacteria and viruses by disrupting their DNA.
• Ionizers: Ionizers produce negatively charged ions, making particles dense and causing them to fall to surfaces. However, home ionizers have a limited impact on airborne particulates.

What are the Real Benefits of Air Purifiers?

Air purifiers can be a valuable addition to improving indoor air quality. They may remove particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mold, bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants from the air depending on the type of filter employed.

Let’s look at the various advantages of air purifiers for your health and residence we mention below: 

Eliminate dust, smoke, and common allergens

We detect that there are several concerning pollutants, including combustion byproducts (like tobacco smoke or carbon monoxide), pet dander, dust, mold, pesticides, etc…

A filter is used to filter the air that is brought inside by an air purifier. Clean air is pushed back into the space while contaminants are collected by the filter. Some air purifiers are made to get rid of particular pollutants like dust, mold, or pet dander. They also aid in removing smoke and foul odors from your residence or place of work.

Air purifiers can reduce allergens and dust effectively

Purify air from virus

The good news is that air purification technologies work to significantly enhance air quality and decrease the levels of indoor pollution, according to a lengthy history of studies on air filtration.

Another study that also proves this viewpoint above is correct conducted during the “cold season” of 2018/2019. This study shows that using air purifiers for six months resulted in an 18% decrease in microbiological pollutants.

Eliminate odors

While complete elimination of all household odors may not be achievable, air purifiers can help mitigate specific scents like cooking odors, pet smells, tobacco smoke, and persistent aromas. Additionally, certain air purifiers are equipped with both activated carbon and particle filters, enabling them to address gas and chemical odors that may originate from building materials, pesticides, and fire retardants.

Air purifiers can reduce odors and give us more fresh living space

Reduce asthma and asthma symptoms

In a study on the influence of dampness and mold on indoor air quality, the World Health Organization (WHO) discovered that mold presence worsened asthma symptoms. A 2018 study also found the benefits of air purifiers in decreasing asthma symptoms, particularly in children. By using an air purifier that has HEPA filters, you can effectively cleanse indoor air and remove contaminants like dust, pollen, mold spores, allergens,… Because the air is significantly cleaner, patients are less likely to induce an asthma attack.

How to Avoid Air Purifier Scam?

Air purifier scams can take various forms, including false marketing claims, ineffective or harmful devices, and fraudulent replacement filters. So, we offer three pieces of advice to avoid falling victim to air purifier scams:

Before making a purchase, do your own research

Reviewing the features of the air purifier you’re considering in detail is the best place to start. In most circumstances, reading the specifications can help you steer clear of marketing gimmicks and false claims. We encourage you to pay close attention to the airflow rate in cubic feet per minute (CFM) and the kind of filters being employed.

Purchase from a reputable vendor

You run a higher risk of receiving defective or inefficient goods when making online purchases from unidentified third parties. Your best defense against being duped is to get a name-brand air purifier from an accredited dealer. So, we suggest you get the correct filters for your equipment, you should also purchase your replacement filters from an authorized dealer.

Beware of deals that seem too good to be true

There are usually excellent reasons why an air purifier is priced significantly lower than one with comparable features and specifications such as noise levels, and coverage area,… This doesn’t mean that you must spend a fortune of money in order to own a good air purifier. Also, you shouldn’t expect to pay little but receive a high-quality air purifier.

Conclusion

Although some media claims about air purifiers are exaggerated, they only account for a very small percentage and are easily debunked when you are a wise consumer. In general, we state that air purifiers are effective in filtering out dust and things that can harm human breathing such as pet dander.