What to Look for in an Air Purifier? 9 Notable Factors

With air quality deteriorating day by day, owning an air purifier has become more necessary than ever. However, one of the issues that consumers still worry about is that not all air purifiers are created equal, and choosing the right purifier that can solve their needs is still a challenge. So, what to look for in an air purifier? In this article, we will provide you with a general understanding of air purifiers, helping you make the most suitable choice.

The Role of Air Purifiers in Improving Air Quality

According to the World Health Organization, there are currently more than 13 million deaths each year due to preventable environmental factors. More than 50% of deaths are related to air pollution.

You may not know, that airborne pollutants in particulate form and especially PM2.5 have the ability to enter our blood and lungs, directly threatening cerebral blood vessels (stroke), cardiovascular and respiratory. We found that nitrogen dioxide in the air is also a cause of respiratory diseases and asthma.

Today, when people gradually realize the connection and importance of clean air to health, air purifiers will be an optimal solution to help us protect our health. We have to emphasize that air purifiers play a very important role in improving indoor air quality as well as limiting allergens. They work by continuously filtering and capturing harmful substances, helping completely eliminate 99% of contaminants that can be harmful to health.

9 Key considerations look for in an air purifier

There are nine key factors that we notice you need to consider carefully when choosing an air purifier, including:

1. Identify your specific concerns when looking for an air purifier

Before looking for or buying an air purifier, what you need to do is clearly determine your specific needs. Those requirements may be to solve health problems, prevent allergies, or limit respiratory diseases, from which you can choose the most suitable filter.

• Concerns about allergens: If you or your family members have allergies, you need to consider air purifiers whose filters can effectively remove allergens. This can improve air quality and limit recurring allergies.
• Addressing specific health needs: Suppose you have a sensitive immune system or suffer from respiratory diseases or asthma. In that case, we highly recommended that you choose an air purifier that can effectively remove viruses, bacteria, or mold spores in the air. This will greatly help to improve indoor air quality and reduce the risk of respiratory diseases and allergies.

2. Filtration technology options

Typically, current air purifiers are often equipped with many modern filters, each with its functions and advantages. Therefore, to be able to meet your needs well, you need to consider and choose the right filter for optimal filtering performance.

• High-efficiency particulate Air (HEPA) filters: Recognized and recommended by experts, HEPA air filters are exceptionally effective at improving indoor air quality by removing harmful particles and allergens from the air. Additionally, HEPA filters are considered the gold standard in air filtration because they can capture and remove particles as small as 0.3 microns with 99.97% efficiency.
• Activated carbon filters: One of the outstanding advantages of activated carbon filters is the ability to effectively remove odors, gases, and chemicals in the air. Therefore, if you are worried about unwanted odors or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your living space, an air purifier with an activated carbon filter is a great choice for you.
• UV-C and ionization technology: UV-C light and ionization technology is effective in killing airborne bacteria and viruses. In addition, with the feature of not using fan blades to filter the air, these filters operate with very low noise, very suitable for people with sleep problems. However, for these filters to be fully effective, they should be used in conjunction with other filtering methods.

3. Cost of using and maintaining an air purifier

Before owning an air purifier, one of the what to know about an air purifiers is the initial cost and long-term cost. Current types of filters are often divided into two groups: washable filters and temporary filters. As for washable filters, their initial cost is often higher than that of temporary filters. However, in the long run, this filter can help save costs because it can be washed and reused.

Besides, maintaining them does not cost too much because we can do it ourselves. On the contrary, temporary filters have a lower initial cost, but changing filters frequently will cost you more.

4. Room size and coverage area

To ensure that the spaces in the room are purified, we notice that you need to make sure that the purifier you choose has a capacity suitable for the area of the room. This is extremely necessary because different filters will be designed for different room sizes.

5. Noise level and fan speed options

If you often have trouble sleeping or just like a peaceful environment to read, you should consider the noise level of your air purifier. You can check the decibel rating provided by the manufacturer to determine the noise level of a particular model. In general, a noise level of 25 decibels or less is considered the standard to ensure peaceful sleep. With this in mind, you can choose a model whose noise level meets your specific needs.

6. CADR rating

CADR is an index that ranks clean air delivery speed. This CADR index allows users to know the effectiveness of the air purifier in capturing and removing pollution particles in the air. Specifically, the higher the CADR rating, the better the air filtration efficiency. Therefore, you can look for a purifier with a high CADR rating to get the best performance.

7. Energy efficiency

To optimize long-term costs, we suggest you refer to the Energy Star certification of the air purifier. This is an energy efficiency certification that has been recognized and trusted in the United States and many other countries. To get Energy Star certification, air purifiers must ensure that they use less electricity or energy when operating. This way, you can know its energy consumption and choose the right model to save costs.

8. Extra features

Next, the additional features of the air purifier will be a highlight that you should not miss. Here are some additional features you should consider:

• Integrated scent: For some modern air purifier lines, the integrated scent feature is certainly no longer strange to many people. This feature allows users to choose and spread their favorite scent by adding a few drops of essential oil to the filter above.
• Smart features and connectivity: These features can monitor and evaluate indoor air quality on your behalf, thereby adjusting the filtration mode to optimally clean the air. In addition, they also allow you to remotely control via smartphone applications.
• Filter-replacement indicator light: When your filter is no longer working effectively, this feature will remind you to replace it with a new filter to ensure filtration quality is always stable and good.

9. Portability and Design

Last but not least, we encourage you to consider the portability and design of the air purifier if you are a frequent traveler or have limited living space. A compact air purifier will help you save space in an optimal way while still ensuring the best air quality. What’s more, the small and lightweight design will allow you to take it anywhere or even travel.

FAQs

1: What should I look for in an air purifier?

Before deciding to buy an air purifier, you need to focus on learning about the following aspects: First, you need to prioritize purifiers with HEPA filters because they can remove allergens and seeds effectively. Second, consider choosing a purifier with a capacity suitable for your room area to ensure optimal performance. Third, you need to pay attention to the clean air delivery rate (CADR) and noise level to ensure the purifier operates efficiently and quietly. Fourth, the level of energy consumption is also very important because it directly affects your long-term costs. Finally, look into additional features like timers or smart sensors to get the best experience.

2: What is the most important thing in an air purifier?

The most important part of an air purifier is its filtration system. The higher the quality of the filter, the better the indoor air quality. Therefore, choosing the right filter for your needs or living space is extremely important.

3: Are expensive air purifiers worth it?

Usually, expensive air purifier models will equip you with many modern features, superior filtering capabilities, and greater coverage. Additionally, if you live in a heavily polluted area or have frequent allergy problems, investing in a high-end air purifier with a HEPA filter is completely worth it.

Bottom Line

In short, the core elements of an air purifier such as filtration efficiency, energy savings, or suitability for room area are what to look for in an air purifier. Besides that, we put forward you consider factors such as additional features, budget, and equipment maintenance. By considering and evaluating these factors, you can completely choose the right air purifier and meet your needs of improving indoor air quality.