Best Air Purifiers of [year]

The market is a vast reality and virtual world, where you can get any device or product you desire, it is the next place to turn to when there is a dire need to make a purchase. But before making those purchase, while drawing up a list most forget to budget an air purifier. Their principal function is to ensure the air you breathe in is clean and not harmful in any way to your health, and of course, you should go for the best air purifiers on the market.

Air purifiers generally work by removing allergens such as mold, dander, and pollen that could cause infection and irritation to the body. Most of these are found in the atmosphere of most homes but not to worry as they could be remedied by purchasing the best air purifier in market. The device has so many benefits and can be very helpful in causing a drastic change for people who suffer from allergies.

If you have settled for purchasing an air purifier, and find yourself here, then we must say you are in the right place, as after this article you wouldn’t need to go through a hundred more websites to get your perfect fit. We have come up with a list of the top 5 devices, ranked best air purifier consumer report for you. We would also discuss the certain qualities you would need to look out for in order to purchase the right device, and answer a few questions that might be bugging your mind.

Top Rated Air Purifier Reviews

1) IQAir Health Pro Air Purifier

Imagine shrinking one of those fantastic and stylish liking skyscrapers, into a reasonably sized object with cool and straightforward looks that grabs attention immediately, then you have yourself an IQAir purifier. It is designed with the air outlet at the top side, to release purified air in a 360-degree diameter, effectively covering the whole room in which it is placed and offers the option of mounting on wheels or not.

The iq health pro is just the best out there in the market for you. Their filters last very long, although still dependent on usage, with 10hrs a day running, the active charcoal filter (v-5) would last about two years, and while the HEPA filter lasts around four years. You would just have to deal with cleaning and replacing the pre-filter more frequently.

They put out chemically pure air, with even claims of the air being good enough for a surgical theater, and can serve huge sized rooms (about 1800sqft) with relative comfort and ease. It contains specially designed filters that cant is matched by most other units for efficient cleaning of air particles, and timer function, while the remote control feature tops it all up for ease and convenience of usage.

2) Alen Breathe Smart Classic Air Purifier

This model of air purifier carries the classic big-time manufacturer alen with the design having an all smooth surface with smooth curves around the edges and a perfect stand that balances the weight of the unit on the floor, helping it stand upright and fitting into most design and taste. The buttons are placed on the top side with indications that help to tell the action each switch carries out.

This air purifier contains a 4-stage filter level design, consist of a pre-filter for large particles, activated carbon filter for dealing with odors, and a double layer HEPA filter that removes allergens from the atmosphere in double fashion when compared to other air purifiers.

The unit energy star rated, therefore consumes a minimal amount of electricity, averaging about $50 per month, and has an auto mode of operation, that expertly shuffles between different levels of fan speed depending on the level of contamination in the atmosphere.

It has been tested to even serve spaces more massive than the manufacturer recommendation (1100sqft), as far as 2,500sqft even with cathedral ceilings and although the unit is large and doesn’t scream I am an air purifier, it easily fits into when home without causing obstruction and is recommended for battling allergy and asthma concerns.

3) Blue Air Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier

The Blue Air Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier carries a simple design, having the looks of a medium-sized box placed in the corner of the home and doesn’t give away the looks of being an air purifier. It has just a single button control for shuffling through different speeds, getting rid of allergens and pollutants, and releasing clean air through the top.

It contains s pre-filter that acts as front line protection for your filter and is easily removable for cleaning and washing. The device comes with two pre-filters as an extra advantage, and operates very quiet on the lowest setting but is a lot louder especially in the highest setting.

On the highest setting, the device is capable of cleaning up to 680 cubic meters of space, which is fair enough for the price and size. The room coverage capacity makes it suitable for small to medium-sized rooms, plus it could become expensive over time to maintain since it filters need to be replaced every six months and costs about $50.

4) Coway Mighty Air Purifier

This is a medium sized air purifier that has a nice look, with a giant ring as center design, nice color with curved edges giving it the looks of a giant mp3 player. The top of the device accommodates the buttons for controlling machine and also contains indicators that lit up when the quality of the air in the atmosphere changes or the filter needs a replacement.

The unit has an auto functioning mode called the eco mode, which when activated, gives the device the full control over the fan speeds. It changes the speed of the fan according to the impurity level in the atmosphere.

The unit is compact and attractive, fitting into any decoration and is very quiet even on the loudest fan speed. The filters are easy to clean, and the carbon filter needs to be replaced every six months, while the HEPA filter can last for up to a year.

5) Winix Plasma Wave Air Purifier

The Winix plasma wave is a reasonably sizeable sized device that has beautiful looks, and can easily fit into corners of your home without causing too much obstruction. It has a balance beneath that enables it to be laid on the floor, while the top side has a slant shape that accommodates the control panels and several buttons.

It is designed with a plasma technology that helps neutralize bacterial, viruses and another pollutant in the atmosphere without using ozone.it also deals with odors efficiently and is CADR rated with a 3-stage filtration system that contains a HEPA filter, carbon filter, and a pre-filter.

Overall it is an excellent device that would serve your small room efficiently, the auto mode gives you less stress in operation, taking over the regulation duties as you would. It is also super quiet, making it a good fit for heavy sleepers.

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Also read: Best air purifier for smell and odor

Are air purifier effective?

The answer to this is simply yes air purifiers are adequate, although there are some on the market that aren’t exactly worth your money, and would do little to clean up your air. The qualities of a proper air purifier would be discussed.

A good air cleaner should contain a true HEPA filter, which is designed to filter 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, removing pet dander, dust, allergens, smoke, and odor from the air, preventing allergic reactions.

The working principle of air purifier

A good air purifier generally should contain at least three stages of filtration, i.e., a pre-filter, a HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter. The pre-filter helps in removing large particles from the air, therefore allowing only tiny microns particles go through which is then captured by the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter.

The activated carbon filter is a porous material that can absorb molecules of volatile chemicals, not affecting larger particles. It is simply a process of changing contaminants from gaseous to solid state, majorly dealing with smells and odors in the air.

In basics, the pre-filter removes the large particles in the atmosphere, while the carbon filter absorbs the molecule responsible for that foul smell, and the HEPA filter removes 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns in the atmosphere.

Also Read: Best air purifier for the price

Different types of air purifiers

By types, we mean the different kinds of technologies by which the air purifiers works. There are five major types of air purifiers out there, with several advantages, depending on your preference and the condition of your atmosphere you should select the most suitable for you.

Sometimes manufacturers combine more than one of these technologies in a single device for better performance and efficiency. These technologies are

1) HEPA technology 

The HEPA type air purifier, makes use of a specially designed type of filter in trapping Allergens. It must meet the minimum qualification of trapping at least 99.97% of particles less than 0.3 microns. Most of these particles caught in the HEPA filter cannot be seen by the human eye, due to their size, and are they are safest to use due to their ability to trap the molds or bacterial, not generating ozone or another type of harmful byproduct.

The HEPA filters are mostly designed with foam, cotton, fiber-like or any other active particle trapping material, effectively creating a surface for air to be pushed through by a fan. On the other side of the filter, the air comes out clean, free from all allergens and particles, while the device repeats this process over and over again, effectively reducing contamination in the atmosphere each time.

Eventually, the filter would accumulate more than it was built for, and depending on the design, a need for it to be cleaned or replaced would arise. An average HEPA filter should last about 2 to 4 years.

There are three primary mechanisms by which the filter captures particulates, firstly particles when forced in by the fan could come in contact with the trapping material, and get stuck to it. This is called an interception. Also, another mechanism called impaction occurs as the name implies when particles collide with the filter material, embedding into them. The last is diffusion which occurs with gas molecules when they clash with the particle trapping materials, making them move slower and either undergo interception or impaction.

Although these HEPA filters are very active, they are helpless when faced with odors, chemicals or gases, which brings us to our second type of air purifier.

2) Activated carbon technology

The specialty of this type of air purifier is in dealing with odors and smells in the atmosphere. It contains a form of carbon that is very porous and has a large surface that helps in efficient absorption. They comprise of several molecular sized pores with high absorbent ability and chemical bonding tendencies, making it effective for capturing chemical pollutants and gases which are then held by the filter.

This type of purifier is best for people with high chemical sensitivity, preventing against chemicals like formaldehyde that is mostly released by new plastics and furniture. The best air purifier for formaldehyde make the environment more conducive especially for those with asthmas. For most patients, pet dander, dust, and pollen are the major particles irritating, but for some gases (VOCs especially) acts as riggers too.

These filters greatly tackle volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like smog, ozone, cooking smoke, pets, tobacco smoke, could be healthy for anyone generally, not just asthmatic patients, but do very little against removing particulate allergens.

3) UV (ultraviolent) Technology

The UV technology air purifier specializes in killing germs like bacteria and viruses; it makes use of a UV lamp that emits ultraviolet rays, effectively destroying microorganisms in its range. It is mostly used alongside other filters, especially the particulate filter type and can convert molecules of oxygen in the atmosphere to ozone and hydroxyl.

While the air purifier with UV technology for germs works wonders against bacteria and viruses, you should be careful to note that it doesn’t generate ozone. This is so because ozone isn’t needed for cleaning and can be harmful to pollutants. Therefore a functional unit that gets air particles filtered using the UV technology should minimize or eliminate ozone.

How effective the device depends on the wattage of the UV light and the duration of exposure to the light, with time the UV bulb deteriorates just like every other electrical device, therefore it should be monitored and replaced accordingly. Generally, this air purifier type is best used with a filter system placed ahead of the lamp. This prevents microorganisms from forming a shading layer on the UV bulb that could reduce the impact of the rays it emits, which is why most manufacturers combine this technology alongside the HEPA and carbon filter.

4) Negative Ion

They employ a technology that releases ions into the atmosphere in order to clean the air. Ions are either positively or negatively charged, becoming so by gaining or losing an electron. The Negative ions are atoms that have gained an electron, and when they are released into the atmosphere, they can magnetically attract most airborne particles that are neutrally or positively charged like pollens and dust. This process goes on till the new particles (negative ions and contaminants in the atmosphere), becomes too heavy to remain in the atmosphere, eventually dropping to the floor, furniture or a window.

Air purifiers that employ this technology are generally not as effective as other types. This is so because the negative ion merely holds down the allergens temporarily and it could be released back into the atmosphere eventually. They don’t absorb and retain the pollutants as other filters and technology do.

5) Ozone generator

They operate by releasing a gas called ozone, which is meant to work by inhibiting the growth of biological components in the atmosphere. However, this is most unlikely, because studies have shown that the ozone level needed to deal with allergens effectively, are significantly higher than public standards and cannot be used by the device.

Ozone is unsafe and not effective in cleaning the air, and exposure to it might cause irritations and even damages to the lung while elevating asthma symptoms. Ozone generating devices do not clean the air, and the ones coupled with UV technology just ends up masking instead of reducing the contaminant level.

How to choose the best air purifier: buyer’s guide

1. Determine the reason for purchasing the air purifier: this is about discovering the reason why you need an air purifier and the specific type of atmospheric pollution you are dealing with.
2. Ensure the air purifier contains a true HEPA filter for generally giving clean air, also consider the cost of replacing the filters too.
3. Select an air purifier with carbon filter if you have a specific allergy.
4. Calculate the size of the room you need to purify
5. Draw up your budget according to the amount of dollars you can invest on purifying the air.
6. Pick the best type of air purifier that would suit your needs according to their specifications

Qualities to consider in picking the best air purifier in the market

1) Kind of air cleaning technology:

All the types of devices in the air purifier market has been discussed previously. Therefore you are to select based on your preference, as no single technology is perfect. Most manufacturers combine several techniques though in the same unit.

2) Room size:

This is an essential feature to consider, as you would need to know the size of the room in order to purchase an efficient unit. We recommend you go for a format that is designed for a slightly larger room than yours.

3) Clean air delivery rate (CADR):

This rating tells how effective a unit is in reducing particles between the ranges of 0.10 to 11 micron. The CADR rating is directly equivalent to the efficiency of the air purifier in cleaning the air. Some devices make use of other approved rating standard.

4) Running/ Maintenance cost:

Research on the cost of running the air purifier as regards the energy consumption rate and the expense in maintaining it (cost of replacement filter especially), should be done, so you can have an idea of what it is going to be like.

5) Noise level:

who wouldn’t want an air purifier that operates without an apparent noise disturbance? Check the customer reviews to know how loud the device is.

6) Specific need:

whether it is for the sake of asthmatic triggers or for dealing with smoke, or even dander, identify the reason for you purchasing the purifier and get a technology that is effective against it.

Final Verdict: best air purifiers on the market  

According to the consumer reports, the IQAir health pro air purifier is unmatched as per quality of performance, and the sever feature it possesses making it worth every bit of the price, while it can also serve huge rooms. The Alen breathe smart classic air purifier comes out next as the closest rival to the IQAir, with a lifetime guarantee that catches the eye. It is also very useful in huge rooms.

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