How does a busy shopper find the right size purifier for the room they want to clean? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people aim for five air exchanges per hourin a unit of measurement called ACH. When looking at an air purifier, look at the cubic feet per minute of airflow on the lowest setting. When measuring the cubic feet of your room, you need area of room multiplied by height. Imagine a one-foot cube of Styrofoam. How many cubes can you fit into a room?
Anyone shopping for an air purifier needs to look for two acronyms and terms. First, look for CARB certification, which means the air purifier has passed the strict standards of the California Air Resources BoardNext, check the type of filter. We’ll break down the differences below. Also, don’t forget to open your filter! There’s a special kind of horror in realizing you’ve been running your air purifier on a plastic-wrapped HEPA filter.
HEPA filter: this is a high efficiency particulate air filter can remove at least 99.97 percent of dust, mold, pollen, bacteria and airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. It a great choice HEPA filters are great for people with allergies or respiratory problems, as they can help remove airborne particles that can cause symptoms like sneezing, sore throat, shortness of breath, coughing, etc. However, it should be noted that HEPA filters do not remove volatile organic compounds from the air the way activated carbon filters do. But they are often paired with carbon filters.
Activated carbon: Activated carbon filters (also known as activated carbon) are high efficiency because they are highly porous and have a large surface area—allowing the filters to absorb gaseous pollutants, odors, and VOCs. They best for removing smokesmoke and chemicals from the air. But these filters must be replaced more often depending on the environment. For example, if there are wildfires in your area and your air purifier is running harder than usual, it is important to change the saturated filter to avoid releasing toxic gases back into the air.
Washable air filter: Some of the air purifiers we’ve listed in this guide come with a washable pre-filter in addition to a HEPA and/or activated carbon filter—this is what you’ll typically find. These are the most economical because you don’t have to buy a new filter every time you need to replace it. Just remove the filter, scrub it with soap and water, and let it dry.
UV-C sterilization filter: Ultraviolet filters use UV light to kill viruses, parasites, mold spores, and bacteria. They can not delete airborne particles, VOCs or gaseous pollutants, so they are only fully effective when combined with a HEPA filter. According to United States Environmental Protection AgencyUV lamps without proper lamp coating have the potential to emit ozone. We recommend that you check this list from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers for air purifiers that have been proven to emit little or no ozone.
