By now, you might already know that the presence of pollutants and allergens in your house can lead to severe health problems.
For this reason, air humidifiers have become quite a common investment.
The question is, what is an air purifier, and how does it work? Plus, which air purifier will be the best option? Let’s find out!
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What is an Air Purifier?
Just like water and food, air is also essential for our survival. While most of us invest quite a lot in our diets, we often tend to ignore the air that we breathe in.
Without a doubt, there are more pollutants present in the air now than there have been in previous years. Pollutants from our cars and industries impact all of us globally. In fact, surveys suggest that toxic pollutants affect over 200 million people worldwide. It’s a known fact that such pollutants can have an adverse effect on health and this is where air purifiers come into play.
Mold and dust commonly collect inside homes, leading to various respiratory issues like allergies and asthma. Air purifiers, however, remove the toxins from houses along with airborne viruses and bacteria. As a result, it improves breathing which, in turn, benefits your overall health.
Benefits of Investing in a Great Air Purifier
An air purifier is one of the most essential appliances in every household and office space. This appliance makes our lives more comfortable and reduces irritation by improving indoor air quality.
Because of their role as an air cleaner, air purifiers also play a massive role in the health and safety of ourselves and our children. They make spaces safer for people with respiratory conditions such as asthma as they clean and purify the air we breathe by removing air contaminants.
But are there any alternatives that serve the same purpose? Is an air purifier worth the investment? Below are some of the benefits of an air purifier.
As mentioned above, air purifiers aid in removing air pollutants. In particular, they are useful for people suffering from allergies and asthma. Plus, they help get rid of second-hand smoke as well and are suitable for both residential and commercial environments. Air purifiers have other benefits too including:
Eliminate Allergens Floating Around in The Air
When you inhale dust, pet dander, pollen, or any other airborne allergen, the body tends to produce an allergy antibody.
Allergic reactions soon follow, ranging from mild symptoms such as sneezing and coughing to extreme ones like an inability to breathe.
An air purifier can help avoid this type of reaction. Air purifiers have filters that trap these allergens as the air enters your home. Others use UV rays to kill germs and viruses already floating inside the house, offering you protection throughout.
Extract Airborne Asbestos Particles
Asbestos particles are one of the most dangerous forms of indoor air pollution. Despite being known for causing mesothelioma, deadly cancer that affects the breathing system, it’s still used in various products today. Air purifiers work to remove this harmful air pollutant, thus protecting you and your family from potentially dangerous diseases.
Reduce CO2 Levels in Your Home
Too much carbon dioxide, which can be a problem when confined in a space without plants, open windows, or ventilation to circulate oxygen, can be dangerous. High levels of carbon dioxide can cause headaches, shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, loss of mental abilities, unconsciousness, nausea, increased heart rate, and high blood pressure. However, certain air purifiers work to eliminate excess carbon dioxide. Some are fitted with an activated carbon filter that neutralizes the airborne contaminants.
Filter Outside Fumes & Pollutants From The Air Entering Your Home
The air entering our houses will inevitably be filled with impurities and contaminants due to rampant air pollution. This outdoor air could be dangerous for the people living inside, especially children under the age of five. The polluted air could cause respiratory illnesses and a wide range of other complications.
However, an air purifier in your house will guarantee that the incoming air is clean. Certain purifiers with a HEPA filter work to trap pollutants as small as 0.3 microns in size. Therefore, you’re sure to breathe safely even if you live in a polluted urban space.
Alen BreatheSmart Classic Air Purifier
Neutralize Unpleasant Odors
There are many different types of odors that can be felt in an indoor space, including aerosol sprays, paint, upholstered furniture, air fresheners, and cigarette smoke. The smell of cooking oil or spices at home can also be uncomfortable. An air purifier, specifically the ones fitted with a carbon activated filter, can help you get rid of these odors. They effectively trap odors, relieving you from the discomfort. However, it’s worth noting that such purifiers don’t trap any particles or allergens.
Reduce the Spread of Airborne Diseases in Indoor Spaces
It’s very easy for the flu to spread throughout a household. But air purifiers can help reduce this risk. Their filters can trap these pathogens, effectively cleaning the air and protecting the rest of the household.
They Make Breathing Easier
While clean air is quite important for good life quality, it becomes essential if you’re a victim of allergies or asthma. Even if the environment seems to be clean, there can be invisible particles present like dust mites, pet dander, and mold, which aggravate allergy sensitivities. By opting for the right purifier, you can filter out most of them, enabling you to breathe easier.
Cook With Ease
In houses with gas burners, cooking releases an excessive amount of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other fine particles in the air. Plus, while frying anything, the smell and smoke can create an unpleasant environment if you have guests around.
Thus, an air purifier can help to reduce the harmful gases, unpleasant fumes, and cooking odors, resulting in a fresh and clean environment.
Enjoy Better Sleep
It’s no secret; sleep is often linked with higher academic performance, reduced depression, and better cognitive abilities. However, sleeping can become nearly impossible if you experience symptoms such as sinus headaches, sneezing, congestion, and stuffy nose due to dust, dander, and mold in your room.
With a top-notch air purifier, you can make your air free of these particles and avoid such issues, leading to better sleep.
Honeywell True HEPA Allergen Remover
Our Favorite Air Purifiers
With the advancements of modern science, air purifying technology has reached new heights. In just a short time, air purifiers have become tremendously popular. We’ve picked out our top three picks that should definitely be on your list if you’re thinking of buying one!
Best Air Purifier Overall:
Alen BreatheSmart Classic Air Purifier
PROS
CONS
The Alen BreatheSmart purifier is quite efficient at removing some of the most common contaminants that cause common breathing and other health problems. Despite its comparatively low price, this purifier can cover up an area of 1,100 square feet. Plus, its CADR rating, a metric that measures the removal of contaminants, is greatest among all the purifiers available on the market.
One incredible feature of this model is the intuitive smart sensor that continuously senses the amount of pollution in your surroundings and adjusts the fan according to it. Plus, you can operate it in manual or timed mode to save energy, although the purifier is also Energy Star certified. Moreover, it comes with a night setting that lowers the brightness of LED indicators and the fan speed to cut down the noise.
Other features include a filter monitor and a BreatheSmart optional ionizing unit. The unit charges up the ionizer which traps air particles more efficiently. However, if you prefer to use the air purifier without out, you can switch it off easily.
Bottom Line
Overall, this purifier is quite effective, and it’s the ideal choice for people concerned about the quality of the air they breathe but aren’t diagnosed with severe allergies. Moreover, it is attractive and has a high-tech look, adding to your house’s décor.
Runner-up:
Honeywell True HEPA Allergen Remover
PROS
CONS
If you’re looking for a purifier that provides value to your money, then this Honeywell allergen removing purifier is the one to opt for. The unit is full of numerous benefits; the first one being the sublime speed. While it is slightly large and has a clunky look, it can work quite efficiently.
Another great feature that makes this one of the best air purifiers is the four different levels of cleaning you can choose from. Apart from the general clean mode, turbo and allergen clean modes are also available for when you’re dealing with something undesirable in your air. One benefit of choosing the speed is that users can control the energy that the air purifier utilizes.
In addition, the purifier is fitted with an advanced HEPA air filter that has been lab proven to lower the allergens present in the air by up to 99.97%. Not only is this a huge plus, but it can also be quite a lifesaver for those suffering from seasonal allergies.
Bottom Line
This is the ideal unit for rooms up to 465 sq. ft. and can capture 99.97% of even the smallest airborne particles like mold, pet dander, dust, pollen, and smoke. Plus, with its different cleaning settings, you can surely get clean air.
Best for the Money:
LEVOIT LV-H132 Air Purifier
PROS
CONS
For someone with allergies, finding pet dander or pollen floating around can be quite irritating. One product that can efficiently capture pet dander, as well as the other irritating particles, is the Levoit LV-H132 purifier.
The unit comes with a three-stage filtration system which includes a true HEPA filter. This filter can remove up to 99.9% of pet dander, mold spores, pollen, dust, and smoke. Plus, it can even filter particles as small as 0.3 microns.
This air purifier has been a top-seller and is ideal for those looking to purify medium-sized to large-sized rooms as big as 85 sq. ft. Apart from being suitable for homes, this is suitable for offices too.
Moreover, the unit has three modes of operation. The automatic mode adjusts the speed of the fan depending on the pollutants present in the air. Meanwhile, the manual mode lets you override this setting and have it run on one speed. Lastly, the sleep mode makes sure that the purifier doesn’t switch to the highest speed when you’re sleeping, thus ensuring that you get a good night’s sleep.
Bottom Line
This unit can become your secret to getting constant fresh air even inside your house. Select from three fan speed conditions according to the different air conditions. Plus, its attractive appearance makes it suitable to place it anywhere!
Conclusion
Using an efficient air purifier is helpful for individuals that care about their comfort and health. If you live with pets, are diagnosed with a respiratory condition due to allergies or asthma, or want to sleep better at night, then having an air cleaner will make a great investment.
People Also Ask
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding air purifiers.
How Long Until I Notice the Benefits of an Air Purifier?
Air purifiers don’t provide a quick fix to your indoor air quality. It may take between four-to-six weeks before you begin seeing the benefits.
Where Should I Put My Air Purifier?
If you’re looking to eliminate an odor, place your air purifier in the room where the odor originates. For contaminated air, the best place to put it is where there’s the most exchange of air, like the hallway.
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Do Air Purifiers Help You Sleep Better?
Air purifiers help improve sleep patterns because they eliminate any airborne allergen that results in uncontrollable sneezing, affecting your sleep. Some also find the noise produced by air purifiers to be soothing.
How Long Should I Run an Air Purifier?
The universally agreed amount of time to run your purifier is at least 12 hours in a day. However, you can run it all day because the longer it runs, the more it improves your air quality. Other purifiers even have smart sensor technology that automatically adjusts the purifier's fan speed. This way, you can run the purifier without worrying about energy bills.
How Often Should I Change the Filter on My Air Purifier?
Most manufacturers recommend replacing the filter after every three-to-six months, depending on the type of purifier and the area it serves, among other variables. However, allergy and asthma sufferers should look to change it at least every 30-60 days.
