Types of Air Purifiers – 2022 Informational Review

| Last Updated: January 30, 2022

Like food and water, air is also essential for improving the quality of our life. With the amount of pollution in the air and the contaminants floating around, clean air is now more essential than ever.

So if you are looking for a way to purify your air, then investing in an air purifier can be the perfect decision.

However, with the variety now available, which one type of air purifier is the best pick? Let’s find out!

What is an Air Purifier and How Do They Work?

Air purifiers are usually made up of multiple filters and a fan that sucks in air and circulates it. As this air moves through the filter, the particles and pollutants are captured, and the clean air is then pushed out again into the living space. Commonly, these filters are made from paper, fiberglass, fiber, and mesh.

These filters require proper care and maintenance in order to work efficiently. This means that apart from the cost of the unit itself, you also have to add in the cost of operating these products and replacing filters. How frequently you will have to change the filter depends on the purifier you are buying. Some filters are washable, and this makes them easy to maintain but are time-consuming as well.

Pros and Cons of Air Purifiers

Air purifiers have amazing advantages that help in improving your overall health. These units are no doubt exceptional, but they also come with some drawbacks as well. It is vital that you know of the ups and downs in order to make a well-known decision.

Pros of Air Purifiers

Helps With Breathing

The first and foremost advantage of these types of units is that they help in making sure you get clean air indoors. Apart from air being dirty due to smoke from cigarettes or outdoor conditions, you can also get unhealthy air due to a pet’s odor, urine, and dander. All of these things can contaminate the air and even cause allergies.

Removes Dust Particles

An air purifier has the precision of around 99.9%. This means it has the ability to remove almost all kinds of dust particles in the air. These particles can cause allergies and once removed, you can breathe clean and pure air.

Helps Your Skin

Having an air purifier significantly benefits your skin. Even if you have the best skin care products present, a high-quality air purifier can make your skin healthier and glowing more than ever. These purifiers help in improving your skin, preventing acne and even slowing down aging.

Cons of Air Purifiers

Requires Maintenance

Most air purifiers you get on the market make use of disposable and replaceable filters. This means that you can end up wasting a lot of money on buying replacement filters. They require proper care and attention along with regular maintenance so you must be sure that you can take on this hassle.

Ozone Air Purifiers Produce Ozone Gas

Many units available on the market are ozone air purifiers. These units tend to emit ozone gas and exposing this gas to your body can be harmful. It can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, and even cause persistent coughing.

Types of Air Purifiers - Overview and Our Top Picks

IMAGEPRODUCT
  • Best True HEPA Air Purifier
  • It Can Be Controlled Easily With a Remote
  • This Unit Comes With an Air Quality and Filter Change Indicator
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  • Best Ozone Purifier
  • It Removes Tough Odors
  • This Unit is Perfect for the Entire House
View Latest Price →
  • This Unit Provides You With Clean Air to Breathe
  • It Does Not Sacrifice the Performance and Makes No Noise at All
  • It Does Not Take a Lot of Energy and Saves Money on Your Bills, Making it Energy Efficient
View Latest Price →

Air purifiers have different types; these include UV air purifiers, ionic air purifiers, carbon filtration, HEPA air purifiers, and ozone air purifiers. Due to the various types available, finding the best air purifier can be a tough and mind-scratching task. However, to make this process easy for you, here’s how each type differs and the best unit can get.

True HEPA Purifiers

True HEPA Purifiers make use of HEPA technology which is an acronym for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. This technology has been used for many years in order to filter out particles. HEPA filters meet the standard of trapping around 99.9% of particles that are larger than 0.3 microns which can’t be spotted by the naked eye.

These HEPA filters are made from fine, fiber-like material and can last for around two to four years easily. These purifiers are very effective at trapping airborne particles but they do not remove odor, gases, and other chemicals.

Best True HEPA Purifier:
Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA

Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA, PlasmaWave and Odor Reducing Washable AOC Carbon Filter Medium , Charcoal Gray

PROS

  • Performs Well
  • Well-Built at this Price Point
  • This Unit Uses Plasma Wave Technology
  • It Provides Coverage to Small and Medium Rooms up to 360 Square Feet Area

CONS

  • It Has a Slightly Bad Smell
  • It Can Irritate People With Asthma

Our Review

This is an incredible air purifier that comes with a true-HEPA filter. This filter has the ability to catch 99% of airborne pollutants, pet dander, dust mites and even allergens that are as small as 0.3 microns. The carbon filter on this unit is washable and is made from activated carbon granular in order to remove household odors.

The smart sensors on this unit help in gauging out the air and the auto mode present in the fan adjusts the filter to the air when needed. This unit also comes with a silent nighttime operation in order to provide you with a night of restful and peaceful sleep. Moreover, you can choose between four different fan speeds ranging from low, medium, high, or turbo. The best part about this unit is the filter replacement indicator. This unit lets you know when to change the filter in order to provide you with clean and healthy air constantly.

Bottom Line

This unit comes from a Korean company that focuses on improving your overall health. This is a budget purifier and has a good performance overall, making it ideal for use.

Ozone Air Purifiers

Ozone Air Purifiers tend to clean your air and at the same time intentionally create ozone gas. Even though many units tend to claim that this gas is safe, the truth is, excessive exposure to this gas can ignite symptoms of asthma. For this reason, many air purifiers using this technology advise consumers to leave the room when using this unit.

Many different brands present in the market vary in the amount of ozone they produce. So while these purifiers do clean the air, they are not ideal for use throughout the day.

Best Ozone Air Purifier:
Airthereal MA5000 Commercial Ozone Generator

AIRTHEREAL MA5000 Commercial Ozone Generator 5000mg/h O3 Machine Home Air Ionizers Deodorizer for Rooms, Smoke, Cars and Pets, Black

PROS

  • It is a User-Friendly Unit
  • This Unit Allows You to Set a Timer Function
  • It Effectively Gets Rid of All Kinds of Unwanted Smells and Leaves Your Rooms Fresh

CONS

  • You Cannot Use This Unit While Staying in the Room Since Inhaling Excessive Ozone Can Be Harmful to You

Our Review

Airthereal focuses on every breath you take. Due to the problems present in today’s environment, this unit helps in cleaning chemical odors, cigarette smell, viruses, allergens, molds, and even bacteria from your household. This unit is ideal for improving your living conditions and works perfectly in living areas, households, cars, boats, smoking areas, kitchens, and restaurants.

The best feature about this ozone purifier is that it removes all kinds of tough odors. It is safe to use and can leave your space smelling clean and fresh. With a single turn of a dial, this unit becomes active and effectively removes all pollutants. Moreover, it is safe to use and has a timer function as well. Simply rotate the dial in a clockwise motion for time and anticlockwise to activate “Hold” mode.

Bottom Line

This is a good unit that works effectively in order to get rid of odors. It is easy to use and a good unit overall. Apart from the drawback of emptying the room, this unit is worth investing in.

Activated Carbon Technology

Activated Carbon is a type of processed carbon that is extremely porous and has a large surface area of absorption. The pores present on this filter are of molecular size and can absorb very well. This makes activated carbon purifiers effective for capturing pollutants including odors, gases, tobacco smoke, chemical emissions, and other airborne particles.

Air purifiers using activated carbon filters are very useful for people who deal with multiple chemical sensitivities and is a safe technique for cleaning the air. These air purifiers are ideal for babies, adults, and even older people.

Best Activated Carbon Technology Purifier:
Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier for Home

BLUEAIR Air Purifier Large Room, Air Cleaner for Dust Pet Dander Smoke Mold Pollen Bacteria Allergen, Odor Removal, for Home Bedroom Living Room, Washable Pre Filter, HEPASilent, Blue 211+ (Non-Auto)

PROS

  • This Unit is Very Quiet
  • It Helps in Cleansing the Air
  • Works Perfectly for Small and Medium-Sized Rooms
  • It Also Comes With Different Settings to Choose From

CONS

  • It Has a Slightly Unpleasant Odor

Our Review

Blue Pure Air Purifier is a good and effective unit that works to cleanse the air you breathe. It makes use of a three-stage filtration system that captures all kinds of airborne pollutants including PM2.5 pollutants as well. The activated carbon filter helps in the removal of odor caused by smoke, cooking, pets and even wildfire smoke.

Meanwhile, the pre-filter is washable and captures large particles. It can also be changed to a different color in order to match your décor. The colors included with this unit are dark blue and grey; any other color can be purchased separately. This unit provides you with quiet operation and is designed for rooms that measure 400 to 600 square feet. Overall, this is an exceptional unit with excellent performance.

Bottom Line


This is a great unit and works perfectly fine. It has amazing features and is good in performance. The only thing it lacks is a timer, which would’ve made this a complete package otherwise.

Conclusion

An air purifier has become a necessity in today’s pollution-filled world. These products help in keeping you, your kids, and your pets safe from the bacteria and viruses floating around. It is essential that you invest in the right product to allow you to enjoy fresh and clean air inside.   



My name is Bob Wells and I am a retired HVAC tech from Washington state. I am currently retired and no longer do much with HVAC, however, I feel like I have a lot of knowledge in the subject and I wanted to create a website where I could talk about what I've learned and help upcoming HVAC techs. Find more info about me and HVAC Training 101.