Is it worth buying an air purifier?
We have been thinking about doing an article for a while about air purifiers and the boom they are experiencing thanks to/because of the global pandemic in which we find ourselves immersed.
We have taken the issue very seriously and have carried out a reasonably exhaustive investigation (we have reviewed dozens of websites with good credibility, we are not looking for the Pulitzer either) to discover if they are effective in protecting against viruses and, more specifically, Covid -19, responsible for 2020 has been a year in which all of humanity has been put to the test.
Here You Can Read:
- What Does An Air Purifier Do?
- The Filter
- Active Carbon Filter
- HEPA Filter
- Uv Filter
- Ion Filter
- Filter With Ozone
- Speeds
- The Radius Of Action
- Amazon’s 6 Best Air Purifiers Of 2022
- Dyson Pure Cool Me Air Purifier: Review And Comparison
- The 6 Best Air Purifiers Of 2022
Opinions: Air Purifier Is It Really Worth It?
When it comes to home appliances, many people may feel lost in air purifiers. Without being so well known, these are products that can have a very positive impact on everyone’s life since they significantly improve the quality of life.
If you are allergic, with easy nasal or ocular irritability or frequent sore throats, all these inconveniences may be related to the quality of the air you breathe. And this is precisely what an air purifier affects since it makes the air in environments more breathable and pure.
What does an air purifier do?
An air purifier is a device that includes two main elements. The first, and most important, is the filter; the second is the engine. The filter is responsible for absorbing all impurities from the environment, while the motor regulates the speed with which it does so. The higher the rate, the faster and cleaner the ambient air will be.
The purifiers have very diverse designs and ergonomics. The most popular are the cylindrical ones, with windows made up of piglets through which the air circulates. There are air purifiers that look very similar to, for example, a small air conditioner.
The filter
air purifier filter
The filter is the essential part of the air purifier since, as you will see, it determines not only the quality of purification that will be obtained but also the type of things that the product is capable of filtering. In general, all filters aim to destroy or inactivate mites, pollen, soot, dust, and other things.
In addition to the base filter, many air purifiers include a pre-filter. These are the most efficient, as the pre-filters can tackle hairs, more prominent dust spots, and so on. Thanks to this, the primary filter is prevented from being damaged by this type of waste, enhancing its ability to eliminate microparticles.
Active carbon filter
It is the most popular and widely used type of filter of all. It consists of a sheet of carbon that blocks small things, including those already mentioned, such as soot or pollen. However, one of the most valued properties of this kind of filter is that it can also trap chemical particles.
Suppose a person develops an allergy to a cleaning product, for example. In that case, they can activate the filter once they have finished cleaning so that it purifies the environment of its smell, with which the person will no longer have irritations from this. The same can be said for the smell of cigarettes, perfumes, among other things.
Does it work?
One of the things that have made charcoal filters famous is that they are very functional. Of course, the carbon filter is not a sanitizing filter; it is not a filter responsible for eliminating bacteria or viruses. It can say that its cleaning work is limited exclusively to the elements that cause allergies, minimizing the relevance of microorganisms.
HEPA filter
HEPA filters are characterized by the highly narrow length of their bristles, which can be as low as 0.03 microns. Since bacteria and viruses are usually 0.04 microns in size, they are piglets that trap these microorganisms and keep them temporarily inactive as long as they are in the filter.
Of course, such the size of the piglets allows the product to trap soot, pollen, dust, and mites to fulfil the classic functions of an air purifier. However, unlike the carbon filter, these filters cannot remove foul odours.
Does it work?
Along with carbon ones, HEPA filters are the most popular on the market. Despite an apparent rivalry between HEPA filters, which trap bacteria, and carbon filters, which eliminate foul odours, many brands put both filter types on their products, thanks to which they have dual functions. Also, many HEPA filters include aromatherapy to make up for their inability to remove odours.
Uv filter
UV is a type of light rather than a filter as such. A specific frequency magnetism, this light kills the microorganisms that enter it. It can be considered a type of filtration slightly superior to that of the HEPA filter since it is limited to trapping microorganisms and killing them.
This type of filter is often accompanied by another filtering method, primarily carbon. Although this may not have a noticeable impact on the quality of the product, it does provide itself with a greater capacity for absorbing particles. UV light, by itself, does not trap or remove pollen or soot, although it does kill mites, bacteria, and viruses.
Does it work?
It is one of the lesser-known filtering methods, although it works quite a bit. Different studies of the World Health Organization have endorsed, on many occasions, the sanitizing effects of UV light, indicating it as a suitable cleaning method. Of course, this filtration method is slightly more expensive than the others.
Ion filter
Ion filtration works using the magnetism of the particles through a negative ion system. Ions, as is known, work using charges at the poles, which can be harmful and positive. Opposite directions attract; the same repel each other. This system breaks down or weakens the magnetic charge of the particles to inactivate them.
As you can see, the ion is not a filtration process as such, but a very particular way of making potentially allergic elements, such as dust, soot, pollen, mites and others, not continue to “work” in the air. In this way, they stick to windows, the floor or any other place.
Does it work?
Relatively. It “works” because as long as the product is activated, the particles will not bother, but the moment it is deactivated, they will produce precisely the same effects. Therefore, unless the ion filter also contains another filtering method, such as a carbon filter, it is substantially less functional.
Filter with ozone
This form of filter uses ozone, a chemical that supposedly destroys bacteria and elements that are harmful to health in the environment. As far as is known, ozone does have certain facilities to prevent bacteria from reaching a sufficient degree of maturity to harm respiration or health, in the same way that it can avoid pollen or soot from appearing. Still, there is no conclusive research on the matter of respect.
In any case, at the moment, what is known about these products is that they are good at preventing but not cleaning or filtering environments that already have harmful elements. The World Health Organization does not recommend these filters as some people have even shown allergies to their chemicals.
Does it work?
It can be said that no. Although it seems good at preventing things like soot, dust, and so forth, there is no objective demonstration that they work. Furthermore, it is often recommended that the product be accompanied by another form of filtration, like a HEPA filter. Simultaneous use of charcoal is not recommended, as charcoal also absorbs ozone.
Speeds
The second most relevant aspect of air purifiers is speed. These, in addition to guaranteeing the rate with which the environments are cleaned, also offer the possibility of regulating the noise that the air purifier makes. One of the details that must be taken into account when buying a device of these is, precisely, that it is silent.
The quality of the speed is a relevant component when it comes to, for example, the ability of the purifier to clean a more or less ample space. The common thing is that air purifiers have between 3 and 4 speeds, but this can be relative since some can have up to 10, as is the Dyson Pure Cool Me case.
The radius of action
All air purifiers have a section that describes how much space they can clean. It is indicated in square meters, where there is a plot trap from the manufacturers. The point is that an air purifier can promise to cover an environment of 55 square meters, but this space is relativized in many ways.
The height between ceiling and floor, if there are stairs to a second floor, among other things, are points that expand, although it is not noticed, the number of square meters of the environment where the purifier is. Therefore, if it is the case that there is too much depth, or a second floor, or an elevator nearby, the purifier will not be able to cover as much as the manufacturer promises.
Air purifiers to protect against coronavirus
Air purifiers are very good at keeping the air clean and trapping tiny particles, making them perfect for homes where someone with allergies lives. They do not serve to protect us from Covid-19 or, at least, not by themselves.
As we will see throughout this article, depending on the type of filter that the air purifier equips, it will have the ability to trap particles as small as the Covid-19 virus, but that does not mean that it can trap all the particles. that someone may be expelled when they speak, much less the particles that are on the surfaces.
They can be a compliment, but they do not replace other essential measures, such as the ventilation of the house or the hygiene of people and surfaces.
That is why we should not trust ourselves and think that an air purifier will protect us from the virus, but that does not mean that it cannot be an excellent complement to be a little more protected. To the protocols recommended by the health authorities that we already know, such as often ventilating, wearing a mask and washing our hands, we can add a quality air purifier. Thus we will have extra help to protect ourselves.
Filters are the crux of the matter.
If we finally decide to install an air purifier at home, we must be very clear that none are the same. What differentiates some purifiers from others is the type of filter. The HEPA filter is the most effective. These types of filters are used in hospitals, so it is a fact to consider.
There are other purifiers, such as ionizers, with an ozone generator or UV technology. However, it seems that those that use HEPA filters are still the most recommended, both for efficiency and price. We recommend this article, in which the difference between one and the other is explained very well.
All that said, it’s time to show off some of the most excellent air purifiers we’ve come across.
The best-selling air purifier on Amazon
It seems that the best-selling air purifier on Amazon is the Xiaomi model (is there something that this brand does not make?). It is designed for rooms between 28m2 and 48m2. It seems that it does not come with a HEPA filter, but it can purchase separately. The idea is to replace the filter every so often, of course.
Top-rated air purifiers
These are the top three rated air purifiers on Amazon. We have marked the purifier with the highest and highest ratings in orange. Even so, we recommend that you look at the characteristics of each one because you will have to take into account, for example, the square meters of the room in which you plan to place it.
The Ikea air purifier
Gone is when Ikea was focused only on furniture for our houses. We have seen how they have launched speakers, smart bulbs, and even motorized blinds for some time now. Now it goes one step further and also dares with air purifiers.
Of course, as with everything it does, special aesthetic care is noted so that it is a device that fits perfectly in almost any environment. We love design. It will be available in Spain in February of this year, at a price that has not been disclosed … but we know that the Swedish firm does not usually exceed too much in this area, so that we will be attentive.
Specs-wise, Ikea’s FÖRNUFTIG purifier will feature three filters, although it appears none of them will be HEPA. The first removes large particles, the second the smallest (2.5 microns), and the third will purify the air by removing gaseous pollutants.
In conclusion, it is still best to carry out the recommended safety measures, such as often ventilating, washing hands, and wearing a mask. Still, an air purifier can be an excellent extra tool to protect ourselves from the virus.
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Air Purifier Is It Really Worth It?