With the continuous increase in the level of air pollution in the Indian metro cities, nowadays people’s health is getting affected a lot. Be it adults, children or old people, people suffer from many diseases including heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to people’s nerves, brain, kidneys, liver and many other organs. Some scientists suspect that air pollutants cause birth defects. In other words, it has affected the life span of a human being and according to scientific data, it has been reduced by 9 years.
Why do you need Air Purifiers?
Believe it or not, you and your family are exposed to air pollution every day. Therefore, it is important to maintain the air quality of your home. This is where the role of an air purifier will be crucial and it rewards you in many ways. An air purifier can improve your breathing ability as well as it can increase energy levels, better blood circulation and a stronger immune system.
Air purifiers can quickly remove particulates from the air and improve air quality. Keeping it on the door can help catch allergens and further prevent them from spreading throughout your home. Apart from these, the main reasons are given below and it can be easily controlled through an air purifier.
1. Mold
A type of fungus that can cause exposure to moisture, heat, and food to grow. It reproduces by tiny spores that cannot be seen with the naked eye and float both in and out of the air. It can be a major cause of allergies, dizziness, headache and fatigue. And an air purifier can prevent them from sticking to walls and reproducing.
2. Allergies
Cigarette smoke, sneezing pollen, dust, dirt and other airborne particles are so small that we are not aware and these particles can trigger allergies, causing us to runny nose, itchy eyes or skin, sneezing, coughing and There are dark circles under the eyes. Air purifiers work quickly to help remove further allergens from the air without allowing airborne particles to re-enter the room. It is always a good idea to run an air purifier near your front door so that it can capture allergens at the door and prevent them from spreading throughout your home.
3. Pets
If you have pets like a dog or cat in your home, you probably use your vacuum cleaner more than the rest of us. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, animal allergies affect approximately 10% of the entire US population. But allergies do not necessarily have to be just from pet hair. Saliva, urine and skin glands are all sources of pet dander that can cling to household furniture or carpet.
4. Cigarette Smoke
Much like pet dander, cigarette smoke can pollute indoor air, emitting odours, smoke particles and pollutants that can contaminate an indoor area and it can be very challenging to get rid of, because the toxins present in cigarettes stick to furniture, walls and carpets. It can be harmful to children, or individuals with allergies or asthma, and may directly affect their breathing. Smokers should try to isolate their smoke in one room and if possible install an exhaust fan in that room as well.
5. Asthma
Air purifiers are recommended for people who suffer from asthma and can help improve air quality for better breathing. Asthma reactions are triggered by sensitivity to particular allergens in the air that can obstruct airflow making breathing difficult. It is strongly suggested that asthma patients stay away from air purifiers that emit ozone. Ozone purifiers mask odours by changing the chemical composition of particles and gases, yet the ozone released from these purifiers can irritate the lungs and activate asthma symptoms.
Do air purifiers work?
Yes, an air purifier works to a great extent in an indoor setup.
How to choose the rightAir Purifiers?
Since we now know why you need an air purifier, the question arises of how to choose one for your home. Well, we will definitely guide you on this. Below are important factors to consider before buying one.
• As above mentioned, People with asthma should avoid Ozone based purifiers and always buy air purifiers that have TRUE HEPA filters.
• In case, one has lower immunity levels and those on dialysis should install top quality air purifiers with True HEPA filter, Pre-filter etc.
• You should always remember that only True HEPA Filter technology ensures 100% elimination of allergens.
• If you are living in construction areas then you must ensure to have a purifier having a strong pre-filter. And, it should be replaced frequently.
• For those living in industrial areas should get a purifier that comes along with Activated Carbon filters, as it removes the odour in the air.
• If you have pets at home then you should opt for air purifiers with strong pre-filter to avoid breathing in pet hair
What should you know before purchasing an Air Purifier?
There are a few key things that you must know before you buy an air purifier. We have listed down the technologies as well as features that you need to understand before finalising your purchase decision.
1. Types of filters
There are several filters that are being used in Air Purifiers. We will see each one of them in detail and understand their usage.
- Pre-Filters
Pre-filters, such as foam and non-woven polyester, eliminate larger particles such as pet hair before the next stage of filtration.
- True HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) Filters
This filter can clean pollen, animal skin and allergens such as dander, mold spores and dust. It can remove 99.9% of all particles which can be as small as 0.3 microns. The bigger the HEPA filter, the more particles it can remove. Filter size, material and construction highly determine the performance of an air purifier.
- Activated Carbon Filters
This type of filter helps absorb odours and gases thereby neutralizing fumes, chemicals, food odours and fumes. Carbon filters are used in conjunction with other filters and over time also need to be replaced after use.
- UV filters along with HEPA filters
This filter is commonly used in hospitals, kitchens, laboratories and daycare schools to reduce the risk of airborne infections because it ensures that the air you breathe is sterile.
- Charged Media Filters
It combines particle filtration with an electrostatically charged filter to filter particles as small as 0.1 microns. This filter also needs to be replaced for it to work efficiently.
- Antibacterial and Germicidal Filters
It helps in eliminating harmful bacteria and germs from the indoor air.
- Photocatalytic Oxidation (PCO) filter
This filter uses a titanium dioxide-coated metal plate with UV light to oxidize and physically break down the chemicals during the filtration process.
2. Air Change Rate of an Air Purifier
The ACH of the air purifier refers to the number of times the purifier filters the air of the entire room in an hour. This is an important aspect when selecting an air purifier.
3. CADR Ratings
We measure the delivery of purified air by an air purifier using CADR Ratings. This accounts for both the volume of airflow and the efficiency of particle removal. Before making a purchase, look at the CADR because the higher the CADR, the higher the air purifier’s efficiency for given room size.
4. Air Purifier based on Area/ Room size
The size of your room is an important factor in choosing a suitable air purifier. Large spaces will require a larger air purifier, so make sure you buy an air purifier that can operate in a space 20-40% larger than the room for optimum performance.
The choice of air purifiers also depends on the type of room. When buying one for the bedroom, choose an air purifier that makes less noise so that you can sleep peacefully. For the living room, a purifier can have variable settings that you can change or decrease when there is no one in the room.
5. Customer Service and Warranty
Every air purifier will need replacement after 12 to 18 months. Make sure your product has good after-sales service so that replacement is quick and easy. Plus, your purifier is a great investment for your home, so make sure you have a long warranty on the product to protect it from manufacturing defects.
Our Recommendation: Best Air Purifiers For Your Home
Since you know which air purifiers are the best suitable for you, here are the best air purifiers for home, keeping the different requirements of people in mind.
1. Rabbit Air MinusA2 Air Purifier
One of the best home air purifier systems due to its wide range and air cleaning power. The Rabbit Air MinusA2 comes with three-speed settings – low, medium and high. It offers an unmatched 6-stage air purification process that creates the cleanest, freshest air possible. It includes a pre-filter to capture the largest particles and prolong the life of other filters; a medium filter that traps large allergens and dust particles; BioGS HEPA Filter which is an extra-long life version of a True HEPA filter that captures the tiniest of all allergens, dust, pollen and mold particles and it lasts for 3 years.
On the other hand, to eliminate odours and chemical vapours there is a carbon filter, a customized filter that lets you customize the product to your specific needs. You can choose between advanced germ defense, toxin absorption, pet allergy or odour elimination. And finally, there’s an ion generator that creates an ionic field to neutralize airborne contaminants without producing ozone.
One of the unique features of the MinusA2 is the ability to customize filtration to target your specific concerns. The Customize Filter is one of the MinusA2 air purifier’s five filters. This bonus layer of protection increases the cleaning power of your target contaminants. Each customized filter has a different proprietary coating or composition that helps target specific allergies or concerns.
Another reason this is the best overall air purifier is the fact that you can customize the front panel in both colour and/or design. There are many different artistic design options available to suit your tastes. And, since it’s wall-mountable, this device can be camouflaged as a piece of art inside a room.
The only downside is that it is one of the more expensive options out there. However, if you can afford it, we suggest you invest in this air purifier machine.
2. Coway Mighty Air Purifier AP-1512HH
The Coway AP-1512 HH Mighty is consistently ranked among the best air purifiers on the market. Replacement filters are fairly inexpensive and energy costs are relatively low, which makes the Cowy one of the least expensive air purifiers of its caliber to maintain year-round.
The Coway AP-1512 HH Mighty comes in sleek black or white and is relatively compact compared to many other purifiers of similar performance, so it just fades into a corner. It’s reasonably priced for how well it works and has most of the features we’d expect in an air purifier, including a programmable timer, four fan speeds, and a filter indicator light.
The Coway Mighty is one of the only purifiers we’ve considered that has an ionizing function. The effectiveness and safety of ion filters are questionable (due to possible ozone production), but you can turn this function off. We also noticed that the noise rating drops quite sharply at higher settings, up to 53.8dB, which is something to be aware of.
3. Winix PlasmaWave 5500-2
This Winix air purifier comes with PlasmaWave technology that provides air cleaning benefits similar to an ionizer but does not produce harmful side effects or ozone. It is the safest technology of its kind in the market which is not found in other air purifiers and for the price, it is the best air purifier under $200. It is capable of handling large rooms up to 360 square feet, perfect for most home applications or office settings.
While the company claims to remove 99.97% of dust and allergens from your home using a True HEPA filter, PlasmaWave technology goes a step further to eliminate other toxic contaminants. It is helpful in killing bacteria and viruses and most importantly, it does not irritate allergy or asthma symptoms, something that ionic air cleaners are to blame for producing. A carbon filter is also included to help reduce odours and fumes.
The most notable feature, however, is that it includes a smart sensor that monitors the air quality within a room and automatically adjusts itself to maximize air cleaning power.
4. Philips Smart Air Purifier
If you have large-sized rooms or multiple connected rooms then you should confidently choose Philips Air Purifier AC3059/65. This air purifier comes with a 360-degree airflow design and a high CADR of 520 sq. m/h, and therefore, it can clean an average room of 20 square meters (215ft2) in merely 6 minutes.
The combination of 3-layer filtration with NanoProtect HEPA, activated carbon filter and pre-filter ensures the removal of 99.97% of ultra-fine particles as small as 0.003 microns. The Philips Smart Air Purifier features Auto-Ambient Lighting that automatically adjusts the brightness of the purifier’s display according to the ambient light in your room. Its low noise performance in sleep mode is certified by Quiet Mark.
5. Dyson Pure Cool Link Desk Air Purifier
This is another certified asthma and allergy-friendly air purifier. It comes with 350° oscillation and air multiplier technology. This means you can adjust the oscillation angle from 45° to 350° to help project the purified air around the entire room. It senses and reports PM2.5, PM10, VOCs, NO2 in real-time.
While this air purifier is scientifically tested to capture even smaller pollutants like PM0.1, such as bacteria and viruses, the heating function that pushes out warm air keeps you warm in cold weather. Similarly, it cools you down in summers and Diffuse Mode purifies the air without cooling you down. In addition, the air purifier comes with a handy remote that allows you to operate it remotely. The Dyson Pure Cool Link Desk Air Purifier is also compatible with Alexa.
6. Honeywell HPA300 True HEPA Allergen Remover
The list would be incomplete if we don’t include the Honeywell HPA300 True HEPA Allergen Remover. It is recommended by most allergists. Like other air purifiers, it uses a powerful True HEPA filter and carbon filter to clean dust, allergens, fumes and odours from the air. The best part of this is the automatic shut off timer which can be helpful to turn it off within an interval of 2, 4 and 8 hours.
Additionally, it comes with easy tap control buttons and turbofan mode. This air purifier is capable of handling a very large space of up to 465 square feet.
Above are the best and quality air purifiers but somehow, if you are unable to purchase for your home then ensure you are following the below tips to lower down the risk.
How can you avoid health effects of Air Pollution
With a little effort, you can avoid the consequences of air pollution. Below are the suggested tips from us:-
1. Purify air at your home
With the ongoing pandemic and work from home culture, we spend enough time staying at home. Therefore, it is important that you breathe pure air. The air purifier will help reduce the level of stress hormones, blood pressure and insulin resistance.
2. Ban smoking and reduce fireplace use.
Smoking is a major source of indoor air pollution, and the cosy fire in your fireplace also releases a lot of fine particulates. Therefore, we recommend that you ban such things and make sure that you are aware of other sources of indoor pollution, such as gas cookstoves and etc.
3. Avoid particle pollution.
Combustion from car and truck engines as well as power plants is the most common source of harmful particles in the air in almost every city. More than half of air pollution comes from these sources, mainly automobiles. So if you exercise outside—and especially if you have heart or lung problems—try to avoid heavily trafficked roads where automobile-borne pollution can be significant. Consider limiting outdoor activities when the Air Quality Index is 101 or higher.
4. Make yourself less vulnerable.
Because the health effects of air pollution can be overwhelming for people who are already at risk for heart disease, take smart lifestyle steps. Talk to your doctor about keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol under control, if needed. Include more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins in your diet. And, most importantly, try to exercise every day.
5. Reduce your pollution footprint.
Because traffic causes a lot of air pollution, try not to travel short distances by private vehicles. You can walk, bike, or use public transportation. Your small thought can be of great help to others.
See More: How To Select A Perfect Robot Vacuum Cleaner For Your Home?
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