The Best In The Business: Top 10 Air Purifiers On The Market
Contents
- Top 10 Air Purifiers Available
- Types of Air Purifiers
- Carbon
- UV
- Negative Ion
- Brands
- GermGuardian 3-in-1 Air Cleaning System
- HEPA Type Desktop Air Purifier by Holmes
- B-1000 Ionic Air Purifier by Oion
- HFD-120-Q QuietClean Tower Air Purifier by Honeywell
- HHT-011 HEPA Air Purifier by Honeywell
- The Next Best Thing
- 50250-S True HEPA Air Purifier by Honeywell
- GermGuardian AC5250PT 3-in-1 Air Cleaning
- TrueAir Ultra Quiet Air Cleaner Purifier
- GermGuardian Air Sanitizer by Guardian Technologies
- PU6010 Intense Air Purifier Rowenta
- To Sum Up
- Sources
Depending on where you live, and even your lifestyle, air pollutants can have a big impact on our health.
Did you know that if you have pets, the dander and germs they bring into the house don’t all get eliminated by vacuuming?
What remains can affect allergies and make it hard for your family and guests to breathe.
If you live in an apartment building then pollutants from your neighbours can drift in and contaminate your space too. Maybe you’ve had some trouble with cooking smells from other apartments perfuming your home.
No matter the situation, our air isn’t as clean as it could be with an air purifier.
An air purifier goes to work not only eliminating bad smells and odours but also removing tiny particles floating around your home that aren’t taken care of, even with deep and regular cleaning.
If you’re looking to improve your environment and your health with cleaner air, let’s check out a few different types of air purifiers available.
Top 10 Air Purifiers Available
Types of Air Purifiers
HEPA air purifiers have been around for some time.
HEPA stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air”. According to the EPA, a HEPA filter can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of particles about 0.3 microns in size, including dust, pollen, mold and bacteria.
Air is passed through a filter that has been folded back upon itself several times to make a shape reminiscent of an accordion.
The accordion shapes allows the air to pass through several layers, each trapping more and more particles.
A HEPA filter alone is great for catching even the tiniest of pollutants floating around your home, but it isn’t able to catch odours or chemicals.
Carbon
Carbon filters, on the other hand, are great for absorbing both chemicals and odours.
Sometimes this type of filter is used in conjunction with a HEPA filter to get the best of both worlds. The EPA notes that activated carbon works for gases only when the filter holds a large amount of carbon.
A carbon filter can even absorb pollutants that most of us wouldn’t even think about, such as the formaldehyde that our carpets and cupboards are often made with.
Since a carbon filter isn’t normally quite as good at cleaning the air of particles, you can see how a combination of carbon and HEPA would be a good idea.
UV
UV air purifiers contain a lamp meant to kill microorganisms as air passes by. Don't count on one to keep your home germ- or virus-free.
The EPA also warns that UV lights without adequate lamp coatings can give off ozone, a lung irritant.
Like carbon, the drawback of this type of filter is that it can’t take care of particles that are present, so most people using the UV filters typically also have some type of other filter to take care of both pollutants.
A built-in HEPA filter used in conjunction with the UV filter can be a great combination.
Negative Ion
Negative Ion air purifiers remove impurities from the surrounding air.
It does this by making them too heavy to keep floating, forcing them to attach themselves to walls, windows, floors or furniture, where they can be more easily cleaned up and disposed of.
These types of filters send negative ions out into the environment where they can electrically attract particles and add the necessary weight to make them land.
Although they don’t eliminate the particles, having them removed from the air and located where they can be easily removed with a cloth or vacuum may reduce some airborne particles. However, the EPA warns that ionizers can emit ozone, a lung irritant, so they're a poor choice if anyone in your home has asthma or other breathing problems.
Brands
There are a number of brands on the market and it can be hard to wade through their many offerings.
It does help to know exactly what you want to filter, and that will at least weed out the air purifiers that weren’t built with that particular task in mind.
Then you’ll have to take a look at some of the common names you’ll probably have heard tossed around when it comes to air purifiers.
Honeywell is one, and you’ve likely heard someone mention Guardian Technologies.
Do your research and don’t omit some of the less common names as well. Sometimes these are big names in the making.
Now that you’ve got some types of air purifiers figured out, let’s look at our list of the top 10 air purifiers on the market today.
GermGuardian 3-in-1 Air Cleaning System
Our list of top 10 air purifiers starts with the GermGuardian Air Cleaning System by Guardian Technologies.
The HEPA filter will capture up to 99.97% of allergens and dust particles including mould spores, pet dander, plant pollens and common household dust.
The built in charcoal filter takes care of odours from cooking, smoking and from your family or visiting pets, and the UV-C light is meant to help kill some airborne germs.
This filter is definitely a triple threat!
The tower works well with small to medium sized rooms. Filters will only need replacement every 6-8 months even with regular use.
The unit has been Intertek safety certified. Note that any noise made by the motor start up will subside in a very short period of time.
HEPA Type Desktop Air Purifier by Holmes
Another Hepa style filter, the Desktop Air Purifier by Holmes is a handy unit for small spaces; especially if you want to sit it on top of a desk, as the name suggests, or a dresser or counter top.
This can be very handy for parents of young children for whom the purifier would be a draw, or even for a student in a dorm room.
The filter can handle particles as tiny as two microns, and will catch up to 99% of them, removing them from your environment.
The three different speed settings are a good way to get just the perfect amount of filtration, depending on what you’re trying to deal with.
There’s also an optional ionizer, which you can leave off if you're concerned about ozone. Note that “HEPA-type” filters don't have to meet the true HEPA standard.
B-1000 Ionic Air Purifier by Oion
If you’re looking for a negative ion air purifier, the B-1000 Permanent filter by Oion is one option. Keep the ozone concerns above in mind.
Some of the benefits of this type of purifier include not having any filters to replace and its ultra low energy consumption!
The B-1000 will remove particles as small as .1 micron, including mould, pet dander, smoke, dust and bad odours.
Use this one day or night as the whisper quiet fan won’t keep you or your family awake, and there’s even a handy night light.
This is a great filter that’s shaped like a tower meaning that it can easily be tucked into a corner or even behind a door. Any small space where you have an outlet will do.
HFD-120-Q QuietClean Tower Air Purifier by Honeywell
A big plus with the Quiet Clean Tower Air Purifier by Honeywell is the fact that the filters are easily washable and reusable, saving you both time and money over the long term, not to mention freeing up storage space.
You just remove the filter when it’s looking a bit dingy, wash in the sink and let it air dry before popping it back in.
No more running to the store or not being able to use the unit because the filters didn’t make it to your grocery list.
The LED control panel touch button includes three different speeds and the unit is ARB certified.
The slim tower design encases a powerful filter that will circulate the air in a room up to five times in a single hour.
HHT-011 HEPA Air Purifier by Honeywell
Honeywell made it to number five as well on our list, this time with its Clean Compact Air Purifier.
This little unit is best used in smaller rooms and spaces; up to about 85 square feet.
It has the same convenient washable filter and includes a soft nightlight if you should have to get up in the dark.
Check the noise rating before using it in a bedroom; around 60 dB is about the level of normal conversation.
This makes a great desktop unit, or place it atop a dresser or other piece of furniture to keep it away from curious little hands.
It might be that you’ve found the perfect air purification system for your home from the list above, but we did say we’d give you the top 10 air purifiers, and it would have been difficult not to include these anyway.
The Next Best Thing
50250-S True HEPA Air Purifier by Honeywell
If allergies are your main concern, take notice of the True HEPA Air Purifier by Honeywell.
It's designed to reduce airborne allergens like dust, lint and dander.
As an added bonus, this one comes with a built in Intelli-Check Electronic Filter Indicator so you’ll know exactly when to swap the old filters out with new ones.
GermGuardian AC5250PT 3-in-1 Air Cleaning
If you’re a pet owner you know how much dander and dust that your four-legged family member can create.
Your best bet for this type of air filtration is the GermGuardian with Pet Pure True HEPA Filter by Guardian Technologies.
Specifically designed with you in mind.
TrueAir Ultra Quiet Air Cleaner Purifier
Hamilton Beach’s offering to air purifiers is their True Air Allergen-Reducing purifier with a filter that can be removed and simply vacuumed off and returned to its casing.
With a 3 speed setting, quiet running motor, and ability to filter large rooms up to 160 square feet, this is one air purifier that should definitely get your attention.
GermGuardian Air Sanitizer by Guardian Technologies
Here’s something a little different and well worth your notice.
With their UV-C Air Sanitizer and Odour Reducer, Guardian Technologies has created the tiniest filter system on our list.
This little unit plugs right into the wall and takes up no floor space and is designed to reduce odours.
Use it for lingering cooking smells. It won't remove dust or pollen.
PU6010 Intense Air Purifier Rowenta
If you’re worried about the aforementioned formaldehyde, common in so many household products (from cupboards to paint, cleaning products and many building materials) then you’ll want a filter up to the task of removing it from your air.
Introducing Rowenta’s Intense Pure Air filtration system.
It combines particle filtration with a filter designed to tackle formaldehyde and odours, and it covers a large 835 square feet.
Conveniently equipped with a change filter indicator light (so you’ll know when your filter needs replacing), soft lighting and an 8-hour built-in timer, there’s not much more you could ask for in an air purification system.
To Sum Up
There you have it. 10 best air purifiers for your home. Each has its own set of special features, and each type of filter serves a different purpose.
You can clear your air of pollutants of all sorts and breathe easier.
A good HEPA air purifier can reduce airborne allergens like dust and pet dander, which may help with allergy symptoms, and carbon filters can cut lingering smells. They work best alongside removing pollution sources and ventilating your home.
Sources
- Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home, US EPA
- What is a HEPA filter?, US EPA
