How to Choose the Best Air Purifiers for Your Home

The Key Points

• Not all air purifiers are created equal; ideally, you’ll want an air purifier with an adequate amount of activated carbon (more on that later) AND HEPA tech filters.

• Important: Many brands market as HEPA-grade or HEPA-like, but that’s not the real deal; you need to look for words like “True HEPA” filtration in the description.

If You’re In A Hurry

This is the air purifier you need. Ideal for those with allergies, asthma, and pets. Uses a powerful HEPA filter and carbon filter to clean the air from dust, allergens, smoke, and odors.

As you may know, I’ve always suffered from asthma and allergies, so to maintain my overall well-being, I was thrilled to find this air purifier that finally helped me get rid of all flare-ups (not exaggerating).

I could honestly write this piece from a personal experience that this product is one of the few to walk the walk and fulfill its promise to reduce allergens in the air.

I’ve used it for over six months in my office, bedroom, and living room and have felt a drastic change. If you have three minutes to spare, scroll down to view my top 3 favorite air purifiers.

You Should Ask Yourself:

• Filtration: What kind of filter does the air purifier use? What is the filtration process? Is there more than one filter?

• Presence: How big is the air purifier? What type of space is it best for? Is it easy to move around? Is it an eyesore? Is it designed with appearance in mind?

• Certification: How high is the product’s CADR*? Are there specific CADR listed for differing particle sizes, from smoke to pollen and/or dust?

*CADR: The Clean Air Delivery Rate is a score developed by the AHAM to represent the performance of full-sized air purifiers.

My Top Picks

How Do You Choose The Best Air Purifier?

Three things to consider in your air purifier:

• Filtration, Efficient Particle Removal: Find air purifiers that combine mechanical and electrostatic filtration for efficient HEPA filtration. It effectively captures allergens, dust, pollen and mold, even small particles.

• Odor and Gas Removal: Best purifiers have activated carbon filters that remove odors, gases, and VOCs. They're perfect for homes with pets or cooking smells.

  • A quick word on activated carbon filters: These filters are often an added filter layer for activated carbon’s ability to purify harmful emissions from chemicals like toluene, usually emitted from common home repair tools such as paint, plaster, and glue over time.

• Real-Time Air Quality Monitoring: Opt for purifiers with smart features like real-time air quality sensors, providing immediate feedback on pollutants in your home.

Improving the air quality in your home can be as simple as adding an air purifier to breathe cleaner air.

I’m celebrating 10 YEARS of living low-toxic (as of Dec. 2023).

I grew up with chronic asthma. After many, many years ( about 18 years), I was able to crack the code. The toxins in my home were the culprit. After embracing a simpler, organic, and low-toxic lifestyle, I’m not exaggerating; everything changed.

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