Once you understand the difference between the main types of air filters, you can better decide which option is best for you. Two of the top reasons that people start the search for a home air purifier are to remove smoke from their homes and decrease allergy symptoms, and Walmart is one of the top retailers that people look to for the products that they need at a price they can afford.
For smoke: If you are searching for the best air purifier for smoke , you will need one that can address both smoke particles, also called particulate matter PM , and gases. A HEPA air filter can help remove particulate matter from the air, but not gaseous pollutants. On the other hand, a carbon filter can help remove harmful gases such as VOCs from the air, but cannot help with airborne particulate matter. For allergies: To help remove allergens from the air, you should focus your search on air purifiers that can filter particulate matter such as pet dander, mold and pollen from the air.
Air purifiers that use HEPA technology are commonly known to remove allergens and are widely available at major retailers. The PECO technology contained in the Molekule air purifier which is not sold in major retail stores but can be found on the Molekule website can destroy allergens. More information about PECO and other technology can be found at the end of this article. Both brands offer a wide range of relatively low-cost air purification products, though the cost of replacement filters may add up.
Two of the best-selling models that you can find at Walmart include:. Do the potential benefits of a humidifier have you researching ways to add one to your home?
When considering this option, however, keep in mind that you will be responsible for changing the filters in both the air purifier and humidifier, which can lead to increased maintenance time for the machine. Like Walmart, Costco is a leader in offering a wide selection of affordably-priced products. As of this writing, Dyson and Therapure air purifiers are currently not found at Costco.
When searching for an air purifier at Costco, you can find a variety of brands and models such as:. Though HEPA filtration is only applicable for particles, all three of the units described above contain additional technologies that attempt to eliminate gaseous pollutants or remove microbes. A HEPA air purifier is an acceptable option, and you may want base your decision on any potential drawbacks of the additional technologies.
The HEPA filter itself does not emit any harmful byproducts, but there is a possibility that mold and other microbes can grow on the filter surface if not replaced on time.
This Mooka air purifier is a big hit among reviewers who love the sound of gentle white noise. I plan on moving the unit into my bedroom tonight to see if it will help me sleep better. Leaving it on for [a] few hours… I thought I was in a different place. I just want to stay inside and breathe the GOOD air! No more cat box smell! No more old house smell! The sun used to come through the window in the evening and light up all the particles in the air.
Not anymore! One often-cited feature, mentioned by over reviewers, is the automatic function. Over 1, reviewers were impressed with this small-but-mighty tabletop air purifier, praising its ability to cut out cooking smells and pet odors.
They are small, compact and do a great job cleaning the air. Very much worth the money! Lots of customers lament that leaving their air purifier on during the day raises their energy bill. But this Blueair purifier is Energy Star compliant, so it takes up less energy than other purifiers of the same size. Instead, the carbon filters were the standout feature for customers with this one, because they effectively remove odors caused by smoke, pets, cooking, and more from rooms.
Besides the noise, the only real downside of the Blue Pure is the lack of extra goodies, like timer buttons. OK, if you've got the money and want a super powerful air purifier -- or if you'd rather get one purifier to cover your whole house than get one for each room -- Coway's Airmega might be for you.
The Airmega comes with a lot of perks: You get a real-time air quality indicator, a variety of fan speed settings the highest of which is surprisingly quiet , smart settings that adjust fan speed according to air quality and a range of timers. It's also larger than many competitors, weighing nearly 25 pounds. Most homes are going to be better served with one or two smaller Coway or Honeywell air purifiers, but if you have a specific need for a lot of coverage, the Airmega might be the right call for you.
The above recommended air purifiers are only five of the 15 devices I tested. All five of those models offer a carbon filter or charcoal filters for removing airborne contaminants like odors, pet dander and gaseous pollutants, but the filters in all of them contain only a few ounces of the medium, meaning they won't last long with regular use. Filter replacement timing will vary. The Sharp's CADR rating is only square feet, which is significantly lower than the Coway's and not great for the price.
If you are looking for a portable air purifier, I could see them being used on a desk in an office, for instance, to great effect. But both felt a little cheap and neither gave an official CADR, so I would recommend saving up for something a little more reliable if air purification is a high priority. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions about air purifiers.
The short answer is yes. HEPA air purifiers capture virus particles, removing them from the air. But don't count on air purifiers to protect you from virus particles if you're cohabitating with a contagious person. When I talked with Dr. If you're sitting on a couch and chatting with someone who is infected, an air purifier across the room isn't going to remove all the harmful particles exhaled before they have a chance to reach you. Air purifiers generally do what they say: they filter particulate out of the air effectively -- especially if they use a HEPA filter.
But most of us already have a mechanism to filter the air effectively: the respiratory system. Alex Berezow pointed out in a blog post , "Living within the tiny air sacs in your lungs called alveoli are immune cells known as macrophages.
These "big eaters" gobble up bacteria, viruses, fungi, and whatever other debris happens to find its way into the lungs. In short, air purifiers work, but unless you live in a particularly polluted environment or you or your children are immuno-compromised, you probably don't need one.
No, they don't. Air purifiers generally use fans to blow the air inside the room through an internal filter or chamber, which captures particles floating in the air. But this process does not affect the actual composition of the air, adding or removing oxygen or other gases. The best place to put an air purifier is in a room equal to or smaller than its CADR rating. If a device can purify the air effectively in a room equal to or smaller than square feet, you shouldn't put it in the main hub of a large house.
As for locations within those rooms, you'll want to make sure the purifier's intake and output aren't blocked by walls or furniture. That means out in the open, and ideally in locations where there is consistent airflow to help with cycling -- which probably means near doorways or vents. You may have heard of another air purifier called Molekule, made by a company of the same name, which grabbed headlines for its attractive design and proprietary filtration technology back in -- and is even, strangely enough, sold at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
What about that? The Molekule presents a complicated problem: Its maker claims its proprietary PECO air filter destroys airborne particles much smaller than 0. Filters with very fine mesh are HEPA filters—those certified to collect And they can be expensive to maintain. Models with activated carbon filters: Rather than catch particles like mechanical filters, sorbent filters use activated carbon that can capture some odor-causing molecules from the air.
Activated carbon gets saturated faster than a pleated filter, though, and requires replacement more frequently—every three months, as opposed to every six to 12 months for pleated filters.
Ozone generators: These machines produce ozone, a molecule that can react with certain pollutants to alter their chemical composition. This can result in dangerous indoor air quality, and CR does not recommend these types of air purifiers.
Research also shows that ozone has been linked to decreases in lung function and increased risks of throat irritation, coughing, chest pain, and lung tissue inflammation. Ozone exposure might also worsen asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis. Electronic air purifiers: Electrostatic precipitators and ionizers charge particles in the air so that they stick to plates on the machine or to nearby surfaces by a magnetic-like attraction. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation UVGI : Some manufacturers claim their air purifiers kill airborne viruses, bacteria, and fungal spores with UV lamps.
But some bacteria and mold spores are resistant to UV radiation. To work, the UV light must be powerful enough and the exposure must last long enough—minutes to hours rather than the few seconds typical of most UVGI air purifiers—to be effective.
CR does not test UVGI technology, though some mechanical air purifiers we test may have the function. Photocatalytic oxidation: PCO uses ultraviolet radiation and a photocatalyst, such as titanium dioxide, to produce hydroxyl radicals that oxidize gaseous pollutants.
Depending on the pollutant, this reaction can generate harmful byproducts, such as ozone, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide. CR does not currently test PCO technology. There have been few field investigations done on the effectiveness of PCO air purifiers, but one laboratory study conducted by researchers at Syracuse University in New York reported that the devices did not effectively remove any of the VOCs typically found in indoor air.
We tested the air purifier , and it did not score well in our tests for dust, smoke, and pollen removal. To see how well these machines clean the air, we inject smoke and dust into a sealed chamber and use a particle counter to measure the change in air particle concentration in the room as the test model runs for 15 minutes.
We test using particles as small as 0. Because most air purifiers have several speed settings, we test for dust and smoke removal both on the highest speed and at a lower speed not exceeding 50 decibels. We also measure noise levels at every speed setting that a machine has. And because air purifiers must be running at all hours to be effective, we calculate annual operating costs, which include filter replacements and energy use to run the machine 24 hours a day for an entire year.
The very best models in our tests effectively clean the air of dust, smoke, and pollen. CR recommends more than a dozen models in our air purifier ratings , and most use a HEPA filter; a handful also have carbon filters.
Cost of replacement filters: As a general rule, you should replace filters or clean those that can be vacuumed every six to 12 months for pleated filters and every three months for activated carbon filters.
Most of the units we test have an indicator light that lets you know when to change or clean the filter. Certifications: There are a couple of labels you may want to look for on the packaging. The first one is the Energy Star logo. Air purifiers must run around the clock to be effective, and you should factor in the energy cost when you shop.
Energy Star certified purifiers are 40 percent more energy-efficient than standard models. The CADR reflects, in cubic feet per minute, the volume of clean air that an air purifier produces on its highest speed setting.
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