Looking for the best air purifier? Here’s everything you must know before buying one

• With increased air pollution, indoor air pollution is becoming 10x worse than outdoor air pollution.
• Air purifiers with Pre-filters, HEPA filters and Activated carbon filters help to fight indoor air pollution.
• Below, check out things to consider before buying an air purifier for your home.

Indoor air pollution can be 10 times worse than outdoor air pollution. This is because the air in a closed room enables potential pollutants to build up more than in open spaces. Other than this, indoor air pollution is amplified by poor ventilation. Meanwhile, individuals can prevent indoor pollution in their surroundings by installing an air purifier. An air purifier will essentially filter any airborne pollutants such as pollen, smoke and dust.

India is home to some of the world’s most polluted cities. The country's northern region becomes a gas chamber during this season with hazardous air quality. Cities like Kanpur, Faridabad, Varanasi, Gaya, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Noida, and Gurugram suffer from the worst AQI levels; above 400 AQI. That means the people living in these cities rarely get 'healthy' (AQI 0-50) air to breathe.

As per AirVisual's report, it's only China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India that contribute to the world's 50 most polluted cities.

Since air pollution has become a chronic issue with no long-term remedy, state and central governments are taking several measures like relocating industries away from cities, using greener technologies, giving a push to electric vehicles, and others.

The current market is full of air purifiers but you won’t be able to beat the indoor air pollution if you buy the wrong machine. So understanding the size of room, technology used and other similar factors become essential when buying air purifier for your home.

Here’s how to find the best purifier for your home.

Things to consider before buying

Technology used

The very first thing is to identify the problem; there can be a presence of allergens indoors or some microbes or others. Each problem has a precise solution which can be only tackled through specific technology.

An air purifier uses two purification technologies - active air purification, in which air is purified by dispersing healthy cleaning agents into the air, and other passive air purification, in which air is channelized through filters to capture pollutants or microbes.

If neutralizing of microbes is required, then passive air purification will not work; this is where active air purification technology comes into action. REME (Reflective Electro-Magnetic Technology) and PHI (Photohydroionization) are examples of active air purification technologies, and PRE (pre-filters), Active Carbon, and HEPA filters are examples of passive air purification.

Type of filters

With the advancement of technology, a diverse range of filters equipped with new technologies is now accessible. The pollutant types that are blocked by the filters are dust, tobacco smoke, pollen, smoke, pet allergens, dust mite allergens, 2.5-micron particles, and 0.1 microns particles.

Some of the most common air filters to look for when choosing an air purifier are Pre-filters.

• Pre-filters: Before the final filtering, the pre-filters remove large particles like hair and other small particles. This type of filter needs to be cleaned and replaced every three months.

• HEPA filters: HEPA filters, which are known as High- Efficiency Particulate Air Cleaner filters tend to eliminate pollen, mold spores, and dust particles. These filters capture 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns.

• Activated carbon filters: Air purifiers with activated carbon filters neutralize food and chemical odors.

Cost of filters

Other than the type of filters, consider the price of replacement filters. Usually, you need to change the air filter at least in every three months when you use it constantly. The cost of replacement filters can be high as ₹5000-₹7000 for air purifiers with HEPA filters. Other than this, filters for low-cost air purifiers will cost you between ₹1000-₹2000.

Coverage area

This is one of the most important factors to consider when buying an air purifier, here are a few things to keep in mind.

• It is advisable to select an entry-level air purifier for a room measuring up to 299 square feet. You can get one under ₹15000.
• If you want an air purifier for 300 to 699 square feet of room, then the medium or large size air purifier will do the job. It will cost over ₹20000.

Air delivery rate

The efficiency of an air purifier depends on the volume of air to be cleaned and the speed of air intake and throw. Air purifiers with less coverage and CADR (clean air delivery rate) will work for a smaller areas. But if you are looking for an air purifier for a big room, then go for a purifier with more coverage and CADR.

Level of noise

It is one of the most ignored but important factors which you need to consider. The noise levels in air purifiers vary with fan speed, so keep an eye on that. It’s likely that you’ll be using it throughout, so it is important to go for the one that is silent.

The ideal air purifier should have a noise level of ‘20-40dB or 50-70dB.’

Warranty and customer service

When buying an air purifier, the buyer should conder the product’s after-sale service. This becomes important because filter cleaning and replacement is required in every 12 to 18 months.

Smart features

Modern air purifiers are loaded with a plethora of features such as Wi-Fi connectivity, touch-sensitive controls and more. They can be controlled through your smartphone and give you real-time data of AQI levels in your room. Other than these, you can get detailed insight into filter health, air quality, temperature and more.

Here are some air purifier recommendations based on the room size.


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