Ever since the world was panic-stricken with Covid in 2019, people have become more conscious about the air they breathe. Now more than ever, more and more people are looking for and using air purifiers to help sanitize and clean the air they breathe. Air purification has long been popular with wellness-minded individuals, but air quality has become an increasingly popular topic worldwide. Quality air is imperative for overall health, but paying particular attention to air quality for people with pets, allergies, respiratory issues, and other medical conditions is critical for their well-being. There are many benefits to having an air purifier in your home, car, and workspace, but before getting into which air purifiers we recommend, let us explain what they are, what functions they provide, and what they are not.

What is an Air Purifier?

Air purifiers are cleaning devices that remove toxins, mold, and pollutants while improving indoor air quality. The removal of contaminants doesn’t just benefit those with health concerns, but it can help prevent health issues from starting up in the first place. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dust, pollen, mold spores, pet dander, bacteria, viruses, and smoke particles are known to trigger health conditions in many people. High-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filters remove at least 99.97% of particles in the air and do not produce ozone or have any harmful repercussions from use. HEPA filters are commonly used in air purification systems to cleanse the air for optimal health and wellness.

Air Filter vs. Air Purifier

What is the difference between an air filter and an air purifier? An air filter is part of your HVAC system; it filters the air circulating in your home from your HVAC (your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems). The air filter helps keep larger dust particles and hair from entering your HVAC and keeps the HVAC operating as efficiently as possible. An air purifier is a portable device that captures airborne pollutants, traps them, filters them, and purifies the air.

Air Cleaner vs. Air Purifier

An air cleaner is commonly compared to an air purifier. Like air filters, air cleaners are good at collecting larger particles, whereas air purifiers are known to collect smaller particles. Air cleaners aim to filter the air inside your space, while air purifiers sanitize it. Air cleaners are not designed to combat viruses, bacteria, mold, smoke, and chemicals. Instead, air purifiers work to sanitize the air quality from these types of contaminants. 

Are Air Purifiers Safe?

Many companies will market ozone-producing air purifiers as safe. However, we recommend they be avoided at all costs. Ozone air purifiers have not proven to benefit air quality, and many governments even ban them. Ozone exposure can hurt the lungs and trigger asthma. In addition, ozone can react with other chemicals in the air to produce additional chemicals. For ozone to affect air quality, it would have to be so high it would not be deemed safe by public health standards.

Electronic air cleaners, or ionic air purifiers, are also not recommended. Like ozone-producing air purifiers, ionic air purifiers are known to cause health and safety concerns as they produce too much ozone and emit other contaminants that are harmful to people’s health. 

Are HEPA air filters safe? The answer is yes! The safest air purifiers we recommend will have a HEPA filter that removes at least 99.97% of air contaminants down to 0.3 microns. So which air purifier is the best? We’re here to help with that! Here are the three best air purifiers we recommend for optimal health.

IQAir

IQAir is known for being an award-winning, medical-grade company for air filtration and purification. As a matter of fact, the IQAir HealthPro series was selected during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority for both SaRS-CoV-1 and SaRS-CoV-2. 

IQAir founded the original modern air purifier industry back in 1963 and has been trusted with air quality for over 50 years. Their IQAir Clean Air Facility Program helps engineer a plan for workspaces to have optimal air quality. As a result, many companies have contacted them to collaborate on their air purification process.

When it comes to air purification in your home, IQAir has state-of-the-art patented HyperHEPA filtration technology. They sell a variety of air purifiers to meet your specific needs. Their HealthPro Plus stand-alone air purifier is their number one rated all-around compact air purifier. It is excellent for the filtration of allergens, bacteria, viruses, dust, and common VOCS. The HealthPro Compact is ranked number one whenever odors and gases are an issue.

The PerfectPro series fits perfectly into an existing HVAC system for complete home coverage and is rated number one for whole-house air purification. IQAir even goes a step above with their portable IQAir Atom for on-the-go purification. It is compact enough to put in your car, on your desk, and even small enough to pack in your suitcase for a trip. You now have the option to have air purification wherever you go!

From whole-house air purifiers to slim-line room air purifiers and even portable air purifiers, you’ll find what you need at IQAir. 

Austin Air Systems

Austin Air Systems was founded over three decades ago and was modeled after medical-grade technology using a combination of True Medical HEPA and Activated Carbon. This formula was engineered to target specific particulate contamination and chemical toxicity. Many people have benefited from this type of purification system. As a result, Austin Air Systems is now the world’s largest air purification manufacturing facility.

Austin Air outperformed over 100 other air purifiers during government testing. As a result, the Red Cross and FEMA chose to use Austin Air in many of the United States’ most critical moments, including September 11th and Hurricane Katrina. Austin Air is proud to be set apart from most other air purifiers with testing, clinical trials, filter specifications, and non-toxic materials. 

Austin Air has different models for different reasons. The Bedroom Machine helps with sleeping. The Healthmate is the original and most popular purifier that cleanses everyday indoor pollutants. The Healthmate Plus is beneficial for removing chemicals, gases, VOCs, and formaldehyde. The Allergy Machine helps deal with allergies and mold.

Air Doctor

Air Doctor’s mission is “to inspire a thriving life for all through pure, healthy air solutions, proven by science”. They are proud that they removed 99.97% of live SaRs-CoV-2 virus in independent testing. Even in third-party testing, the AirDoctor 3000 removed 99.97% of SaRs-CoV-2. They also removed 99.99% of bacteria and viruses, including H1N1, and airborne particles as tiny as 0.003 microns in size.

The AirDoctor 1000 is a smaller-sized air purifier for rooms 285 sq. ft. to 570 sq. ft. The AirDoctor 2000 is perfect for rooms from 305 sq. ft to 610 sq. ft. For larger rooms, the AirDoctor 3000 is excellent. It will circulate the air in 638 sq. ft. four times an hour or in 1,274 sq. ft. two times an hour. The Air Doctor 5000 circulates the air in 1,001 sq. ft. four times an hour or 2,001 sq. ft. twice an hour.

Choosing The Best Air Purifier for You

When selecting an air purifier, it’s essential to keep in mind what symptoms you may have that need relief. Also, remember what contaminants may be in your space that you want to protect yourself from, as well as the square footage of the space you need to purify. We hope we’ve helped guide you on what to look for in a unit so that you can breathe easier while researching breathing cleaner air. Air purification is vital for optimal health and wellness. We’re honored you chose us to assist you on your journey to clean air.