Have you ever wondered why when we say, ” Let’s take a breath of fresh air, ” do we always refer to outdoor environments? At home, and in enclosed spaces such as offices, substances harmful to our body are lurking that can contribute to the development of diseases of the respiratory tract such as asthma and other allergies. But who lives in our house beside us? Bacteria, germs, mites, fungi, viruses, pollens, but also many bad smells.
One way to remedy this situation is certainly to clean the house thoroughly, but sometimes a simple vacuum cleaner is not enough to eliminate all these unwanted guests. An effective method to clean the air and make it healthier is the air purifiers, small appliances of new designs that filter the air eliminating both the bad smells and all harmful substances.
But does the purifier work? We see its effectiveness and the models to buy.
What is and how an air purifier works?
Externally, an air purifier very much resembles a portable air conditioner to be placed in the home environment. Unlike the air conditioner that cools the ai purifier, through an efficient filtering system, cleans the air of the house, making it more breathable and, consequently, reducing all the respiratory problems such as asthma and allergies.
Usually, before proceeding to purchase a purifier, some important factors must be taken into account: first of all, the size of the object itself, which in any domestic environment will have to find its location. Even if it is not a matter of large appliances, it is better to find a suitable place where to place it, choosing, depending on the place available, between the column air purifiers and those in the shape of a parallelepiped.
The second aspect to keep in mind and certainly more important than the dimension, is the quality and technology of the filters, the true beating heart of the purifiers since it is precisely through them that the air is purified. It is always advisable to make sure that the filters are made of excellent materials, and that they are durable over time. Such as? Relying on known brands is already a good start.
Finally, here is a small reminder on the basic points to check and not to forget for the choice of a purifier:
- The level of consumption.
- The amount of air that is purified in a given period calculated through the Cadr unit (Clean Air Delivery Rate).
- The size of the environment that can purify.
- Noise, especially in the case of night use.
- Intelligent functions and sensors.
- The amount of air passing through the filter.
- The extra components that make the use of the purifier more enjoyable.
Filters: HEPA and activated carbon
The purifiers, to better combat domestic pollution, combine several filters of different types :
- Dust filter: the first blocking of the harmful particles for health works, stopping the bacteria of the air, the germs brought by the pets, the molds, and the fungi. The dust filter also helps the Hepa filter to operate on the finest and finest particles.
- HEPA filter: to eliminate all those particles such as dust mites, pollens, and other agents that affect the respiratory difficulties of allergic individuals, it is strictly necessary to check that the purifier is equipped with Hepa filter. It manages to block particles of size 0.3 micron in diameter, the most responsible for many respiratory discomforts.
- Activated carbon filter: these are natural filters that can block even bad smells such as cigarette smoke, animal odors, and kitchen odors.
Once the particles have been filtered, ions and ultraviolet rays can occur that kill and further eliminate all that is considered harmful in the air.
Smart Sensors
For the choice of air purifier, it is always necessary to check how many and, which are the functions associated with the functioning of the object. In our opinion, it is good to opt for those purifiers equipped with intelligent sensors that allow you to control the level of purification and cleaning of the air.
Through these intelligent sensors, the purifier can release bright feedback where the air quality and the consequent level of particles are indicated: the red color indicates that the air is dense with harmful particles (and it starts the purification in automatic!), while if the feedback is green or blue, it means that the air is good and purified. In practice, a simple look at the purifier is enough to check the air quality in your home in real-time.
Useful, for example: for night use. Some sensors even calculate the level of the different particles present in the air, to ” stick ” the excess particles, implementing the different filtering and power modalities of the air purifier.
What does it air purify?
Bacteria and Virus
Bacteria and viruses are the main causes of respiratory diseases and not only, but also of simple fevers and colds. These are particles with a size of 2.5 microns, among the smallest in the air and difficult to remove with a simple vacuum cleaner, which in any case picks them up only from the ground.
Pollen
The first cause of some forms of allergies and asthma that occur through sneezing, rhinitis, tearing, up to headaches and other pains. The dust and the pollens are particles of the size of 10 microns that are blocked by the first filters of the purifier. On pollens, purifiers are very effective!
Pollution
Pollution means all those airborne particles such as VOCs, volatile organic compounds such as gases released by sprays and deodorants, and nitrogen dioxide, the harmful gases released by combustion such as cigarette smoke and stove gas.
Smoke and Odors
The air purifiers, through the active carbons, also block the fumes and odors, both of the kitchen and of the food, and of the animals that still make the air unpleasant and breathable.
Philips Air Purifiers
Philips produces 4 models of purifiers. We have chosen two, which are the ones we like best, taking into account the functions, the filters and all the basic points that we have described up to now. Here you can find more information on Philips air purifiers.
The Philips Air Purifier 1000 series is recommended for small and medium-sized environments (up to 60 square meters). Thanks to the Vitashield IPS technology, air purification up to 270 cubic meters per hour is guaranteed. It is equipped with a NanoProtect filter that maintains a longer duration of air quality, the latter supplied through colored feedback, which varies from blue to red (more or less pure). Among the functions, we also mention the Night Sense Mode, which releases clean at night.
- True Hepa Air Purifier reduces allergens, pollen, pet dander, house dust mites,...
- Professional-grade air quality sensor detects even the slightest change in indoor air...
- Active Carbon filter with real carbon particles absorbs odors, gases, and VOCs that...
The Philips Air Purifier 2000i series is recommended for small and medium-sized environments (up to 60 square meters). Thanks to the Vitashield IPS technology, air purification up to 270 cubic meters per hour is guaranteed. It is equipped with a NanoProtect filter that maintains a longer duration of air quality, the latter supplied through colored feedback, which varies from blue to red (more or less pure). Among the functions, we also mention the Night Sense Mode, which releases clean at night.
Purifiers Dyson Pure Cool
Dyson produces 3 models of air purifiers, all of the Pure Cool series, which differ between fan and fan heater mode, respectively, to cool or heat and cool together. Beautiful and expensive, they are certainly the top reference for power and design.
The Dyson Pure Cool Link Air Purifier is equipped with Air Multiplier technology that makes the air diffuse evenly, the night mode with a display with more attenuated light and noise reduction, and the Dyson Link2 app to monitor the air level at any time and for the remote control of the purifier. It is also equipped with remote control.
The Dyson Pure Cool Link Desk Air Purifier model differs from the previous one only for the dimensions. It is not a purifier to be placed on the floor, but on a table or on a raised surface. The functions are the same as the Dyson Pure Cool column, with the app for remote control, night mode, and Air Multiplier technology.
- Automatically removes 99.97Percent of allergens and pollutants as small as 0.3...
- Purification all year round. Purifying fan in summer. Cord length:1.8 m
- Intelligent Purification. Automatically monitors, reacts and purifies - then reports...
Economic air purifiers
The presence on Amazon of numerous purifiers at prices well below those of the two known brands stands out. Here you find our selection of cheap air purifiers.
Intey is an air purifier suitable for small and medium-sized domestic environments. The filter can be removed to be cleaned more easily. You can adjust the fan speed and limit noise for night use in this way. It is equipped with a light-blue light that does not disturb sleep and a display to manage the various functions.
Aicok is equipped with HEPA filters like all previous models and the silent function for night use. The intensity of the light and the fan speed can also be adjusted for more or less thorough cleaning. It is a model recommended for medium-sized rooms that do not exceed 45 square meters.
Product prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availablility information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of any products.