If you think air purifiers are on the list of luxury items, you should think again. Nowadays, they have become a necessity as the air is full of different types of things that are harmful to health, such as bacteria, pollen, dust, and dander, just to name a few. If you are looking to buy one, we suggest you remember the tips below.
Get the right fit
First of all, the product must be small enough to fit in the space you have in your room. For example, if you want to place it on a table near your bed, make sure the table has enough room to hold it.
Since air purifiers clean the environment around them, be sure to place them in the room where you spend the most time. For example, if you spend most of your time in your living room, don’t put it in the bedroom and vice versa.
Be sure to leave enough space on both sides of the unit; otherwise the unit will not work. For example, if you place furniture near the unit, it will block the vents through which the unit draws air. On some units, the vents are located at the rear. Therefore, you may not want to place the device against the wall.
hepa filters
If possible, you may want to get an air purifier that has HEPA filters. HEPA is short for High Efficiency Particle Arrest. Actually, the unit contains thick filters that can trap many airborne particles that can have a negative impact on your health.
Some units also have additional filters such as pre-filters. They can trap large dust particles to capture large allergens. Activated carbon filters are powerful enough to do a great job.
The fact is that the quality of the filters is of the utmost importance when buying air purifiers. Although it is not possible to get an idea of how efficient the unit is unless you test it, make sure that the filters are thick enough and that the material they are made of is of high quality. Now, if you feel the filter is flimsy, make sure you don’t use it.
prefilters
If you can get a unit that comes with a pre-filter, you should. The reason is that pre-filters can help trap large dust particles. This will have a positive impact on the life of carbon and HEPA filters. They work by preventing dust particles from accumulating on the filter.
The good thing about pre-filters is that they are easy to wash. On the other hand, HEPA filters are not washable and just need to be replaced. Depending on the model and brand, the replacement cost may vary.
Filter life also varies depending on how polluted your home is. Generally, HEPA filters without pre-filters can last up to 6 months. On the other hand, units that have prefilters can last up to 15 months.
So, here are some things to consider when shopping for air purifiers.