Recently, the air quality in Ukraine has deteriorated quite significantly. This is due to both the global movement of air masses that bring dust and dirt. It is also due to more localized problems. For example, fires in the ecosystem of the Kyiv region, which cause significant smoke and unpleasant odors. Staying at home and completely shutting off the air from the outside is not a very effective option. Therefore, it makes sense to consider buying an air purifier. Today, we have selected some of the most interesting models of different price ranges. But first, a few words about how air purifiers work in general.
How air purifiers work
In fact, air purifiers in their basic version are quite simple devices. It is usually a relatively small device with a fan and a set of filters. The purifier draws air through itself, filters out harmful particles, neutralizes unpleasant odors, germs, etc. A filtration system usually consists of at least three filters. Although there may well be more, and there are also additional functions. The main types of filters.
- Mechanical (preliminary) coarse filter: captures large dust particles and animal hair. It is usually a fine mesh that can be easily cleaned with a vacuum cleaner or by washing.
- Carbon (absorption) filter: captures smoke, exhaust gases, soot and grime. Eliminates odors, harmful fumes, freshens the air and retains dirt with a size of 1-5 microns.
- High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA): captures very fine particles down to 0.3 microns, viruses, pollen and allergens.
- Electrostatic: the air passes through a special chamber, pollution particles are ionized and attracted to the filter, effective against toxins and unpleasant odors. The process produces ozone, which kills germs.
- Photocatalytic filter: disinfects the air with ultraviolet rays. Destroys harmful microorganisms, allergens, mold spores and eliminates unpleasant odors.
In addition to the filtration system, more advanced models may have some additional features. For example, humidification, ventilation, aromatization, heating and cooling, etc. Technically, these are also air purifiers, but they are usually already called climate stations.
Air purifiers have several other important parameters that you should pay attention to when choosing one. First of all, it is the performance based on the area of the room. This parameter is usually one of the first to be indicated. There is also the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR). It takes into account the filtration class and fan performance, it is recommended that this number be 6 times greater than the number of the room area.
Another important criterion is the noise level, especially if you have children in the house. No more than 30 dB is recommended. Air purifiers also differ in the way and place of installation. Different models can be installed on the floor or mounted on the wall. In some cases, at a certain distance from the wall or from the floor. However, the vast majority of household models are installed directly on the floor.
Less critical but useful additional features are the ability to adjust the intensity of operation, the presence of a timer, and an indication of filter contamination. There are also various control options, ranging from buttons on the device to a mobile app. Now let's move on to the models.
Philips PureProtect Water 3400
Let's start with the rather advanced and functional Philips PureProtect Water 3400 model. It is suitable for large rooms, up to 78 m², with an air purification rate of CADR 300 m³/h. A small room of 20 m² can be cleaned in less than 10 minutes. The cleaner has a triple filtration system that includes a pre-filter, a NanoProtect HEPA filter, and a carbon filter. It is claimed to capture 99.97% of particles as small as 0.003 microns. Additional features include humidification at a rate of up to 650 ml/h. The humidity is detected and automatically adjusted to the desired level.
Removes 99.9% of airborne viruses and bacteria. In sleep mode, the noise level is only 16.5 dB. It has AeraSense technology that scans the air 1000 times per second to detect harmful pollutants and selects the best settings. The Air+ app is used for control. In addition to control, it allows you to monitor indoor and outdoor air quality.
Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4
Xiaomi and the sub-brands it has acquired produce almost everything you can think of. Air purifiers are no exception. Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 is a mid-range model in the lineup, and they differ only in power. The model is capable of cleaning rooms with an area of 28 to 48 m². The capacity of the CADR is 400 m³/h. The device is able to purify the air in a 20 m² room in 10 minutes. The purifier has three filters: a pre-filter, a long-lasting carbon filter, and an ionizer.
Additional features include a mechanism for rotating around its axis, the cleaner works 360°. At night, the noise level of the purifier is 32.1 dB. The Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 has sensors that monitor air quality in real time, so the purifier is able to independently change the mode or intensity of operation. For control, there is a display and touch buttons on the body, as well as the Mi Home app.
Cooper&Hunter CH-P25B3I Himalaya
The next model is a more affordable solution with a smaller set of additional features. The maximum room area is 40 m², and the CADR capacity is 250 m³/h. There are four layers for filtration. In addition to the pre-filter, there is a Nano-silver PP silver ion layer that kills bacteria, a True HEPA filter that removes up to 99.97% of particlesas small as 0.3 microns, and a carbon filter for odor removal, methane and other total volatile organic compounds.
Additional features include an ionizer, a filter contamination indicator, and a shutdown timer. The control is touch-sensitive on the body. The minimum noise level is 25 dB (in night mode) and the maximum is 54 dB. Thanks to its compact size, there are no problems with placement in the room.
Electrolux Pure A9 PA91-604GY
One of the most interesting models on the list in terms of functionality and design is the PA91-604GY from the Electrolux Pure A9 line. The area of the room that the cleaner can handle can be up to 129 m². The capacity of the CADR is 620 m³/h. The air is purified using a pre-filter, antibacterial layer, carbon filter and HEPA 12, which is capable of capturing up to 99.5% of pollutants with a size of 0.3 microns or less. Additionally, there is an air ionization function.
PureSense continuously measures air quality and automatically adjusts the cleaning level. The AirSurround system creates a spiral airflow in the room, making the cleaning process faster and more efficient. It is controlled by a touch panel with a color LED indicator that changes color depending on the air quality. The Electrolux Pure A9 is also Wi-Fi enabled and can be controlled via an app. The minimum noise level in night mode is 17 dB and the maximum noise level is 49 dB.
Kadis S-35
Another affordable but quite functional air purifier for small rooms is the Kadis S-35. Its power is enough to treat a room of up to 35 m², with a CADR capacity of 150 m³/h. The device is equipped with a 3-layer filter. The pre-filter for the largest particles, HEPA13, removes 99.95% of particles with a size of 0.3 microns. And carbon, which eliminates unpleasant odors, gases and other organic volatiles that have passed the first two layers. There is an indication of the need to replace the filters.
Kadis S-35 has a night mode with a dimmable night light option. There is an off timer with a delay of 2, 4 or 8 hours. The device can be controlled via Wi-Fi using the Smart Life app.
Panasonic F-VXR50R
Now let's move on to more advanced and interesting models. The Panasonic F-VXR50R is capable of purifying air in a room up to 40 m², with a CADR capacity of 306 m³/h. It is equipped with a pre-filter, HEPA with catechin, carbon and water filters. In addition to cleaning, it has a humidification function. Additionally, it has a NANOE system, which works together to provide complete disinfection, purification and humidification of the air in the room. The purification rate is said to be up to 99%.
The ECONAVI system detects the air condition in the room and automatically adjusts the intensity and mode of operation. There is a setting for the desired humidity level: 40%, 50%, 60%, 2 modes of air flow: moving, fixed, timer: 4 hours, 2 hours, sleep mode, and a contamination indicator. For control, there is a panel with touch buttons and a display.
Beurer LR 400
Another quite functional air purifier is the Beurer LR 400. It is designed to work in rooms up to 69 m², with a CADR capacity of 266 m³/h. The main filtration system includes a pre-filter, HEPA H13 and a carbon filter. The cleaner is claimed to be able to remove up to 99.95% of particles as small as 2.5 microns. Additional cleaning with ultraviolet light. It has an air quality recognition system with a color indicator.
It has 4 levels of work intensity plus automatic and turbo modes. There is a timer for up to 24 hours and a night mode. It has a filter change indicator. For control, a touch panel is provided on the top of the device. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity is also supported, which allows you to control the device using a proprietary application. The noise level ranges from 30 to 50 dB depending on the operating mode.
Philips AC0850/11
In addition to its top-of-the-line models for large rooms, Philips also has smaller purifiers for smaller homes. It is able to effectively clean the air in rooms up to 69 m², with a declared CADR capacity of 190 m³/h. The set of filters is standard: preliminary coarse, NanoProtect HEPA, and carbon. It is claimed to filter up to 99.5% of particles as small as 0.003 microns and remove up to 99.9% of viruses and aerosols from the air.
Built-in sensors scan the air 1000 times per second to detect ultrafine particles. The device reports the air quality in real time and automatically selects the appropriate speed. The maximum noise level is 19 dB in sleep mode and 49 dB in turbo mode. It has a simple control panel with an air quality indication and filter replacement. It also supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi control via a proprietary app.
Levoit Air Purifier Core 600S
The Levoit Air Purifier Core 600S is designed to purify air in rooms up to 147 m² and has a CADR capacity of 410 m³/h. The VortexAir 3.0 technology is said to improve air circulation in the room and the device is capable of purifying the air in a 59 m² room in just 12 minutes. The filtration system is standard: a coarse filter for large particles, wool and fibers. HEPA filter that retains 99.97% of dust, pollen and smoke particles. And a carbon filter that neutralizes smoke, volatile substances, vapors, unpleasant odors and formaldehyde.
It has laser air scanning and fully automatic operation depending on the degree of contamination. The device has a timer and a night mode with a noise level of 26 dB. The device is controlled via a touch panel on the top of the case. You can also use a mobile application via Wi-Fi, and there is support for voice commands.
Dyson Purifier Big + Quiet Formaldehyde BP03
The most expensive and unusual top air purifier on today's list is Dyson. It is able to clean the air in a room up to 147 m² and has a CADR capacity of 410 m³/h. The purifier uses cone aerodynamics to deliver powerful long-range airflow for large rooms. You can adjust the airflow angle to 0°, 25°, or 50°, or select the Breeze mode to simulate refreshing air.
The filtration system, in addition to the standard pre-filter, includes a HEPA H13 filter that captures 99.97% of particles up to 0.3 microns in size, an activated carbon filter to eliminate odors and gases, and a catalytic filter that captures and breaks down formaldehyde molecules. The maximum noise level in turbo mode is 56 dB. For control, a remote control and a smartphone app are provided. Voice control via Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri and Google Assistant is supported.
Conclusions
In general, almost all air purifiers have at least a standard basic set of three filters: coarse, HEPA, and carbon. This set is quite enough to maintain clean indoor air. The choice of a particular model depends on the size of the room and the desired power (and thus the cleaning speed). From there, you can look at models with additional filters and variants with humidifier functions. Additional features such as a timer or night mode are also available in the vast majority of models. And if you really want maximum comfort, you should pay attention to models with mobile app support.