Breathe Easier: How to Choose the Right Air Purifier for Your Home
Breathe cleaner air at home! Learn how to choose the right air purifier to improve indoor air quality and boost your well-being.
Indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than the air outside. Scary, right? But don’t worry, choosing the right air purifier can make all the difference in improving your home’s air quality.
If you're dealing with allergies, pet dander, odors, or just want a healthier home, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to find your perfect purifier for a cleaner home and healthier living space.
Understanding Air Purifiers
Air purifiers are your clean home MVPs, quietly cleaning the air without you even realizing it as they trap all sorts of nasty airborne pollutants and irritants that can make you sick or exacerbate your allergies. Air purifiers trap dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke, VOCs and can even remove bacteria and viruses from the air. Clean air means better sleep, better breathing and cleaner living.
Types of Air Purifiers: Which One Do You Need?
Different air purifiers are best at trapping different types of pollutants. Before making a purchase, you may want to figure out what you’re looking to remove from the air in your home and figure out what type of air purifier you want to buy. Consult the chart below to figure out the best air purifier to fit your home’s needs!
Pro Tip: HEPA filters capture 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns.
How Air Purifiers Work
Think of air purifiers as washing machines for the air. With washing machines, you put dirty clothes in and clean clothes come out. It’s the same concept but with air - dirty air goes in one side and clean air comes out the other side. The dirty air passes through filters inside the air purifier which trap particles such as pollen, pet dander, smoke and other pollutants while the clean, healthy air passes right through!
Key Factors to Consider
When shopping for an air purifier, you should base your decision on two main factors that will best suit your needs - the size of the room you will be placing your air purifier in and the type of filtration system you want to use.
1. Room Size
First, measure the size of the room you plan on placing your air purifier in. You’ll want to keep this number in mind when browsing your air purifier options since you don’t want to buy an air purifier that can’t clean the entire room but you also don’t want to waste money on an air purifier that’s rated for a room much larger than yours. Ideally, you’ll want a purifier rated for a slightly larger room than yours to give yourself a little wiggle room. You’ll then want to find an air purifier that can process 4-5 air exchanges per hour in a room of that size.
2. Filtration System
After determining what type of airborne irritants and pollutants you’re trying to remove, go and find an air purifier with a filtration system with those in mind! Got allergies? Go with a HEPA filter. Want to get rid of smells or chemicals? Find an activated carbon filter. Looking to get rid of germs? UV-C is your go-to.
If you want complete protection though, you’ll want to find a model with a multi-stage filtration system.
Tips for Choosing the Right Model
We have even more helpful tips to help you choose the right air purifier for you.
CADR
This is the number to look for. The higher the clean air delivery rate, or CADR, the better the air purifier so you’ll want to find an air purifier with a high CADR whenever possible.
The selection process for air purifiers should include measurements of room size together with contaminant identification and CADR ratings as well as HEPA filtration requirements. Search for an air purifier that offers excellent energy efficiency as well as smart features to suit your home environment.
Noise Levels
Look for quiet models that can operate at low noise levels (20-60 decibels) which minimize disturbances while they clean the air. You won’t want to have a noisy fan running all day while you’re trying to work or relax. Better yet, find a model with night mode functions that lower the noise even more for ideal sleeping conditions.
Smart Features
For even more convenience, find an air purifier with modern-day features like automatic fan speed adjustments and the ability to adjust the air purifier’s settings remotely with your smartphone.
Maintenance and Costs
For easy upkeep, track filter replacement schedules and long-term costs.. Factor in energy use and replacement filter costs when you’re making your purchase too. You may save money on a cheaper air purifier today but it could cost you more money in the long-run with pricey replacement filters every year so make sure you do your research!
Maintain your purifier by cleaning or replacing filters every 3-12 months. Vacuum pre-filters monthly and keep the unit away from dust to extend its life. This ensures efficiency and lowers costs.
Our Top Pick: Nuwave OxyPure
Why do we recommend the different Nuwave OxyPure models over other air purifiers? It’s simple:
Covers large & small spaces
Larger models are ideal for rooms up to 2,934 sq ft while smaller models are ideal for rooms up to 857 sq ft.
Long-lasting filters
Every model comes with either a long-lasting dual Carbon/HEPA filter which lasts up to a year or washable filters which last even longer.
Smart control
Many models are Wi-Fi enabled for remote control with your smartphone and have built-in odor and air quality sensors
Multiple modes
From Auto to Ultimate Clean to Turbo and even Sleep Mode, these air purifiers have a mode for your needs.
Whether you live in a small studio apartment or a spacious home, Nueave offers the perfect air purifier to fit your space and your purification needs.
Bonus Features to Look For
Choose an air purifier with smart features like filter replacement alerts, air quality sensors, timers, and remote control. All these features add convenience, energy savings, and better air management to an already amazing package along with the following key features.
Wi-Fi Technology
For enhanced control and monitoring, the best air purifiers connect to your home Wi-Fi network, allowing you to operate them wherever you are through smartphone apps. You can check air quality readings, adjust settings, and receive maintenance alerts remotely. Some models even integrate with voice assistants like Alexa or Google Home, offering hands-free operation no matter where you are.
Energy Efficiency
When searching for energy-efficient air purifiers, use models that have auto or eco modes and ENERGY STAR certification. Power usage decreases when using eco modes together with timers so you can ensure you have clean air without running your air purifier at high speeds for too long, keeping your energy usage to a minimum.
Selecting a model between different options requires comparing wattage ratings together with estimated annual operating costs to achieve energy cost savings.
Final Thoughts: Choose What Fits Your Life
Choosing an air purifier isn’t just about specs—it’s about your space, your lifestyle, and your air quality needs. Focus on:
Room size
Pollutants you want to remove
Filter quality and maintenance
Smart and eco-friendly features
Clean air starts with one smart purchase. Once you find the right air purifier, your lungs and your family will thank you.
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