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Reviewed / David Ellerby
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Credit:
Reviewed / David Ellerby
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The Winix 5500-2 cleans the air with a true HEPA filter, carbon filter, and plasma technology that helps remove odors. It has intuitive controls and thoughtful extras like a sleep mode, and timer. Read More
Simple, inexpensive air purifier that’s well suited to smaller spaces. Plus, the replacement filters are an equally good value. Read More
We spend most of our time indoors, and the air quality in our homes and offices can be surprisingly poor. Poor air quality comes from many sources including, wildfire smoke, allergy-causing pollen and dust mites, viruses and bacteria, and common household chemicals. Air purifiers improve indoor air quality by removing these pollutants.
After extensive testing, we have identified the Winix 5500-2 (available at Amazon) as the best all-round air purifier, combining multiple filters to remove particles and chemicals.
However, if you have a specific reason you need an air purifier—like allergies or to remove chemicals—you should consider how different filter types work before choosing an air purifier. Purifiers with high-efficiency particle (HEPA) filters trap wildfire smoke, help with pollen and dust mite allergies, and reduce the spread of airborne viruses that cause COVID and flu. Particle filters don’t remove chemicals, though. To tackle these, your purifier will need an activated carbon filter or another type of chemical removal stage.
The Medify MA-50 (available at Amazon) is the best we’ve tested for pure HEPA filtering power. This purifier combines high-quality HEPA filters that trap even the tiniest particles with a powerful fan that works well in larger spaces.
For a more budget-friendly option, we recommend the IKEA Förnuftig (available at IKEA) as our best value pick. It performs well in small spaces and looks great, more like a vintage speaker than an air purifier.
The Winix 5500-2 high purifying performance score comes from a combination of several filtering steps.
The IKEA Förnuftig is a simple, inexpensive purifier that’s well suited to smaller spaces.
The Medify’s filters are rated HEPA 13, a high-efficiency type often used in medical facilities that are effective at removing the aerosols that spread SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.
We challenged the air purifiers with high levels of dust, smoke, and VOCs in an enclosed space, measuring how quickly they could clean up the pollutants. They were also rated on noise and display light levels, how easy they were to set up and use, their looks, and the running costs to replace filters.
Hi, I’m Dave Ellerby, the Chief Scientist in the Reviewed labs. I got my Ph.D. from the University of Leeds in 2000, and my bachelor of science from the University of Manchester in 1997. I have wide-ranging interests. Before joining Reviewed, I worked in exercise physiology. I’m also interested in thermodynamics and testing the strength of materials, which is a fancy way of saying I occasionally have to set things on fire or break them in the name of science.
I oversee our lab testing, develop tests for new products, and update tests to ensure they’re as meaningful as possible. Pollen allergies in the spring and the year-round aroma of two large dogs make me particularly interested in indoor air quality.
We built an airtight chamber in our lab in order to measure how quickly each air purifier could remove particles and volatile organics compounds (VOCs) from the air.
We measured how quickly each purifier could remove particles and volatile organics compounds (VOCs) from the air. To do this, we built an airtight chamber in our lab. Inside the chamber, we added dust, smoke, and VOCs to create poor air quality. Fans inside the enclosure distributed the pollutants evenly. Each purifier was placed in the middle of the chamber and turned to its maximum fan setting. If extra filtration mechanisms were available, we switched these on. We monitored changes in particulate and total VOC levels to get a pollutant removal rate for each purifier. For particles, we focused on those smaller than 10 microns as they’re small enough to make it into your lungs.
We also assessed how hard it was to get the purifier running and change its filters, how many settings and filter stages it had, and the yearly cost of replacing the filters on the manufacturer’s recommended schedule. The air purifiers also went home so we could see if fan noise and display lights affected sleeping, conversation, and TV watching. This also allowed us to assess how they look in a domestic setting.
Air purifiers come in a vast range of sizes, types, and prices. The best choice for you depends on the size of your space, the air pollutants you’re most concerned about, and how automated you want your purifier to be.
First, buy a purifier that’s appropriate for your room size. Too small, and it won’t filter the air effectively. Too large, and you’re paying for fan power and filter sizes you don’t need.
Second, think about your main air quality concerns. Air pollutants come in two main types: particles and chemicals, and how well your purifier removes these depend on which filtering mechanism it uses.
Particles include bacteria, smoke, household dust, allergens like pollen, and the airborne droplets of liquid that spread viruses (like flu, and SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID). Smoke, bacteria, and virus-carrying droplets fall at the small end of the size range for airborne particles; allergens like pollen grains are at the larger end. This may affect your particle filter choice. If you’re worried about COVID or smoke, then a higher-end HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter is the best choice.
HEPA filters are effective at trapping small particles. Although they all meet a minimum standard, not all HEPA filters are created equal; they have a number rating based on how effective they are at trapping the smallest particles. H10 and H11 filters are sometimes described as “True HEPA,” and H13 and H14 filters as “Medical Grade.” If your main concerns are viruses, bacteria, and smoke, look for a HEPA filter rated H13 or H14.
Be careful in your choice, as some filter manufacturers use the terms “HEPA like” or “HEPA type.” These are just marketing terms, and unless the manufacturer reports the filter performance, you have no idea how effective the filter will be.
Pet owners should also look for a purifier with a pre-filter. These trap larger items, like pet hair, before they get to your other filter stages. There’s no point paying for a high-end HEPA filter if it quickly gets clogged with cat hair!
VOCs are a major chemical pollutant. Their many sources include paint, plastics, cleaning products, hair spray, and glue. Not all VOCs are harmful, but some are a health concern, and HEPA or other particle filters do not remove VOCs. If you’re worried about chemical pollutants, ensure your purifier has carbon filters or other mechanisms specifically designed to trap or neutralize VOCs.
A multi-stage purifier that includes mechanisms for removing particles and chemicals is the best overall solution for removing the full range of potential air pollutants.
Finally, with air purifiers, their cost is based on their complexity and the quality of their filters. The heart of most air purifiers is a fan that pulls room air through the filters. That, plus a switch to control fan speed, is all there is in the simplest purifiers. More sophisticated purifiers may include an air quality sampler that automatically adjusts fan speed to match the pollution levels in your home. You’ll also pay extra for multiple purification steps and smart connectivity.
Your choice depends on how you want to use your air purifier. If you’re happy to adjust the settings yourself, then a simpler unit is a good choice. Alternatively, if you want to just switch it on and leave the hard work to the purifier, you should pay more for an air quality sensor and automatic control. Automatic control with a sensor may have advantages in the long term as it means that filter and power use are set at the appropriate level, and you could avoid wasting energy and filters by choosing manual settings that are too high for the air quality level.
If air quality is a major issue, either because you live in a high pollution area, or have someone in your household with allergies or breathing problems, then the investment in a higher quality air purifier is probably worthwhile.
Multiple filter mechanisms
Low noise
Automatic filtering
Moderate filtering performance
Attractive appearance
Multiple colors available
Antibacterial
No chemical filtering
Large filter area
High HEPA rating
Powerful fan
Expensive replacement filters
Noisy at higher settings
Excellent chemical filtering
Automatic control
Has to be wall-mounted
No manual controls
Noisy
Dr. Dave Ellerby
Chief Scientist
Dave Ellerby has a Ph.D. from the University of Leeds and a B.Sc. from the University of Manchester. He has 25+ years of experience designing tests and analyzing data.
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