Buying an air purifier? Things to keep in mind

Area/room size

Obvious to say, small air purifiers will not work in large spaces. Having the correct measurement of your room will help you choose the right model. Another thing to keep in mind is if you are planning to use the air purifier in your bedroom, make sure to check the sound it may produce. Opt for a silent operating air purifier for your bedroom.

CADR

CARD or the clean air delivery rate is the measurement of the performance of any air purifier. It is the rate at which the air is cleaned by the air purifier. Higher the CADR value, better is the performance. Another such metric is POLAR that measures the working of airpurifer in living space. This metric is specially used by Dyson for its air purifiers.

ACH rating

ACH or the air change rate is the number of times air inside a room is replaced with clean air in an hour. An ACH rating of 5-6 is advisable.

Filter types

While there are various filters used, an air purifier these days comes with High-Efficiency Particulate Air aka HEPA filters. These can filter out up to 99.9% airborne particles that are up to 0.3 microns in size. Some advanced air purifiers come with anti-bacterial and UV filters that help sterlise the air and contain the risk of air-borne diseases.

Then there are activate charcoal and carbon filters. These help in removing smoke, odours and other chemicals that may be present.

Bonus point: Avoid air purifiers with ionizers or UV lights as they release harmful ozone as a byproduct.

Pre-filters

Job of the pre-filters is to remove large particles like pet hair from the air before it passes through other filters. You can opt for purifiers with pre-filters if you have a pet or you live near a construction site.

Smart connectivity

Go for air purifiers that come with smart connectivity features like WiFi, air quality monitoring and a programmable timer to get real-time updates that make things easier for you to understand.