How to Pick The Perfect Air Purifier for Your Home or Office

Choose between a whole house air purifier or a room air purifier. Whole house air purifiers require professional installation into the duct work of your home or office. Individual air purifiers are more common and are also mobile so you can move one from room to room as necessary.

Calculate the amount of coverage area necessary for the air purifier. Take the measurement of the width and length of the room with a tape measure. Multiply the measurements to get the rough estimate of the coverage area. For example a 9-foot-wide room that is 9-feet long is 81 square feet. Look for air purifiers that are rated for at least 81 square feet in this instance.

Check the type of filter the air purifier uses to filter the air. HEPA filters do a good job of filtering out dust, pollen spores and mold but do little when it comes to filtering odors, viruses or gases. Carbon filters work well for smoke and odors but do little for allergens. There are also ionic and electrostatic types that filter out allergens and some viruses, although these types are not true filters.

Look for units that have no fan if you are using the air purifier in a bedroom. Units without fans make less noise but also tend not to be as effective as their counterparts with fans.

Find units with extra features such as lights or indicators to alert when it is necessary for a filter change or cleaning. This is helpful in continuing proper maintenance to keep the air purifier running effectively.