- In this report
- Overview
- Features
- How to choose
- Purifier types
- Improving your air quality
- Ozone generators
- Electrostatic precipitators
- CR Quick Recommendations
- Room models
- Whole-house models
- Ratings
- Room models
- Whole-house models
APPLIANCES FORUMS  Discuss and learn about appliances for the kitchen, laundry, and other rooms in the house. |
Buying advice Air cleaners
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air is more polluted than outside air.
There's little medical evidence that air cleaners alone reduce the effects of indoor pollutants for those with asthma and allergies, despite the more than $350 million per year people spend on these products. Some can even add more pollution in the form of toxic ozone.
Before you buy one, try some common-sense strategies. Start by banning indoor smoking, minimizing candles and wood fires, and using exhaust fans in kitchen, bath, and laundry areas, along with frequent vacuuming. Test for radon (kits are about $15). Minimize carbon-monoxide risks by not idling cars or fuel-burning power equipment in garages. Don't store or use chemicals, solvents, glues, or pesticides in the house. Maintain heating equipment, wood stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and vents properly to remove combustion gases such as carbon monoxide from indoors. And install carbon-monoxide alarms.
If you still want an air cleaner, here's what to consider:
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
Whole-house air cleaners. Major brands include 3M, American Air Filter, Aprilaire, Carrier, Honeywell, Lennox, Precisionaire, Purolator, and Trane. Models range from low-cost fiberglass furnace filters to electronic precipitators.
Furnace filters range from plain fiberglass for trapping large dust and lint particles to electrostatically charged pleated filters designed to attract pollen and pet dander. Electronic-precipitator air cleaners impart an electrical charge to particles that flow through before collecting them on oppositely charged metal plates or filters. These must be professionally installed into ductwork and wired into the home's electrical system. Price: about $1 for fiberglass filters and $10 to $30 for charged, pleated versions; about $600 for electronic-precipitator models, plus $200 or more for installation.
Room air cleaners. Major brands include Bionaire, Friedrich, Holmes, Honeywell, Hunter, Kenmore, Ionic Pro, Oreck, Sharper Image, and Whirlpool. Most weigh between 10 and 20 pounds. They can be round or boxy, and can stand on the floor or on a table. Some room air cleaners can work well, even on dust and cigarette-smoke particles, which are much smaller and harder to trap than pollen and mold spores. But they aren't good at trapping viruses and gases such as carbon monoxide or radon. Many use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to capture fine particles. Some use an electronic precipitator that works like those in some whole-house systems and includes a fan to move air through them. Several small, quiet, ionizing models use the same basic technology but have been ineffective in our tests. Price: $50 to $600 for most. Annual filter cost: $20 to $230.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Decide on a whole-house or room model. Whole-house models are the only sensible choice for forced-air heating or cooling. For room models, the best performed at least as well on low as most others did on high, minimizing noise and energy use.
Choose a type. Electronic precipitators tend to work best overall and restrict airflow the least among whole-house models. But we suggest avoiding room versions without a fan, which have cleaned poorly and can emit significant amounts of ozone. Also avoid dedicated ozone generators. Unlike electrostatic precipitators, which tend to emit small amounts of ozone as a byproduct, these niche products produce large amounts by design. Ozone is a concern, especially for those with asthma and respiratory allergies, which ozone can aggravate. Whole-house filters tend to cost the least, but their frequent filter replacement adds up over time.
Check efficiency. Most room air cleaners are certified by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers as part of a voluntary program that includes appropriate room size and clean-air delivery rate (CADR), a measure of cleaning speed on high. We judge CADR above 350 excellent and below 100 poor. Choose a model suitable for a larger area than you require for better cleaning at a quieter speed. Many whole-house filters have a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV). Top performers typically had a MERV of 11 to 13.
Pick one that cleans on low. The best room models we tested clean better on their quieter low setting than lesser models do on high, where many become loud enough to be annoying.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air is more polluted than outside air.
There's little medical evidence that air cleaners alone reduce the effects of indoor pollutants for those with asthma and allergies, despite the more than $350 million per year people spend on these products. Some can even add more pollution in the form of toxic ozone.
Before you buy one, try some common-sense strategies. Start by banning indoor smoking, minimizing candles and wood fires, and using exhaust fans in kitchen, bath, and laundry areas, along with frequent vacuuming. Test for radon (kits are about $15). Minimize carbon-monoxide risks by not idling cars or fuel-burning power equipment in garages. Don't store or use chemicals, solvents, glues, or pesticides in the house. Maintain heating equipment, wood stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and vents properly to remove combustion gases such as carbon monoxide from indoors. And install carbon-monoxide alarms.
If you still want an air cleaner, here's what to consider:
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
Whole-house air cleaners. Major brands include 3M, American Air Filter, Aprilaire, Carrier, Honeywell, Lennox, Precisionaire, Purolator, and Trane. Models range from low-cost fiberglass furnace filters to electronic precipitators.
Furnace filters range from plain fiberglass for trapping large dust and lint particles to electrostatically charged pleated filters designed to attract pollen and pet dander. Electronic-precipitator air cleaners impart an electrical charge to particles that flow through before collecting them on oppositely charged metal plates or filters. These must be professionally installed into ductwork and wired into the home's electrical system. Price: about $1 for fiberglass filters and $10 to $30 for charged, pleated versions; about $600 for electronic-precipitator models, plus $200 or more for installation.
Room air cleaners. Major brands include Bionaire, Friedrich, Holmes, Honeywell, Hunter, Kenmore, Ionic Pro, Oreck, Sharper Image, and Whirlpool. Most weigh between 10 and 20 pounds. They can be round or boxy, and can stand on the floor or on a table. Some room air cleaners can work well, even on dust and cigarette-smoke particles, which are much smaller and harder to trap than pollen and mold spores. But they aren't good at trapping viruses and gases such as carbon monoxide or radon. Many use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to capture fine particles. Some use an electronic precipitator that works like those in some whole-house systems and includes a fan to move air through them. Several small, quiet, ionizing models use the same basic technology but have been ineffective in our tests. Price: $50 to $600 for most. Annual filter cost: $20 to $230.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Decide on a whole-house or room model. Whole-house models are the only sensible choice for forced-air heating or cooling. For room models, the best performed at least as well on low as most others did on high, minimizing noise and energy use.
Choose a type. Electronic precipitators tend to work best overall and restrict airflow the least among whole-house models. But we suggest avoiding room versions without a fan, which have cleaned poorly and can emit significant amounts of ozone. Also avoid dedicated ozone generators. Unlike electrostatic precipitators, which tend to emit small amounts of ozone as a byproduct, these niche products produce large amounts by design. Ozone is a concern, especially for those with asthma and respiratory allergies, which ozone can aggravate. Whole-house filters tend to cost the least, but their frequent filter replacement adds up over time.
Check efficiency. Most room air cleaners are certified by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers as part of a voluntary program that includes appropriate room size and clean-air delivery rate (CADR), a measure of cleaning speed on high. We judge CADR above 350 excellent and below 100 poor. Choose a model suitable for a larger area than you require for better cleaning at a quieter speed. Many whole-house filters have a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV). Top performers typically had a MERV of 11 to 13.
Pick one that cleans on low. The best room models we tested clean better on their quieter low setting than lesser models do on high, where many become loud enough to be annoying.
