Are Air Filters Worth It

Need to know

Air purifiers are growing in popularity and in that location are a huge range of brands and types available
Air purifiers can help clear the air of bacteria and viruses such as COVID-nineteen, but they do have their limitations
CHOICE experts review more than forty air purifiers from brands such as Dyson, Breville, Kmart and more, scoring them for how well they remove smoke, dust and other irritants from the air and how easy they are to use. Become a Choice member to access full reviews

Equally nosotros learn to live with a heightened awareness of airborne viruses such every bit COVID-19 and wait for ways to clear the air in our homes, schools and workplaces, air purifiers are growing in popularity.

They're billed as an easy mode to improve air quality and reduce pollution, and at that place's a huge variety of brands, sizes and types available at a broad range of prices.

Some boast sleek designs and impressive-sounding features, from virus-zapping UV lights to activated carbon filters and Wi-Fi connectivity. Plus, there's a whole host of acronyms you've probably never heard of – HEPA, CADR, VOC – what?

In a new accept on futuristic style, in that location's fifty-fifty an air purifier you tin wear like a necklace (spoiler: studies indicate that about of these are not very effective, and they could be largely useless in the open air; you'd be better off only wearing a mask).

And so, can air purifiers actually benefit your health – improving air quality to reduce bacteria and the risk of viruses, for example? Can they lessen the furnishings of bushfire fume and other irritants such equally dust, pollen and chemicals? Or are they only another useless fad?

Hither, CHOICE household products expert Chris Barnes takes us through what they tin can and can't do.

What can an air purifier practise?

Information technology can help remove pollution such as dust and smoke

Smoke from back-burning or bushfires is a reality of living in Commonwealth of australia and can be very irritating or even damaging for asthma sufferers and people with other health conditions.

"Yes, a skilful air purifier can assist clear the air of fume from bushfires or tobacco, and odours, merely y'all should await for a production with a HEPA filter, which is a filter that traps very small particles," says Barnes. "It's one of the most important features of an air purifier – non all purifiers on the market accept this, and so make sure you check the product specifications."

Look for a product with a HEPA filter, which traps very small particles ... It'southward 1 of the virtually of import features of an air purifier
Option household products expert Chris Barnes

The HEPA filter may be used in conjunction with another type of filter such as carbon, charcoal, ionisation or UV filter, and all have different key uses and effectiveness. For more on different types of filters to look out for, read our air purifier ownership guide.

Air purifiers can also help remove mutual household allergens, such as dust, pollen and mould, that can trigger hay fever, asthma and other respiratory weather. In our good air purifier reviews, we give private operation scores for how well each model removes fume, dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air, and so you can check each model'southward performance against your specific concerns earlier yous purchase.

A good air purifier tin assistance clear the air of smoke from bushfires or tobacco, and odours, but you should look for a production with a HEPA filter.

It tin can help clear the air of viruses such as COVID-19, bacteria and mould spores

While we'd all love a magic COVID-busting appliance in our homes, air purifiers aren't the perfect solution. But they tin be useful.

Viruses such equally the COVID-nineteen virus are normally transmitted by small droplets particles when an infected person breathes out or coughs or sneezes. These tiny aerosol can stay in the air for a long time, upwardly to an hour or more.

In the right circumstances, a expert air purifier can remove nearly of these particles from a room's air.

An air purifier with a HEPA filter can exist surprisingly good at trapping viruses and bacteria out of the air
CHOICE household products skilful Chris Barnes

"An air purifier with a HEPA filter tin can be surprisingly expert at trapping viruses and leaner out of the air," says Barnes. "The issue is that it can only process what's in the air that it happened to suck in at the time, so it wouldn't necessarily procedure all the air in your home to trap and kill a virus that may be present.

"But, in addition to post-obit wellness advice such every bit regularly washing your hands, an air purifier might be worth because as an extra protection confronting airborne viruses if yous have people coming and going in your business firm, such equally kids going to schoolhouse or essential workers, or if it'southward hard to keep your home freshly aired."

Information technology can tell you about your indoor air quality

Almost air purifiers have sensors to determine how much pollution is in the air around them, forth with other measurements such as indoor air temperature and humidity.

Usually they'll display this information on the unit or (for Wi-Fi-continued models) in an associated app, perhaps as a detailed particle count or a uncomplicated coloured indicator (such as green for skilful through bister and to red for heavily polluted air).

It tin can exist very interesting – and useful – to see just how much dust or smoke is in your dwelling house'south air, and the sort of activities that add together to pollution, particularly if you lot're sensitive to these types of irritants.

Simply frying food on a gas cooktop tin can rapidly create a lot of pollution in the air

For case, just frying food on a gas cooktop can rapidly create a lot of pollution in the air (even when you don't fire the food!).

Spraying insecticide, using cleaning fluids and painting will also add together chemicals and fine droplets particles to the air.

Leaving the purifier to run on automatic, and then that information technology adjusts its speed to suit the level of pollution, tin can be useful too, as hearing it rev upwards can be an indication that there's smoke or other pollution getting into your home.

What can't an air purifier practise?

It can't proceed your home free of germs

While an air purifier can exist very good at filtering out germs, information technology can just filter the air in the room that it's in. Air in other parts of the business firm can remain untreated. And whatsoever virus-laden aerosol that settle onto surfaces won't cease up going through the air purifier.

Then it'due south still very important that yous go on up the usual hygiene practices: washing your easily, cleaning hard surfaces, and of course, trying to avoid bringing germs into your dwelling house in the start place.

Information technology can't guarantee frequent air changes in your home

Ideally the air in a room should exist replaced past fresh air several times an 60 minutes, to prevent the build-up of carbon dioxide, odours, moisture and other pollutants.

The simplest way to practice this in most cases is through natural ventilation: opening doors and windows and letting in the cakewalk. When that'southward not possible, such as in modest rooms with poor ventilation, or when the outdoor air is besides hot or cold, or likewise smoky, and then an air purifier volition certainly help. Merely it'due south unlikely to achieve the same level of air change in the long term.

Ideally, the air in a room should be replaced by fresh air several times an 60 minutes

If yous often demand to keep your dwelling closed up, or if it'southward merely very well sealed with no air leakage from windows and doors, then a mechanical ventilation arrangement might be a solution. These usually include air filters to make sure incoming air is complimentary of dust and other nasties.

It tin can't reliably filter out dangerous chemicals

We test air purifiers for their ability to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These are typically released into the air from paint, piece of furniture, aerosol sprays, cleaning products and then on.

They include a broad range of chemicals which can cause animate and skin irritation, headaches and worse. Common culprits are formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene and acetone (we utilise acetone in our tests).

Although some air purifiers are specifically designed to remove such chemicals, almost are non very effective, and several are pretty useless at this particular task.

And... you'll still need to grit your home

Sadly, however good the air purifier is at removing dust from the air, there's always more that settles on the article of furniture and the flooring. Dusting, vacuuming and mopping will nonetheless exist a necessary chore.

Is it worth buying an air purifier?

Whether an air purifier is worth ownership and how much you lot should spend depends on things such as what you'd like to use it for and the effectiveness of the product you buy.

"We've reviewed a range of air purifiers from different brands, ranging in price from $89 to over $1600," says Barnes.

"Nosotros mensurate the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of each air purifier to assess how well it clears particles of dust, smoke and other volatile organic compounds (VOC) from the air, and use that information to give each model a score based on its performance and ease of employ."

We are seeing some disappointing products in our labs, some which barely clear anything from the air
CHOICE household products skilful Chris Barnes

"The operation of different brands and types of air purifiers definitely varies and nosotros are seeing some disappointing products in our labs, some which barely clear anything from the air," he says.

"How well a model volition perform in your abode can exist afflicted by things such equally its relative size to the size and shape of the room you lot're using information technology in, as well as how many, and which, pollutants are in your air."

How to choose the right size and capacity

Size really matters when it comes to air purifiers. Our experts recommend you wait peculiarly closely at the advertised Clean Air Delivery Charge per unit (CADR) and consider the size of the room you'll be using it in.

Most models volition annunciate what capacity room they're suited for. Yous basically desire to ensure that the air purifier works hard enough – or has a CADR that'southward loftier enough – so it circulates the total volume of air in your room to clean information technology thoroughly, otherwise it won't exist doing the job you bought it for.

Generally, the higher the CADR the better, but keep in listen this standard is tested using very specific settings (with the purifier unit placed in the centre of the room and fix to its highest speed), and it but relates to the removal of three pollutants: dust, tobacco smoke and pollen.

It may be worth getting a model that'south rated for a slightly larger room than yous need

Barnes suggests information technology may be worth getting a model that's rated for a slightly larger room than you lot demand.

"That can mean the purifier volition articulate the room'southward air faster on its highest setting, but all the same comfortably continue the air clear on its everyman and quietest speed (skillful for when y'all're trying to sleep)."

Find out more almost CADR and the Dyson-specific test method known as POLAR, in our air purifier buying guide.

Ongoing filter costs

If you're considering buying an air purifier, brand sure you accept into business relationship the toll of replacement filters, which tin can add up quickly.

Costs vary between brands and models, and replacement filters for the models nosotros've tested can range from well-nigh $55 to $89 each, which could add upwardly to well over $100 per year depending on how often you lot run your purifier and at what setting.

Bank check our air purifier reviews for filter prices and estimated annual costs on models we've tested.