With coronavirus cases rising across the country and tightening restrictions in many states and cities, it's more important than ever to stay home and stay safe and sound. Not only do air purifiers make your space more comfortable by spending more time at home, but some experts believe they can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 indoors. While no air purifier has been specifically tested against the virus, models with a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) are capable of capturing at least 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, which is smaller than the size of most airborne pathogens. This could be especially useful if you live with someone who has contracted the virus.
But which air purifiers are the best to protect your home against COVID-19? Based on rigorous testing by our experts, these are the five best air purifiers you can buy right now. The Winix 5500-2 is the best air purifier we've ever tested. It uses a true HEPA filter, a carbon and plasma filter for filtering, which experts recommend to filter COVID-19 particles. It performed incredibly well in our smell tests, virtually eliminating any trace of cinnamon and smoke.
While it's not the most technologically advanced air purifier we've tested, it has several useful features, such as sleep mode, a timer, and several status lights. That, combined with a reasonable price, is why it's our favorite model. The Blueair Classic 205 offers basic controls that can be activated with your phone, etc. You can start cleaning the air in your home from anywhere.
It used a silent HEPA particulate filter and was particularly good at filtering kitchen odors. Although we found it a bit noisy, it's ideal for those who don't want to work with too many functions. We found that the Bissell Air220 is one of the least intrusive air purifiers we've ever tested. It's easy and intuitive to use, with a single power button and a speed dial with five fan speeds.
To remove a variety of VOCs, the Air220 uses the recommended HEPA filter, a carbon filter and a prefilter. Although it wasn't our winner, we still think it's a great option. What impressed us the most was the intelligent mode of the Airmega 250S, which automatically adapts to the air in your space and adjusts the speed of the fans depending on the air quality in the room. This means that, if captured, many of the droplets or particles containing viruses could leak out with HEPA.
Dolphin Hammes recommends the IQAir Atem desktop air purifier, which uses the company's exclusive HyperHepa filters to remove ultrafine particles down to 0.003 microns. Do-it-yourself air purifiers are indoor air filters that can be assembled with box fans and square HVAC (or oven) filters. With an intelligent design, the Coway air purifier controls the air quality in your home so you don't have to. Although it is more expensive than other air purifiers on the list, its excellent functions, its easy filter replacement, its intelligent capabilities (it connects with Amazon Alexa or Siri) and, in general, its attractive aesthetic make it worth it.
And although the AirSoap is not marketed as a device that kills COVID, the company says that the air purifier is capable of capturing extremely small viruses, such as coronaviruses and influenza, which are often “too small for traditional filters to capture”. The use of air filters alone cannot guarantee adequate air quality, especially when there are significant sources of contaminants and ventilation is insufficient. In addition to germs and viruses, this professional air purifier can help remove toxic and harmful odors and chemicals from the air, while the HEPA filter captures dust, allergens, pet dander and other microorganisms. Many manufacturers use the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) rating system to evaluate the performance of air filters.
Let's look at two other types of technology that can be useful as part of a comprehensive air purification approach for viruses and more. To address concerns that box fans in home air purifiers may be related to an increased fire risk, the EPA and Underwriter Laboratories evaluated the use of household air filters and the risk of fire. Portable air filters (also known as air purifiers) can be especially useful when additional ventilation with outside air is not possible without compromising indoor comfort (temperature or humidity) or when outdoor air pollution is high. According to the EPA, indoor air tends to be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, as there is less ventilation and recirculation of the air.