Article - Compare Air Purifiers - Ten Factors to Consider Before Purchasing One

Compare Air Purifiers - Ten Factors to Consider Before Purchasing One
By Tom Pardee

Most people narrow down their choices to two or three air purifiers before making a final decision. Use these ten factors to compare air purifiers head-to-head. Keep in mind that it is not as important that you are exact in using the rating factors, but that you are consistent ranking each purifier you are comparing. If you do not know the information needed to complete any of the ten factors below, do additional research on air purifier company websites, internet reviews, or informational websites. Make your best guess when all else fails. I encourage you to invest some time in this process. Many purifiers “sound good”, but when compared head-to-head with others, they fall short. Let’s get started!

1) Which Air Contaminants are Removed: An air purifier is only as good as what it removes from the air. There are six contaminant categories. Each category alone is important and when combined, they are the basis for any good overall air cleaning. The six categories are: Removal of Particles larger than 0.3 microns (examples: dust, pet dander, pollen), Removal of Particles less than 0.3 microns (examples: small dust, tobacco smoke), Removal of Odors and Gases (examples: food smells, chemicals, aerosols, pet smells), Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs (examples: paints, varnishes, cleaning supplies, glues, adhesives), Removal of Basic Microorganisms (examples: viruses, antigens, pathogens, bacteria), and Removal of Advanced Microorganisms (example: Avian Influenza A). When you compare air purifiers, do your best to rate each purifier for each of the six categories: Good Removal, Fair Removal, or Poor Removal. Then, rank each purifier overall: Best Remover, Second Best Remover, Third Best Remover, etc.

2) Yearly Operating Costs: The initial price of an air purifier is only one factor in the total operational cost. Operational costs include consumables like HEPA and carbon filters, VOC cartridges, and UV lamps. Electricity consumption is also an operational cost. Do comparison research on the operational costs for each purifier. Consider averaging costs over a five-year time frame to get a more accurate long-term picture. After rating all the purifiers, rank them: Best Yearly Operating Costs, Second Best Yearly Operating Costs, Third Best Yearly Operating Costs, etc.

3) Value: To calculate the relative value of a given air purifier, consider several factors: total cost, square footage cleaned, and cleaning ability. Total cost includes purchase price plus yearly ongoing operational costs (use from #2 above). Write down a total cost dollar value for each purifier you are comparing. For square footage cleaned, your goal should be to buy a purifier that is size suited for the area you want cleaned. Write down a square footage for each purifier. Cleaning ability includes what is removed and how well (use the data you compiled in #1). The best value would be the purifier that costs the least, cleans the most, and removes the most. Rank each purifier: Best Value, Second Best Value, Third Best Value, etc.

4) Quality: Quality defines good products. Rate each air purifier for quality in these three areas a) fit, finish, and workmanship b) the quality of cleaning technologies utilized and c) support: instruction manual, customer service, and company websites. Rate each purifier: Excellent Quality, Good Quality, or Questionable Quality for each factor.
Now, rank each purifier overall: Best Quality, Second Best Quality, Third Best Quality, etc.

5) Warranty: A good warranty generally shows that a company has faith in their products. When comparing, rate each purifier: 5-year or greater Warranty - Excellent, 3-4 year Warranty - Good, or 2-year or under Warranty - Fair. Rank each purifier Best Warranty, Second Best Warranty, Third Best Warranty, etc.

6) Maintenance and Cleaning: Almost every air purifier has some ongoing maintenance. Most purifiers are designed for easy maintenance. When comparing, rate each purifier: Easy Maintenance, Average Maintenance, or Intensive Maintenance. Almost every air purifier requires some ongoing cleaning. This may be as simple as wiping down the outside cabinet or as complex as cleaning the inside technology. When you compare air purifiers, rate each purifier: Easy Cleaning, Average Cleaning, or Intensive Cleaning. When done, rank each purifier overall: Best Maintenance and Cleaning, Second Best Maintenance and Cleaning, Third Best Maintenance and Cleaning, etc.

7) Look and Feel: How an air purifier looks is important. When comparing, rate each purifier: Looks Great, Looks Good, or has Questionable Looks. How an air purifier “feels” is also important. Key factors include: purifier controls, fit and finish, and ease of use. When comparing, rate each purifier: Feels Great, Feels Good, or has Questionable Feel. Then, rank each purifier overall: Best Look and Feel, Second Best Look and Feel, Third Best Look and Feel, etc.

8) Years in Business: Generally, the longer a company has been in business the better. The number of years a company has been in business is part of its reputation. When comparing, rate each purifier: 11 years or more - Very Good, 6-10 years - Good, or 5 years or less - Newcomer. Rank each purifier Best Years in Business, Second Best Years in Business, Third Best Years in Business, etc.

9) Noise Level: How loud is the purifier? Most air purifiers make noise. On the quiet side, there are silent or near silent models. On the loud side, there are models that you would not want to sit near because they are so loud. Most models have multiple speeds/noise levels and can be adjusted or located in a suitable way. When you compare air purifiers, rate each: Quiet Noise Level, Average Noise Level, or Loud Noise Level. Rank each purifier Best Noise Level, Second Best Noise Level, Third Best Noise Level, etc.

10) Set-Up: How easy is the purifier to set-up? Many purifiers are plug-and-play. Some larger units are heavy and thus hard to remove from shipping boxes. Some have extra set-up or installation. A few require a licensed professional to install. When comparing air purifiers, rate each: Easy Set-Up, Average Set-Up, or Involved Set-Up. Then, rank each purifier Best Set-Up, Second Best Set-Up, Third Best Set-Up, etc.

To score your results consider using the ranking system of Best, Second Best, Third Best, etc for each purifier and each of the 10 factors above. For example if you are comparing three purifiers, rate the Best 1-point, Second Best 2-points, and Third Best 3-points for each of the 10 factors above. Add up the total points and your best purifier will be the one with the lowest score. Consider “weighting” certain factors depending on how important they are to you. For example the first three factors above (Which Air Contaminants are Removed, Yearly Operating Costs, and Value) are pretty important, so double or triple the points for each. Each factor that you double or triple the points will carry more weight in the final decision. If you invest a few hours in this process, the payoff will be knowing that you have done your homework and made an educated choice for your best air purifier. Tweet