One of the best things to do for your health is to breathe pure air while you’re asleep. It’s no secret the body continually needs oxygen to refresh and restore, but perhaps at no other time does it need pure air more than at night.
Sleep is when the brain rests and goes through a process of renewal, shedding unnecessary information and rebuilding damaged neural pathways. It’s intuitive that the more oxygen you absorb over that time, the more efficient your body will be at restoring itself.
In addition, the long-term pulmonary effects of breathing fresh air, as opposed to slightly to seriously polluted air—like what’s found in the majority of urban centers—can be great. A third of a human life is spent asleep; one of the easiest ways you can improve your overall health is by ensuring pure air in your sleep environment.
This article recommends some of the best air purifiers for small to medium sized rooms, and the best air purifiers for large rooms. You’ll learn what to look for in an air purifier and how to make sure it’s set up and placed correctly in the room.
Best Air Purifiers for Small to Medium Sized Rooms
- Room Size: Up to 155 sq ft (Small – Medium)
- CADR Rating : 100+
- Purifier Type: True HEPA, UV-C, Charcoal filter
- Filter Replacement: Every 6-9 months recommended (Filter Type B)
- Room Size: Up to 120 sq ft (Small – Medium)
- CADR Rating : 60+
- Purifier Type: HEPA, UV-C Hybrid
- Filter Replacement: Every 6-8 months recommended (Filter Type E)
- Room Size: Up to 85 sq ft (Small)
- CADR Rating : 55
- Purifier Type: HEPA-type filter, Ionizer
- Filter Replacement: No Filter Replacement (Vacuum clean the main filter every 6 months)
Best Air Purifiers for Large Rooms
- Room Size: Up to 193 sq ft (large)
- CADR Rating : 125+
- Purifier Type: True HEPA, UV-C, Charcoal filter
- Filter Replacement: Every 6-8 months recommended (Filter Type C)
- Room Size: Up to 200 sq ft (large)
- CADR Rating : 130
- Purifier Type: True HEPA, pre-filter
- Filter Replacement: Every 21 months recommended (Filter Type HRF-D1)
- Room Size: Up to 465 sq ft (large)
- CADR Rating : 300+
- Purifier Type: True HEPA with Carbon Pre-filter
- Filter Replacement: Every 12 months recommended (Filter Type R)
What to Look For in an Air Purifier
The best air purifier means something different for everyone; if you’re prone to allergies, look for a model with a strong filtration system. If the air in your home is prone to contain both indoor and outdoor pollutants (smoke, soot, cooking fumes), an air purifier with an ionizer will neutralize these contaminants. Many models offer both, and some use UV-filtration (called UV-C) to destroy air-borne bacteria and viruses. In case you’re wondering how UV-C light kills bacteria and viruses (the same process is used to filtrate water), the technology simple but clever: the radiation permanently damages the DNA of germs, which kills them. Rhinovirus, E.coli, and streptococcus, as well as black mold, are all removed with a UV-C filter.
How To Place Your Air Purifier
Ideally, a table air purifier should be placed near the floor but not on it (air moves faster in the lower temperatures at the bottom of a room, and slows as it rises with heat), and at least ten inches away from the wall, to ensure proper ventilation. Let the air purifier be the only item on the table/bench/wherever you place it; the machine will work better if its airflow is uninhibited. Standing floor models don’t need to be elevated further, and can be placed in a corner, providing they’re not totally flush with walls. The sound these machines produce is generally soothing white noise, but this varies with product features.