Following the outbreak of coronavirus, millions of people flocked to buy face masks to protect themselves from the virus. Data shows face masks can protect you from the coronavirus, but can air purifiers also capture coronavirus particles? What’s in Your Typical Air Purifier? Most air purifiers are made up of two things: a fan and […]
Category: Filters
How long does the Sqair’s HEPA filter last?
After launching the world’s most cost-effective purifier (the Sqair), we started testing the HEPA lifespan. I’ve long been skeptical of the lifespan numbers purifier companies give because (1) they provide no empirical justification for the number and (2) they give the same numbers in Switzerland or Delhi. Yet clearly the HEPA would last less time […]
Why a weaker filter actually makes a stronger purifier
Why does Smart Air’s latest air purifier, The Sqair, use a weaker filter–an H11 HEPA compared to the H12 and H13 HEPA filters out there? Tests of different filter grades revealed that weaker filters sometimes make stronger purifiers. Of course, purifier companies like to market their filters as top grade. Lots of purifiers […]
How effective are kid’s masks at filtering air pollution?
As cities like Delhi, Beijing and Manila face toxic levels of air pollution, people are rushing to find effective pollution masks, particularly kid’s masks. But there’s a problem. Children’s faces are different from adults’. Add to that, children are constantly growing, meaning that the mask that fit last year might not fit this year. Kid’s […]
Can HEPA filters capture nanoparticles?
Many big purifier companies claim only their HEPA filters capture nanoparticles, like this Molekule ad. Although this claim is false, even journalists repeat this myth. Why is this belief so pervasive? One reasonable explanation is that the definition of “HEPA” leads people down that route. For example, this definition on Wikipedia […]
Can you clean a car air filter with compressed air?
Working on DIY air purifiers for over 6 years, I’ve heard from a lot of people who have strong intuitions about cleaning car air filter. People tell me they wash their vehicle’s air filter, vacuum it, or bang it really hard. Opinions are plenty, but what about real, hard data? Can You Clean Air Filters […]
Hold on! Replacement filters cost more than buying a new air purifier?
Ever since Smart Air founder Thomas made his first DIY purifier, Smart Air has been telling the world that purifiers are needlessly overpriced. And ridiculously expensive replacement HEPA and carbon filters are one reason why. HEPA filters were invented over 70 years ago by the US government. There’s no patent, nothing fancy – they’re just […]
Can air purifiers kill dust mites?
Dust mites look scary. And apparently they’re probably in my home, since they’re in most people’s homes. A survey found dust mites in 84% of US beds and 68% of European beds. Yet it’s hard to know for sure whether they’re in our homes or not because they’re mostly too small to see […]
What is PM0.3 and Why Is It Important?
What Does “PM” Mean? To understand what PM0.3 is and why it is important, we should start with understanding what PM is. PM stands for particulate matter–particles in the air. These particles can be solids (like dust) or liquids (like drops of water). Some common sources of PM are car exhaust, smoke from coal-fired power plants, […]
What combination of air filters do I need to protect against everything?
What combination of air filters do I need to protect against everything? This will sound like a grand claim, but two filters are all you need. Here’s why (with data). Very Reasonable Reasons To Be Skeptical Why might you be skeptical? For one, big purifier companies are in an arms race to tell you […]
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