Air filters help to filter solid or gaseous particles from the air in order to improve air quality. Examples of two of the most common types of air filters are HEPA filters and activated carbon (or charcoal) filters. HEPA filters capture particulate pollution, and carbon filters capture gases. Learn more about the different type of air filters, their uses, and how to select the best here.
Data shows face masks can protect you from COVID-19, but how about air purifiers? Can an air purifier with HEPA filters remove COVID-19 and other viruses? Can Air Purifiers and HEPA Filters Remove COVID-19 Virus? To answer this question, we need to first answer if HEPA filters can capture particles …
Can you clean a HEPA filter? If so, how should you wash or clean an air purifier filter? These questions keep cropping up, as they’re just about the only remaining problem for HEPA filters. HEPA filters are almost perfect: they are backed by tons of scientific tests; they’re pretty cheap; they …
The boring answer is “it depends on your filter,” but here are three much more useful insights I’ve learned from actually testing HEPA lifespan: I’m not an expert in air pollution. I was just a poor grad student living in Beijing, and I started making DIY air purifiers to cope with one …
If you’re buying an air purifier, you might see the terms “airflow” and “CADR” used interchangeably to describe purifier performance. But what’s the difference between CADR (clean air delivery rate) and airflow? Are they the same thing? Or which one – CADR vs. airflow – should you use to choose …
Research is abundant on the health benefits of air purifiers. Pollution is everywhere, and using HEPA air purifiers at home to reduce the amount of pollution you breathe in is one of the most underrated health hacks. In this article, we share six benefits of air purifiers that can significantly …
I have good news and bad news. The good news is scientific tests have found that activated carbon filters reduce odors. The bad news is they only remove the smells from the air—not from the source. Carbon Filter Removes Odors; HEPA Filter Doesn’t Two common types of filters you’ll find in …
Dust mites look scary. So you might ask, “Are their air purifiers for dust mites? Can air purifiers kill dust mites?” Apparently these creatures are 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. …
Companies sell activated carbon filters (also called “charcoal filters” or “carbon air filters”) to remove chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene, but does carbon really work to remove VOCs? The Smart Air lab put real-world carbon air filters to the test. Who Needs Carbon Filters Anyway? I wrote early on that …
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? …
Most purifiers on the market come with a pre-filter. That would make one think that pre-filters must be a good thing, right? However, most purifier companies also love to sell people 6-stage filtration, or no – 7-stage filtration! But the science behind purifiers is surprisingly simple. Two types of filters …
