Can plants be useful substitutes for air purifiers? Data shows that plants aren’t great at removing VOCs from the air. Despite a NASA study showing that some plants like ivy, spider plants, aloe vera and bamboo palm could reduce VOC levels, real-home data shows otherwise. But how well can plants filter out particles from the […]
Tag: air purifier
What Are HEPA Filters and How Do They Work?
The term “HEPA filter” can be confusing. What does HEPA stand for? What is a HEPA filter made from, and what actually makes it a HEPA filter? What Exactly Is a HEPA Filter? “HEPA” stands for “high-efficiency particulate air” (filter). It sounds complicated, but HEPA filters are nothing fancy. They were invented back in the […]
Can Air Purifiers Filter Out The Coronavirus?
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 […]
The Data-Backed Most Cost-Effective Office Air Purifier
Can a simple fan and filter really make air purifiers that can clean large offices? Seven years ago, Smart Air started when PhD student Thomas strapped together a DIY air purifier to survive a polluted Beijing winter. Founder Thomas Talhelm‘s first DIY air purifier Thomas published test data on the purifier showing that it […]
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 The Sqair will transform the market for clean air
In 2013, I made a DIY purifier to get through an apocalyptic Beijing winter. The DIY wasn’t pretty, but it worked. Hundreds of days of tests showed it cut tiny 0.5 micron particles in my bedroom by an average of 84% (1, 2, 3). The DIY proved that air purifiers don’t have to […]
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 […]
Hold on! Replacement filters cost more than buying a new air purifier?
Ever since our 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 during the Manhattan Project. There’s no patent, nothing fancy – they’re just simple, effective fiber filters. […]
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 […]
Smart Air Unveils New Techno-Ultra HEPA filter
This post is an April fools, published on 1st April, 2019. Smart Air uses no fancy “Techno-Ultra” tech. In fact, a HEPA filter is all an air purifier needs. Read on bust this myth. “Finally, a HEPA filter that actually works! Meet the Techno-Ultra HEPA filter!” Back when we started Smart Air in 2013, we […]
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