Empirical data shows that air purifiers are great at cleaning air, but do they dry out the air and lead to other health problems? For me, dry air is mostly just a comfort issue. But for some people, dry air can exacerbate health problems like allergies and bronchitis. Do HEPA … Read more
After a big improvement in 2018, new data shows China’s war on air pollution is slowing down. A Smart Air analysis of 2019 PM2.5 data for China’s 15 largest cities found that more than half saw worse air quality over 2018. Maps comparing average PM2.5 in December 2018 to December 2019 … Read more
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 … Read more
Using actual air purifiers test data on is the best way to cut through the misleading marketing claims purifier companies make to try to get us to pay more money for clean air. For that reason, I’m always on the look out for good test data. Data is power. … Read more
Smart Air analysed Mumbai’s PM2.5 air quality data provided by the US Consulate. What we found was that Mumbai’s PM2.5 levels increased 15% in 2018, giving much poorer air quality than the previous year. These higher air pollution levels push Mumbai’s annual PM2.5 average to more than seven times the … Read more
After analyzing Delhi’s air quality data from the US Embassy in 2018, Smart Air found that air pollution fell 5% in 2018 compared to 2017. Despite the slight improvement, Delhi still averaged more than 10 times the World Health Organization’s annual air quality limit, making it one of the most polluted cities … Read more
I started thinking about finding the best air purifier for my home because I was living in Beijing when the “airpocalypse” struck. I had a cough I couldn’t shake for weeks, so I started doing research into air purifiers. Unlike another answer here, I wasn’t concerned about allergens … Read more
So you’ve found yourself a city with bad air pollution – perhaps you’re in Beijing, Bangalore or Bangkok? Or try Delhi, Ulaanbaatar or Shanghai? You’ve heard of air pollution, but what is it, how does it affect our health and what guide should you follow to keep air pollution from … Read more
Will my air purifier still work if I have a window open? New test data from Smart Air finds that air purifiers can still meaningfully reduce particulate pollution in a room with a window cracked. Here’s what to know: The Obvious: Air Purifiers Most Effective With Windows Closed No one … Read more
An open-data DIY air purifier test found that even simple, homemade purifiers can reduce particulate, but can they capture the smallest particles? This question is important because it’s the smallest particles that can penetrate deep into our lungs and even enter our bloodstream. To test how effective the DIY purifier … Read more
