Is it better to sleep next to your air purifier? Does the location of the air purifier in your room matter? To find out, Smart Air did seven overnight tests to see if the air closer to the air purifier is cleaner than other spots in the room.
Put to the Test: Should You Sleep Next to Your Air Purifier?
The Smart Air team placed three Dylos DC1700 pollution particle counters in different spots (and heights) in a room. Then a Smart Air DIY Cannon air purifier was turned on at night, and particle counters tracked the pollution levels throughout the night. The particle counters took turns in each location over the course of multiple nights to account for any variations that might exist between the counters.
In the 15m2 room, the table was closest to the air purifier, while the sofa was the furthest. Would the location closest to the air purifier have the cleanest air? If so, this could confirm that it is best to sleep next to your air purifier. (https://www.leankitchenco.com/)
Smart Air previously tested how an air purifiers placement against a wall affects its performance.
Read More: Where Is the Best Place To Put Air Purifier in Room?
Test Results
Differences between locations were TINY. Here’s how much effectiveness deviated from the overall average across the locations:
The table, which was closest to the air purifier, had only slightly better air quality compared to the other locations.
If we look at the percentage reductions in particles, the differences between locations were less than 1%.
The tests were performed in an enclosed room, with an air purifier suitable for the size of the room (15m2). Finding the right air purifier with enough power (CADR) for your room size is more important than the position of the purifier. In addition, if you sleep with the air purifier on low, make sure the low setting CADR is enough for your room size.
Open Data
As always, I’m making the data and more info on the test methods openly available for all you fellow clean air nerds. You can download the test data here.
Read More: Four Steps To Choosing The Best Air Purifier
Bottom line: Should You Sleep Next to Air Purifier?
The data showed that different locations in a 15m2 room had less than 1% difference in overall reductions of air pollution. Therefore, sleeping next to your air purifier does not have much of an added benefit.
P.S. What About Big Spaces?
Of course, results might be different in big rooms, like a big open office. If you want to see results for a bigger area, check out this test I ran with a single purifier cleaning an entire Beijing apartment.
P.P.S. Here’s how far a purifier should be from the wall for maximum performance
The nerds at Smart Air won’t stop! My team also tested how far air purifiers need to be from the wall in order to get the best performance. Answer: it’s not that far!
Read More: Where Is the Best Place To Put Air Purifier in Room?
