At Rise, we know you value your family’s health and are working to make sure your home reflects that value by paying attention to home furnishings. Many household products, from low-VOC furniture to zero-VOC paints, are becoming increasingly available on the market. Even so, it's still close to impossible to completely rid your home of VOCs, harmful gases, pollutants, and allergens that can compromise your health. Air purification technologies are relatively inexpensive ways to improve indoor air quality even if your home does not have an HRV or ERV system.
Why Is Indoor Air Quality Important?
Americans spend, on average, 90 percent of their time indoors between school, the office, and their homes. Asthma, to name just one common respiratory problem, affects upwards of 25 million Americans, and exposure to VOCs, is known to aggravate asthmatic conditions. VOCs are also suspected of causing other health problems. Acute or short term exposure can lead to eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, and even feelings of nausea. Long term or chronic exposure can cause cancer, liver and kidney damage, and potentially damage to the central nervous system.
Can Air Purifiers Remove All VOCs?
Almost every product that goes into making a home has the potential to release some sort of chemical that could off gas. From paints, aerosol sprays, air fresheners, cleaning agents, office equipment, building materials, to the furniture that adorns your home, VOCs are everywhere. Choosing zero-VOC paint is certainly a wise decision. But what about the glue your daughter needs for a science project at school or the carbonless copy paper you have in your home office?
VOCs are only one type of indoor air pollutant affecting our homes. According to the EPA, sources of indoor air pollution that can cause severe health problems include:
· Asbestos
· Biological Pollutants
· Carbon Monoxide
· Formaldehyde/Pressed Wood Products
· Lead
· Nitrogen Dioxide
· Pesticides
· Radon
· Indoor Particulate Matter
· Secondhand Smoke/ Environmental Tobacco Smoke
· Stoves, Heaters, Fireplaces, and Chimneys
$449
Airdog X3 Air Purifier
Invest in your health and well-being with the Airdog X3. With its advanced filtration technology, the Airdog X3 eliminates airborne pollutants, allergens, and odors, creating a clean and fresh environment for you and your loved ones. Designed with precision, the Airdog X3 combines a pre-filter, True HEPA filter, and activated carbon filter to tackle even the tiniest particles that can harm your health. Its compact and sleek design seamlessly blends into any room, making it the perfect addition to your home, office, or any indoor space where you want to breathe easy and enjoy improved air quality. Captures at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns in size, 99.9% of airborne particles 0.1 microns in size, and TPA®️ Technology enhances filtration, capturing 99.99% of bacteria and mold, and 99.9% of viruses. Smart Control Smart Notifications Wi-Fi Indicator Check Filter Indicator Air Quality Indicator Rings Sleep Mode
$299
uHoo Indoor 9-in-1 Smart Air Quality Monitor
The uHoo indoor smart sensor offers a convenient solution to monitor air quality and promote a healthy and safe living environment for your entire family. With its compact and stylish design, this 9-in-1 device detects various elements, including temperature, humidity, air pressure, dust, ozone, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This high-performance sensor's powerful ARM-based processor ensures secure and efficient operation with 128-bit AES encryption via SSL. You can easily integrate the uHoo with other smart devices such as Alexa, smart thermostats, and air purifiers to enhance your home's air quality. The companion app provides valuable insights, data sharing, and personalized tips to help you optimize your living space. Additionally, the elegant design of the uHoo complements your home décor and takes up minimal space as it's only slightly larger than a coffee mug.
$499.99
Winix - XLC Dual 4-Stage True HEPA Air Purifier with WiFi & PlasmaWave® Technology
The Winix XLC WI-FI Enabled Large Room Air Purifier includes Dual Smart Sensors and a 4-stage air cleaning system - ideal for large living spaces. Capable of being controlled and monitored from anywhere with the Winix Smart App, this smart air purifier delivers five air changes per hour to rooms up to 620 square feet. FEATURES: AHAM Verifide® at 620 sq ft. : Also cleans rooms up to 3,000 sq ft in 1 hour (1,500 sq ft in 30 minutes, 1,000 sq ft in 20 minutes, 750 sq ft in 15 minutes) The Smarter Air Purifier: Control and monitor your unit anytime from anywhere by instantly accessing your unit with the Winix Smart App through the convenient Wifi feature Washable Fine Mesh Pre-Filter: The first line of defense against the largest airborne particles found indoors Washable ACO Carbon Filter: Reduces VOCs and odors from cooking, pets, and smoke. It also helps prolong the True HEPA Filter lifespan. Winix True HEPA: Captures 99.97%* of airborne allergens including pollen, dust, smoke, and pet dander as small as 0.3 microns PlasmaWave® Air Cleaning Technology Sleep Mode Operation: When the room is darkened, the unit automatically activates Sleep Mode to ensure continuous, quiet and energy-efficient operation. It changes back to Auto Mode in the presence of light.
$219.99
Winix -AM90 4-Stage True HEPA Air Purifier with WiFi & PlasmaWave® Technology
Improve and control your indoor air quality with ease. The Winix AM90 4-Stage Wi-Fi air purifier with "just ask Alexa" Voice control enhances your smart home with clean quality air. This smart air purifier features a robust 4-stage air cleaning system with a fine mesh pre-filter and an odor-reducing carbon filter, 99. 97% true filter, and WI nix plasma wave technology. The AM90 Wi-Fi air purifier is ready to capture particles and allergens such as dust, pollen, smoke, bacteria, mold spores, VOC (Volatile Organic compounds), and household odors down to 0. 3 microns. Never run out of replacement filters with automatic reordering through Dash Replenishment. FEATURES: AHAM Verifide® at 360 sq ft.: Also cleans rooms up to 1,740 sq ft in 1 hour (870 sq ft in 30 minutes, 580 sq ft in 20 minutes, 435 sq ft in 15 minutes Washable Fine Mesh Pre-Filter: The first line of defense against the largest airborne particles found indoors The Smarter Air Purifier: Control and monitor your unit anytime from anywhere by instantly accessing your unit with the Winix Smart App through the convenient Wifi feature Activated Carbon Filter: Reduces VOCs and odors from cooking, pets, and smoke. It also helps prolong the True HEPA Filter lifespan. Winix True HEPA: Captures 99.97%* of airborne allergens including pollen, dust, smoke, and pet dander as small as 0.3 microns PlasmaWave® Air Cleaning Technology
$119.99
Winix - A231 360° All-in-One 4-Stage True HEPA Air Purifier with PlasmaWave® Technology
Winix's PlasmaWave Technology creates Hydroxyls that help reduce the presence of airborne Bacteria and Viruses. Featuring a 360° All-in-One 4-stage air purification system, this unit removes 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns in size. The unit's built-in Smart Sensors detect and monitor air quality in your environment and provide a visual representation of your current air quality. When in Auto Mode, the unit automatically adjusts fan speed to ensure efficient and cost-effective cleaning. Activate Sleep mode for quiet, energy-efficient operation. FEATURES: AHAM Verifide® at 230 sq ft. : Also cleans rooms up to 1,110 sq ft in 1 hour (555 sq ft in 30 minutes, 370 sq ft in 20 minutes, 278 sq ft in 15 minutes) Fine Mesh Pre-Filter: The first line of defense against the largest airborne particles found indoors Winix True HEPA: Captures 99.97%* of airborne allergens including pollen, dust, smoke, and pet dander as small as 0.3 microns Activated Carbon Filter: Reduces VOCs and odors from cooking, pets, and smoke. It also helps prolong the True HEPA Filter lifespan. PlasmaWave® Air Cleaning Technology
$119.99
Winix - A230 360° All-in-One 4-Stage True HEPA Air Purifier with PlasmaWave® Technology
Winix's PlasmaWave Technology creates Hydroxyls that help reduce the presence of airborne Bacteria and Viruses. Featuring a 360° All-in-One 4-stage air purification system, this unit removes 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns in size. The unit's built-in Smart Sensors detect and monitor air quality in your environment and provide a visual representation of your current air quality. When in Auto Mode, the unit automatically adjusts fan speed to ensure efficient and cost-effective cleaning. Activate Sleep mode for quiet, energy-efficient operation. FEATURES: AHAM Verifide® at 230 sq ft. : Also cleans rooms up to 1,110 sq ft in 1 hour (555 sq ft in 30 minutes, 370 sq ft in 20 minutes, 278 sq ft in 15 minutes) Fine Mesh Pre-Filter: The first line of defense against the largest airborne particles found indoors Winix True HEPA: Captures 99.97%* of airborne allergens including pollen, dust, smoke, and pet dander as small as 0.3 microns Activated Carbon Filter: Reduces VOCs and odors from cooking, pets, and smoke. It also helps prolong the True HEPA Filter lifespan. PlasmaWave® Air Cleaning Technology
Best Air Purifiers on the Market Today
Improving the indoor air quality of your home doesn’t mean that you need to spend or fortune or have to live with the windows open during the cold months.
Unlike air fresheners, which only add VOCs to our homes, air purifiers actively improve indoor air quality by eliminating VOCs, gasses, and other unwanted (and sometimes undetectable) odors floating around your home. Several different types of technologies are effective—such as filters made from carbon, magnesium dioxide, and copper oxide—in trapping harmful gaseous chemicals in your home. Below, we offer a complete review of the top five air purifiers on the market today.
Photo courtesy of BlueAirBlueAir Pro M
The Pro M Air Purifier offered by Blue Air is a unique product that combines two types of purification technologies. Both mechanical and electrostatic technologies are used to rid your household air of several types of indoor air pollutants. The Pro M Air Purifier utilizes advanced filter and an encapsulated particle-charging chamber to capture almost every kind of pollutant that could be floating around your home. This product can also be used with the Blueair SmokeStop Filter, the Blueair Carbon filter, and the Blueair Pro Particle Filter to filter out, even more, VOCs, particulate matter, and other gasses affecting your indoor air quality. Priced at just under $650, this is an affordable way to keep your home´s air pure and pollutant-free. It's also AHAM verifide.
Photo courtesy of CowayCoway AP-1512GHH
Coway is a South Korean based purification company that makes water and air purifiers. The Coway AP-1512GHH uses four filtering stages to clean air, which is double the cleaning power of two standard air purifiers. It has a carbon filter, HEPA filter, and two extra stages that most air purifiers on the market do not. The carbon layer has a micro-mesh, and the HEPA filter has an ionizer. The micro-mesh catches large particles, pet hair, and dust while the carbon layer catches pollen, larger dust particles, and rids the air of bad odors. The filter does a great job of trapping cigarette and cigar smoke. It's designed to clear air in spaces up to 528 square feet or 23 feet by 23 feet. The sleek design comes in both white and black variants and resembles a large original iPod Shuffle. Coway AP-1512GHH currently costs $221.99 and is available at most major retailers.
Photo courtesy of AmaircareAmaircare 3000 Portable HEPA Air Cleaner
The Amaircare 3000 Portable HEPA Air Cleaner is a 22 lbs, 225 CFM airflow unit that's great for homes with indoor air quality issues. It's easy to move from room to room thanks to six castors. This 3-stage filter offers interchangeable airflow options while filtering air through a carbon pre-filter, a HEPA filter, and a carbon inner filter. A handy filter monitor will remind you when it's time to change your filter. Available in slate black or white, it's an aesthetically pleasing air purifier sure to blend into any room. It's made in Canada and comes with a 5-year warranty. The pre-filter and inner carbon filter last up to 6 months, and the HEPA filter is designed to last 3-5 years. There is an optional VOC canister that is good for one year. This product is currently priced at $599 on Amazon.
Photo courtesy of AirPuraAirPura
The aptly-named AirPura c600 is another high-quality indoor air purifier that can remove thousands of airborne chemicals and VOCs affecting your home. The AirPura c600 contains a powerful 26-pound carbon filter and 360° air distribution that can purify a 2,000 square-foot home. The product has virtually zero maintenance, meaning that you simply strategically place the filter, turn it on, and allow the machine to purify the air inside your home. The c600 currently sells for just under $850 on Amazon.
Photo Courtesy of RabbitairRabbit Air MinusA2 SPA-780N
Rabbit Air offers a unique air purifier that uses Wi-Fi, allowing you to monitor and control indoor air quality even when you are away. You can even control the Rabbit Air with Amazon Alexa's voice commands. The BioGS HEPA filter traps allergens, bacteria, and particles as small as 0.1 microns. It also does a great job of removing odors and pet dander. Starting $549.95, the Rabbit Air MinusA2 SPA-780N also comes in unique, artistic designs that mimic famous artworks such as Van Gogh´s starry night.
Bottom line
By paying attention to our choices in home furnishings, you can go a long way towards reducing exposure to VOCs and other pollutants in our homes. We can never completely eliminate air pollutants. Still, any of these air purifiers above will help make your home a healthier place to live, work, play, and sleep.
Article By: Tobias Roberts
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.