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5 reasons you might need an air purifier
Indoor air pollution can impact your health, but an effective air purifier could help you tackle the problem
From dust and particulate matter to pet dander and the fumes from domestic cleaning sprays, the quality of the air inside your home is constantly under siege. But a high-quality air purifier could help.
Read on to find out if an air purifier might help in your home, plus see our pick of popular models with an all-important HEPA filter.
Which? members can read all our air purifier reviews, or just skip straight to our pick of the best air purifiers
1. You suffer from hay fever
An air purifier works by sucking in air, trapping floating particles and circulating the clean air back out. These particles include grass pollen – one of the most common allergens – so a good air purifier may help alleviate hay fever symptoms and other allergies while you're indoors.
These tips can also help with pollen allergies:
- Wraparound sunglasses or a hat with a peak or large brim will help keep pollen out of your eyes and face
- On high pollen days, shower, wash your hair and change your clothes when you arrive home
- Keep windows closed. This is most important in the early mornings, when pollen is being released, and in the evening when the air cools
- Avoid mowing lawns or raking leaves yourself, if possible
- Avoid drying clothes and bed linen outside when pollen counts are high
2. You're plagued by dust
An effective air purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter should remove a significant amount of dust particles from the air, helping to trap them before you breathe them in.
Regularly dusting, vacuuming and ventilating your rooms will also help to combat the scourge of dust mites. You'll also want to avoid wearing shoes indoors, wash bedding regularly and take non-washable items outside to shake clean.
Consider running a humidifier at the same time for maximum dust-busting results. Increasing the moisture in the air makes airborne dust particles heavier, forcing them to settle on surfaces where they can be wiped away.
Discover the best vacuum cleaners , best cordless vacuum cleaners and best humidifiers
3. You live near a busy road
If you live near a busy road with lots of traffic, an air purifier could improve your indoor air quality.
Alongside harmful particulate matter, petrol and diesel engines release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. Exposure to high levels of VOCs can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and nausea. VOCs are also found in products like cleaning sprays and paint.
To help tackle this type of pollution, choose an air purifier with a carbon filter (sometimes called an activated carbon filter or a charcoal filter) and a HEPA filter. Also look for a model that scores well for trapping dust, as this should also filter out harmful particles of the size commonly emitted from vehicle exhausts.
Which? members can discover the air purifiers that scored four out of five stars for dust removal
4. You've got issues with mould
An air purifier can eliminate mould spores, so if you’re facing a mould problem, it could help prevent it from spreading.
But it won’t tackle the underlying problems that cause mould in your home, such as excess humidity and condensation, so you’ll need to deal with those separately.
A dehumidifier can help to keep your home's humidity levels in check and prevent mould developing – check out the best dehumidifiers from our tests.
For further advice, read how to get rid of mould
5. You have pets
Pet dander is a common allergen and asthma trigger. Dogs and cats naturally shed old hair – some twice a year, some all the time. Pollen can also attach itself to your pet's fur and be carried indoors, which isn't ideal if you're a hay fever sufferer, so keep your pet off your bed if you can.
An effective air purifier with a HEPA filter can remove pet dander from the air, improve air quality and give you some peace of mind. Look for a model with an actual HEPA filter and not just HEPA-like or HEPA-type.
If you're not sure you want an air purifier, discover other ways to improve your indoor air quality at home
Popular air purifiers
Here are some popular air purifiers we've tested, at different price points. All have a HEPA filter.
Philips Series 800 AC0820/30
This cylindrical air purifier is designed for small rooms. It's very compact and lightweight, at just 2.5kg (almost half the weight of many other air purifiers).
It has three settings: auto, sleep and turbo. And it has an LED indicator that changes colour according to the air quality in your room and the fan speed being used.
Read our full Philips Series 800 AC0820/30 review to find out how it measures up against more expensive air purifiers.
Homedics 5 in 1 TotalClean Air Purifier AP-T30
The AP-T30 is designed for medium-sized rooms of up to 17.2 sq metres and weighs 4.8kg.
It has three fan speeds, a timer, an ioniser (which creates a static charge around airborne contaminants, making them stick to a surface where they can be wiped away) and a three-in-one pre-filter, HEPA filter and activated carbon filter.
Read our Homedics 5 in 1 TotalClean Air Purifier AP-T30 review to see how it fared in our lab tests.
Hoover H-Purifier 700
The H-Purifier 700 can be controlled via the Hoover hOn app. It can also be voice-controlled with compatible voice services, such as Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
It has auto and sleep modes, and doubles as a humidifier. Hoover claims it can purify large rooms up to 110 square metres.
Read our full Hoover H-Purifier 700 review to find out if this pricey model is good at removing pollen particles from the air.
It's always helps to buy the best air purifier you can afford. Which? members can browse all our Best Buy air purifiers, which start from around £200.
We've also tested and recommended Great Value air purifiers for less than £125.
Members can also filter our reviews for energy use, whether the air purifier has a HEPA filter, their ability to filter dust and pollen, and more.
Not a Which? member yet? You can still access plenty of air treatment advice for free, including should you buy a Dyson air purifier? and 5 ways to get the most out of your dehumidifier. Why not browse our Which? subscription options, or even gift an annual subscription?
