Planning to buy an air purifier? Here are some of the best picks

The year 2020 hasn't been good for your lungs. The fear of COVID-19 pandemic infecting lungs is far from over and now the rising air pollution levels are causing respiratory issues, watery eyes, irritable skin, and can even impact our heart and digestive system. If you are planning to invest in an air purifier, here are certain things to keep in mind.

Firstly, air purifier works only if you stay indoor all the time. If you have to keep switching between indoors and outdoors, investing in one is not the best idea as per doctors. Secondly, the air purifier should be purchased basis the size of the room it is capable to clean. Having a smaller air purifier for a bigger room size is not the best approach. Along with the room size, consider clean air delivery rate (CADR), air changes per hour (ACH) and the type of filter in the purifier, and lastly the cost of the replacement filter. The CADR should ideally be two-thirds of the room size. So, for a room measuring 300-350 sq.ft, a CADR of 200-250 cubic metres an hour (m3/h) is preferable. Higher the CADR, better the air filtration capacity of the air purifier. The type of filter is yet another important factor - a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter can filter up to 99.9 per cent airborne particles of up to 0.3 microns in size; activated carbon in combination with a HEPA filter can remove odours, too. The cost of the filter is also known as operating cost as depending upon the usage, it needs replacement anywhere between six months to a year or two. Some manufacturers are using UV-C in air purifiers too but the jury is not yet out on how effective are they in deactivating COVID-19 virus.

This is a multipurpose marvel that cleans the dirty air while it streams back clean and cool air (but can't replace your air conditioner) and can keep your room warm in winter. To begin with, the air passes through a 360-degree glass HEPA filter that captures 99.95 per cent of fine particles. Then the clean air flows from the front and rear of its bladeless fan. The heating bit is thermostatically controlled, which means it shuts off after reaching a pre-set temperature and resumes heating when the temperature falls. Dyson has also introduced the PTC (positive temperature coefficient) technology, commonly used in aircraft heating systems, for quickly and evenly heating the indoor space. Amazon Alexa enabled, Dyson claims it to be certified asthma and allergy friendly by Allergy Standards Limited.

Also read: LG unveils Puricare Wearable Air Purifier mask with two H13 HEPA filters

Also read: Using air purifiers can be tricky: Dr Sandeep Nayar