Should You Buy an Air Purifier?

If you suffer from allergies or want to reduce odors in your home, a room air purifier might be the solution.

- Rick Muscoplat

Room air purifiers can eliminate the tiniest dust, bacteria, mold, viruses, pollen and smoke in the surrounding area.

Shop for an air purifier based on the technology it uses to clean the air, its initial cost and the cost of replacement filters, the unit’s noise level, the size of the room and the unit’s clean air delivery rate (CADR).

CADR is a measure of how much clean air the unit can deliver in cubic feet per minute (cfm) for each type of contaminant. For example, a purifier sized to fit a 210-sq.-ft. room may have a CADR rate of 155/133/155 for dust/smoke/pollen, while a unit for a 340-sq.-ft. room may have a 231/220/245 rating. Bigger is better as long as you can live with the higher noise level of a larger unit.

Some models also remove odors. If that’s a concern, shop for a unit that lists odor removal as a feature.

Room air purifiers vary widely in price, from as low as $39 to as much as $600. The cheaper units won’t have much effect on your allergies; expect to pay $200 to $400 for one that does.

Three common room air purifier technologies