Air quality is crucial for health and well-being. This is especially important in our homes where everyday activities, can send everything from dust, pollen, animal dander, mold, smoke, and volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) into the air around us. While often invisible, these particles and gasses can impact our comfort, health, and wellness.

We know that you want to be proactive about ensuring the air in your home is of the highest quality and free from toxins. This article provides everything you need to know about how an air purifier can help you and your loved ones breathe better and live healthier.

It's no surprise that Dr. Kamran Jafri, Medical Director at The Nose Institute, recommends using an air purifier to promote overall well-being because of their effectiveness at removing contaminants that can aggravate symptoms of various medical conditions.

Dr. Priya Bansal, a triple-board-certified allergy, asthma, and immunology specialist at the Asthma and Allergy Wellness Center*, also supports using air purifiers for better health. Dr. Bansal believes that air purifiers should be part of a whole-house strategy for people with allergies or asthma, as they can help reduce the number of triggers that can cause symptoms to flare up.

Air purifiers are also known to be effective in removing mold spores from the air, which can prevent mold growth and reduce the risk of mold-related health issues.

The key to the performance of an air purifier's ability to remove toxins from the air is its filtration technology. When assessing the filtration capabilities of an air purifier it's important to zero in on three factors: the size of the particle it can trap, the amount of airborne contaminants it can remove from the air, and how quickly it can do it.

Only Blueair air purifiers come with HEPASilent™ dual filtration technology that combines mechanical and electrostatic filtration to capture 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.1 microns¹. This pioneering achievement in filtration technology also cleans the air faster² and produces more² clean air, making them indispensable for tackling toxins and keeping indoor air fresh and clean.

It's also essential to understand that cleaning the air in a home shouldn't be left to the filters found in central air units, as they're not made to purify the air to the same extent as a dedicated air purifier. Central air filters are designed to prevent debris from damaging the HVAV system and do not effectively remove smaller particles and VOCs from indoor air, which is crucial to removing toxins.

Finding the right air purifier to treat your home's airborne toxins is easy when you understand three simple ways to determine an air purifier's ability to clean the air of a given space.

The first is room size. An air purifier that's too small for the room it's going into is one of several things to avoid when purchasing an air purifier. Ensure you select a model suited to the square footage of the room it will be placed in to maximize its ability to remove toxins from the air.

Next is how often an air purifier can refresh the air in a given sized space within an hour. This is called Air Changes per Hour (or ACH). A higher ACH rate means more frequent air cleaning, resulting in fewer airborne toxins and fresher air.

Finally, Clean Air Delivery Rate (or CADR). This metric measures an air purifier's ability to remove three specific pollutants: dust, pollen, and smoke from the air. CADR is measured in Cubic Feet per Minute (or CFM). Higher CADR ratings indicate better performance against these contaminants, allowing you to select an air purifier based on your home's vulnerability to one over another. For example, if you reside in a region susceptible to wildfires, it's likely that you'll want to review an air purifier's CADR rating for smoke when selecting an air purifier for wildfire season.

In addition to an air purifier's filtration technology, a few operating features are especially helpful when treating the air in our homes for toxins.

Smart features and sensors that allow for automatic adjustments based on the air quality in your home will ensure that your air purifier is operating according to the levels of toxins in the air. Models with air quality monitoring and reporting capabilities will allow you to conveniently check on the status of the air in your home so that you never have to guess.

Also, look for air purifiers that are designed to operate with different fan speeds, which enable efficient air cleaning without unnecessary energy consumption.

In hard working kitchens where odors from cooking or cleaning products might be present, the Blue Pure 211i Max works wonders. With its powerful filtration and activated carbon filters designed to tackle odors and VOCs, the Blue Pure 211i Max can completely refresh the air in a 600 square foot room in just 12.5 minutes, and in a 1500 square foot space, it only takes 30 minutes for cleaning.

In addition to powerful filtration performance, the Blue Pure 211i Max is also packed with many advanced features and sensors that enable it to adjust its operating settings according to changing air quality, report on the life of its filter, and track the levels of coarse particles.

This versatile, yet powerful air purifier is an excellent addition to any large room. It comes with a washable pre-filter that extends the life of this model's primary filter by catching larger particles. The fabric pre-filter is available in five colors to tailor the Blue Pure 211i Max to your room's decor.

The Blue Pure 511i Max has the powerful filtration and smart features of its larger cousin, but is better suited to smaller rooms under 500 square feet in size, making it ideal for bedrooms.

Placing it in a bedroom ensures a peaceful environment for sleeping. A night mode cleans the air quietly without any distruptive lights. In fact, it's certified by QuietMark³ and with voice control assistance along with the Blueair app, you can control it without having to leave the comfort of your bed.

When it comes to 24/7 protection against viruses and bacteria⁴ the effectiveness of our Protect 7470i can't be understated. With patent-pending GermShield™ technology, the Protect7470i uses low air draft and plasma charging to kill 95%⁵ of germs caught by its filter. Detailed updates are available with the Blueair app or the Protect 7470i's premium LCD screen, giving you a comprehensive overview of your home's air quality.

Made with galvanized steel, the Classic 605 is tough on common airborne pollutants because of its high Clean Air Delivery Rate (or CADR) of 500 cubic feet of air per minute for dust and smoke. The Classic 605 can also treat the air for pollen at an impressive rate of 640 cubic feet of air every minute.

Auto-adapting sensors allow the Classic 605 to operate using three different fan levels depending on the air quality in your home. Using the Blueair app gives you complete control over everything from a child lock, to night mode, ability to schedule air cleaning at specific times depending on your daily routine, and adjust its LED brightness settings for discreet operation.

The new Classic Pro uses Photon Pure, the latest advancement in air purification technology. PhotonPure uses High-intensity Narrow-Spectrum (or HINS) light to deactivate bacteria caught by its filter. The Classic Pro is also made with premium steel and comes with a 5-year extended warranty. Engineered for high CADR performance, WiFi and app connectivity, plus an Eco-mode, it offers smart, effective, and efficient air purification.

Once you’ve decided on an air purifier and it arrives in your home, be sure to place it in an unobstructed and centrally located area so it can deliver optimal air cleaning.

Maintenance is also vital for ensuring your air purifier's efficiency. Regularly replacing filters and cleaning the unit will keep it running smoothly and effectively. Our filter subscription program makes it easy to ensure timely replacements.

Be sure to take advantage of the programmable timers and scheduling features that many modern air purifiers are designed with. This allows an air purifier to run more when desired and save energy when less rigorous cleaning is needed, helping to maintain consistently clean air efficiently.

In addition to an air purifier, a healthy indoor environment at home can be achieved by using natural cleaning products instead of potentially harmful chemicals. Plants can also help an air purifier in their efforts, clearing the air naturally. Limiting the use of synthetic fragrances at home helps prevent the release of additional VOCs into the air. Finally, regular vacuuming and dusting prevent dust and dander from building up on surfaces and textiles. Adjustments like these can only add to a home’s ability to support the health and wellness of the people living in it.

How we care for our indoor air quality reflects our commitment to our overall well-being. Pursuing better air at home is commendable, as it contributes to a healthier living environment. Understanding the sources of indoor pollutants and choosing the right air purifier helps us take a step toward better self-care, one breath at a time

1 Based on removal testing of PM 2.5 (0.1 - 2.5 microns) and germs (H1N1, E.coli) up to 90min in a 30m3 room. Performance may vary. Not all Blueair air purifiers have been tested against SARS-CoV-2, and Blueair does not claim to kill/prevent transmission of COVID-19.

2 Comparing CADR performance of Blueair models with mechanical and electrostatic filtration vs same models with only H13 HEPA mechanical filtration.

3 Quietest refers to eligibility for Quiet Mark certification, limited to 10-20% of quietest products. See https://www.quietmark.com/ for further information

4 24/7 protection refers to the key function of GermShield™ technology, that is activated when the unit is in standby mode. Tested to deactivate Staphylococcus albus (min. 83%) and MS2 bacteriophage (min. 89%) and prevents >99.99% Ecoli growth on filter. Not proven to kill SARS-CoV-2 or prevent transmission of COVID-19.

5 Tested on E.coli (excluding viruses)

*Dr. Bansal is a Blueair sponsored partner.