HEPA Air Purifiers

HEPA air purifiers: proven technology

Both Consumer Reports and Air-Purifiers-America.com test a wide range of HEPA air cleaners, which start at about $250 for mid-sized units. While it's easy to spend upwards of $700 on a home air purifier, most users probably don't need the kind of high-level, multi-filtered performance these high-end models provide. The top-rated models at AllergyBuyersClub.com are $750 to $900 IQAir HealthPro air cleaners, most of which can filter viruses, bacteria, chemical gases, volatile organic compounds, sulfuric gas and ammonias.

Air-Purifiers-America.com, Air-Purifier-Power.com, and AllergyBuyersClub.com rate the IQAir HealthPro Plus (*Est. $900) as the best purifier on the market if you have severe allergies. The IQAir HealthPro Plus air purifier can clean up to a 900-square-foot room and uses a HyperHEPA filter (replacement filters cost *est. $190), which has a filter-change alert and is easy to change every two to four years. Prefilters (replacement cost $60) should be replaced every six to 18 months. The HealthPro Plus also uses a gas and odor filter (*est. $90 for a replacement filter) which contains activated carbon. Rory Ferreira of Reviewboard.com says the IQAir HealthPro Plus (*Est. $900) is perfect for the person with "harsh allergies, who is willing to pay for unparalleled quality".

IQAir also makes the HealthPro (*Est. $750) air purifier. The only difference between the HealthPro and HealthPro Plus is that the HealthPro does not include the extra carbon filter for odors. The HealthPro is rated for up to 1,000 square feet. Top scores from Air-Purifiers-America.com, along with a wide range of other endorsements, convince us to include the IQAir HealthPro air cleaner in ConsumerSearch Best Reviewed. If you have a severe medical condition and need "critical decontamination," then you should take a closer look at the IQAir HealthPro series. But for most allergy and asthma sufferers, a high-quality, mid-priced HEPA air purifier fits the bill. HEPA filters can remove 99.97% of particles larger than 0.3 microns, enough to help improve indoor air quality and reduce exposure to irritants and allergens.

According to reviews, the Blueair 601 (*Est. $650) is one of the quietest models (on low speed) available. Owners at Amazon.com say this model is quiet, but it takes up a lot of space. The Blueair is stuck in the same spot as the IQAir HealthPro home air purifier -- highly rated at Air-Purifiers-America.com, but not as highly rated in other type of tests. The Blueair does have great airflow. According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers' (AHAM) April 2007 Directory of Certified Room Air Cleaners, it has the fourth-highest clean air delivery rate (CADR) score among 40 brands for dust, pollen and smoke removal. (We have more on CADR in the What to Look For section.) Only hard-to-find Dri-Eaz, Airgle and the Korean Nano Biothys are slightly higher. The Blueair 601 can handle up to a 679-square-foot room and has a 10-year warranty, as long as filters are changed every six months (the filters cost about $70 per set). By combining a HEPA-like filter and an electrostatic filter, some reviews say the Blueair captures a higher percentage of allergens without releasing ozone into the air, like other electrostatic models do. However, in tests, the cheaper Alen A350 air purifier performs almost as well and costs less.

Although it isn't tested at Consumer Reports, the Alen A350 (*Est. $400) performs well in tests at Air-Purifiers-America.com. When run on high speed, testers say it is notably quieter than the IQAir HealthPro air purifier is. In addition, the Alen A350 uses a cartridge that contains the HEPA filter, carbon filter and pre-filter all in one, so replacement filter costs are less than with the IQAir air purifiers. Filters should be replaced every six to nine months (*est. $40 each). The Alen A350 air purifier can clean up to 800 square feet. This model has an ionizer built into the unit, but you don't have to use it -- the ionizer feature can be turned off. Alen also asserts that their ionizer does not produce ozone like most others do.

Austin Air air purifiers, including the Austin Air HealthMate (*Est. $450), are tested at both Air-Purifiers-America.com and Consumer Reports. As with the IQAir HealthPro air cleaner, these organizations come up with different test results for the HealthMate. Air-Purifiers-America.com representatives explain this is likely due to different measurement methods. Reviews say Austin Air air purifiers are not adept at removing smoke particles, but they do a reasonable job with dust and pollen. The Austin Air HealthMate Jr. (*Est. $300), a smaller, less expensive version, is also available.

In general, higher-priced air purifiers have better filters and larger fans, which enables more air to be processed through the air cleaner. According to reviews, the trouble with smaller, less expensive air purifiers is that they don't pull a sufficient amount of air through the unit. One of the least expensive air purifiers to receive good reviews is the Honeywell Enviracaire 50250-N (*Est. $160). This circular air purifier has a pre-filter for odors (replacement filters *est. $20, replace every three months) and a permanent HEPA filter that needs to be vacuumed at least twice a year. Air-Purifier-Power.com cautions that this permanent filter will have to be replaced eventually due to downgraded performance caused by multiple vacuuming. The Honeywell is designed for use in rooms up to 375 square feet. In tests, the Honeywell is less effective than both the Blueair 601 and the Alen A350 air purifiers, as well as being noisier. So far more than 120 owners have reviewed this model at Amazon.com, giving it an above average rating. Some owners say it's noisy, although others say the noise is not bothersome and sounds like white noise or a soft fan. Sixteen owners at Epinions.com rate it an average of 4.5.