Buying an air purifier? Look for one with HEPA filters

With pollution levels reaching alarming levels air purifiers have become hit among consumers, but are all of them equally good?

Air purifier reduces air contamination inside the house along with indoor pollution. Hence, air filters with good High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) efficiency are more effective in combating indoor pollution.

A HEPA filter is a type of mechanical air filter; it works by forcing air through a fine mesh that traps harmful particles such as pollen, pet dander, dust mites and tobacco smoke.

The major difference between an ordinary air purifier and HEPA air purifier is its ability to remove impurities from the air.

A HEPA filter sucks airborne contaminants and pushes out clean, fresh air.

Here are some high-quality Air purifiers with HEPA filters which people can use:

--Dyson Pure HotCool air purifier

The Dyson air purifiers contain two different types of filters - a pair of H-13 grade glass borosilicate HEPA filters and a pair of activated carbon filters.

The very fine pre-filter layer that traps the larger particles before the air passes through the HEPA filter.

Priced at Rs 54,900, Dyson Pure HotCool delivers fast and even room heating in winter, powerful cooling in summer and efficient purification through all seasons.

The machine automatically detects airborne particles and gases, and simultaneously reports to the new LCD screen and Dyson Link app in real-time, encouraging wellbeing and maintaining comfort levels in the home.

"Our latest machine goes beyond standard tests. It heats and cools you quickly and effectively - while always purifying the whole room," Sam Bernard, Global Category Director, Environmental Control, Dyson, said in a statement.

--Samsung's air purifier AX7000.

The Samsung air purifiers build on with a thick HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter.

The HEPA Filter also have an anti-allergen coating which gives double protection.

AX7000 provides faster purification through advanced PM2.5 filters.

Available for Rs 41,990, AX7000 gives faster air purification with a higher Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) and covers a large area with the three-way airflow.

The four-step air filtration provides double protection and results in a fresh and pollution-free.

--Eureka Forbes Aeroguard AP 700 DX
Aeroguard AP 700 DX comes with six-stage filtration. It removes large particles such as dust, hair, pet danders and fibres. It also removes dust particles holding harmful dust that settles in lungs.

Aeroguard AP 700 DX with HEPA filter is capable of removing up to 99.97 per cent of micro-particles, such as particulate matter (PM 2.5 and 10), fine dust, pollen and mould spores. It costs up to Rs 19,990.

--Philips Mario (AC3821)

Priced at Rs 37,995, Philips Mario (AC3821) is a 2-in-1 device that not just purifies the air but also maintains an optimum humidity in the room.

With HEPA filters, it removes pollutants and allergens as small as 0.003um from the air, 800 times smaller than PM 2.5, apart from removing dust, smoke and pet dander.

It also offers a smart humidity sensor that enables the consumer to precisely manage the humidity level of the room and shuts off automatically to prevent over-humidification, hence, making indoor air healthy and comfortable to breathe.

--SHARP FU-A28E-W Air Purifier

SHARP has also air purifiers which have HEPA filter that are instrumental in combating air pollution.

Sharp FU-A28E-W uses Plasmacluster Ion Technology, which deactivates suspended airborne mould, viruses, dust mite allergens and bacteria. Priced at Rs 6,700.