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Air purifiers are often surrounded by myths—do they really work? Are they just glorified fans?
In this article, we’ll set the record straight by busting 13 common air purifier myths.
From misconceptions about their effectiveness to confusion around maintenance, you’ll learn the truth about these handy devices and how they can improve your home’s air quality.
As experts in our field, we discuss the following in this article:
Let's look at these myths and set the record straight…
There are myths about the use of air purifiers due to misconceptions around air purifiers that can be traced back to earlier and simpler air purification systems, but also due to the fact that there are product fraudsters and scammers that take advantage.
Modern, advanced air purification systems are much better than they used to be because air purification technology has improved over time, so there are ways to make sure you're buying a legitimate product.
Choosing a genuine, high-quality air purifier will help you ensure that it does what it's supposed to do: clean the air and create a healthier indoor environment without adding any additional harmful elements.
The top 13 air purifier myths we’ve debunked include believing that air purifiers need a HEPA filter to work and that they’re bad for your health.
Let’s take a closer look at these myths:
This is false; all air purifiers aren't created equal.
There are many different types of air purifiers available on the market, just like any other device, and it's critical to consider your needs and conduct your research to get the best air purifier when looking for one.
They vary in terms of the space they occupy, the amount of noise they produce, and the type of purifying technique they employ.
This is false; not all air purifiers improve your health.
It’s certainly true that people with asthma and allergies may greatly benefit from having a filtered or ionized air purifier because it filters out many kinds of polluting particles in the air.
According to the British Lung Foundation, air purifiers can help reduce airborne pet allergens if you have a confirmed pet allergy; in most cases, a purifier with a HEPA filter is advised1.
On the other hand
The notion that air purifiers can enhance your health truly depends on choosing a system that works for you.
Before making a purchase, it's critical to confirm that the air purifier is ozone-free because ozone air purifiers tend to aggravate asthma symptoms, becoming counterproductive to their intended purpose.
Learn More: How Air Purifiers Can Help You
This is false; air purifiers don't need a HEPA filter to work.
An air purifier can remove some particles from the air, but in general, HEPA filters work better and are more frequently recommended and preferred.
Check Out: Top Air Purifiers with HEPA Filters
This is false; air purifiers aren't bad for you.
Air purifiers reduce irritation and inflammation in the air, making it easier to sleep and easing the symptoms of allergies and asthma.
Air purifiers can also eliminate dangerous particles that could otherwise raise the risk of cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease, and lung disease2.
This is false; an AC doesn't mean you don't need an air purifier.
Temperature control is all that air conditioners do inside a room; they play little to no part in clearing up air pollution.
Because an AC can't filter smaller particles, air purifiers are necessary for AC rooms.
This is false; air purifiers aren't useless.
Many people believe that air purifiers are unnecessary expenses that offer negligible advantages, but just because they operate quietly doesn't mean they aren't working.
Dust mites, pollen, mold spores, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and viruses are just a few of the dangerous airborne pollutants and contaminants that air purifiers are very good at targeting.
This is false; air purifiers don't dry the air in the room.
In this case, you might be thinking of dehumidifiers.
Dehumidifiers may also reduce allergies and mold, but they do so differently, making it easy to confuse the 2 systems.
Simply put
While air purifiers don't change the humidity but do capture circulating particles, dehumidifiers help avoid this by removing moisture from the air.
Dehumidifiers and household air filtration devices are often used together to maximise indoor air quality.
Read More: Top Air Purifier & Dehumidifier Combo
This is false; air purifiers alone can't protect you against Covid-19.
When used correctly, air purifiers can help reduce the number of airborne pathogens like viruses in a house or small area, but they can't protect people from Covid-19 entirely.
Virus levels are below HEPA filter thresholds; however, as viruses are typically in aerosols, it might be possible for an air filter to capture them in areas where the aerosol has evaporated off, which could be useful in the long run.
This is false; air purifiers don't give off dangerous radiation.
However, they release a limited amount of electromagnetic radiation, much like every other technological item in your home.
Microwave ovens, cell phones, televisions, and air purifiers all emit EMF (Electromagnetic Frequencies) radiation to varying degrees, but it’s crucial to keep in mind that these concentrations are quite low and are generally not hazardous to your health.
This is both true and false; ozone air purifiers emit ozone, but these types of air purifiers are no longer a popular option and are even banned in most states.
Before 2005, the most common air purifiers were ionizers, which were basically ozone generators.
According to consumer reports from 2005, these air purifiers did a poor job of cleaning the air and exposed users to possibly dangerous levels of ozone3.
However
Since then, science and technology have come a long way, and most ionizers now make very little ozone.
You can, of course, choose an air purifier without an ionizer if you remain concerned.
Filtration or UV-light-based air purification systems don't produce ozone.
This is false; air purifiers won't cure respiratory illnesses.
I now know that air purifiers can reduce or get rid of a lot of the pollutants that are known to make lung diseases and breathing problems worse.
By using a good air purifier, you can improve the quality of the air inside your home or office and get many health benefits out of it.
This is false; UV air purifiers do work.
UV air purifiers use high-intensity germicidal UV light to destroy microorganisms and any DNA or RNA bio-contaminants like viruses, whereas HEPA filters are made to catch particulates4.
Some people say that the contaminated air doesn't stay in the UV light long enough to be cleaned properly, but this isn't the case.
The truth is
Techniques like Sanuvox's unique high-intensity J-lamps, which are ultraviolet lights found in UV air purifiers, deliver a strong enough dose of UV light to do the job.
This is false; air purifiers are still necessary for clean houses.
While air purifiers clean the air, household cleaning concentrates more on surfaces, so the air in your home might still include dander, pollen, and mold spores despite how much you dust and vacuum.
On the other hand, even the world's most potent air purifier won't be able to keep up with the accumulating dust if you neglect cleaning, but for the best outcome, cleaning should be combined with home air purifiers.
You can trust ByPurify because I look into the truth behind the misinformation being spread and challenge it through intense research.
I do the work so that you can better understand how certain household appliances, like air purifiers, might benefit you and your family after these typical air purifier myths have been revealed.
Yes, air purifiers are actually effective.
But an air purifier probably won’t get rid of or neutralize every single pollutant that bothers you in your home.
This is because numerous particles can accumulate on both hard surfaces like your walls and soft surfaces like furniture, bedding, and carpeting, so it’s incredibly important that you still keep up with basic cleaning habits.
Learn More: The Different Air Purifiers Provided
No, air purifiers aren’t a placebo.
People who live in polluted areas and use air purifiers have improved health markers, and these improvements are not the result of placebo effects.
Yes, air purifiers are good for the environment.
Air purifiers make it easier for you to breathe by catching, deactivating, and reducing harmful pollutants as they move through dirty air.
This positively affects the environment by reducing the pollution to which people are exposed daily, and it may even slow the spread of bacteria and viruses.
An air purifier is good for revitalizing stale air and lowering the risk of health problems brought on by indoor contaminants, which can cause respiratory infections, neurological disorders, or exacerbate asthmatic symptoms.
Good air purifiers remove various indoor air pollutants, preserving my health.
No, air purifiers don’t cause allergies.
Air purifiers help alleviate allergy symptoms by removing allergy-causing particles from the air.
No, air purifiers don’t create more dust.
An air purifier in a room traps many dust particles before they settle, making the air more pleasant to breathe and minimizing the dust that settles on your tabletops, books, and shelves.
You’ll know you need an air purifier when the air you breathe feels stuffy, you’re sneezing much more than usual, your allergies are exacerbated, or you have dust mites.
Yes, you should sleep with an air purifier on.
For better breathing, while you sleep, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) suggests using an air purifier5.
Investing in an air purifier isn't going to cure all of your health problems, but it’s a safe and reliable way to get rid of these trigger pollutants in the air you breathe.
When deciding which air purifier to purchase, it's crucial to remember that different models of air purifiers are good at removing various sorts of impurities, so the ByPurify team would suggest researching which might work best for you.
With the ByPurify team having busted the 13 most common air purifier myths, you can be certain you’re making a solid, informed, and smart choice by considering an air purifier for your home or office space!
If you're keen to find our more, give our reviews a read!
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Their rigorous evaluations compel us to maintain a standard of excellence, ensuring that the information we provide is both reliable and of the highest quality.
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