What’s the Best Air Purifier for Asthma?

Suffering from asthma and allergies is the worst. According to Mayo Clinic common triggers of asthma are allergens, such as pollen, mold spores, pet dander, chemical fumes, dust, smoke and more.

The best way to ease allergy attacks is to remove the source entirely. But you can’t exactly shave your favorite pet or remove every pollen-ridden plant in your vicinity.

So, how do you choose the best air purifier for asthma or for allergies in general? There are a few things you should think about when researching air purifiers:

1. How well it filters out allergens

Not all air purifier filters are created equal. You want a HEPA filter. HEPA stands for “high efficiency particulate air” and according to EPA.gov, “This type of air filter can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns (µm).”

Activated carbon filters, on the other hand, are effective at removing odors. They can help eliminate smells in the air from pets, food, smoke, garbage and even diapers.

Ideally, you’ll want to find an air purifier that has both of these filters. IDEAL air purifiers are certified as allergy-friendly by the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) thanks to their highly efficient, multi-layer filters.

2. How quickly it cleans a certain sized room

From this standpoint, you’ll want a powerful air purifier. The more powerful the motor is, the more air it can move and the faster it can clean it. Even the puniest air purifiers on the market can clean the air in a room – but it might take HOURS! For a more efficient air purifier, find one that can recycle the air through your room in less than 20 minutes.

The AP40 PRO air purifier in the video above cleans a room up to 400 square feet every 15 minutes (that’s super-fast).

3. One last note, noise may not be an issue for you, but if it is, compare the decibel listings among air purifiers. Watch out for air purifiers when the decibels aren’t listed – it could be a powerful, but noisy machine. Some air purifiers, like IDEAL’s, have special whisper quiet modes which are perfect for light sleepers or if you’re easily distracted.