| Most people narrow down their choices to two or | | | | comparing, rate each purifier: 5-year or greater |
| three air purifiers before making a final decision. | | | | Warranty - Excellent, 3-4 year Warranty - Good, |
| Use these ten factors to compare air purifiers | | | | or 2-year or under Warranty - Fair. Rank each |
| head-to-head. Keep in mind that it is not as | | | | purifier Best Warranty, Second Best Warranty, |
| important that you are exact in using the rating | | | | Third Best Warranty, etc. |
| factors, but that you are consistent ranking each | | | | 6) Maintenance and Cleaning: Almost every air |
| purifier you are comparing. If you do not know | | | | purifier has some ongoing maintenance. Most |
| the information needed to complete any of the | | | | purifiers are designed for easy maintenance. |
| ten factors below, do additional research on air | | | | When comparing, rate each purifier: Easy |
| purifier company websites, internet reviews, or | | | | Maintenance, Average Maintenance, or Intensive |
| informational websites. Make your best guess | | | | Maintenance. Almost every air purifier requires |
| when all else fails. I encourage you to invest some | | | | some ongoing cleaning. This may be as simple as |
| time in this process. Many purifiers "sound good", | | | | wiping down the outside cabinet or as complex as |
| but when compared head-to-head with others, | | | | cleaning the inside technology. When you compare |
| they fall short. Let's get started! | | | | air purifiers, rate each purifier: Easy Cleaning, |
| 1) Which Air Contaminants are Removed: An air | | | | Average Cleaning, or Intensive Cleaning. When |
| purifier is only as good as what it removes from | | | | done, rank each purifier overall: Best Maintenance |
| the air. There are six contaminant categories. | | | | and Cleaning, Second Best Maintenance and |
| Each category alone is important and when | | | | Cleaning, Third Best Maintenance and Cleaning, etc. |
| combined, they are the basis for any good overall | | | | 7) Look and Feel: How an air purifier looks is |
| air cleaning. The six categories are: Removal of | | | | important. When comparing, rate each purifier: |
| Particles larger than 0.3 microns (examples: dust, | | | | Looks Great, Looks Good, or has Questionable |
| pet dander, pollen), Removal of Particles less than | | | | Looks. How an air purifier "feels" is also important. |
| 0.3 microns (examples: small dust, tobacco | | | | Key factors include: purifier controls, fit and finish, |
| smoke), Removal of Odors and Gases (examples: | | | | and ease of use. When comparing, rate each |
| food smells, chemicals, aerosols, pet smells), | | | | purifier: Feels Great, Feels Good, or has |
| Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs | | | | Questionable Feel. Then, rank each purifier overall: |
| (examples: paints, varnishes, cleaning supplies, | | | | Best Look and Feel, Second Best Look and Feel, |
| glues, adhesives), Removal of Basic | | | | Third Best Look and Feel, etc. |
| Microorganisms (examples: viruses, antigens, | | | | 8) Years in Business: Generally, the longer a |
| pathogens, bacteria), and Removal of Advanced | | | | company has been in business the better. The |
| Microorganisms (example: Avian Influenza A). | | | | number of years a company has been in business |
| When you compare air purifiers, do your best to | | | | is part of its reputation. When comparing, rate |
| rate each purifier for each of the six categories: | | | | each purifier: 11 years or more - Very Good, 6-10 |
| Good Removal, Fair Removal, or Poor Removal. | | | | years - Good, or 5 years or less - Newcomer. |
| Then, rank each purifier overall: Best Remover, | | | | Rank each purifier Best Years in Business, Second |
| Second Best Remover, Third Best Remover, etc. | | | | Best Years in Business, Third Best Years in |
| 2) Yearly Operating Costs: The initial price of an | | | | Business, etc. |
| air purifier is only one factor in the total | | | | 9) Noise Level: How loud is the purifier? Most air |
| operational cost. Operational costs include | | | | purifiers make noise. On the quiet side, there are |
| consumables like HEPA and carbon filters, VOC | | | | silent or near silent models. On the loud side, there |
| cartridges, and UV lamps. Electricity consumption | | | | are models that you would not want to sit near |
| is also an operational cost. Do comparison | | | | because they are so loud. Most models have |
| research on the operational costs for each purifier. | | | | multiple speeds/noise levels and can be adjusted |
| Consider averaging costs over a five-year time | | | | or located in a suitable way. When you compare |
| frame to get a more accurate long-term picture. | | | | air purifiers, rate each: Quiet Noise Level, Average |
| After rating all the purifiers, rank them: Best | | | | Noise Level, or Loud Noise Level. Rank each |
| Yearly Operating Costs, Second Best Yearly | | | | purifier Best Noise Level, Second Best Noise |
| Operating Costs, Third Best Yearly Operating | | | | Level, Third Best Noise Level, etc. |
| Costs, etc. | | | | 10) Set-Up: How easy is the purifier to set-up? |
| 3) Value: To calculate the relative value of a given | | | | Many purifiers are plug-and-play. Some larger units |
| air purifier, consider several factors: total cost, | | | | are heavy and thus hard to remove from shipping |
| square footage cleaned, and cleaning ability. Total | | | | boxes. Some have extra set-up or installation. A |
| cost includes purchase price plus yearly ongoing | | | | few require a licensed professional to install. When |
| operational costs (use from #2 above). Write | | | | you compare air purifiers, rate each: Easy Set-Up, |
| down a total cost dollar value for each purifier | | | | Average Set-Up, or Involved Set-Up. Then, rank |
| you are comparing. For square footage cleaned, | | | | each purifier Best Set-Up, Second Best Set-Up, |
| your goal should be to buy a purifier that is size | | | | Third Best Set-Up, etc. |
| suited for the area you want cleaned. Write down | | | | To score your results consider using the ranking |
| a square footage for each purifier. Cleaning ability | | | | system of Best, Second Best, Third Best, etc for |
| includes what is removed and how well (use the | | | | each purifier and each of the 10 factors above. |
| data you compiled in #1). The best value would be | | | | For example if you are comparing three purifiers, |
| the purifier that costs the least, cleans the most, | | | | rate the Best 1-point, Second Best 2-points, and |
| and removes the most. Rank each purifier: Best | | | | Third Best 3-points for each of the 10 factors |
| Value, Second Best Value, Third Best Value, etc. | | | | above. Add up the total points and your best |
| 4) Quality: Quality defines good products. Rate | | | | purifier will be the one with the lowest score. |
| each air purifier for quality in these three areas a) | | | | Consider "weighting" certain factors depending on |
| fit, finish, and workmanship b) the quality of | | | | how important they are to you. For example the |
| cleaning technologies utilized and c) support: | | | | first three factors above (Which Air Contaminants |
| instruction manual, customer service, and | | | | are Removed, Yearly Operating Costs, and Value) |
| company websites. Rate each purifier: Excellent | | | | are pretty important, so double or triple the points |
| Quality, Good Quality, or Questionable Quality for | | | | for each. Each factor that you double or triple the |
| each factor. Now, rank each purifier overall: Best | | | | points will carry more weight in the final decision. |
| Quality, Second Best Quality, Third Best Quality, | | | | If you invest a few hours in this process, the |
| etc. | | | | payoff will be knowing that you have done your |
| 5) Warranty: A good warranty generally shows | | | | homework and made an educated choice for |
| that a company has faith in their products. When | | | | your best air purifier. |