Best Air Purifier for Allergies and Asthma
It is commonly believed that allergies and asthma have an inter-relation. The same pollutants that cause allergies are also responsible for causing asthma. An allergy occurs when the immunity system of the human body mistakes a harmless substance, to be dangerous and tries to treat it accordingly. To attack the substance, the body starts releasing certain types of chemicals. Some of the most prevalent allergic substances include pollen, dust mites, mold. Allergies can, at times, take a severe turn leading to irritable mood, lack of energy, lower productivity. Under exceptional severe circumstances, allergies can lead to respiratory infections, often leading to asthma.
Most of the airborne allergen particles are as small as 0.3 microns. Therefore, such weightless substances remain easily suspended in the air. An efficient air purifier is able to filter these particles and make the air clean and breathable. All the selected picks listed below specialize in removing allergens and irritants. However, these might not be the most compact options out there. If you’re looking for one to keep in a small room, you may use our guide to find the best air purifiers for bedroom. However, if you can spare a slightly larger square footage for storage, these air purifiers are hands down the best for allergies.
Comparison Table
| Product | Coverage | CADR | Filter Type | Filter Life | Warranty | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1. Oransi Max HEPA Air Purifier for Allergies | 600 sq. ft. | 230 | True HEPA | 12 Months | 10 Years | |
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2. Medify MA-25 W1 Medical Grade Air Purifier for Asthma | 500 sq. ft. | 250 | HEPA H13 | 12 Months | Lifetime | |
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3. Alen BreatheSmart Classic Air Purifier | 1,100 sq. ft. | 300 | HEPA Type | 12 Months | Lifetime | |
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4. Coway AP-1512HH Mighty Air Purifier | 361 sq. ft. | 246 | True HEPA | 12 Months | 3 Years | |
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5. Fellowes 9286201 AeraMax Air Purifier | 600 sq. ft. | 196 | True HEPA | 12 Months | 3 Years |
Best Air Purifiers for Allergies and Asthma
1. Oransi Max HEPA Air Purifier for Asthma and Allergies
- Effectively cleans the room air by removing allergens, pollen, pet dander, mold
- Works silently
- Comes with a 10 year warranty period
- Easily movable and portable
- Changing filters is easy
- Certain sporadic incidents with difficulty in the closing of the front panel
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4.9/5.0
This type of air purifier is ideal for basements, bedrooms or any large room whatsoever. It significantly cleans the air and resists the allergens for mold spores, asthma, pet dander, etc. The size of this product practically suits any size of the room but works best in rooms up to 600 sq. Ft. This provision gives it the suitability to be used in living rooms too. For room sizes larger than this, you’d need a dedicated large room air purifier to clean indoor air efficiently.
This sort of HEPA filter has 3 stages of filtration process—a pre-filter, a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter. It has to be cleaned regularly with slight vacuuming.
The HEPA filter is efficient to trap the maximum, up to 98% of the dust particles and keep them sealed around the filter. This air purifier monitors and ensures that no amount of the sealed air is able to bypass the filter. This is a very common problem with most of the air purifiers, but it has been carefully negated by Oransi.
The activated carbon filter is the best type of filter to trap gases, smoke, fumes and odours.
There are filter replacement indicators attached to the model. It gives punctual reminders and alerts before the check and change of filter(s) is/are due. The coded air quality monitor regulates the purity of the air in a particular room. If tuned to auto mode, then it will automatically adjust the fan speed as per requirement.
2. Medify MA-25 W1 Medical Grade Air Purifier
- Silently powerful
- Dimmable panel light, ideal for bedroom use
- Compact and portable
- Substantial carbon pellets and carbon filters for effective odour removal
- Improves the overall quality of the air and keeps the area fresh and safe
- Has a big footprint
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4.7/5.0
The best air purifier for allergies, Medify is the strongest tabletop air purifier. It is especially noted for its size and power. This model works best for rooms up to 500 sq. Ft. it consists of Dual Intake technology and has 2 filters.
The dual air intake intensifies the action of the machine to 2 times. It cleans the air of 250 sq. ft. every 15 mins. and 500 sq. Ft. every 30 mins. This dual filter system is powerful for odour removal.
There are 3 stages of filter here—pre-filter, H13 HEPA filter and carbon filters, which especially monitors for odour removal. These filters approximately last for around 2500 hours. As soon as that period is about to be completed, the filter replacement indicator will give the necessary signals.
The Medical Grade H13 HEPA is more efficient than true HEPA. H13 HEPA can clean up to 99.9% of the particles suspended in the air as small as 0.1 microns. It catches any invisible airborne dust particles and cleans the air.
The controls of the device are simple and directly get down to function. Apart from the filter replacement indicator, there is also a child-lock facility. It is safe for children too. Because of a high CADR of 250, it functions effortlessly for large coverage areas.
3. Alen BreatheSmart Classic Air Purifier for Allergies and Dust
- Adorned with HEPA Odourcell technology
- Silent and one of the quietest air purifiers, built with WhisperMax Technology
- Ozone-free ionizer which produces negative ions
- Can be used continuously using the auto mode
- Energy-efficient
- Some occasional issues with broken units
- Poor technical support team
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4.7/5.0
This is a perfect air purifier for large and extra-large areas. It has been tested and proven to be the best air purifier for allergies and asthma. Alen efficiently removes the germs, dust particles, mold, fumes, harsh odours, pet danders and other offensive household odours. BreatheSmart possesses a dust filter, dust cleaner and dust remover. The polluted bad air is pulled inside within the HEPA filters and sent out to the top for circulating the fresh air.
The HEPA Pure filter is considered to be the base filter layer which traps all the invisible and superfine airborne pollutants that may cause allergies and congestion. BreatheSmart is packed with multiple layers of HEPA filters, beginning with the pre-filters. This type of filter captures the larger irritants of the air like pet hair, dirt and fur.
The second layer of HEPA is the Silver filter. This is noted for capturing and killing bacteria and mold spores. The third layer is the HEPA Pure layer. This layer filters the finer dust particles, dirt, pollen, dust mites and other allergens. The last filtration layer is the Carbon filter that consumes offensive odours of the air, as it passes through the filter.
The combined function of all these filters makes the air pure and breathable. The risk of allergies and asthma become significantly lower with the usage of this air purifier.
4. Coway AP-1512HH Mighty Air Purifier for Allergies and Asthma
- The 3-staged fan speeds can be monitored both automatically as well as manually
- Comes with the timer feature
- Consists of filter-replacement indicator
- Works silently
- Ranked #1 as the Best Air Purifier in 2018 by Wirecutter
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Certain issues with the explosion and breaking down of the fan blades
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4.6/5.0
This compactly designed air purifier is a perfect allergen air purifier, the best air cleaner for allergies. It has been designed using the advanced cutting edge technology for keeping the indoor air pure, fresh and clean.
Coway uses a four-stage air filtration process and efficiently eliminates nearly all sorts of invisible airborne irritants that pollute the air. The first stage is the pre-filter: then Deodorization filter; after that comes the True HEPA filter and then finally, Vital Ion. All these filters combinedly function to capture up to 99.97% of the pollutant particles of 0.3 microns. It also effectively reduces all sorts of volatile organic compounds and reduces offensive odours.
The functionality of this device is not only strong but energy efficient also. The purifier also has the feature to save energy. The built-in fan will stop purifying and save energy If no pollutant is detected uninterruptedly for 30 mins. Similarly, when the need is higher, the fan will auto-adjust its speed as per requirement.
This type of air purifier is ideal for smokers. Coway effortlessly consumes and manages the smoke and fumes and significantly reduces the odours and the air contaminants. Coway pollution detector communicates with the air quality of the room in real-time. The LED display clearly shows how clean or dirty the room air is.
5. Fellowes 9286201 AeraMax Air Purifier for Allergies and Asthma
- Comes with fan speed indicator which can be adjusted manually—low, medium, high, turbo
- AeraSmart Sensor automatically detects the density of air pollutants and auto-adjusts the fan speed accordingly
- Aera+Mode removes more number of germs and bacteria from the surroundings
- Expert 4-Stage purification technology
- Unique Plasma True Technology creates an ionized zone for better removal of air pollutants
- Slightly noisy
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4.6/5.0
Consisting of True HEPA Filter, AeraMax is a perfect suit for arresting allergies and asthma. The auto-detecting technology of the purifier automatically detects and treats the air. It works best in room sizes ranging from 300-600 sq. ft. the anti-microbial treatment of the filters safely removes up to 99.995% of the airborne microbial pollutants.
There are special adjustable High-Performance Modes for allergy, flu and cold seasons. The strong carbon filter captures household odours, offensive cooking odours, pet danders and also cigarette smoke.
The powerful 4-stage purification technology of AeraMax delivers clean and pure air consistently.The carbon filter captures large particles and bad odours.
The True HEPA Filter removes the invisible airborne particles as tiny as 0.3 microns. These particles include dust mites, allergens, pollens, mold spores, ragweed, viruses, germs, pet danders, etc.
The AeraSafe Antimicrobial Treatment gives in-built security and guards against the growth of mildew, fungi and other odour-causing bacteria on the surface of the True HEPA Filter. The unique Plasmatrue Technology builds an ionized zone. This helps in the safe removal of the invisible, tiny airborne pollutants.
Air Purifier for Allergies and Asthma- Buying Guide
What are the Most Common Household Allergy Triggers?
Millions of people across the globe suffer from allergies all year long. Some of the most common elements that trigger this sort of allergic reaction are house dust, mold spores, pollen, fabrics, dust mites, cockroaches, pet dander. They are extremely tiny as small as 0.3-0.1 microns. These elements generally get accumulated in mattresses, pillows, carpets, duvets and upholstery. Regular cleaning is essential to prevent this.
Allergies lead to nasal blockage, watery eyes, sneezing. Some allergies may even lead to respiratory problems. A basic understanding of the sources of allergy-causing factors is required. Only this knowledge helps you to take proper measures to arrest the occurrence of allergies.
What is Allergy-induced Asthma? Do Allergies Cause Asthma?
The same elements that trigger allergy symptoms are responsible for causing asthma. Pollen, dust mites, pet danders are some of the common asthma sources. Some people are reactive to certain food or have certain skin allergies. This also triggers asthma symptoms. This sort of asthma is known as allergy-induced asthma or allergic asthma.
Some of the common symptoms of allergic asthma include coughing, wheezing, difficulty in breathing, tightening of the chest, fast and short breathing. To minimize the risk of allergies and asthma, you should keep the surroundings clean.
How Can an Air Purifier Help With Allergies and Asthma?
Allergies and allergy-induced asthma are caused mainly from breathing unclean air. One of the best solutions to reduce these problems is using a good quality air cleaner for allergies. The invisible air pollutants can be as tiny as 0.3-0.1 microns. A competent air purifier with True HEPA filters and a high CADR can arrest these particles with ease. It circulates clean and fresh air for healthier breathing. H13 HEPA filters are also very strong in purifying the air (Medify in the above list has H13 filter).
These filters capture and retain the air pollutants and give a consistent supply of clean and fresh air.
People who are prone to allergies and asthma can suffer repeatedly with the slightest exposure to the irritants. The usage of air purifiers may not completely cease such occurrences. But it can definitely reduce the risks to a considerable extent.
Factors to Consider When Buying an Air Purifier for Allergies and Asthma
1. Maximum area coverage
There are various types of air purifiers available in the market. Each one is different and unique. While buying air purifiers for allergies and asthma, you should consider the maximum area coverage of the machine. It is better to use a strong air purifier if the needs of the allergy or asthma patients are taken into consideration. The maximum area coverage of the room should be proportionate to the capacity of the air purifier. Then only the best results can be attained. The stronger the filters, the better the area coverage. The air purifiers with better area coverage will give better support and protection against allergies and asthma.
2. Type of Particle Filter
The effective size retention of the pollutants depends on the type and strength of the filter. The better the efficiency of the particle filter of the air purifier, the cleaner air it will circulate. For pollutants like dust mites, pollens; True HEPA or HEPA-type filters are the best. The HEPA-type filters can trap up to 99% of the air pollutants of up to 2 microns. These, although inferior to True HEPA filters, are a good choice for people looking for air purifier for pets. The size of most of the allergens range from 2-100 microns. The True HEPA filters are competent in filtering most of the finer species of bacteria.
3. Activated Carbon Filter
Air cleaners have a particle filter to differentiate the solid and suspended particles in the air. A carbon-based filter minimizes the gaseous contents, fumes; harmful VOCs emitted from vehicles and wildfires, cigarette smoke, etc. It also absorbs offensive odours produced form several sources. An odour-free and smoke-free environment is ideal for individuals who are prone to allergies and asthma. The activated carbon filters of the air purifiers ensure that the air of the room in which it is placed remains pure and pollutant-free (Know all about activated carbon filters). The efficiently block the gaseous irritants present in the room and circulates safe and pure breathable air.
4. Recurring costs
The installation of an air purifier is an expensive venture. They are costly and require repeated maintenance. Without regular maintenance and punctual exchange of the filters, the efficiency of the air purifiers diminish. Frequent filter replacement is necessary to keep the air cleaners function at their 100%. But there are certain models of air purifiers that have washable filters. Such filters are easy to maintain with slight but regular cleaning for maintenance. They can be cleaned, washed and can be reused. This helps the user a lesser cost of maintenance and keep the investment low.
5. Warranty
Most of the air purifiers come with a lenient warranty period. The minimum warranty period lasts until 2 years and ranges up to 5 years. The warranty does not cover the cost of the exchange of filters. The filters that are not reusable need to be exchanged at regular intervals. The warranty period starts from the day of purchase of the air purifier. It ensures and keeps the smooth running of the air cleaner. The warranty covers the cost incurred due to normal household use. It also covers any malfunction or failure of the machinery if incurred within the stipulated time frame.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it is clear that air purifiers are a great need for individuals prone to asthma and allergies. But for getting the best performance, regular monitoring and maintenance are required. The air cleaners filter the room air form the common household allergens like dust mites, pollens, pet danders, etc. The air purifiers circulate clean, fresh and breathable air devoid of the air pollutants or any sort of offensive odours. Each type of air purifier is unique in its style and function. All the aspects need to be considered before installing this expensive household device to judge which model will serve best.
