The Best Air Purifiers for Cancer Patients

Individuals who are unfortunate to have been diagnosed with cancer are often severely immunocompromised.

This means they are far more susceptible to the negative impact of heavily polluted air than individuals with a fully-functioning immune system.

Thankfully, air purifiers exist to reduce the impact of the adverse implications polluted air can have on people affected by the terrible disease.

So, if you’re shopping for an air purifier for a cancer patient and aren’t quite sure what to look for, don’t worry.

I’ve got you covered.

I spent the better part of the last 48 hours digging deep and doing all of the research for this very guide.

This allows me to suggest the best air purifiers for cancer patients and other beneficial information to help with your decision-making.

For example, I’ll detail what air purifiers are suitable for cancer patients and what to consider when shopping for such an air purifier.

But before I do that, I want to touch upon the benefits of an air purifier for cancer patients.

How Do Air Purifiers Benefit Cancer Patients?

Air purifiers offer many benefits not just to people going through a cancer diagnosis but everyday healthy individuals.

But what specific benefits do air purifiers offer cancer patients?

I found quite a few from my research, and I’ll go over each of them in the following section.

Create a Safer Environment

First, air purifiers make the indoor environment much safer for cancer patients.

Remember, cancer patients and other immunocompromised individuals are very vulnerable to the harmful effects of pollution.

And nowadays, many of us have to deal with pollution everywhere, even in the wild.

Breathing in pollutants like PM 2.5 can harm your respiratory system, which can add an unnecessary level of danger to cancer patients.

Air purifiers remove pollutants from your home, such as PM 2.5, making indoor air much safer to breathe.

Aside from these pollutants, air purifiers also eliminate dust and pollen from the air.

These are known to cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks, which are events that cancer patients must try to avoid as much as possible.

Get an air purifier with a carbon-activated filter. The device will also be able to get rid of VOCs, pets, smoke, and other harmless and harmful odors.

And while controlling the air when you’re out of the house is close to impossible, an air purifier makes it more than possible to do it at home.

Contribute Towards a More Comfortable Living

I can attest that most of us don’t realize how bad the daily air we breathe is.

When I went to Delhi all those years ago, I had to get the best air purifier for Delhi because the air was so bad I could hardly sleep.

The air pollution in India made for a very uncomfortable living, even if I was only there for around 3-4 months.

When I got my unit and turned it on, the air felt much lighter and cleaner to breathe almost instantly.

And as you can imagine, such a difference can significantly impact the comfort of a cancer patient at home.

On top of that, a good air purifier can also remove harmful and foul odors from the air.

Certain types of cancer can change your sense of taste and smell, which makes strong scents even more challenging to deal with at home.

With the right air purifier for cancer patients, you can rest assured that the air you breathe will be pollution and scent-free.

It’s vital that cancer patients feel as comfortable and safe as possible during treatment, which is why air purifiers are great additions to a patient’s home.

Better Quality Sleep

Good quality sleep is essential for everyone, not just cancer patients.

However, for cancer patients, in particular, rest is crucial as they recover from the treatment of their unfortunate diagnosis.

And while there are many things you can do to improve your sleep quality, the air is just as important.

Remember, not just what you eat and drink can affect how well you sleep, but also the quality of the air you breathe during the night.

Poor air quality can make the room feel stuffy, which can significantly contribute to not being able to fall asleep comfortably at night.

And since air purifiers clean the air and make it easier to breathe, they could allow cancer patients to sleep easier at night.

This will make their ability to fall asleep and actually rest during the night much easier and a more comfortable experience.

For that to happen, the air purifier shouldn’t just be on during the day.

I would personally recommend that you keep the air purifier on 24/7.

And since it’s not bad to sleep next to your air purifier at night, the patient could only benefit from having the unit on around the clock.

What Type of Air Purifier Is Best for Cancer Patients?

If you want an air purifier for a cancer patient, you should use a high-grade and versatile model.

This means using an air purifier with robust filtration and purification systems that can effectively purify the air.

Below, I will discuss three core filtration systems every air purifier for a cancer patient should have.

One That Features a True HEPA Filter

Unless you’re going for a high-end air purifier that uses PCO technology to purify the air, your unit must have a HEPA filter.

These filters are designed of ultra-thin fiberglass threads, which form a mesh.

This mesh is responsible for capturing all the solid particles in their air in sizes as small as 0.3 microns.

These particles include pollen, dust, pet dander, mold spores, and others.

When looking for an air purifier, ensure it features a true HEPA filter and not just a HEPA filter.

I’m only saying this because many air purifiers (particularly the cheaper ones) feature a HEPA filter.

This type of filter isn’t near good enough compared to the true HEPA filters, which have passed specific regulations that qualify them as genuine filters.

If the cancer patient you’re shopping for has respiratory-related cancer or respiratory issues, breathing clean air can make a massive difference.

One With a Carbon-Activated Filter

Carbon-activated filters are another essential part of an air purifier for cancer patients.

This is because these filters capture the gaseous particles in the air, such as smoke, VOCs, cooking odors, and virtually any other kind of smell.

Gaseous particles can be just as harmful as solid particles.

So ensuring that the air purifier you use has both filtration systems will be highly beneficial to the user.

An Air Purifier With An UV-C Light

UV-C lights are fantastic for cancer patients for several reasons, including the ability to rid any viruses or bacteria in the air that can cause harm.

This filtration system can effectively deal with various bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 mutations.

Therefore, if the patient has respiratory-related cancer, such an air purifier would be a fantastic addition to their home.

The Best Air Purifiers for Cancer Patients

When I bought my first air purifier, I was surprised by all the different options on the market.

This makes it pretty hard to make a decision.

Since you need to pay even closer attention when buying air purifiers for cancer patients, shopping for an air purifier can be really tough.

That said, shopping is much easier when you narrow down your options.

So, here are three of the top air purifiers available today that will work for cancer patients.

The Best Overall Air Purifier for Cancer Patients: Coway Airmega 400s

The Coway Airmega 400s is, in my opinion, the best overall air purifier for cancer patients.

And while this model may be expensive, there’s no harm in investing in a high-quality product, especially when buying an air purifier for a cancer patient.

This large air purifier can handle small and large rooms of up to 1,560 square feet.

This offers a lot of flexibility, so you use this air purifier in just about any room, including your bedroom, living room, and basement.

On top of that, the air purifier is slightly elevated, so you won’t have to elevate it yourself when setting it up.

When it comes to filtration, you can rest assured that this air purifier does the perfect job thanks to its multi-stage advanced filtration system.

The Coway Airmega 400s hosts a MAX2 filter, an all-in-one green true HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter.

This combination of filters allows the air purifier to trap 99.99% of airborne particles up to 0.01 microns in sizes, such as dust, pollen, mold spores, and others.

And not only that, but this unit can remove gasses, VOCs, and odors from the air too.

The only fundamental flaw I found in this unit was that it didn’t feature a UV-C light, which can help deal with airborne viruses, but besides that, it’s perfect.

On the bright side, this air purifier is jam-packed with fantastic and convenient features.

For example, it has an automatic mode, Alexa compatibility, and various settings that can make it much easier to use.

So, you won’t have trouble getting this air purifier to run while also knowing that it will do the job and remove any harmful particles from the air.

Again, this is one of the more expensive models on the market.

However, if you want to create the safest environment possible for the cancer patient, it’s definitely worth the investment.

  • Pros:
    • Features a very modern design
    • Easy to use
    • Plenty of automatic and smart features
    • A great multi-stage filtration system
    • Ideal for small and large spaces
  • Cons:
    • Relatively expensive
    • Doesn’t have a UV-C light

Best Budget Air Purifier for Cancer Patients: LEVOIT Core 400S

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on an air purifier for cancer patients to get yourself a good and functioning model.

If you want to get a lot of value for your money when buying an air purifier, I highly suggest getting the LEVOIT Core 400S.

This specific Levoit air purifier is small but packs a real punch.

It doesn’t handle areas as large as the previous entry, but it can take spaces up to 675 square feet, which is often way more than enough for the average room.

With that being said, it can also be used in larger rooms such as basements, but it won’t be as effective and won’t be able to purify the air as quickly.

When it comes to its air filtration system, it’s fantastic when it comes to dealing with solid airborne particles such as dust, pollen, and others.

This is thanks to its 3-stage HEPA filtration system, which can capture approximately 99.97% of all solid particles as small as 0.3 microns.

So, even if you aren’t spending that much money, you get comprehensive protection from this model.

Another cool feature is that this air purifier doesn’t use ionizers, which is my major complaint with many similar air purifiers.

This air purifier also has an automatic feature, so all you have to do is turn it on.

The air purifier will then automatically adjust its settings based on the quality of air indoors.

And since this is an intelligent air purifier, it can connect to your phone and other smart devices like Alexa, making the unit’s control much more effortless.

This makes for a very convenient and effective air purifier that would be a great addition to any room.

And even if it’s small, it packs a punch, which is why it’s my favorite pick for people on a budget.

One major drawback of this unit is that it doesn’t have UV-C lights or a carbon-activated filter.

This means that it can only remove solid particles.

In contrast, viruses, bacteria, VOCs, and other harmful gasses and odors will still be present in the room.

That said, it is a budget-friendly pick, and you can’t expect it to have everything.

  • Pros:
    • Easy to use
    • Very affordable
    • A great 3-stage HEPA filtration system
    • Ideal for medium-sized rooms of up to 675 square feet
    • Smart and automatic features
  • Cons:
    • No carbon-activated filter
    • Lacks a UV-C light

Best Premium Air Purifier for Cancer Patients: Medify MA-112

The one complaint I had with both of the previous entries on this list is their lack of UV-C light.

However, I found that you need to spend some money if you want a high-quality air purifier that also uses UV technology to disinfect the air.

And even if this is the most expensive air purifier on the list, I still highly recommend it as it contains features that make it worth it.

In this price range, you can expect a lot of great features, which is what you get with this model.

To start, it has an excellent filtration system with everything you need, from a HEPA filter down to a carbon-activated filter.

But on top of that, the feature I enjoyed the most was the UV-C light.

This adds another layer of protection against germs, viruses, and bacteria, which can cause various respiratory complications in cancer patients.

Another excellent addition is the silent operation of the air purifier.

This is one of the quietest models on the market, which means you can leave it on during the night without worrying about the noise ruining your sleep.

It also sports a modern design that will blend in with almost any interior design concept.

In fact, the only issue I had with this air purifier was the price.

This is the most expensive model on the list, but I placed it here for a reason.

You can rest assured that this air purifier will easily do the job and keep the indoor air as clean and safe as possible.

So, you do get a premium product for a premium price.

If you need a top-quality air purifier for cancer patients and are willing to spend extra money on it, this is the pick for you.

  • Pros:
    • A premium air purifier
    • Packed with fantastic features
    • Very silent operation
    • Comes with a UV-C light
    • A great multi-stage filtration system
  • Cons:
    • Pretty expensive
    • Relatively heavy and not very portable

How to Find the Best Air Purifier for Cancer Patients

As I mentioned, you must find a high-quality air purifier if you’re buying one for a cancer patient.

And while I laid out some of the best picks in the previous section, finding a suitable model can still be challenging.

So, here are a couple of crucial tips to keep in mind when shopping for an air purifier for cancer patients to make things easier.

Focus on the Filtration System

To start, you must ensure that the air purifier has a top-quality filtration system.

I recommend getting an air purifier with a HEPA filter, UV-C lights, and a carbon filter for cancer patients.

This combination is very effective at removing harmful pollutants and particles in the air, which will make indoor air much safer to breathe for cancer patients.

When buying an air purifier, the filtration system is arguably the most essential component, so it’s best to pay close attention to it.

If there’s one type of filtration system I recommend avoiding, it’s an ionizer.

These systems release negative ions into the air, which then bond with different negative particles and cause them to drop to the floor.

While this is generally pretty effective, ozone results from this reaction and is potentially dangerous when inhaled in large quantities.

And since cancer patients are more vulnerable, especially during treatment, avoiding these filtration systems is a great idea.

There are quite a few air purifiers with ionizers on the market that are worth your time.

But if you opt for these models, I recommend turning the ionizer off to keep everyone, including the cancer patient, as safe as possible.

Get the Right Air Purifier for the Size of the Room

Another thing you need to consider when buying an air purifier for cancer patients is the size of the room where you’ll place the machine.

This is because every air purifier has a specific air purification capacity.

This means that you can’t put a 200 square feet air purifier in a large basement as it will hardly make a difference to the indoor air quality.

On the flip side, you shouldn’t put a 1,500-square-feet air purifier in a 200-square-feet room because the unit is too powerful.

You can still do that, but it will be a significant overkill.

So, before going on the market to view your options, I recommend getting the square foot measurements of the room and finding air purifiers built for that room size.

Look for Automatic and Smart Functions

It’s annoying to constantly adjust the air purifier’s strength and settings. It defeats the purpose of creating a more comfortable environment for the patient.

This is why getting an air purifier with automatic and smart functions can be a good idea.

With smart air purifiers, you can control the air purifier from your phone, so you won’t have to stand up and walk across the room to adjust the settings.

And if you get an automatic air purifier, you won’t have to make adjustments at all.

With these air purifiers, you can leave them on, and the air purifier automatically adjusts depending on the room’s air quality.

In most cases, this isn’t a necessary feature.

Still, it comes in handy when buying air purifiers for cancer patients.

Conclusion

Dealing with cancer is a challenge big enough for the person suffering to deal with, and anything that can help ease the situation is always welcomed.

Cancer affects the affected individual’s immune system, making them more susceptible to allergies, respiratory conditions, and the effects of general air pollution.

As a result, having an air purifier inside the room where the cancer patient is staying can help make their life a little easier while improving their quality of sleep.

You must buy the best air purifier for cancer patients, as some aren’t as useful as others.

In this article, I provide a handful of fantastic options to pick from across various price points.

So hopefully, you’ve managed a suitable model for your needs and budget.