I didn’t believe that air purifiers were effective for the longest time. But after staying in my friend’s guest room with an air purifier for one night, I completely changed my mind.
There was only one thing – I got scammed when I bought my air purifier.
I made one of the most common mistakes a person can make when purchasing an air purifier – falling for marketing scams. Because of this, I ended up paying a lot more for an air purifier that didn’t exactly offer the features I wanted or needed.
And whenever I hear my friends say they’re interested in buying an air purifier for themselves, I urge them not to make the same mistakes.
With that in mind, I figured if I made a guide to common air purifier scams and how to avoid them, there will be fewer people who buy these scammy products. And if fewer people buy these products, companies won’t be as eager to make them.
So, here are some of the most common air purifier scams on the market and how you can avoid them yourself.
The Most Common Air Purifier Scams
The thing with today’s market is that there are a lot of false marketing claims and scams – especially in terms of air purifiers.
Most people simply buy an air purifier, leave it on, and never give it a second thought, so many customers don’t even know that they’re paying for useless or sub-par features.
And if you’re looking to avoid these common scams, awareness is key.
So, let me explain the two most common air purifier marketing scams I encountered when I decided to buy my first air purifier.
Fake HEPA Filters
The first and probably the most widespread air purifier scam are in the filters themselves.
When buying an air purifier, the filter is arguably the most important feature.
If you have a good filter, it will be able to capture even the finest of particles and prevent them from entering your lungs.
And nowadays, I recommend not settling for anything less than a legitimate HEPA filter.
In fact, if you can manage, I would suggest looking for an H13 HEPA filter, which is arguably the best one for air purifiers.
However, you have to pay close attention to your HEPA filter. There are many companies that claim to have a HEPA filter in their air purifiers. But if you take a closer look, you’ll find that many of them have “HEPA-like” filters.
These don’t meet the standards to qualify as a legitimate HEPA filter, so it won’t be able to do as good a job at filtering out and capturing particles.
I completely fell for this scam the first time I bought an air purifier. I didn’t notice that the fine print of the features stated that this is a HEPA-like filter.
So, I urge customers not to make the same mistakes I did when buying an air purifier and don’t settle for anything less than a TRUE HEPA filter.
Ozone Generators
This is one of the scams I didn’t fall for.
Luckily, I read an article right before buying my first air purifier on why ozone generators aren’t ideal for any air purifier.
This is because the ozone gas that these air purifiers generate can be very harmful to the lungs and irritate you if you inhale it, especially in closed quarters.
However, many manufacturers love putting ozone generators in their air purifiers.
This is because ozone has a “clean” and “fresh” scent that tricks many people into thinking the air is clean.
It’s very important to remember that just because a room smells good doesn’t mean the air is clean.
So, if you see an air purifier with an ozone generator, keep in mind that all the ozone does is generate a scent. It doesn’t do anything to clean the air, and inhaling ozone can even cause more harm than good, which is very important to remember.
How to Avoid Air Purifier Scams
The first step to avoiding air purifier scams is actually knowing about the scams.
However, that isn’t the only way to avoid them.
Air purifier manufacturers are smart, and they can mix in a lot of marketing terms that can deceive customers and make them think they should pay more for these specific air purifiers.
So, here are a couple of tips to follow to help you avoid common air purifier scams.
Read the Numbers
The first thing you need to do is read the numbers. Manufacturers can deceive you a lot with misleading advertising.
However, even the most skilled ad copywriters won’t be able to hide or mask true facts.
It should go without saying that you need to read the specs of your air purifier before buying one.
However, if you can, we recommend looking at the specific numbers instead of the ad copy on the packaging or product page.
The first thing to consider is the clean air delivery rate (CADR), which shows how much air can move through the purifier in a minute.
The more air that can move through the purifier, the better it can cleanse the room.
So, I recommend going for models that have a higher CADR rating.
And if you can’t see a CADR on the packaging or specifications, there’s probably a reason the manufacturer is hiding these numbers.
With that in mind, you don’t always need the highest CADR possible.
All you want is a CADR that can meet the requirements of your room.
The higher the CADR, the bigger the room the air purifier can handle.
Look for Trusted Brands
Another way to find a good air purifier is to buy one from a trusted brand.
While you don’t need to invest in premium models like BlueAir or Dyson (though it would be nice), you do need to get half-decent brands that meet certain criteria.
There are many air purifier brands and manufacturers out there.
This is why I highly suggest looking at actual customer reviews of different brands.
The more reviews, the better. This is because you can see the opinions of customers who have actually tried the brand, which is very valuable.
Take Your Time
Lastly, I highly recommend practicing patience when buying an air purifier.
There are tons of specs, features, and other technicalities you need to know. And just understanding what these numbers and terms mean can take a lot of time.
From there, you also need to figure out which specific features and specs you would need in your air purifier. And doing all of this is not going to be quick.
When I purchased my first air purifier, I didn’t take my time.
This was because I was so excited after feeling the difference when my friend showed me their air purifier that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one myself. And while I was able to get my air purifier right away, I quickly learned that it wasn’t the right model for me.
There were tons of features on the air purifier that were flat-out useless and others that didn’t do the job advertised.
These were all features that I spent my money on that I wish I could get back.
So, when it comes time for you to finally purchase an air purifier, take your time. We understand that it can be really annoying to learn all these features, specs, and the technology behind the air purifier.
But trust me, if you really take the time to learn about all these things, it will be much easier to find yourself an air purifier that actually works and does the job well.
Features to Look for in a Good Air Purifier
Here are some of the key features you need to look for when purchasing an air purifier:
Filtration System
First, you need to look for a good filtration system. This is the heart of the air purifier, and if you don’t have a good filtration system, then the rest of the air purifier is useless. And one thing I really recommend looking for, regardless of your price range, is a true HEPA filter.
I already discussed earlier how hard it could be to find a true HEPA filter, but it will be worth it. However, this may not be the only filter you will need in your air purifier. On top of a HEPA filter, you may also need an activated carbon filter.
The reason for this is that a regular HEPA filter, even an H13 won’t be able to filter out gaseous particles in the air. If you’re looking to remove odors from your kitchen and home, a HEPA filter won’t do the job. However, an activated carbon filter will easily be able to do this and eliminate any harmful odors that may be in your home.
There are also some air purifiers with a washable pre-filter available. This offers a little bit of extra protections, which can go a really long way. So, whenever you buy an air purifier, make sure you consider the air filter.
Automatic Mode
If you want to make the most out of your air purifier, you need to keep it on 24/7. And you can really make the most out of an air purifier if it has an automatic mode. These air purifiers are equipped with a sensor that can detect the number of particles in the air and make adjustments accordingly.
For example, if you have a lot of particles floating around in the air, the air purifier increases fan speed.
This allows the machine to easily filter out and absorb as many particles as possible. And once the air quality normalizes, it lowers the fan speed so you don’t end up overworking the air purifier.
While it may not seem like it, this is an incredibly useful feature. With automatic mode, you can really turn your air purifier on and forget about it, which is crucial if you want to ensure you have clean and filtered air all the time.
Smart Features
Okay, this is not exactly a requirement. But when I bought my first air purifier, I skipped out on the smart features.
But as I told you, my first air purifier didn’t satisfy my needs and I had to upgrade it. And when I did, I got one with smart features, and it made a huge difference.
The thing is that it can be hard to tweak the air purifier and turn it on manually. But once I got a smart air purifier that would connect to my phone, everything became much easier.
This is because I could easily turn the air purifier on, shut it off, make changes to the settings, and access a bunch of new features.
Conclusion
There are a lot of misleading marketing tactics when it comes to the world of air purifiers. And even if you do the research, it can be easily to fall victim to these tactics. But if you understand what the common scams in the industry are, then it becomes much easier to avoid them.
So, before you go ahead and choose an air purifier for your home, make sure to really go through the options on this list. From there, you’ll find it much easier to find a model that suits your needs and comes with features that make an actual difference.
And now that you know how to avoid the common air purifier scams, all that’s left fort you to do is research the different options on the internet and make your choice!