Today's air purifier technology is so complex, most consumers do not know a thing about how it works and what to look for in an air purifier. I will explain some of the common terms you probably hear when buying an air purifier and what to look for.
MERV Rating
The MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) Rating is a standard used by most air purifier companies to measure the efficiency of their air purifiers. It is an industry standard among air purifier companies so you can safely use this rating to compare different brands of air purifiers.
The MERV rating is from 1 to 16. Generally speaking the higher the merv rating, the more efficient is the air purifier. Most air purifier manufacturers will indicate the MERV rating on the box itself. A rating between 6 to 12 is considered good and should meet your needs.
The CADR Level
The CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) Level is another industry standard used to measure the rate of delivered clean air. So how do the air purifier manufacturers measure the clean air delivery rate and arrive at the numbers? It is measured by measuring the processing air volume of the 3 most common contaminants in our atmosphere. They are smoke, dust and pollen.
For each contaminant, the higher the CADR level, the more efficient it is at processing the contaminant. So you should pick an air purifier with high CADR numbers for all three components.
Another factor that you should consider before purchasing an air purifier is the air filter. This is one of the items you will need to replace often and so you may want to check the prices of an replacement air filter.
There are also some retailers who sell generic air filters. They are generally cheaper than original air filters but quality wise may not be that good.
My recommendation would depend on whether you are considering to purchase a more expensive air purifier or a cheaper one. If you are going to purchase a better air purifier, then use original air filters as they are more reliable and will not damage your air purifier. On the other hand, using OEM air filters may not be a bad thing if you are purchasing a cheaper air purifier.
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