Cream Of The Crop: Top-rated Hep Air Purifiers

The air we breathe contributes greatly to the quality of life that we lead. And with air quality contributing to such common afflictions as asthma and allergies, many people are looking into air purifiers for their homes, apartments and work spaces. Of those available, tests have shown that HEPA air purifiers consistently do a better job than other types of air purifiers, such as ionic, ozone and air purifiers, when it comes to eliminating air impurities.

In most cases, a HEPA air purifier will employ a 3 stage process: the air is pulled through a foam pre-filter, which eliminates larger particles, then through a pleated HEPA filter designed to trap a majority of the particles, and then through a carbon filter to remove odors. HEPA air purifiers also employ pre-filtering, which extends the usable life of the main filter. Here are some of the Consumer Reports Best Rated HEPA air purifiers.

Priced from $650 to $800, the IQ Air Health Pro is one of the more expensive HEPA air purifiers on the market. However, it's been ranked #1 in the industry because it eliminates a wide variety of impurities such as allergens, viruses, bacteria, volatile organic compounds, ammonias and sulfuric gas. For those seeking relief from allergies, asthma and other types of breathing problems, this purifier is highly recommended. It's designed for rooms up to 1,000 square feet and there's a filter alert that tells you when it needs to be changed, which is in the range of every two to four years.

Next on the list of Consumer Reports Best Rated HEPA air purifiers is the HealthMate HM400 model. The HealthMate is part of the Austin air purifier line and retails of about $400. Although great for removing dust and pollen, Consumer Reports found that they were not able to remove smoke particles. Also available for about $100 less is the smaller Austin Air Jr.

These devices were tested using several pertinent criteria. The most important of these is cost-effectiveness - how well does the unit operate compared to the cost? Also taken into account was the annual cost of running the unit in terms of energy use and how often the filters needed to be replaced. Noise level was another area looked at in the tests. Was the unit particularly noisy during operation, or did it run smoothly and quietly? Ease of use was taken into account as well as the type of warranty offered.

As with any purchase, care should be taken to match your needs to the right machine. If you have one specific concern, then it would not be necessary to buy a more expensive machine that does things you don't need it to. With the extensive variety of HEPA air purifiers available, it should be easy to find one that suits your needs.