Dorm Room Air Purifier-5 Best Features To Choose In A Dormitory Room Air Purifier

This year if back to school means sending your baby off to college and dormitory living, one of the most important things you can pack is an air purifier.

With Swine Flu outbreaks continuing to occur on college campuses, extra protection for your child seems prudent. And because you can't always choose the quality of the space or even the roommate, having an air purifier is a proactive step to take to help insure your child's good health.

Here are 5 features that will make the air purifier you choose effective in any dorm room. Compact-Dorm rooms are well known for their lack of space, so an effective air cleaner needs to take up as little floor space as possible and be flexible in its placement in the room.

That means it needs to be able to function effectively on the floor, up on a shelf, and should need only about 6 inches clearance from any wall. Avoid those units that must be placed in the middle of the room or you'll find it will simply be shoved to the side lines and never used.

Rugged-Steel housing is a good idea for several reasons, the first being the most obvious-its tough stuff. Secondly, a good air purifier needs to operate 24 hours a day to keep up with airborne pollutants like dust, pollen, mold and mildew spores, odors, bacteria and viruses.

Choosing a cleaner made of steel will avoid the noxious off gassing that often occurs with plastic units when the motor heats up the housing.

Low Maintenance-The last thing you want your student to have to do is to spend time maintaining the air purifier. If it needs a lot of attention, it probably won't get it, and will sit in a corner unused, which totally defeats the purpose.

Avoid those cleaners that need their filters washed, charged or sprayed. Instead choose a purifier that contains a canister with multiple filters that are designed to last all through their college years (5 year filter life) and needs only an occasional vacuuming on the outside.

Light Weight-You remember your college days, and so you know that furniture gets moved around a lot. In order for the cleaner to be a true companion for your student's health, it needs to be able to go with the flow and be light enough to move where it's needed that week.

Durable-Opt for a purifier that has a substantial warranty of at least 5 years so that you know that it will last. Just knowing that the manufacturer is willing to stand behind the unit for 5 years is an indication that it is well made, and probably means it most likely will last and not need repair. But if it doesn't, you've got an ace in the hole.

The cost of sending your student to college with an air purifier like this is about 17 cents per day. Knowing your student is breathing the cleanest air possible--priceless.