Best Air Purifier for Mold Gadget Review - Your lifestyle gadget site
The best air purifiers for mold are not all created equally, and those developed to treat dust may not be ideal for removing other pollutants from the air. In this top three guide, we’ve narrowed down the very best air purifier for mold and allergies based on purification methods, staged filtration, and filter specifications.
A mold and germ destroying air purifier eliminates dangerous, organic toxins in the air by trapping spores and living particulate in a dry HEPA filter, causing organisms to die from a lack of moisture. For this technical review, we compared the effectiveness of multi-staged filtration methods used by various air cleaner manufacturers and weighed the quality of HEPA and activated carbon filters employed. Those scoring highly demonstrated superior engineering inclusive of: effective pollutant isolation via internal seals between cleansing stages, comparatively higher volume of adsorption media, medical-grade HEPA filters, and component construction developed for heavy use. So, what is the absolute best air purifier for mold spore filtration?
From our technical review, the #1 top pick and Editor’s Choice for the best air purifier for mold and mildew is the IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier. The system’s micro-particle filtration stage helps to cleanse the air of mold spores before a granular activated carbon adsorption stage coupled with a pelletized alumina chemisorption filter removes volatile organic compounds and destroys dangerous chemicals with an oxidation process. Lastly, the unit’s HEPA filter captures bacteria, viruses, and other hazardous particles before returning clean air to its environment.
Best Air Purifier for Mold
 |
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now | |
| IQAir HealthPro Plus | Blueair Classic 405 | Austin Air HealthMate | |
| Rank | #1 - Editor’s Choice/ Best Air Purifier for Mold |
#2 - Best Air Purifier for Mold and Dust |
#3 - Best Air Purifier for Mold and Allergies |
| Amazon Rating |  |
 |
|
| Warranty | 5-Year | 5-Year | 5-Year |
| HEPA |  |
|
|
| Price | $899 | $599 | $506 |
How We Choose the Best Air Purifiers for Mold
Internal Seals
Airborne pollution comes in many forms, but the one thing that stays consistent is size. Aside from visible dust, most particulate pollution is tiny – microscopic in fact – and if the air purifier isn’t assembled with internal seals to prevent air from escaping before it’s been cleaned then you might as well not even have an air purifier at all.
All the models that made our list have been engineered with industrial-grade seals and filtration compartments, meant to ensure that dirty air is processed through filters and treatment processes prior to returning to the environment it’s been pulled from. If an initial review model was found to have a major design flaw allowing contaminated air to escape before the exhaust, we eliminated it from our review.
Media Quality and Volume
Machines employing carbon filtration were carefully reviewed to ensure that the medium of choice ranked as some of the highest quality in the industry segment. Activated carbon filters with more weight provide a greater surface area for capturing contaminants and also typically last longer – we’ve ensured that the models in this list reign superior to others in the vertical when it comes to carbon filtration.
Medical-Grade HEPA Filtration
HEPA. We’ve all heard the term, but how many of us really understand what HEPA is and why it’s critical to air filtration? If you want to learn more about HEPA filters we have an article just for that. Otherwise, it’s important to understand the very basics: various HEPA grades are available to manufacturers of air purifiers, and a company’s selection of medical-grade, high-performance HEPA filters demonstrates not only superior device functionality, but also the company’s commitment to superior customer health. All of the units included in this list employ medical-grade HEPA filters as part of multi-staged air purification.
Industrial Design
When it comes to mold spore removal, we think of damp spaces that are undergoing remodeling and/or remediation, and while this isn’t always going to be the case, we wanted to ensure that the units that made our final list were built tough – tough enough to take a minor beating, and devoid of components that break when you manhandle them. Our top picks are built solidly and can endure demanding environments and long run times in less than perfect environmental conditions.
Why You Should Buy an Air Purifier for Mold Spore Removal
Mold spores, pollen, viruses, and other organic pollutants like dust mites all account for reducing the class of indoor air quality, and the American Lung Association considers these a significant threat to overall health and wellness, potentially causing lost days at both work and school. That said, a literal plethora of medical studies are available to the curious mind that delve deep into the relationship between molds, and allergies and asthma, and they all have slightly different conclusions. One thing that keeps constant though is the fact that breathing clean, dry air is better for respiratory health than breathing contaminated air.
Using an indoor air purifier to remove pollutants can significantly improve the quality of your respiratory health, while mitigating risks that have been associated with molds, spores, fungi, and other airborne particulates.
Buying the best air purifier for mold risk mitigation can make a lasting impact on you and your family’s long-term health, and having said that let’s dive into our top picks.
#1 Pick IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier – Editor’s Choice/Best Air Purifier for Mold
An awesome air purifier for most applications
Price: $899 | Medical-Grade HEPA: Yes | Weight: 35 lbs
WHY IT’S A TOP PICK: The HealthPro Plus from IQAir is one of the most solidly engineered air purifiers we’ve reviewed.
IQAir’s 3D UltraSeal system prevents leaks of polluted air before being processed through a multi-stage filtration process. Tongue and groove seals seat filter media to the frame of the machine, and the UltraSeal seals seat the filter frame to the purifier body. Removable media trays also have their own seals to ensure cross contamination between stages doesn’t happen – of course this is pretty much a non-issue considering the differential pressure between the filter stages (incoming higher pressure air contacts each filter stage and results in a lower pressure air output after passing through the media…backflow isn’t physically possible under normal operating conditions).
The HealthPro Plus is a mold and germ destroying air purifier that uses traditional air purification methods to treat the surrounding environment. No ionization or ultraviolet light treatment stages in this machine, which means no harmful VOCs in the air for you.
Six fan speeds can be selected from the air purifier’s control panel, and an automatic timer can be configured for daytime and nighttime use. A differential pressure sensor detects changes in filter performance, and alerts the owner when the filter is approaching its end of life.
#2 Pick Best Air Purifier for Mold and Dust – Blueair Classic 405
A mid-level air purifier from Blueair that’s sure to win praise
Price: $599 | Medical-Grade HEPA: Yes | Weight: 31 lbs
WHY IT’S A TOP PICK: Without a doubt one of Blueair’s best medium-sized air purifiers.
We’re big fans of Blueair’s product line; from its high-capacity Pro XL model to its economical Classic 203, these machines are very well-engineered and do exactly what they’re supposed to for years on end before breaking down. If you’ve read some of our other reviews on air purifiers, you’ll know that we’re not fans of machines using ionization and/or ultraviolet light to eliminate air pollutants due to a byproduct of these technologies being ozone – which (at high enough levels) can cause respiratory problems.
However, Blueair’s ionization process has been lab tested to ensure that the ozone levels leaving the device are lower than the levels entering it. It’s the best of both worlds really. Ionization can be an extremely effective means at eliminating pollutants if it’s used properly, and Blueair knows its stuff.
The Classic 405 is a seamless air purifier that provides excellent performance for medium-sized areas (rated for spaces up to 434 square feet). It’s extremely quiet even on its highest setting, and the machine can be controlled via Blueair’s mobile app “Blueair Friend.” We had a little bit of trouble with Wi-Fi connectivity on our test units, but after some reconfiguration we were able to reliably connect. Our recommendation though is that consumers interested in buying the 405, or another one of Blueair’s non-i models, also purchase Blueair’s Aware indoor air quality sensor – otherwise the mobile app only allows users to change the fan speed.
Air purifiers that remove mold, like the 405, should be used only as health risk mitigation devices and users should attempt to eliminate mold and mildew sources directly to completely remove mold spores from indoor environments.
#3 Pick Best Air Purifier for Mold and Allergies – Austin Air HealthMate
The Healthmate Standard HM 400
Price: $506 | Medical-Grade HEPA: Yes | Weight: 45 lbs
WHY IT’S A TOP PICK: Austin Air makes some of the best air purifiers on the planet, the HealthMate is no exception.
Austin Air is a leader in the home air purification business, producing superior products meant to last and outperform most other competitors. Its machines, inclusive of the HealthMate, are engineered with great attention to process detail. Ironically most consumers miss this about the company, as all of its air purifiers are relatively simple looking – but Austin Air isn’t about bells and whistles, rather they’re solely focused on superior air cleaning products and nothing else (which is still a plus in our book).
The HealthMate employs a pre-filter, medium particulate filter, impregnated carbon and zeolite filter, and a medical-grade HEPA filter to ensure maximum filtration in even non-ideal environments.
Key Factors
Multi-Stage Air Cleaning
- Mold spores are typically captured by medium-sized particulate filters, but some spores can make it through various stages until reaching the HEPA filter. Multi-staged purification ensures that airborne particulates captured by your air cleaner have a higher probability of being removed by the machine.
HEPA
- Should mold spores reach the HEPA filter used by your air purifier, interlaced threads in the filter will attract the particulates and capture them. Dry environments, like the HEPA filter, are inhospitable for spore reproduction and cause the organic material to die.
Air Cleaner Construction
- Industrial seals keep contaminants from escaping once caught by the machine, but they also ensure that the machine itself isn’t compromised by its environment. Things like internal moisture protection, positive air pressure relative to the environment being treated, and airflow engineering into and out of the machine all ensure that the air cleaning process works in practice as well as it works in theory.
Features
User Interface: Few of us like complicated controls. With that in mind, we set out to include machines on our list that are easy to configure, use, and understand. These are mostly “set them and forget them” devices, but understanding filter change indications, speed settings, and automation functions are an important part of the consumer experience.
Sensor Technology: Not too many sensor are considered necessities on machines like these, but we prefer a few: 1) Differential pressure sensors to indicate filter replacement, 2) Environmental sensors to automate fan speed based on pollution detection, and 3) Day/night programs to ensure a peaceful environment while resting.
Caster Wheels: Larger units can be wonderful additions to the home, or office, but moving them can be a chore. Caster wheels are an easy addition for most manufacturers and provide that additional level of convenience when unboxing and relocating machines. We’re fans of wheels; yay wheels!
Mistakes to Avoid
Air purifier filters vary greatly based on intended application. Avoid buying an air purifier that isn’t designed to reduce and/or eliminate mold spores in the air, because antimicrobial filters are designed to kill organic pollutants on contact and offer greater protection from contaminants like molds. Medical-grade HEPA filters coupled with pre-filters designed for mold spores capture particulate in an environment that isn’t ideal for propagation – leading to the organisms’ death.
What Else You Should Think About
Molds and mildew should be dealt with primarily at the source. High humidity environments are conducive to mold propagation. Our recommendation is to 1) Treat the source first, 2) Install an air purifier that’s designed to remove mold spores from the air, and 3) Install a dehumidifier to ensure that the environment’s humidity is kept around 40-45% (to kill mold the environment’s humidity needs to be under 50%, ideally around 35%). These steps should completely remove spores from the air and eliminate mold entirely.
If you’re looking for something a little more budget-friendly, consider the Honeywell 50250 HEPA air purifier which we covered in our best air purifiers for allergies and dust article. Aside from a dehumidifier, humidity control can also be maintained with a portable air conditioner. Also, ensure you keep your air purifier clean by following best practices and guidelines set by the manufacturer.
Our Editor’s Choice for the best air purifier for mold, the IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier is an expertly crafted air cleaner that when used properly can significantly reduce the inhalation risk of airborne mold spores.
The post Best Air Purifier for Mold appeared first on Gadget Review.
from Gadget Review http://ift.tt/2hntSqN
No comments: