Each of us is different. Some of us like the cold, some of us want to live where the yearly low temperature is a crisp 75-degrees. Some of us love dogs, some of us love cats, and some of us want a spider for a pet.
We all have different likes and dislikes, just like we all have different dreams and desires. And as different as we all are, we have different needs in order to make us as happy and comfortable as possible.
Just like a person might prefer to drive a truck over a car, they might prefer to live in an apartment over a house. There are plenty of different reasons a person might pick an apartment: the rent is usually cheaper, electricity costs are much lower, and we don’t all need all the space of a house.
But whether you choose to live in a house or in an apartment, an air purifier is a good investment for anyone who desires clean air. Check out the reviews of the best air purifiers for apartment living.
What to Look for in an Apartment Air Purifier
There are multiple things you need to keep in mind when you’re shopping for an air purifier. For starters, what type of filter do you want? The industry standard for the last few years has been the True HEPA filter, and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon. A True HEPA is efficient enough to capture 99.97% of particles in the air, meaning that it captures allergens as small as 0.3 microns in size.
Area Coverage is Important
The most important thing, though, when shopping for the best air purifiers for apartment living, is area coverage.
If you’re living in an 800-square-foot apartment, you don’t need a large room air purifier with an area coverage of 1150-square-feet. This is a good way to cut costs without skimping on quality because most companies will make models of their high-quality units for smaller spaces.
Choose Wisely
Be careful when you’re buying an air purifier, though! There are tons of air purifiers on the market that will offer you amazing new ways to “clean” your air or give you “mountain fresh air, right in your home!” What these companies are selling you is usually an ozone generator. Ozone, when it’s in the air around us, is a dangerous lung irritant that will do more harm than good, especially if you’re exposed to it for long periods of time.
What these companies promise you is that ozone will clean the air by destroying odors, germs, and pathogens at the molecular level, and in that way, they aren’t technically lying. What they fail to mention, however, is that ozone is indiscriminate in its destruction of molecules, and it will destroy the molecules that make up the lining of your sinuses just as quickly as it will destroy a flu virus. And for those with small children, ozone has been definitively linked to the development of childhood asthma. For that reason, it’s always best to keep it out of the home.
Some of the Best Air Purifiers for Apartment Living
Below are just a few good air purifiers for apartments and small rooms. Remember that no matter where you live, a small room air purifier will work either in a small living room or right in your bedroom.
Honeywell 50250-S
The Honeywell 50250-S is one of the best rated and highest selling air purifiers on the market. It boasts an excellent HEPA filter to capture small particles. It is not the best-looking air purifier but it is extremely good at eliminating dust in the air. The round design allows for 360-degrees of flow. For more information, read the detailed review of the Honeywell 50250-S air purifier
Features
- True HEPA filter
- Area Coverage of up to 390 Square Feet
- Glass-fiber HEPA material helps remove airborne viruses and bacteria
Cons
- Slightly loud but bearable
Blueair 403
The Blueair 403 is a step down from their large-room 603 model, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less quality. With an area coverage of 365 square feet, this unit is perfect for a small living room or even a bedroom. Blueair’s HEPASilent filters are proven to be more effective than a True HEPA filter, cleaning the air of up to 99.97% of airborne particles. For more information, read the detailed review of the BlueAir 403 air purifier.
Features
- HEPASilent technology
- CADR of 240 for smoke, dust, and pollen
- Easy filter changes
Cons
- Some customers complained of a chemical smell
- Replacement filters can be expensive
GermGuardian AC4825
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With an area coverage of about 340 square feet, the GermGuardian would be perfect to use in your living room. This product is one of the best selling products on the market today. It boasts a tower design so it can be stored efficiently in a corner of the room without taking up any room. Read the detailed GermGuardian AC4825 air purifier review here.
Features
- Area Coverage of 150 Square Feet
- True HEPA filter life of up to 5 years
- Includes pre-filter to capture more particles
Cons
- Not suited for large rooms
What’s So Great about Air Purifiers?
Air purifiers clean the air in your home by forcing it through a series of filters that trap various things like pet dander and pollen. For the sorts of things that regular filters can’t pick up, like smoke and chemical fumes, many air purifiers have a carbon filter. For people with certain sensitivities to odors or allergens, an air purifier may be the difference between daily headaches and a comfortable home environment.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to quality, both Alen and the Blueair are very similar. Both offer great products that do not use gimmicks to clean the air. Both the Alen and the Blue Air are easy on the electric bill. Either way… with any of these machines you’ll be happy.
The one thing that Alen has going for it, though, is the quality of their customer service. You don’t have to buy into any special filter replacement club just to be covered by their warranty like you do with Blueair.