smartpicklab

I have been testing air purifiers for the past three years. My apartment is in a city with moderate air quality most of the year, but during wildfire season and high pollen days, I rely on air purifiers to keep indoor air breathable. Over the years, I have tested budget models, premium units with smart features, and commercial-grade purifiers designed for large spaces. The market is crowded with products that look similar on spec sheets but perform very differently in real-world use. Here is what I have learned about choosing the right one. How Air Purifiers Actually Work Air purifiers use mechanical filtration to trap particles. The most effective systems use a True HEPA filter (High-Efficiency Particulate Air), which must capture at least 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns in diameter. That size is significant because it represents the most penetrating particle size — particles smaller than 0.3 microns are more likely to be captured by diffusion, and particles larger than 0.3 micr...