Does an Air Purifier Really Work?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency says that indoor levels of air pollutants might be two to five times higher than outdoor levels. In some cases, they can be 100 times higher. This is concerning, to say the least — especially considering that the majority of us spend most of our time indoors. That’s where air purifiers come in. You might be considering buying one and asking yourself, “Does an air purifier really work?”

Let’s talk about the technology at work, here.

Do Air Purifiers Actually Work?

Air purifiers have become somewhat trendy lately, and a lot of brands are jumping on the bandwagon. You can find tiny desktop systems for less than $50, and freestanding air purifiers for roughly $800.

But… are they worth the investment?

The short version: Yes, quality air purifiers can absolutely improve the air you’re breathing.

Let’s get into the longer version.

First, it helps to understand how air purification works. The device usually has a filter (or several filters) inside made of paper, fiber, or mesh, and a fan that sucks the dirty air in. As the air comes in and moves through the filter, the filter will trap any undesirable particles and pollutants, like dust, pet dander, pollen, and smoke. The air it circulates back out is noticeably cleaner.

Importantly, air purifiers shouldn’t be relied on to filter out gasses (unless they have a carbon filter — more on that in a moment), or any allergens that are already embedded into your furniture, flooring, or walls.

As the air purifier runs, you’ll need to clean, maintain, and replace the filters as needed.

Other models use ionizers to literally attract particles and pollution. These are unique because their negative ions connect with dust and allergens to remove them from the air. Ionizers don’t actually trap particles, which means you have to vacuum them up promptly. Be sure to do your homework before buying this type of air purifier, and avoid purchasing one that produces ozone. (Just check the packaging — it’ll say.)

Aside from purchasing a reliable air purifier from a reputable brand, you can ensure that yours works effectively by giving it the maintenance that it needs to run optimally. Replace your filter when necessary. Typical air purifiers need filters replaced quarterly through the year. If you do this, you’ll notice a significant reduction in your indoor air quality. If you’re experiencing anything like asthma, allergies, a stuffy nose, or a light cough, you might also notice that these, too, diminish. Although you might not see your air purifier doing its job, you can quite literally feel the difference.

Do note that there are other variables you might need to consider. For instance, if you tend to keep your windows open, your air purifier might have a harder time doing its job. Similarly, where you put your machine and how long it runs throughout the day can play a role. You might find that a little trial and error is necessary to see where you should place your purifier to get the best results.

Now that you have a rough idea of how air purifiers work and what you should look for when shopping around, let’s talk more specifically about how Sans is raising the bar — and why you should care.

What Makes a Good Air Purifier Unbeatable?

Sans takes your health seriously; so, when we set out to design our first purifier, we asked ourselves this: “How can we do better than every other brand on the market?”

We came up with a pretty powerful solution, and it gives you not one layer of protection, but four.

The Pre-Filter: Where it All Starts

It’s the machine’s first line of defense. This layer captures all of the larger pollutants and particles, like hair and dust.

By adding in a pre-filter, the three layers that come after it are able to do their job more effectively and really zero in on those smaller and more challenging particles.

The HEPA 13 Filter

High efficiency particulate air — more commonly known as HEPA. Sans raised the standard by using a HEPA 13 filter, offering a level of efficiency that’s medical grade.

This filter will remove at least 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, and 99.95% of particles as small as 0.1 microns.

Those numbers might not mean much to you, but let us give you a little context: The average human hair is roughly 90 microns thick.

So, you could say that the HEPA 13 filter is pretty good at what it does.

The HEPA 13 filter is the backbone of our air purifiers and pulls most of the weight. It can catch viruses and bacteria, along with allergens like pollen, dander, dust mites, and mold spores.

The Activated Carbon Filter

We mentioned earlier that your run-of-the-mill air purifier likely won’t capture any gasses, so Sans set out to make this possible.

That’s where our activated carbon filter comes in.

While the pre-filter and HEPA 13 filter do the work of capturing solid pollutants and particles, the activated carbon filter will neutralize volatile organic compounds, like formaldehyde. You might be wondering how you could ever have a chemical like formaldehyde in your home. Unbeknownst to many, common household cleaning products, personal care products, fabrics, and furniture can also invite in dangerous gas compounds.

During your experience with Sans, if you happen to notice that any unwanted odors disappear from your home, this is also thanks to the activated carbon filter.

The UV-C Light

The UV-C light works undercover, only affecting what’s going on inside your Sans unit. By this point, the previous three filters have trapped all of the mold, viruses, and bacteria circulating around your home.

The UV-C light ensures that they won’t come back to hurt you. Its pulses neutralize these pathogens and microorganisms so that they can’t grow on the filters and make you sick.

You eat nutritious food, drink water, stay active, and get plenty of sleep — all to care for your health as best you can. Shouldn’t the air you breathe get the same consideration?

Sans was born out of the coronavirus pandemic, and it's our mission to make the indoors safer and cleaner for all. Shop our collections today.