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Millions of people in the United States suffer symptoms of allergic rhinitis, and this number is increasing. Some of the most common indoor allergens include dust mite droppings, animal dander, cockroach droppings and mold.
Plus, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that influenza alone has resulted in between 9 million-45 million illnesses, between 140,000-810,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000-61,000 deaths every year since 2010.
While it’s impossible to control all the allergens, bacteria and viruses in your surroundings, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology suggests using an air purifier to improve the air quality in your home.
Some can cost thousands of dollars, but the good news is you can get a highly effective air purifier for less than $100.
The Best-Selling Air Purifier on Amazon
The top-selling air purifier on Amazon right now is also Don’t Waste Your Money’s “Best Value” pick. The GermGuardian Full Room Air Purifier has a 4.4 out of 5 stars average from 14,089 ratings on Amazon.
The GermGuardian‘s three-in-one air purification system uses HEPA, UV-C and charcoal to remove allergens, odors and even airborne viruses and VOCs from the air in medium-sized rooms.
- HEPA filtration, which stands for high-efficiency particulate air, works by forcing air through a fine mesh, trapping potentially harmful particles.
- UV-C air purifiers use short-wave ultraviolet light to inactivate airborne pathogens and microorganisms such as mold, bacteria and viruses. UV light kills bacteria and viruses by destroying the molecular bonds holding their DNA together, yet it is safe for human exposure. Professionals have used UV-C light for more than a century to disinfect water, prevent the transmission of bacteria causing tuberculosis and sanitize hospital rooms.
- Activated charcoal has millions of tiny, porous cells that attract and absorb gases and odors in the air.
Experts recommend this air purifier as an affordable name from a trusted brand that effectively reduces pollutants in rooms up to 390 square feet.
Customers rave over the product, such as this reviewer who called the GermGuardian “life changing.”
“We have two cats in our 4,000 sq ft house. When my sister came from out of state, she asked if our cats ran away,” wrote the reviewer. “She said our home had zero odor or scents, which is what I was going for.”
Another customer said the purifier helped her asthma symptoms.
Other Affordable and Effective Options
Here are some of the other top-ranking air purifiers our Don’t Waste Your Money research team recommends.
The Coway Mighty Air Purifier is small but mighty and ranked as the “Best Overall” in our reviews.
Though it doesn’t have a UV component, this compact unit supplements its HEPA filter with a bipolar ionizer and two additional filters, making it especially attractive to the allergy-prone. This is the purifier to get when you have a medium-to-small size area that you need reliably clean.
The Levoit LV H132 Air Purifier was another top choice in our Don’t Waste Your Money reviews research with reviewers calling it great for allergies and “whisper quiet.”
The Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier is a high-tech air purifier that also eliminates odors.
The LEVOIT Air Purifier uses a three-stage filtration system to clear your air, so it’s great for sensitive people with allergies. It’s highly efficient and ultra-quiet. It also has a built-in night light.
The Pure Enrichment PureZone Air Purifier uses HEPA filtration and UV-C light to clean the air in an area up to 200 square feet.
This air purifier combines a true HEPA filter with a UV-C light to remove particulates and nasty smells. It has two, four and eight-hour auto-shutoff timers. Plus, the five-year warranty and superb customer service mean that this purifier will last.
About the Author
Tricia is a professional writer and editor who lives in North Texas with her family and one smelly dog. She is a wannabe problem solver, junk food maven professional coffee practitioner, web guru and general communicator. More.
