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The Best Home Humidifiers and Air Purifiers

It is not your imagination; the prevalence of allergies has been increasing over the past 30 years, according to allergy expert Dr. Adrian Morris. Environment, genetics, lifestyle choices and even geography all play a role. About 40 million Americans have allergies of some kind. Keeping your home free of allergens is a good solution. One way to do that is with humidifiers and air purifiers. There are quality products in these categories and the model you need depends somewhat on your circumstances.

  1. Humidifier Benefits and Concerns

    • Humidifiers are designed to put moisture back in the air. This is particularly helpful for those with skin problems and allergies. Also those affected by dry eyes benefit from humidifier products. Living in a very dry climate is often a trigger for people with breathing problems. Adding humidity is the solution, but humidifiers require work. Maintenance of humidifier units is extremely important. Without cleaning and upkeep, you can introduce bacteria or allergy triggers into the air from them.

    Humidifier Types

    • When considering a humidifier, know that there are a variety of kinds. There are individual units that are powered either with moving disks, vibration or fans. Ones that produce a warm or hot steam are vaporizers. Those that emit a cool mist are humidifiers. A unit that attaches to the furnace or heating system is a whole house or central humidifier. All have advantages and disadvantages. When shopping for one, consider total humidity level, how quickly humidity increases, energy efficiency, ease of use and cost.

    Best Humidifiers

    • The best humidifier is one that maintains the proper humidity level. It is even better if you can read the humidity level on the unit.Between 30 percent to 50 percent moisture is ideal. You need to clean individual humidifier units every three days, so those that are easy to take apart and clean are better for their owners. Also, getting more humidity quickly makes a humidifier reliable and probably more energy efficient. According to Good Housekeeping.com, the Holmes HM5305-UC gets humidity levels up the quickest. For energy efficiency, the Honeywell HCM-631 was listed as the best.

    Air Purifier Benefits and Concerns

    • An air purifier is designed to clean the air instead of add humidity to it. Scrubbing the air means removing dust, pet dander, bacteria, viruses, chemicals and fumes. It also can eliminate tobacco odors. This is essential for those prone to infections, asthma or allergies. The way purifiers clean the air can be a concern though. If they use ozone, this could be cause for concern since ozone is one of the main ingredients of smog and is a lung irritant. The types that use HEPA filters instead avoid that problem.

    Air Purifier Types

    • Essentially, purifiers can clean the air with HEPA filters, ozone or an electrostatic process. Some purifiers are central for a whole house. Others are individual units that are designed to sit on a table or flat surface. Some are considered room purifiers. You may find a combination humidifier and air purifier.

    Best Air Purifiers

    • An air purifier that uses a HEPA filter that has to be replaced and is called a "room" purifier is considered the better option for removing allergens, but they do not get rid of odors. This type operates most effectively if kept in rooms with the most allergens and with windows and doors shut. Consumer Research's website recommends the IQ Air Health Pro Plus for severe allergy sufferers. You may want to use a rating system to identify the best air purifier for you. Consider cost, size, capacity, noise level and filter type and performance length before you purchase one.

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