THE HOUSEHOLD AIR PURIFIER HAS COME A LONG WAY. NO LONGER BULKY INDUSTRIAL-LOOKING BOXES THAT CLUTTER UP A ROOM, NOW YOU CAN CHOOSE A SLEEK MODEL THAT NOT ONLY CLEANSES THE AIR YOU BREATHE, BUT BLENDS EASILY WITH YOUR DECOR.
The rays of sunlight filtering through the windows can easily reveal dust that’s quickly amassed by the hordes. Beyond the necessary scrubbing of counters and cabinets, the air inside your home needs an equal dose of refreshing.
In fact, it’s a shock to find that statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show the air inside is two-to-five times (and in some cases 100-times) more polluted than the air outside. While homes have tightened their design to keep the elements out – thereby conserving energy – this sealing has worked as a double-edged sword keeping indoor pollutants such as dust mites, pet dander, and even gas, oil, and chemicals from cleaning products holed-up in the rooms where you and your family rest and recover.
Add to these factors that we spend an average 90-percent of our time indoors, and it’s no wonder the EPA ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental dangers.
Your solution: invest in an air purifier.
Luckily, the purifiers of today have come light-years from the mouth-and-nose pieces of the 16th century, when the concept was first being explored. Later, Leonardo da Vinci even developed his own cloth air purifier, intended to protect sailors from breathing toxic weapon powders. The U.S. Army would develop the first HEPA filters in the 1940s attempting to offset radioactive chemical warfare agents. They took the concept to consumers, starting the trend of their commercial use. The original filters however were combustible, and looked like dreadful industrial pieces. But that’s what people wanted: practical and economical devices.
The first highly-effective air purifier didn’t come to market until 1994, moving the dial towards the purifiers we think of today. Fast forward to 2017 and there’s a vast array of upscale purifying approaches. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation creates sterilized fan-forced air passed through UV lamps. HEPA filters are where contaminated air particles float through and are trapped by a filter via forced air. Activated carbon makes use of a porous material that traps chemicals in their molecular state. And ionizer purifiers use electrically changed surfaces to generate electrically charged gas ions that attach to airborne particles and are collected to charged plate.
The real design momentum has now shifted to a different level. Taking the modem itself to new heights, engineers have zeroed attention on the outward look, seeking to transform the shell of air purifiers to become an element of in-home composition – not just a metal (or plastic) box that clashes with your Rothko.
Stylistic air purifiers are the next trending in-home accessory that are driven by purpose and inspired by form. Here’s a handful of the most current deigns that are dripping with cool, and advance the already powerful technology inside (we’re talking the removal of ultra-fine 0.02um particles and 99.97 percent of airborne allergens).
Breathe deep and feel confident making a decision based on both function AND form.
AIRMEGA
Airmega is a smart and stylish solution boasting a dual-filtration system that quietly and efficiently freshens the air in your home. Offering real-time updates on your home’s air quality, Airmega is a wi-fi ready purifier complete with a mobile app that lets you monitor air quality, filter status, set a timer, receive real-time outdoor air quality updates and activate the purifier remotely.
+ airmega.com
BRISE
Turning a dial is so 2016. There’s a good reason this Kickstarter supported air purifier was 205-percent funded. Packed with artificial intelligence, Brise learns about you so it can personalize your indoor air environment. The more it learns, the better you breathe.
+ brisecare.com
PURE COOL LINK
A report card for your indoor air, Dyson’s uber-slick Pure Cool Link assesses, reacts, and describes the hovering nasties in your home. Pure Cool reports via the Dyson Link app whether the purifier detected and abolished pollen, allergens, bacteria, mold, emissions, odors, fumes, pet dandlers, and even potentially harmful ultra-fine particles. Bonus: Pure Cool doubles as a fan.
+ dyson.com
WYND
Forget your phone and carry this portable and personal air purifier with you. Wynd creates a clean-air bubble, ridding dust, allergens, smoke, and pollution in your personal space. No bigger than a water bottle, and just as healthy too, take it with you in your car, on public transport, and even travel.
+ shop.hellowynd.com
CHIKUNO CUBE HOUSE
Going au natural, Chikuno is made from bamboo activated charcoal and clay minerals with an organically deigned honeycomb structure that optimizes air-impurity absorption. It’s made for smaller, intimate rooms (even cars and refrigerators) and will recycle the entire system after one year. Plus, this design carries the 2008 Japanese Good Design Award.
+ rikumo.com
MOLEKULE
Like a fine craft beer, this purifier is made in small batches and packs 20 years of research and development. And Molekule takes a no survivors approach, eliminating pollutants instead of simply capturing them. Currently sold out, keep an eye out for batch No. 4.
+ molekule.com
VIKTOR
A clean-air wet dream for allergy sufferers, Victor holds a uniquely developed HPP Filter System that mixed with its carbon filter cleans air and freshens stale odors. Add to that dimmable night-mode LED control light and five performance modes. Hi-freakin’-tech.
+ stadlerform.com
AWAIR
The Siri or Echo of the air purifier world. Awair gives off the feeling of knowing everything. Housed in earthy hand-crafted, high-quality North American walnut timber, this purifier is comprised entirely of 100-percent toxin-free materials. Overall the system is simple, yet informational. Awair reads five vital air quality indicators that lead to personalized tips (e.g. consider washing linens in the bedroom for cleaner air).
+ getawair.com
BLUEAIR
A mod-inspired family of purifiers brings pastel cues to ordinary black or white boxes. The Blueair Blue collection mixes aesthetically with any room in the home – from a nursery to hot-rod garage. Blueair works to clean the air no less than five times every hour, drawing in smoke, dust, pollen, and more from 360 degrees. How it manages the range is via an abnormally large filter. Oh yes, bigger is better.
+ blueair.com
