124 guides in total.
124 guides· Page 6 of 7
MERV 13 catches the most fine particles and is what EPA suggests; MERV 11 is the safe middle; MERV 8 is for dust and restrictive systems. Here is the table and how to choose.
MERV is a 1 to 16 score for how well a filter catches particles of 0.3 to 10 microns. EPA suggests MERV 13 or the highest your system can handle; here is what each level actually catches.
Compare filters by MERV. MPR (Filtrete) and FPR (Home Depot) are proprietary scales; use the MERV the brand itself prints next to them, because third-party conversion charts disagree.
The Cube's extendable body and large bucket solve the two things people hate about dehumidifiers: emptying them and storing them. The 50-pint model is the one most basements need.
Molekule's Air Pro pairs a HEPA layer with PECO, a photo-electrochemical stage Molekule says destroys pollutants. Ad regulators trimmed its claims, it publishes no CADR, and its filters cost about $350 a year.
Efficiency is liters of water per kWh. Our top small-space pick, the avylo ADC018, is certified at 2.05 L/kWh and an estimated 257 kWh a year; here is the ranked list and how to read the label.
PM10 is every inhalable particle up to 10 micrometers; PM2.5 is the fine fraction inside it. The fine fraction is the bigger health concern, but the coarse part is the dust and pollen you can see.
PM2.5 is the particle size EPA says poses the greatest risk to health. Here are the official limits, what your monitor's number means, and what actually brings it down indoors.
The MistAire is a cheap, quiet tabletop humidifier for a small bedroom, nursery or office. It has no humidity sensor, and like every ultrasonic it wants distilled water.
The PurpleAir Flex is built to hang outside and feed the public PurpleAir map. It is a good outdoor particle sensor with independent test results. For indoor monitoring, PurpleAir points to other models.
The Qingping Air Monitor Lite is cheap, reads particles and CO2, works with Apple Home, and did well in South Coast AQMD's independent field test. It has no VOC or radon sensor and needs to stay plugged in.
The MinusA2 is the purifier you can hang on a wall. It is quiet, slim and lets you pick a filter for pets, odors or toxins. Its smoke CADR is Rabbit Air's own and smaller than its price suggests.
Shark's six-fan Air Purifier 6 was a big, powerful tower. You can still buy its filters from Shark, but not a new unit on Amazon. Here is what owners and shoppers should know.
Winter heating can drop indoor humidity to 10 to 20%. Here are the signs, how to confirm them with a hygrometer, and how to add moisture without crossing into mold territory.
A hygrometer above 60% confirms it. Condensation, musty smells and mold are the clues. Ventilation, a dehumidifier and fixing leaks are the cures, in that order of cost.
If you cannot see light through it, it is gray all over, or the system is struggling, change it. EPA says an overloaded filter will not work well and can send air around the filter.
Smart features can make a purifier work harder when it matters and quieter when it does not. Others just add an app. Here is how to tell the difference before you pay extra.
The one widely sold smart filter, Filtrete's Bluetooth model, tracks filter life from airflow and run time. For everyone else, a dated frame and an app reminder do most of the job.
