Most people have a pet of some kind. Whether you’re a cat person, a dog person, or you love both equally there’s one thing we can all agree on; their hair gets everywhere. Not only is pet hair annoying to clean up, but it can have negative effects on our health. Pet hair causes allergies and can exacerbate asthma and other respiratory conditions. That’s to say nothing of the odor.
What Does an Air Purifier for Pets Do?
The main thing that any good air purifier for pet allergies and asthma will do is eliminate pet dander. The dander is the reason that pet hair can be so dangerous. Contrary to popular belief, this dander is actually unrelated to the fur of your pet. That’s why you can still be allergic to hairless animals. The dander is a microscopic bit of skin that they shed. Animals such as dogs, cats, rodents, and birds all produce dander.
Pet dander
Given that dander is so small and light it can spread through the air easily. Whenever it comes into contact with someone with allergies it causes a range of allergic reactions including watery and itchy eyes, sneezing and coughing, skin rashes, shortness of breath, and more.
Some animals are known to produce a protein in their saliva that mimics the effects of dander and causes allergic reactions too. Given how often animals clean and preen themselves, these proteins often find their way on to the dander as well, which only makes it worse for allergy sufferers.
Air purifier for pet allergies
What you want is an air purifier for pet allergies; an air purifier that is able to eliminate dander from the air so that it doesn’t come into contact with an allergy sufferer.
How to Choose the Best Air Purifier for Pets
If you want to get an air purifier that works to counteract pet allergies then you need an air purifier for pet dander. That means that you have to get a True HEPA air purifier. These purifiers are guarantee to remove 99.97% of allergens as small as 0.3 microns. That includes any kind of pet dander from any animal. The reality is that the idea of a single best air purifier for pets is a bit subjective. You should be good with just about any true HEPA air purifier.
True HEPA air filters work by sucking particles from the air – including dander particles – and trapping them within the filter. After the allergens are collected and trapped, they aren’t released back into the air. So, they never reach your eyes, nose, or skin.
The longer you keep the air purfier going, the more pet dander it removes. If you can find one that can handle it, then leaving one on around the clock offers near-permanent relief.
If you don’t have an allergy to pets but you just want to get rid of the hair that is filling up the home, then you could consider going for a cheaper option. If you don’t need the benefits offered by a “True HEPA” filter then there’s no reason to spend more money on one.
An air filter with a “HEPA-type filter” is the best air purifier for pet hair that doesn’t get rid of dander. While they have a slightly different name, a HEPA-type filter captures particles between 2 and 4 microns in size. This is more than enough for actual pet fur but it won’t trap dander.
If you’re after an air purifier for pet odor then you should keep an eye out for air filters that have an activated carbon filter. These are the only types of air filters that are able to eliminate odors. Regular HEPA filters – true or not – aren’t able to do this. The activated carbon filter works similar to the HEPA filter, but with smells. It basically traps odor particles like a HEPA filter traps dander particles, preventing them from being released back into the air.
Key Features to look out for when buying an Air Purifier
Our checklist includes when choosing an air purifier.
– Price range: It depends on how much you want to invest in a suitable air purifier
– Filtration system: The different types of filters or other air purification systems used in an air purifier.
– Filter replacement indicator: Some air purifiers have indicators which notify you when you need to replace the filter specifically for the HEPA filter as it cannot be cleaned and reused.
– Air quality indicator: Some air purifiers have indicators which notify you of the air quality.
– Noise level: Air purifiers have different motor speeds which could get noisy especially if you want in on during the night whilst sleeping and something you should take into consideration. Measured in decibels.
– Coverage area: It is the square feet for air an air purifier can effectively filter
– Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR): Indicates the number of tobacco smoke, pollen and dust an air purifier can remove in a certain area. Tests performed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM).
– Cubic feet per minute (CFM) : How many cubic feet per minute this air purifier can filter this measures the air purification efficiency of the air purifier.
– Fan Speeds: This gives you the ability to s time to filter the air for example when there is cigarette smoke in the air and you want to get rid of the odor. Turn down the speed for when you sleeping and want the noise level as low as possible.
– Item Dimensions: The width, length and height of the air purifier and how it fits in the room.
– Power Consumption: How much electricity the air purifier uses and what wattage it is suitable for.
– Warranty: You warranty this is primarily for the motor of the air purifier since you may be leaving the air purifier on for long periods, you want your motor to be of great quality. And not die in 2 or 3 years of use.
Other features which manufacturers add to air purifiers
Unique features: Some air purifiers have UV lights, ion generators, eco modes, specifically designed HEPA filters and other features such as interchangeable covers.
Types of Air purifier filtration systems
Common air filtration system
Unusual air filtration system
True High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA)
Pre Mesh Filter
Active carbon filter
UV-C light
PlasmaWave®
Air ionizer
PhotoElectroChemical Oxidation (PECO)PhotoCatalytic Oxidation (PCO)
Titanium dioxide (TiO2)
Ozone generators (O3)
Electrostatic precipitators
Thermodynamic Sterilization (TSS)
Oxygen Plus Technology
Best Air Purifiers for Pet owners
- Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Review
Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link
Air Purifier
Play
Play
Previous
Next
Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link
The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link is one of the most sort after air purifiers, with the technology Dyson is famous for with their other products. First and for most this, air purifier can cool and heat the filtered air with it’s high quality HEPA filter which removes 99.97% of allergens and the multiple filter layers remove pollutants as small as 0.3 microns cleaning the air of common allergens such as pollen, dust, mold spores, bacteria and pet dander. It is designed to be quiet and safe with no blade or moving parts to worry about. It comes with a remote control, an mobile app to monitor the air and control the device. Above all the air quality indicator is a lot more sophisticated than it’s rivals. Watch the video to see the other feature this device has to offer.Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link Features & Specifications
Filtration System 2 Stage: HEPA and Active carbon Item Dimensions 8.7 x 6 x 24.9 inches Coverage Area sq ft Approx. 500sq ft Air Quality Indicator Yes Filter Replacement Indicator Yes Noise Levels in dB 40 – 58 dB Fan Speeds Up to 8 speed settings Power Consumption High with the heating functionality CADR Scores N/A N/A N/A
5 air changes per hourWarranty 2 Years Pros Cons – Advanced technology
– Has cooling features as well as heating features
– Amazing and compact design
– Has auto mode, sleep timer, Night-time mode
– Remote control and mobile app
– 350˚ oscillation
– Web app to control and monitor air– Expensive for the coverage provided
– No prefilter
- IQAir HealthPro® 250 Review
IQAir HealthPro® 250
Air Purifier
Play
Previous
Next
IQAir HealthPro® 250
The multiple award winning IQAir HealthPro series air purifer you get greater than 99.5% removal for particles less than or equal to 0.003 – 1.00 microns that is 100 types smaller that the True HEPA filters. With advanced medical grade filtration, you can also remove germs and other toxins and find particles from the air that other filters are not able to clean away. Quiet operation makes it perfect for home or office use.
The HealthPro series filters: nitrogen dioxide, PM 2.5, PM10, gases and chemicals, pollen, mold spores, pet dander and dust allergens. Developed and manufactured in Switzerland you know you are dealing with quality and efficiency. Considered the most trusted and relied on air purifier worldwide.IQAir HealthPro® 250 Features & Specifications
Filtration System HyperHEPA and V5-Cell Wide Spectrum Gas and Odour Carbon Filter Item Dimensions 8.7 x 6 x 24.9 inches Coverage Area sq ft Approx. 500sq ft Air Quality Indicator No Filter Replacement Indicator Yes Noise Levels in dB 25 – 59 dB Fan Speeds Up to 6 speed settings Power Consumption 57 W CADR Scores IQAir does not consider CADR to be a valid methodology for evaluating air purifiers. Warranty 1 / 2 /10 Year
Pre-Filter: 12-18 months
V5 Filter: 12-18 months
HyperHEPA Filter: 3-4 yearsPros Cons – Hyper HEPA filter 0.003 microns
– Advanced carbon filtration system
– Reduced noise levels
– Advanced timer
– Remote control and mobile app
– 320˚ air outlet
– Remote control
– Longer lasting filters– Bulky looking
– Heavy
– No air quality indicatorIQAir HealthPro 250 Design and Features
The IQAir HealthPro 250 comes with a simple but effective design. The modular design is somewhat bland, but it does make it easier to replace filters. The exterior of the device is made up with ABS plastic with air filters stacked together. There is the PreMax filter at the bottom, then the motor fan, then the V5-Cell filter, and then the HyperHEPA filter on top.
It’s a bit on the bulky side weighing in at around 16kgs. That makes it difficult to move around, but it does have wheels and a handle that help with this. The machine is held together by two clamps on either side of the purifier. One of the clamps has a small display and the buttons used to operate the device.
Filters
Given that the air purifier uses a HEPA filter, it can be expected to absorb and eliminate up to 99.97% of particles of 0.3 microns or more. To give you an example of how small that is, 1 micron would be the size of around 1/100th the width of a human hair.
As mentioned earlier, the purifier features a modular design with three air filters built in. The first filter at the bottom is an F8 PreMax Filter. The air passes through this filter first and large particles are removed before passing on to the other filters.
The second filter is the V5-Cell MG filter. Don’t let the complicated name throw you off. This is basically IQAir’s answer to the activated carbon filter usually seen with these air purifiers. The V5-Cell is a MultiGas filter that has a 2.5kg mixture of activated carbon and impregnated alumina to eliminate odors. This mixture makes it more powerful than the average activated carbon filter.
Finally, there’s the hospital-grade Class H12/H13 HEPA filter. Filters of this quality are used in the most demanding places like hospitals. They are extremely efficient and can remove even the tiniest particles. The filter comes equipped with the proprietary HyperHEPA technology. The company say that their advanced filter can catch particles all the way down to 0.003 microns.
The IQAir HealthPro 250 air purifier is a powerful device that delivers on all the claims it makes. While it does come with an expensive price tag compared to other purifiers, it delivers value for money given how powerful it is. If you have breathing problems or allergies and want to get relief, then this could be an excellent choice. It eliminates pollutants, irritants, and allergens to ensure you breathe nothing but clean and pure air.
That is exactly what we have presented here for you!
Air Purifier for pets Comparison Table
[table id=2 /]