The gadgets that really are a breath of fresh air! ALICE SMELLIE puts the latest purifiers to the test in our 'we try before you buy' series - room air purifier

We all know we suck in too much pollution, the first super in the world.
To solve our toxic air crisis, a low emission zone was set up in London this month.
But you may not realize that the worst can happen in your own home.
There are two main problems: gases called "volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Released by detergent, spray and burning candles;
And particles called PM2.
5, produced by people like Woodburning stoves.
Long-term exposure to too many of these substances is associated with health problems, including lung injury and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat.
But there is a way to clean the air in your home.
Sales of air purifiers are booming, so alice smellie chooses their pace by creating a room that is heavily polluted
Light scented candles and candles, light toast, and float around the furniture polish and bathroom detergent.
She then uses an air quality monitor to measure how long it will take for each air purifier to restore the room to an acceptable level: the pm2 reads below 10.
5. from the starting point of about 500, use the AirVisual Pro air quality monitor (
229. co. uk)
100 of volatile organic compounds, 350 from the starting point, using airings plus (£ 239 by air. com).
Finally, Oyvind Birkenes, an air quality monitoring expert, helped rate each machine.
So how do they deal with fug?
Protect your private space and calm me (£299. 99, dyson. co. uk)WHAT IS IT?
Designed for desktop use, this purifier and air cooler looks a bit flippedtop bin. The half-
A rotating sphere at the top guides the airflow, which claims to capture gas and 99.
95 per cent of particles. It has a High-
Air Efficiency of particles (HEPA)filter —
Remove particles-
And a carbon filter for gas. TEST: Remote-
Easy to control and use.
I took it to the highest level and it was cold but the noise level was not noticeable enough to have a conversation.
Considering that it is not designed to clean up the room, it will soon reduce pollution.
Oyvind Birkenes, air quality expert and CEO of airings, said you need something bigger to clean a big room.
It is important to remember that the purifier is designed to keep the pure air.
Speed is not everything;
These tests only show efficacy.
Purification Time: PM2.
5 28 minutes, VOCs 55 minutes is designed to stop the HAYFEVERPhilips Series 3000 I air purifier (£495, philips. co. uk)WHAT IS IT?
A white rectangular unit with blue light from the main body that looks like a modern art device.
It will adjust its level according to your air quality and the display will tell you your pm2. 5. 5 levels are.
As the hayfever season approaches, it has a useful allergen pattern that speeds up the removal of dust and pollen.
It is controlled through an application with three filters.
Testing: this is very easy even for technicians.
It starts when it feels dirty air and sounds like an industrial fan.
Ignoring the noise, this is very effective, although Oyvind says the lack of a carbon filter means it is not as effective as the VOCs left by the bathroom cleaner.
Purification Time: PM2.
5 25 minutes, VOCs 1 hour 41 minutes 7/10 small and not too large electriq ultra mute HEPA and plasma air purifier (£34.
98. apply directly. co. uk)WHAT IS IT?
This white cylinder is as big as the bedside lamp.
It has a carbon filter that removes harmful substances, a HEPA filter that removes particles in the air, and a "plasma ion" that removes mold spores and allergens ".
Test: it can run easily with just inserting it, there are two settings.
Its results are much slower than others, and given its size, this is to be expected, it filters less than 1 out of 10 managed by Philips 3000 I or MeacoClean.
Purification Time: PM2.
5 3 hours 13 minutes, VOCs 1 hour 30 minutes 5/10 looks like r2 2 homedics 5-in 1 full Net air purifier AP-T40 Large (£249. 99 homedics. co. uk)WHAT IS IT?
It looks like r2 2 and it doesn't scream "the family has --have’.
It filters the air through the HEPA filter at three speeds and removes 99.
Bacteria, allergens, and odors in the air.
There is also a small aromatherapy tray with essential oils.
Test: super easy to use, although the room I was contaminated saw it emit red and exploding air like the rocket was about to take off.
Even the lowest setting is as intrusive as the rumbling wind.
Although Oyvind says it can handle VOCs better with additional filters, the results are very fast.
Purification Time: PM2.
5 15 minutes, VOCs 1 hour 2 minutes 6.
5/10 efficiency and not too expensiveHEPA 119x5 (£379. 99 meaco. com)WHAT IS IT?
A solid radiatorlike purifier.
The purifier is too small to eliminate enough allergens, Meaco said.
It works within 198 of the space.
It has a HEPA filter for pellets and a charcoal filter for odors.
Test: the red light starts to flash, the "dirty" word on the control panel also starts to flash, and the fan rotates at an effective speed.
The three filters, Oyvind says, mean it works very well, and my monitor shows that the level of contamination has dropped twice. quick time.
Purification Time: PM2.
5 36 minutes, VOCs 1 hour 40 minutes 8.
ALLBlueair classic 5/10 air purifier 405 clean (John Lewis, £ 499com)WHAT IS IT?
Which is the best stamp to buy?
2018, good sign.
It uses "hepasilent" technology to remove contaminants in the mediumsize rooms.
Most HEPA filters can only capture contaminants to 0.
The size is 3 microns, but it drops all the way to 0.
01, means the protection of more viruses and bacteria.
Oyvind says it cleans the largest volume of air in all units. TEST: Touch-
The sensitive LED icon means I can easily check if the filter is working.
The lowest environment is so quiet that you can hardly hear, and even the highest is a slight roar.
It worked at lightning speed and left a deep impression on me;
It's also Oyvind's favorite.
Purification Time: PM2.
5 7 minutes, VOCs 55 minutes 10/10 hot and cold air purification Dyson pure hot cool, £ 549. 99, dyson. co. ukWHAT IS IT?
There is an elegant white oval on the display, located on the rotating base, showing PM2.
5 and VOC levels and temperature.
It can also be used to heat or cool your room.
Test: very simple.
The two carbon filters just need to be connected to the machine and I downloaded the app that came with it so I can monitor it from my phone.
The job is well done.
But I don't believe it's better than the cheap model.
Purification Time: PM2.
5 33 minutes, VOCs 1 hour 20 minutes 8/10 large room solution VAX pure air 300 air purifier, £ 279. 96, vax. co. ukWHAT IS IT?
A tall tube with lights
The circle in front indicates the air quality.
Suitable for larger rooms, certified by the British foundation for asthma and allergy.
It captures allergens up to 99 and has 360-degree filter.
It also has an extra
Quiet night mode.
TEST: This is a remote control which is very easy to use.
It can deal with high levels of pollution very clearly.
I made the air particularly dirty, so it took a long time for pm2. 5 to drop —
But Oyvind notes that it has a "owner-only" filter that needs to be replaced every six months, not the HEPA or carbon filter.
Purification Time: PM2.
5 2 hours, 28 minutes, VOCs 1 hour, 15 minutes, 8/10