Tag Archives: purifier

Breathe Easy: 10 effective steps and products to purify your home’s indoor air

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Indoor air pollution is a commonly overlooked issue, but it can significantly affect your health, especially if you live in a city where outdoor pollutants, cooking byproducts, and everyday household chemicals accumulate inside your home. Even if your home looks clean, invisible pollutants, allergens, and irritants could lurk in the air. Improving indoor air quality isn’t just about cleanliness; it’s essential for your health, especially given how much time we spend indoors. Here are ten practical steps, paired with innovative products, to help keep your indoor air fresh and clean.

1. Ventilation

Proper ventilation is crucial for maintaining good indoor air quality. Regularly opening windows, even briefly, allow fresh outdoor air to circulate and replace stale indoor air. This exchange helps dilute the accumulation of indoor pollutants like dust, pet dander, and chemicals from household products. In kitchens and bathrooms, using exhaust fans is especially important as these areas are prone to high moisture levels and airborne contaminants from cooking or bathing. Exhaust fans help vent out these pollutants directly, reducing humidity and preventing mold growth. For those living in areas where outdoor air quality is generally good, consistent natural ventilation can make a significant difference in keeping indoor spaces healthier and fresher.

Gutmann’s no-chimney exhaust system offers an innovative solution for kitchens without traditional chimney ventilation. Its under-cabinet design efficiently clears smoke and odors, making it ideal for smaller spaces that require reliable airflow without permanent installations.

2. Air Purifiers

Air purifiers are essential to any home, especially in urban areas with more concentrated pollution. They effectively capture dust, pollen, pet dander, and other allergens. For maximum efficiency, it’s important to replace the filters regularly. Running an air purifier helps keep your home’s air free from harmful particles while reducing odours.

The ComfortPure™ combines air purification with heating and cooling. TripleFlow and HEPASilent technology captures 99.97% of airborne pollutants while offering a heating or cooling option, making it perfect for year-round use. It’s ideal for large spaces and operates quietly, adapting to pollution levels automatically for continuous comfort.

3. Air Conditioning

Air conditioners help regulate indoor temperature while also filtering airborne pollutants and allergens. To effectively improve air quality, replacing the filters regularly and cleaning the ducts is important. Proper maintenance ensures that your air conditioning system continues to provide clean, comfortable air throughout your living space.

ComfyAir is specifically designed for tight city apartments. Its sleek design attaches easily to any window without causing damage. It’s highly effective at cooling and filtering the air while fitting into small spaces, making it a great solution for those wanting comfort without compromise.

4. HEPA Filters

HEPA filters are among the most efficient tools for capturing airborne pollutants and allergens. These filters trap particles as small as 0.3 microns, significantly reducing dust, pollen, and other allergens that degrade indoor air quality. Installing HEPA filters in air purifiers or HVAC systems can help keep your home’s air as clean as possible.

OneLife X utilizes cutting-edge plasma-field technology that captures even smaller particles than traditional HEPA filters, removing pollutants down to 0.01 micrometers. It is highly efficient and operates sustainably without needing constant filter replacements, making it both eco-friendly and economical.

5. Air Disinfectants

Consider using air disinfectants with UVC technology to kill bacteria, mold, and germs effectively. This approach is particularly useful in humid areas of your home where mold and germs tend to thrive. UVC lights target these microorganisms directly, providing an additional layer of air purification that complements standard filtration.

RAYCONO uses Hydroxyl and Plasma purification technology to neutralize bacteria and odors. Its compact size and maintenance-free operation make it perfect for small spaces and even travel, ensuring clean air wherever you are.

6. Indoor Plants

Plants like Spider Plants, Peace Lilies, Snake Plants, and Aloe Vera add aesthetic value to your home and naturally filter out harmful toxins. Studies, including those by NASA, show that these plants can remove common indoor pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene.

Neo PX combines Marble Queen Pothos with specialized bacteria that break down volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It features a self-watering pot, which makes maintaining these plants easy while they work to keep your air cleaner. Using biodegradable materials also makes this an eco-friendly addition to any room.

7. Low-VOC Cleaners

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in many conventional household cleaners can significantly degrade indoor air quality. Instead, opt for low-VOC or eco-friendly cleaning products. These alternatives clean effectively without adding harmful chemicals to the air, allowing you to maintain a fresh environment.

Switching to these products is an easy way to maintain cleanliness and air quality, reducing unnecessary pollutants in your indoor space.

8. Reduce Dampness

Moisture control is vital for healthy indoor air. Excessive humidity can lead to mold growth, contributing to respiratory problems and allergies. Leaky pipes, poor ventilation, and condensation all contribute to excess dampness. Using dehumidifiers and fixing leaks can keep humidity levels in check and prevent mould growth.

The Moss Humidifier combines the natural properties of moss with artificial humidification. The moss actively filters pollutants, while the integrated humidifier keeps moisture levels balanced. This eco-friendly solution helps maintain a healthy indoor environment without relying on chemicals.

9. Use a Kitchen Chimney

Cooking emits pollutants like carbon monoxide that can quickly fill your kitchen and home. Using a chimney or an exhaust hood helps to filter and remove these particles, reducing harmful gases and keeping your air fresh. Kitchen chimneys are crucial for removing smoke, grease, and cooking odors from your living space.

AirHood is an effective portable range hood with a powerful fan and charcoal filters for neutralizing odors and smoke. Its lightweight and flexible setup allows it to be moved wherever needed, making it ideal for kitchens without a built-in ventilation system.

10. Clean Rugs and Carpets

Rugs and carpets trap dust, dirt, and allergens, which can compromise indoor air quality if left unchecked. Regular vacuuming and deep cleaning can remove these harmful particles. High-quality vacuums, especially those with HEPA filters, can reduce allergens and improve the overall air quality.

Swee is designed to keep carpets and rugs free from dust and dirt with minimal effort. Its tapered profile and powerful cleaning system help remove allergens, while its innovative design fits seamlessly into any modern living space.

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Floating solar still made from old tires can purify 15.5 cups of water every day

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Even though 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, there is still a water shortage in our planet because only a small percentage of that is safe to drink. It is also pretty expensive to purify water so not everyone can afford to drink safe water, not to mention all the pollution that makes it even more dangerous. There are several research projects out there to come up with eco-friendly ways to do this but this one from Dalhousie University in Canada is probably the cheapest.

Designer: Matthew J. Margeson, Mark Atwood, Jaser L. de Larrea, Joseph Weatherby, Heather
Daurie, Katlyn Near, Graham A. Gagnon, Mita Dasog (Dalhousie University)

Image courtesy of viktelminova

This floating solar still from researchers at the Canadian university is able to produce 15.5 cups of fresh water per day, which is 1.5 times the amount that a person needs to consume every day. It is able to do this by soaking up water from below it and then use the heat from solar radiation to evaporate the purified water. It condenses on a dome on top of the still and then the water is collected.

While there are other projects similar to this, what makes it different is that it’s made from old tires that are processed through pyrolysis. The carbon-rich char that is produced from here is mixed into plasmonic titanium carbides. This means that you just have to spend 0.86 cents per liter to purify the water, which is pretty cheap compared to other devices that use precious metals and are therefore more expensive.

The solar still can even generate a small amount of electricity because of the thermoelectric effect. This can be enough energy for water quality sensors although it may be useless for other things since it’s just a small amount. If this becomes successful then lower income communities can benefit from this and get the clean water that they need for every day living.

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Wearable air purifier helps people with airborne allergies breathe 99.9% clean air

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More than 50 million people in the US alone suffer from airborne allergies. Respiray Wear A+ helps remove airborne allergens on a personal level by purifying ambient air and then pushing the clean air toward your nose and mouth. Made by Respiray, a European company known for its work in improving air quality, the neck-worn purifier uses a HEPA filter to cleanse the air of 99.9% of allergens. Designed as an alternative to allergy pills and other medication, the groundbreaking product has been proven effective by the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) and even by SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection, and certification company. By purifying the air you breathe of any airborne allergens, Respiray Wear A+ soothes the common symptoms triggered by airborne allergies that include sneezing, nasal congestion, and watery eyes.

Designer: Annamaria Rennel

Click Here to Buy Now: $89 $149 (40% off). Hurry, only 4 left!

Respiray Wear A+ – Effectively reduces airborne allergen particles by 99.9% thanks to its user-replaceable HEPA filters.

Quite like Dyson’s $950 air-purifying headphones, the Respiray Wear A+ purifies air on a personal level, but at 1/10th the price. Available for a discounted $89 for early bird backers on Indiegogo (until the end of February), the Respiray works to create a ‘wall’ of fresh, clean air around your nose and mouth wherever you go, helping remove the allergens that would otherwise enter your respiratory system and give you flare-ups. With an adjustable strap that lets you wear the device around your neck, a quiet fan that doesn’t interrupt your speech or hearing, and a replaceable HEPA filter, the Respiray Wear A+ does a better job than a room air purifier by working everywhere, even outdoors (although not so much on windy days). And it’s better than a mask that obscures your respiratory system and creates a hot, humid zone around your nose and mouth.

How it Works – The device draws in air, directing it through a highly effective HEPA filter that removes any airborne allergens. The filtered air is then directed towards your mouth and nose, creating an allergen-free zone around your face and ending your worries about indoor allergies.

Features – Replaceable HEPA filter, adjustable strap, quiet fans and washable pre-filter.

The Respiray Wear A+ was designed for people suffering from airborne allergies, although its genesis is a classic story of necessity being the mother of invention. “This product came to life from my own personal struggle with airborne allergies,” said Respiray’s CEO, Karl Annus. “We optimized the airflow and speed in order to create an allergen-free zone around users’ faces. The product is also lightweight (8.8 oz), easy to use, comfortable to wear, and most importantly affordable. After 2+ years, 117 prototypes, and extensive testing, we are proud to launch Respiray Wear A+.”

The device was unveiled at CES this year, and is set to start shipping to backers as soon as March 2023. Made to be discreet, quiet, and lightweight, the Respiray Wear A+ is perfect for a variety of scenarios, from being around pets to cleaning your home, being outdoors around pollen, or dealing with pollution. Each Respiray Wear A+ comes with a replaceable HEPA filter, a washable prefilter, and a battery that lasts for 8 hours on a full charge.

Click Here to Buy Now: $89 $149 (40% off). Hurry, only 4 left!

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Jya Fjord Air Purifier Review: Breathing Clean Air in Style

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PROS:


  • UV sterilization system

  • Compatibility with major smart home platforms

  • Wheels on the bottom for easy carting

  • Complete blackout display and nearly silent sleep mode

CONS:


  • Noisy at high power

  • No output angle adjustment

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The Jya Fjord offers all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a no-nonsense air purifier, wrapped in a modern and stylish package you won’t be ashamed to put in your living room.

One of the many things COVID-19 made us acutely aware of is the air we breathe in and out every single second we are awake or asleep. Whether you are in private space, public space, or outdoors, it has made us think that the air we breathe in may contain tiny particles, invisible to our naked eyes, that can harm our health or even cause death. No air purifier will eliminate all the air pollutants in your home completely. But used properly, air purifiers can eliminate or reduce harmful particles in the air, improving the quality of air and thus improving the quality of life. Air purifiers are sometimes nice to have if you have allergies or are concerned with air quality in your space, but they may also be almost essential for healthier living. Here we review the Jya Fjord air purifier to check if it can handle the demands of a small office space.

Designer: Jya

Jya, a sub-brand of environmental home appliance giant Samrtmi, answers the growing concerns about air quality at home, combining Smartmi’s experience in air purification technology with clean design. Jya Fjord air purifier is a little sibling of Jya Fjord Pro, sort to speak. The Fjord Pro is for larger rooms with an area of 409 ft² to 710 ft². The Fjord, on the other hand, is for a smaller space with a size of 333 ft² to 581 ft². Other than the intended room size and appearance, both the Fjord Pro and Fjord air purifiers are similar in specs and share the same filter type, air quality monitoring indexes, and smart connectivity. For our review purposes, we test the air purifier in our approximately 350 ft² office room.

Aesthetics

Jya Fjord distinguishes itself from ubiquitous white boxy air purifiers. Fjord packs innovative technology in a sleek design, measuring 10.23 x 11.41 x 21.06 inches (or 290 x 260 x 535 mm) and weighing approximately 18.6 pounds (or 6.5 kg). A matte space gray color with bronze accents for the air outlet grid outline, the logo on the front upper left, and the release buttons on each side give this home appliance a sense of elegance. The round corners of the device and a circular OLED touch display add a touch of softness to an otherwise utilitarian look.

You can check the real-time air quality measurements, temperature, humidity, and filter life on the circular OLED touch display positioned at the front top-right corner. Changing modes, adjusting display brightness, setting up WiFi, and enabling or disabling UV lighting for filter cleaning can also be done on the OLED touch display. Although the touch display is small (roughly 1.5 inches), it is intuitive and responsive.

Fjord has air inlets in the front and back of the device, with an outlet grill situated at the top. Temperature and humidity sensors, as well as the gas sensor, are positioned on the back, something you might have to keep in mind when looking for a place to put the air purifier. Attention to design even extends to the power adaptor, which echos the shape of the air purifier with round corners and a matte finish texture.

Ergonomics

Aside from the power button on the back of the device, there are no physical buttons or dedicated remote control for operating the machine. You can monitor and control the Fjord from your phone via an app as well as through the small OLED touch display on the device. Setting it up is pretty easy.

Replacing the Fjord’s filter is also a breeze. Press the pair of release buttons on each side to lift the top unit, then take out the cylindrical filter housed in the bottom unit. Pop the new filter in, put the top unit back on, and off you go for cleaner air inside the room.

Although Fjord is not equipped with handles, the four wheels at the bottom make it easy to move this rather heavy air purifier when you want to vacuum the spot or cart it from room to room. The wheels move smoothly in any direction, making it effortless to reposition the air purifier.

Sustainability

Energy efficiency is one parameter of measuring the impact the product has on our precious resources. Fjord’s rated wattage of 48W is less than a typical 42-inch LED TV and right around the average power consumption for air purifiers. Depending on your typical consumption at home, the air purifier won’t add too much of a burden on your finances, though you’ll have to take into consideration how long you’ll have it turned on per day. Your usage will most likely be seasonal and situational, so you might want to take that into account when budgeting both your power consumption as well as your electricity bill.

Air purifiers are meant to be used for many years, but most air purifiers on the market come with filters that have to be replaced regularly. As HEPA filters are usually made of unrecyclable materials like fiberglass or polyester, the filter cannot be recycled and end up in a landfill. Jya Fjord also uses a HEPA filter that needs to be replaced from time to time, so that is sadly a point against it.

Unfortunately, the air purifier itself is also made with your usual mix of materials, including lots of plastic for the electronics as well as the body itself. It is the “standard” of appliances of this kind and doesn’t exactly help the situation now that air purifiers have become more common. It might take a few more iterations before this still niche market becomes more attentive to the harm they pose to the environment in the long run while also trying to protect human lives. Sustainability of the device itself.

Performance

Jya Fjord claims to clean air up to 581ft² (54m²) every hour with a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 450m3/h while monitoring five air qualities – PM10, PM2.5, TVOC, temperature, and humidity – with built-in sensors. The air sucked in from the front and back of the device is cleaned in three phases. First, the pre-filter traps large messes like dust and pollen. Next, the pre-filtered air goes through what Jya calls the “NanoGuard” HEPA filter, which captures particulate matter as small as 0.1 μm. Then, the activated carbon layer neutralizes odors and harmful gasses such as tobacco smoke and formaldehyde. According to the manufacturer, Fjord can filter out 99.97% of particles 0.3 μm and is equipped with a UV sterilization system.

When I vacuumed near the air purifier, the air quality readings went up slightly and came back down after only a few minutes. I also observed that the dusty smell I usually noticed when I vacuum was absent with Fjord running. In short, it was clearly doing its job and doing it well.

Fjord can be run at four different modes: auto, manual, sleep, and extreme speed. The noise air purifiers make can be annoying, especially considering that most of us use air purifiers around the clock. The Jya Fjord, in contrast, runs very quietly, so holding a conversation or getting work done should be easy enough. The noise level drops even as low as 18.8 dB in sleep mode. However, when the device detects airborne particle matter in the air or is set at extreme speed, it becomes pretty loud, and the noise level could reach as high as 66 dB at the maximum.

To help you get a good night’s sleep with cleaner air, Fjord’s display goes completely dark when you set it to sleep mode. Dead-silent sleep mode and an entirely dark display make it perfect for use in bedrooms.

Fjord can be controlled with Smartmi’s app called Smartmi Link, which is available on both iOS and Android. It is also compatible with Google Assistant Alexa, and even works with Apple HomeKit. Smartmi Link is straightforward, but if you don’t want to mess with the app or smart assistants, you can simply use it by itself with no inconvenience.

Value

There are many factors to consider when choosing an air purifier, but one thing you should not ignore besides the price of the device itself is the running costs. All air purifiers require regular filter replacement and those filters can be costly. The Fjord is currently retailed for $349 (or 369 Euros) on Jya’s website. The filter replacement for Fjord costs you $59 (59 euros), and with the recommended filter replacement every six months, the running cost comes up to $118 annually, which is much lower than most air purifiers in the same category.

Verdict

Jya Fjord packs solid features you would want for an air purifier with a modern design. With smart home compatibility, including Apple HomeKit, claimed filter capability, and minimalistic form, it is certainly an attractive choice for anyone looking to improve the air quality in their home without sacrificing aesthetics. We definitely would have preferred something with a more sustainable design, but Jya is simply playing by the market rules, at least for now. There’s definitely a lot of potential in this aspect of this fast-growing market, and we look forward to the time when air purifiers also become more conscious of the environment that they’re trying to keep clean.

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This minimalist umbrella purifies and stores rainwater in its shaft!

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Rainwater is usually safe to drink directly unless it has caught some contaminants on its way down. However, you don’t want to take that chance, do you? Well luckily for us, BMSTU design student Volkan Ugurel has come up with an innovative idea of integrating a filtration system right into the shaft of an umbrella. This way you can drink or store purified rainwater on the go.

Volkan’s umbrella design has a three-level filtration system, first of which is a metal mesh on the top to block coarse particles. Inside the top part of the shaft is a replaceable unit that contains a carbon filter and a membrane filter, which can remove all the organic chemicals as well as nasty tastes and odors from the rainwater. When the filtration process is over, the drinkable water gets filled up in a 220-ml glass bottle attached at the bottom of the shaft, with ridges for easy which easily comes off when you turn it. You can also mount any plastic bottle with a standard thread to the bottom if you’re really thirsty or if it’s raining really heavily. Maybe even fill up a few bottles for later use.

The overall design features a sleek shaft and translucent canopy with nine spokes, and hence the name ‘Nonagon Umbrella’. It was inspired by the music album ‘Nonagon Infinity’, a record that’s designed to be played as an infinite loop since the end of one song is the beginning of the next one, signifying the never-ending life cycle of water as it moves from one place to another!

Designer: Volkan Uğurel

This sleek, portable purifier helps prevent people from passive smoking

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I don’t mean to exaggerate but I’ve literally had to cut people out of my life because they smoke. No, I’m not some hardcore anti-tobacco joe, I just can’t tolerate the smell of tobacco smoke… besides, I don’t have anything against other people wanting to cut their life expectancy by 20 years… but why would I want to be around that smoke and damage MY OWN health, right? Well, if products like the NOPS existed, we non-smokers wouldn’t have that problem. The NOPS stands for ‘NO Passive Smoking’ and is a wearable air-diverter that pulls in any smoke that may be lingering in front of you, purifies it, and pushes clean air near your face.

Designed to be as small (and portable) as a nebulizer, the NOPS can be worn on your lapel when you’re around people who smoke. The battery-run product comes with a built-in impeller that sucks air from the front, passes it through an air-filter, and pushes clean air out the top (sort of like a reverse fireplace chimney). Wear the NOPS around smokers and you don’t have to end up breathing any of that passive smoke. Any smoke that wafts in the air in front of you gets sucked into the NOPS and purified for you to breathe. The NOPS charges using a proprietary wireless dock, and get this… you can pop open the top and replace its filter too (although if you do end up replacing the filter too often, you may want to consider not spending so much time around second-hand smoke!)

Designer: Narendra Chakraborty

The Cleansui filtering jug is as pristine-looking as the water inside

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While most water purifiers hide their purification systems behind opaque casings, either to protect their proprietary technology, or to prevent you from seeing the water in case it isn’t crystal clear, Mitsubishi’s Cleansui Water Pitcher is visually a class apart.

With a microfiltration chamber that is literally the only opaque part of the entire product, the Cleansui Water Pitcher is stunningly transparent, looking less like a purification product and more like a chiseled crystal, echoing the phrase “seeing is believing”. Pour regular water on top and gravity pretty much does the rest as the water percolates through Cleansui’s advanced filtration system that removes bacteria, microorganisms, and rust, filtering water down into the lower compartment for you to see. Available in 1.5-liter and 2.2-liter models, Cleansui’s filtration pitchers filter water without electricity, and their filters run for months longer than filters from other companies, purifying water with results that are literally there for you to see!

Designer: Mitsubishi

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This lamp/purifier hybrid fills the room with light + fresh air

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Taking signature Scandinavian minimalism and sensibilities to the absolute max, the Sunnaform S5 looks classy and combines a floor lamp and an air purifier into a svelte, minimalist package.

The floor-standing device comes with a large lampshade-esque design where the fabric area on the sides help diffuse the light emanating from the inside and the upper and lower open areas work as the inlet and outlet for the purifier. A silent fan at the bottom helps pull aur from the top that passes through a filter that kills bacteria and traps dust, pollen, and any PM2.5 particulate matter. Designed and manufactured in Sweden, the purifier doubles up as a lamp too, lighting the area with diffused LED lighting which can be toggled by a simple switch on the device. Understated and overtly functional, the S5 does both its jobs quite well, and looks like a device fit for any home.

Designer: Sunnaform

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Dew You Need a New Purifier?

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Did you know that dew is one of the few ways to collect safe drinking water in the wilderness?! In the urban jungle, however, DEWDROP is the safest! Inspired by the majestic look of morning dew that collects on a leaf, the aptly named DEWDROP provides an elegant source of purified water in any kitchen interior. Its unassuming spout mimics the form of a blade of grass weighed down by fresh dew. This abstract replication is enhanced by graphics on the surface that look similar to the veins on a leaf. Minimalistic touch-and-tap controls allow for intuitive temperature setting and glass size specification. Its slender form and small footprint make it ideal for maximizing counter space in compact living spaces.

Designer: Hyun Yeol Shin

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