If you suffer from allergies, then an air purifier would be a valuable addition to your home. Air purifiers can remove dust, pet dander, pollen, and other allergens from the air, making it easier for allergy sufferers to breathe. These tips will help you decide which one would be best for your needs. Air Purifiers for Allergies: If you suffer from severe allergies: Look for an air purifier that features a high-efficiency particle arrester, or HEPA, filter. HEPA air purifiers are designed to catch allergens and air particles that can cause health problems. While the filters in HEPA air purifiers usually last for two to three years, you will need to replace them more frequently if they smell musty or if you live in a particularly dusty environment. Even the best air purifier can become clogged with dust and dirt after a few months, so be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions for maintenance. If you're short on space: Buy a tower air purifier with a HEPA filter. Its tall, narrow shape can easily fit into any room.

Find a tower air purifier with a carbon filter to eliminate odors, too. If you'd like the air to feel fresher: Although not as effective as HEPA filter air purifiers, ionic air purifiers can make an indoor space feel cleaner. High voltage is used to ionize, or electrically charge, air particles in an ionic air purifier. Once these air purifiers have emitted a positive charge, allergens in the air cling to the negatively charged plates and become trapped inside the purifier. If you want something portable: A personal air purifier is a compact allergy air purifier that can be placed on a dresser or nightstand and removes dust and odors from the air with a carbon filter. Some also feature UV germicidal lights that kill bacteria, and many are safe for use in children's bedrooms. Those who need a stronger allergy air purifier might want to buy air purifiers they can wear around their necks; these devices emit negative ions that keep allergens away. What Do You Want to Do Next?

Will an air purifier help with your allergies? No matter how much you clean your home, you cannot rid the air completely of allergens and other airborne irritants. Air purifiers are devices that are designed to clean the air in your house and improve the quality of air you and your family breathe. Air purifiers use filters to rid the air of pollutants and allergens, like pollen, mold and pet dander. It will also clean the air from other harmful particles, odors and irritants, such as cigarette smoke. Air purifiers that have met the strict regulations and have attained HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) certification will filter out both big and small particles; this is especially important for people who suffer from asthma, allergies or other sensitivities to air pollutants. What causes allergic reactions? While air purifiers can improve the general health and sleep of those in the house, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America specifically, and the medical community in general (both of whom are debating the efficacy of air purifiers on reducing allergy symptoms), air purifiers will only help those people whose symptoms are a response to an allergy.

Furthermore, the allergens causing these symptoms have to be located solely in the home environment, and in limited amounts so as to prevent overwhelming the air purifier, which can impact on its ability to completely clean the air of the allergen. ionic pro compact air purifier troubleshootingIn addition, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation also indicates that allergies to particles that do not remain airborne, such as dust mites, will not be relieved by air purifiers.air purifier air flow Consumers considering purchasing an air purifier are encouraged to buy one that has met the requirements to receive HEPA certification. aircon coil cleanerExperts claim that ionic air purifiers generate negative ions and ozone. The negative ions are said to have side effects and ozone is a toxic substance;

these purifiers do not receive HEPA certification.The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase. Whether you're an allergy sufferer, or just someone who enjoys breathing in fresh air, purchasing an air purifier for your home could turn out to be a great investment. Most air purifiers on the market claim to filter out allergens, pollutants, smoke, and even household odors. But as with any other home electronic, you have to do your homework in order to find the model that fits your needs and your budget. Some of the key considerations when shopping for an air purifier include the size of the area you'll be using it for, how it operates, how it looks (since it will be sitting in the middle of your living room), and how it sounds. Lucky for you, we took a deep breath and did the research for you. The result is our list of the top five air purifiers: This Energy Star-qualified pick uses a Smart Sensor to automatically adjust based on the air quality.

That includes being at the ready to neutralize any strong odors that may come its way, like your great aunt and her potent perfume.If you're using it in your bedroom, you'll like the sleep mode feature, which dims the LED lights. Another helpful feature is that it has a remote.What really stands out in terms of value, though, is that the Winix has a longer-lasting, washable HEPA filter, which can be cleaned up to six times before having to replace it in about three years.Winix WAC5500 True HEPA Air Cleaner with PlasmaWave Technology, $152.84, available at Amazon. Breathing fresh air shouldn't mean you have to have a giant eyesore in your home, which is why this Coway Mighty model made our list. Actually, it's pretty sharp-looking, almost resembling a funky speaker. This item is smaller than most others in its product category, but it's just as effective when it comes to eliminating pollen, dust, and other pesky particles.And while it comes in at a mid-range price point, it does have an energy-saving feature in which the fan automatically adjusts based on the amount of pollutants in the air;

it then switches to "eco mode" if no pollution is detected. The one-year filter replacement packet, which comes with one HEPA filters and two carbon filters, runs approximately $50.Coway AP-1512HH Mighty Air Purifier with True HEPA and Eco Mode, $249.99, available at Amazon. Best for odor reduction As with the others on the list, the GermGuardian does its main job of capturing 99.97% of dust and allergens well. What makes this model stand out, however, is its ability to remove foul smells from the air.If you have pets or a smoker living in your household, each whiff of air will be more pleasant with this machine, thanks to its charcoal filter.Customers say that it's got great sneeze-stopping power, too, removing allergy-causing particles from medium to large rooms. If you go with this pick, know that it will take up some space, although it is at least sleek-looking. You'll also have to replace the HEPA filter every six months or so with proper maintenance, which will run you about $30 a pop.

GermGuardian AC5000E 3-in-1 True HEPA Air Purifier System with UV Sanitizer and Odor Reduction, 28-Inch Tower, $119.99, available at Amazon. Best for big rooms If you have a larger space, it's hard to beat the Honeywell True HEPA Allergen Remover in terms of value and features. This unit is larger and not as aesthetically pleasing as the others (it looks almost like a paper shredder), but it gets the job done, cleaning and circulating the air in a room up to five times per hour.There are three air cleaning levels to choose from, and you can set a timer so it automatically runs 2, 4, or 8 hours. You'll also get electronic reminders when it's time to change the filter, so there is no guesswork there. A two-pack of replacement filters is about $45, making it slightly more affordable to maintain than the others.Honeywell True HEPA Allergen Remover, 465 Sq Ft, HPA300, $189, available at Amazon. Top of the line Looking sort of like a big computer hard drive, the Blueair 403 is pleasing to the ears, even if it's not visually appealing.