MID-SIZE MARVELS
CONSIDERABLE CLEANERS
PERSONAL PURIFIERS
UPVOTED
The ionising ingester
LightAir CellFlow Mini This portable purifier is discreet enough to pop on a shelf next to your ‘Batman on the toilet’ themed action figure collection… and, while it won’t bring poor Brucie’s parents back, it uses ionisation to suck the tiniest pollutants out of the air with near-silent efficiency. R2 800 / lightair.com
Blueair Blue Pure 411 Good for spaces up to 15m², the 411 activates every 12 minutes and a 360° air intake means you can stick it wherever you please. The option to switch its fabric wrapper – also a pre-filter – means there’s a hue to suit every room, and at just 17dB it’s whisper-quiet. R4 260 / importitall.co.za
The soothing snoozer
Levoit Vista When is a purifier not a purifier? When it’s also a nightlight. Tap the top of Levoit’s cleansing tube and it glows a soothing shade to help you nod off. Naturally it takes care of purification too, with assorted filters, fan speed settings and timers to deliver clean air on demand. R2 000 (import) / levolt.com
AIR PURIFIERS The house hooverer
Vax Pure Air 300 Capable of filtering spaces up to 120m², this tower is fit for a wannabe fresh prince of swell air. Installed in your palatial pad, the cylinder can process up to 428m³ of air per hour (translation: a lot), while its 360° filter claims to remove up to 99% of airborne allergens. R6 000 (import) / vax.co.uk
The sniffing sentry
Philips Series 800 Protecting you from unexpected pollution, this filter has an auto-purification sensor to detect even the smallest changes in air quality, cranking things up to tackle fresh dust you’d otherwise inhale. It claims to remove 99% of bacteria, 99.5% of nano-sized particles and 99.9% of viruses. R3 200 / philips.com
HOW TO DECIDE 48
The whiff whisperer
Solitary social distancing sometimes smells. Stuff swapped out its collection of Glade air fresheners for a filtration system to cleanse the particles floating around its new home offices
The humid hero
Boneco H300 It’s not quite Alpine air, but Boneco’s box is packed with Swiss-designed smarts to purify and humidify the air in your home. Set your ideal levels in the app, and the H300 senses relative moisture before automatically adjusting its evaporator to maintain your chosen level. R7 200 / boneco.com
1 Get a HEPA grinder In the world of air purification, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) is the benchmark. A true HEPA filter removes at least 99.95% of tiny particles from the air.
The bug blaster
Dyson Pure Advanced Purifier Blowing hot and cold isn’t traditionally a positive trait, but Dyson’s bladeless blower changes that. No indecisive oscillator, it projects 290 litres of purified air per second at your chosen temperature, while activated carbon filters aim to eliminate 99.95% of pollutants. Rtba / dyson.com
The eggy eradicator
Bionaire Designer BAP600-060 An actual egg is unlikely to improve the air quality in your home, but Bionaire’s ovoid purifier claims to remove 99% of airborne particles – including smoke, pollen, dust and mould spores – from rooms up to 30m². It uses a long-life HEPA filter and features a built-in blue nightlight. R2 150 / bionaire.com
2 Filter your options All purifiers have an activated carbon filter to tackle bad smells and gassy pollutants. These need to be switched periodically, so check the cost of swaps.
