A simple solution to improving the quality and overall atmosphere of your home is to invest in an air purifier or a humidifier. This often leads to air purifier vs humidifier debate.
Both these devices are meant to make breathing in clean and fresh air easier but in different ways. This often results in confusion – which one to buy? What are some of the defining qualities of both gadgets?
To conclude the popular debate, let’s look at their features, pros, and cons.
Table of Contents
Air Purifier vs Humidifier: A Detailed Comparison
The first question that comes to mind as a potential buyer is ‘which of the two should I buy?’
Though they both work wonders on improving the air quality of indoor spaces and are beneficial in providing relief to people with respiratory problems, their purposes couldn’t be more different.
Functions of an Air Purifier
Air purifiers remove toxic particles such as dust, allergens, and viruses from the air. They also eliminate unpleasant odors and replace them with flowery and fresh scents through their built-in air freshener feature.
They sanitize the air in any small or large indoor space – depending on the size and type of purifier – using the latest technologies such as UV-C light, HEPA filters, activated carbon technology, and ion filters.
Air purifiers come in different sizes. Small, portable plug-ins that you can put in cabinets and bathrooms, to large units that tend to stronger smells and are placed in large office spaces and living rooms.
Benefits of Air Purifiers
Air cleaners are becoming a common household appliance because they are beneficial for people with asthma and allergies.
Since most plug-in air purifiers use advanced UV C light technology to rid the air of germs and dust, it’s considered to be safe and reliable.
People with infants and toddlers looking for environmentally friendly and healthy solutions to cleaner air can use air purifiers as they only emit ozone in harmless quantities.
Moreover, adjustable ozone concentration and purification levels allow you to set the purifier to suit your needs.
Some of their top features include:
- Energy-efficiency
- Adjustable purification and ozone knobs
- Being remote-operated through smart device connectivity
- Portable and compact
- Low energy consumption
What Are Some Cons of Air Purifiers?
You will have to maintain your air purifier depending on the type you own. If it has a pre-filter, you will need to change it every three months. HEPA filters last longer and need replacement every eight to twelve months.
In addition, air purifiers can also be noisy. As most air purifiers have fans, the constant whirring sound is almost unavoidable.
Keep in mind, not all purifiers have air fresheners. You may have to pay a higher price for a one with a built-in air freshener.
What Does a Humidifier Do?
People often take humidifiers to be replacements for air purifiers. Where air purifiers clean the air of toxins, humidifiers only moisturize the dry air with water vapor.
The main function of a humidifier is to remove dryness from the air. They are best for people living in dry and arid climates and those who have sinus problems.
Humidifiers are classified based on their sizes and types. For example, console units are meant to humidify your entire house and often come with wheels, so you can easily place them in different rooms. Portable humidifiers are best for small rooms and traveling purposes.
The different kinds of humidifiers fall into three main categories;
- Ultrasonic warm mist uses ultrasonic speed to heat the liquid water, emitting into the air and turning to vapor instantly.
- Evaporative cool mist produces humidity through a fan that blows air through a moistened wick in water.
- Electromechanical humidifiers use electric motors to create a mist.
Benefits of Humidifiers
Dry air is a recurring issue for many people. It’s also a major cause of dry skin, nosebleeds, eczema, and dry cough.
A humidifier is a quick and easy solution to increase moisture levels indoors within minutes. More so, they also cure health issues that arise due to dry air.
For toddlers and newborns that may suffer from congestion, humidifiers work wonders. They will let your child breathe easier and help them sleep through the night comfortably.
Asthma patients may also benefit from humidifiers as they make the air more breathable and fresher.
Cons of Humidifiers
Humidifiers don’t clean your air of harmful toxins or germs. So, even if they are beneficial to asthma patients, you will have to invest in another device that will remove asthma-triggering toxins from the air.
In addition, overusing humidifiers may worsen respiratory problems and encourage the growth of dust mites, bacteria, and mold. It’s important to regulate your humidifier to avoid such risks.
How to Choose – Air Purifier vs Humidifier
It all boils down to what you prioritize. Do you want to rid your air of bacteria, germs, strong odors, or are you looking to add more moisture to reduce the dryness in the air?
They both contribute in important ways to make indoor air smell better and breathing a lot easier.
Where air purifiers are great for people with allergies and rid the air of pollens and dust, humidifiers are beneficial for asthma-patients. However, when it comes to air purifiers vs humidifier, you can’t ignore the multifunction air purifiers to the single-purpose of a humidifier here https://verywellhome.com/best-air-purifier-for-1200-sq-ft/
It’s more likely that people would invest in a machine that will remove harmful particles from the air as the health benefits are greater.
