There are many different types and calibers of personal air purifiers.  These go from low quality to very high quality, and as with any product, the price corresponds pretty well to the quality of the product.  Brands that have made names for themselves, and have proven beyond any doubt that their products work and operate effectively, have earned the right to charge higher prices for what they sell.  If you want to take the lower priced route, that is fine, but understand that you get what you pay for.

For some people, the cheap air purification systems out there might work for them.  If you do not have any breathing problems and just want to improve your air slightly, a cheap air filter might be enough for you.  Not everybody needs the best of everything, and indeed nobody can have the best of everything; you need to make decisions and sacrifices, and if you do not need an extravagant air filter, then there is no point in springing for one.

The next step up would be medium-level air filters.  You would definitely want one of these if you have breathing problems, and for some people they might be able to fix those problems completely.  These kinds of machines can take out most of the major inhibiting particles in the air, such as dust, dander, pollen, and smoke.  These air filters cost a few hundred dollars, and they can last a long time, while retaining operating efficiency all the way through.

The final option would be the highest quality air filters.  These filters can take out particles much smaller than lesser filters.  They use techniques such as ultraviolet germicidal irradiation and photocatalytic oxidation (interesting names, right?)  These methods can remove far more contaminants from the air than simple filters can, and are great for people with serious breathing difficulties.  If you have a lot of money, there is no reason you should not get yourself the best air filter out there.

To determine what you need, you have to give yourself a self-assessment.  You do not want to pay more money than you need to, but you want something that will fit your needs as well.  You may be the kind of person who really needs an air filter for their health, and in that case, the price is not as important as the relief that you will feel.  For the average person, a mid-level air filter would probably work out fine.

It is important for us to know how things we use operate.  This is not only for the sole sake of knowledge, but being informed helps us make better decisions that make things better for us in the long run.  Since air purifiers can be expensive, you want your purchase to go as far as it can, just like with a car.

The basic premise of an air purifier is that it sucks in air, removes all or most of the contaminants, and then releases it back in to your home in a better state.  While that sounds simple, the actual process and the engineering of the device is more complex, yet still fairly easy to understand.

Air purifiers of the past picked up much less than what the quality ones of today do.  In addition to pollen, dust, smoke, and other allergens, modern air purifiers can take out bacteria and viruses as well.  The vast amount of contaminants removed from the air is extremely beneficial for those with breathing problems, and advantages are available for everyone, no matter what kind of health they have.

The most simple form of purification is a basic filter, which lets through air but traps particles that are bigger than a certain size.  For example, HEPA filters can trap nearly all particles down to a hundredth of a micrometer.  Virtually all dust and common allergens fit this profile, so HEPA filters work well for the majority of the population.  Also, they use less energy than other filters and release no contaminants of their own.

A more advanced filtration technique is that of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation.  With this technique, UV lights are placed discreetly inside the device, and they blast air coming past it with the rays.  These bursts of short-wavelength light sterilize the air by decomposing the microorganisms.

The type of purification usually found advertised the most is that of ionic purification (like the Ionic Breeze).  The machine generations gas ions, which attach to contaminants in the air, and these negative ions (anions) are filtered out.

There are several other types of interesting filtration methods, such as photocatalytic oxidation, which catalyzes the oxidation of bacteria through light (photo), in a similar manner to ultraviolet germicidal irradiation.  Being that there are so many different types of filters out there, you need to find which one would work best for your home, as certain methods have advantages over others.

Unlike man, not all air purifiers are created equal.  In an ideal world, every product that we bought would work as advertised and with the greatest effectiveness.  However, some businesses prefer to cut back on the quality of their products in order to make more money, and to compensate for the inferior specs of their devices, they simply invent clever marketing tactics to trick people in to buying what they are selling.  The case is no different when it comes to air purifiers, and there have been some controversial cases involving faulty air purifiers that have caused quite a stir within this industry.

The most controversial case regarding air purifiers was the turbulence between Consumer Reports and Sharper Image regarding the Ionic Breeze, which had several incarnations.  Consumer Reports and another similar firm tested the Ionic Breeze and found that it hardly removed any contaminants from the air at all.  If that were not bad enough, it was also found that the machine was releasing dangerous amounts of ozone, so not only was the machine not helping, but it was hurting!  People were paying hundreds of dollars to hurt themselves, and not too many people were happy about hearing such news.  Due to this and other factors, Sharper Image was driven in to bankruptcy and almost completely out of business, but it still exists today and provides several quality products.

One should not be deterred from purchasing an air purifier just because of some negative publicity in the past.  The fact remains that good air purifiers are effective and can improve the health for those who use them.  You can find an optimal air purifier by reading customer reviews of the products first, and by looking to see if any scientific testing has been done on them.  Using these resources together, you can make an informed purchasing decision, and end up with a high quality personal air purifier that will clean the air in your home for years to come.

Air purifiers can be somewhat expensive, so what is the point in getting one in the first place?  Many people consider air purifiers to be luxuries and not worth the price tag.  While many expensive things can be considered extraneous, air purifiers are a necessity for thousands and a convenience for mostly everyone else.

There are some people who truly do not need any type of air purification.  They naturally have strong lungs and no breathing and/or health problems, so there really would be no advantage to owning such a device.  Keep in mind that if you do not need an air purifier yet, you may need one in the future.  Also, even if you are perfectly fine, a persona lair purifier would be crucial to preventing problems or infections in the future, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure (or however the saying goes).

Where air purifiers really come in to play are for those with allergies, asthma, or other breathing problems.  The device takes out the dirt and other allergens from the air so all you are breathing is pure freshness.  This will contribute to the total elimination of problems such as coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and runny noses.  For those who have to deal with these inhibiting factors on a daily basis, relief from them is truly a miracle.

Think about it; you are breathing twenty four hours a day, seven days a week (except when you are holding your breath for some reason).  If you are doing this much breathing, don’t you want to be taking in something that is good?  Constantly breathing in impurities is not only bad for your lungs, but can affect many other parts of your body as well.  Breathing clean air will make you feel better and deliver other positive health benefits.

Once you get a personal air purifier, you will be able to feel the results quickly.  The transition from dirty air to clean air is a noticeable one, and you will appreciate the new found pleasures of clean breathing to a great extent.

When people are asked what is necessary for survival, the first things that come to mind are food, water, and shelter.  It can be easy to forget that all of these things are meaningless without air.  Even if you were homeless and starving, if your air was taken away, your focus would shift from everything else in your life to that one breath that you simply must take.  Hopefully you appreciate air on a higher level now, and will consider getting yourself a personal air purifier.