Dec 17, 2007 6:08 pm US/Eastern
Consumer Reports Rates The Best Air Purifiers
(KDKA)
One way to keep the air a little cleaner in your home is to use an air purifier.
Consumer Reports tested nearly 40 portable units and found that many don't do a great job cleaning the air and some actually make it worse.
The air purifiers are tested inside a sealed chamber.
A measured amount of dust is forced into the room, followed by cigarette smoke.
To see how well each air purifier works, the machine measures the levels of particles in the air over the course of half an hour.
Included in the tests were two units that are designed to clean the air with the help of ozone.
Consumer Reports found they do a poor job of removing smoke and dust, and they emit very high levels of ozone.
"Ozone is not something you want added to the air you breathe, especially if you have a respiratory problem," said Rico de Paz of Consumer Reports. "It can aggravate asthma and reduce lung function."
Not acceptable in the tests were the Edenpure Area model and the Ecoquest Fresh Air.
Consumer Reports also tested air purifiers from market leaders Oreck and Sharper Image.
The Sharper Image Hybrid GP germicidal air purifier is $500 and the Oreck Tower the XL professional air purifier is $700.
However, neither rated good at cleaning the air.
A much less expensive air purifier did a much better job and earned top-ratings.
It's the Whirlpool Whispure model number
ap-450-30-s for $230.
It uses only a filter to clean the air, so it doesn't emit any ozone at all.
How about the claims many air purifiers make that the unit is "antibacterial" or that it "kills microorganisms"?
Consumer Reports checked by collecting samples of the air and sending them off to a lab to be cultured.
The tests showed the air purifiers that promise to reduce germs do.
Although the top-rated whirlpool doesn't make an anti bacterial claim, it does just as good a job.
Consumer Reports says before you get an air purifier, there are a number of things you can do to clean the air in your home that can be more effective and don't cost a dime.
They include simple things like opening windows whenever possible and removing carpets.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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