Do you know the air we inhale has contagious air pollutants? According to a World Health Organisation report, around 7 million people die annually due to inhaling polluted air full of particulates.
Air purifiers have become a necessity today, especially if you live in Malaysia. As per WHO’s standards, the country has highly polluted air, which affects the quality of life.
Considering the hazardous impact of breathing impure air, you might be confused about which product you should go for to filter the pollutants. Is an air purifier a good fixer, or would a humidifier do a better job?
Both the devices are effective, but many of us may not know the exact difference to make a wise buyer’s decision.
This blog will clear the air for you (pun intended).
We’ll learn the main differences, basic functionalities of the appliances, and which one is the best to purchase in this write-up.
Difference Between Air Purifiers and Humidifiers
It seems an air purifier or a humidifier can be used as substitutes to one another, but the case is otherwise.
Look at the table below to find out why.
| AIR PURIFIER | AIR HUMIDIFIER |
| Traps impurities from the air | Adds moisture through water vapours to the dry air to soothe irritation |
| Benefits asthma and allergy patients | Relaxes respiratory tract due to dry air |
| Works for cleaning dust, moulds, pollens, smoke | Works for dry air |
| Cleans air | Does not clean air |
| Does not work well in a humid setting. | Raises humidity level by 30% to 50% |
Now that we have an idea about the differences between air purifiers and air humidifiers, we will have an overview of the benefits of each appliance.
Air Purifier
As the name says, air purifiers tend to purify the air we breathe. It works better in compact spaces where there is no ventilation. Air purifiers have several health benefits.
If you have an allergy or asthma symptoms, an air purifier is a holy grail investment.
Let’s have a look at air purifier benefits.
Top 6 Benefits of Air Purifiers:
- Improves the cleanliness of the indoor air.
- Helps in removing the dust pollutants, moulds, and pollens that trigger the allergy and asthma symptoms.
- Traps airborne particles and clean air odours and leaves air smell fresh.
- Helps with pet danders, odours, and pet mess.
- Cleans dust particles from the air that are invisible and always there even if you do your house cleaning every day.
- Filter bacterias are present in the atmosphere.
Drawbacks of Air Purifiers:
- Need immediate maintenance.
- Only work well in closed spaces.
- Ozone production in some cases.
- Not always sound controlling.
A good air purifier will be useful for someone living in Malaysia. There are a dozen cost-effective options available in the market at good pricing.
How Does an Air Purifier Work?
Air purifiers work by placing it in an area where we want purification of air, and the air passes into the air purifier. It traps the air pollutants and prevents them from re-entering the atmosphere again, and as a result, the air remains fresh and clean by removing all the air contamination. Therefore, water purifiers are best for kids and adults, particularly for allergic and asthma patients.
Factors To Consider Before Buying an Air Purifier
There are different factors to take into consideration before buying an air purifier
- Right filtration system particularly (HEPA) filter
- Latest technology
- Cleaning requirements and maintenance of cost
- Nose rating and energy consumption
- Smart features
- Size of air purifier according to room size.
- Customer service and warranty
- A good air change rate
People also use air purifiers as medicated products by health specialists. Still, we recommend you do a good study before investing in the product and consult your health specialist.
Air Humidifier
If you feel the air at your home is dry and irritating the throat, flaky or dry skin, sinuses issues, there comes an air humidifier that increases the humidity level in the atmosphere by adding the water vapour in the environment.
Humidifiers do not clean the air. Nor does it improve the air quality or eliminate particles. It just adds moisture to the air.
Top 6 Benefits of Air Humidifiers:
- Prevents sinus and influenza symptoms
- Ease in cough or dry cough condition
- Moisturise the skin and hair texture
- Helps in the winter season to increase humidity
- Reduces dry eye irritation
- Reduces snoring issues.
Drawbacks of Air Humidifiers:
- Daily cleaning to prevent harmful vapour emission
- Humidifiers may not be ideal to use with infants.
- Needs a balance in usage otherwise can be disastrous for health.
- High maintenance to avoid condensation.
Humidifiers offer a list of benefits but also have some concerns if not maintained daily. The product has types to choose from, giving you more options. It minimizes allergic effects for patients with breathing difficulty. Its features also add up to the product’s efficiency.
How Does an Air Humidifier Work?
An air humidifier uses a cold water reservoir that dispenses into its basin and uses the water to spread out water vapours in the environment. The devices have a fan that blows the moistened air, produced with water vapour, into your surroundings.
It will help if you know the factors to consider before buying an air humidifier, so we have a small section covering that for you.
Factors To Consider Before Buying an Air Humidifier
- Tank capacity
- Type of air humidifier
- Cost of maintenance
- Warm mist or cold mist
- Battery life
- Control precision
- Operating design
- Timer and auto shutdown
You must also consult your doctor before making any health-related changes in your routine. You must also try not to use the humidifier too much. It may give counterproductive results.
Takeaway
There are always new products coming in, and most progress is due to technological advancements. But, what matters more here is adding ease to your life by investing in real products that protect you and your family.
We are not saying that an air purifier or a humidifier will make a magical difference in your life, but it will help.