At Rise, we know you value your family’s health and are working to make sure your home reflects that value by paying attention to home furnishings. Many household products, from low-VOC furniture to zero-VOC paints, are becoming increasingly available on the market. Even so, it's still close to impossible to completely rid your home of VOCs, harmful gases, pollutants, and allergens that can compromise your health. Air purification technologies are relatively inexpensive ways to improve indoor air quality even if your home does not have an HRV or ERV system.
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By Tobias Roberts, Rise Writer
Feb 13, 2025 · 5 min read
Almost every product that goes into making a home has the potential to release some sort of chemical that could off gas. From paints, aerosol sprays, air fresheners, cleaning agents, office equipment, building materials, to the furniture that adorns your home, VOCs are everywhere. Choosing zero-VOC paint is certainly a wise decision. But what about the glue your daughter needs for a science project at school or the carbonless copy paper you have in your home office?
VOCs are only one type of indoor air pollutant affecting our homes. According to the EPA, sources of indoor air pollution that can cause severe health problems include:
· Asbestos
· Biological Pollutants
· Carbon Monoxide
· Formaldehyde/Pressed Wood Products
· Lead
· Nitrogen Dioxide
· Pesticides
· Radon
· Indoor Particulate Matter
· Secondhand Smoke/ Environmental Tobacco Smoke
· Stoves, Heaters, Fireplaces, and Chimneys
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Improving the indoor air quality of your home doesn’t mean that you need to spend or fortune or have to live with the windows open during the cold months.
Unlike air fresheners, which only add VOCs to our homes, air purifiers actively improve indoor air quality by eliminating VOCs, gasses, and other unwanted (and sometimes undetectable) odors floating around your home. Several different types of technologies are effective—such as filters made from carbon, magnesium dioxide, and copper oxide—in trapping harmful gaseous chemicals in your home. Below, we offer a complete review of the top five air purifiers on the market today.
The Pro M Air Purifier offered by Blue Air is a unique product that combines two types of purification technologies. Both mechanical and electrostatic technologies are used to rid your household air of several types of indoor air pollutants. The Pro M Air Purifier utilizes advanced filter and an encapsulated particle-charging chamber to capture almost every kind of pollutant that could be floating around your home. This product can also be used with the Blueair SmokeStop Filter, the Blueair Carbon filter, and the Blueair Pro Particle Filter to filter out, even more, VOCs, particulate matter, and other gasses affecting your indoor air quality. Priced at just under $650, this is an affordable way to keep your home´s air pure and pollutant-free. It's also AHAM verifide.
Coway is a South Korean based purification company that makes water and air purifiers. The Coway AP-1512GHH uses four filtering stages to clean air, which is double the cleaning power of two standard air purifiers. It has a carbon filter, HEPA filter, and two extra stages that most air purifiers on the market do not. The carbon layer has a micro-mesh, and the HEPA filter has an ionizer. The micro-mesh catches large particles, pet hair, and dust while the carbon layer catches pollen, larger dust particles, and rids the air of bad odors. The filter does a great job of trapping cigarette and cigar smoke. It's designed to clear air in spaces up to 528 square feet or 23 feet by 23 feet. The sleek design comes in both white and black variants and resembles a large original iPod Shuffle. Coway AP-1512GHH currently costs $221.99 and is available at most major retailers.
Rise Writer
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Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.
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Americans spend, on average, 90 percent of their time indoors between school, the office, and their homes. Asthma, to name just one common respiratory problem, affects upwards of 25 million Americans, and exposure to VOCs, is known to aggravate asthmatic conditions. VOCs are also suspected of causing other health problems. Acute or short term exposure can lead to eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, and even feelings of nausea. Long term or chronic exposure can cause cancer, liver and kidney damage, and potentially damage to the central nervous system.
The Amaircare 3000 Portable HEPA Air Cleaner is a 22 lbs, 225 CFM airflow unit that's great for homes with indoor air quality issues. It's easy to move from room to room thanks to six castors. This 3-stage filter offers interchangeable airflow options while filtering air through a carbon pre-filter, a HEPA filter, and a carbon inner filter. A handy filter monitor will remind you when it's time to change your filter. Available in slate black or white, it's an aesthetically pleasing air purifier sure to blend into any room. It's made in Canada and comes with a 5-year warranty. The pre-filter and inner carbon filter last up to 6 months, and the HEPA filter is designed to last 3-5 years. There is an optional VOC canister that is good for one year. This product is currently priced at $599 on Amazon.
The aptly-named AirPura c600 is another high-quality indoor air purifier that can remove thousands of airborne chemicals and VOCs affecting your home. The AirPura c600 contains a powerful 26-pound carbon filter and 360° air distribution that can purify a 2,000 square-foot home. The product has virtually zero maintenance, meaning that you simply strategically place the filter, turn it on, and allow the machine to purify the air inside your home. The c600 currently sells for just under $850 on Amazon.
Rabbit Air offers a unique air purifier that uses Wi-Fi, allowing you to monitor and control indoor air quality even when you are away. You can even control the Rabbit Air with Amazon Alexa's voice commands. The BioGS HEPA filter traps allergens, bacteria, and particles as small as 0.1 microns. It also does a great job of removing odors and pet dander. Starting $549.95, the Rabbit Air MinusA2 SPA-780N also comes in unique, artistic designs that mimic famous artworks such as Van Gogh´s starry night.
By paying attention to our choices in home furnishings, you can go a long way towards reducing exposure to VOCs and other pollutants in our homes. We can never completely eliminate air pollutants. Still, any of these air purifiers above will help make your home a healthier place to live, work, play, and sleep.
