Aerosol filter
Air purifier at Warentest: The cheap model trumps
The filter holds back aerosols, but also ensures largely dust-free rooms.
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Air filters are designed to remove viruses, pollen and pollutants from the air. In the fight against Corona, more customers are looking for protection through such filters. Warentest has tested seven current models.
Do air filters provide 100 percent protection against corona infection? No, they don’t. But they reduce the likelihood of being infected indoors because they get viruses and aerosols out of the air. If you have a queasy feeling when the family get together for Christmas or friends for New Year’s Eve, you can increase security with such a device. And of course you also clean the air of dust and suspended particles.
It all comes down to the filters
The product testers checked seven cleaners for their effectiveness against viruses, bacteria, pollen and pollutants. The devices cost between 171 and 455 euros. As long as the device and filter are new, all machines suck away aerosol particles suspended in the air. It looks different, if the filter has been used for a while, then only four work well. Good for allergy sufferers: remove all pollen. In contrast, only two can cope with pollutants such as formaldehyde.
Only the test winner is convincing in all disciplines: Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro, it is even better than last year’s test winner, the Philip’s AC 2889/10. Another surprise: The winner from China is the cheapest device in the test at 179 euros. Last year’s test winner costs 310 euros. The runner-up Medion MD 10378 costs 200 euros and gets the grade satisfactory (2.6). The ideal landed in third place (satisfactory, 2.9) AP30 Pro for 455 euros.
Relatively high operating costs
The one-time purchase is not enough. The air purifier itself is just a housing with a fan and a controller. The purification of the air depends on the filter and it is a consumable item that needs to be replaced. The cost of a replacement filter for the test devices is between 35 and 96 euros. Then there are the electricity costs, because the filter runs around the clock. So an air filter is not cheap. With the Xiaomi, the testers also had problems getting the desired filter inserts. There are different types of filters with different effects for the Xiaomi. The prices on the market are also very different for original filters, because of the high costs an intensive search is worthwhile. The filter shortage described in the test was probably due to the general delivery difficulties this year, currently all filter types can be easily obtained as originals from Xiaomi or from a third party.
Third party filters are available for many devices. They’re always cheaper and don’t have to be worse. If you use them, the test result says nothing, because these inserts have not been checked.
Rush like an exhaust hood
The devices worked well against pollen. In the test chamber, the number of pollen was reduced by 92 to 95 percent in just ten minutes. Allergy sufferers can take a deep breath, even during the season. They worked far worse against formaldehyde. The home poison can escape from paint, wall paint or furniture. The emphasis is on “can”, if you are not exposed to formaldehyde in your home, you do not need a filter against it. It looks similar with cigarette smoke. The smoke tires the filters quickly. In any case, it would be an illusion to believe that a chain smoker could live in a non-smoking apartment with a consumption of two boxes with the help of a cleaner.
You should also know that the devices achieve the best effect with a high air flow rate, but then they are also annoyingly loud. The automatic control is mostly based on the suspended particles in the air. If you want maximum corona protection, you would have to override the automatic. In any case, the best air exchange can be achieved if the cleaners are combined with push ventilation, according to the product testers.
You can take the whole test for a fee here see.
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