Key Points
- Smart appliances are often more expensive than their regular counterparts.
- The smart air purifier depends on wi-fi connection and won’t run if the wi-fi is out.
- Some smart air purifiers only cycle when air quality is poor.
- Security concerns like third-party data collection make some users avoid smart air purifiers.
Smart air purifiers may not be worth all the hype. Air purifiers don’t perform better just because they’re connected to an automated system online.
And if an intelligent appliance doesn’t make your life a whole lot easier, then why bother? Technology sometimes has drawbacks, so we’ll look at a few reasons to skip a smart air purifier after closely examining what they do for your home.
Some Background on the Smart Air Purifier
Smart air purifiers allow you to monitor your home’s air quality from a smartphone or tablet app. Then, if the device deems your quality “unhealthy” or poor, it will cycle to purify the air. But the beauty of air purifiers is that you can turn them on and forget about them while they do their job.
Air filters capture airborne particles like allergens, pet dander, bacteria, lint, dust, and mold spores. These HEPA filters pull up to 99.7% of unhealthy particles from your home’s air, so your family breathes easier. And some systems also use UV light to capture airborne viruses and bacteria.
In addition, some air purifiers also use carbon filters to clean smells from the air. Don’t worry about pet or paint odors, cigarette smoke, formaldehyde, or other cancer-causing VOCs.
Air purifiers work reasonably with fans, carbon, and HEPA filters. The fan pushes the room’s air through the filter, where the pollutants get removed. Then, the device sends the clean air back into the room.
And while you’d think that having a smart air purifier would improve the cleaning process, it doesn’t actually do anything to improve the air quality. Instead, the “smart” feature lets you see the type of particles trapped and the remaining filter life.
Reasons to Avoid a Smart Air Purifier
Here are some valid reasons to avoid a smart air purifier.
Reason #1: Higher Price
- Refreshes air 5 times per hour
- 3-in-1 filter removes at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, and any airborne particles
- Noise levels as low as 24dB
- Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
Smart appliances are generally worth it, and we’re all about technology. But, sometimes, the added intelligence adds a price that is higher than the added value. And that’s where we land with smart air purifiers.
We expect smart appliances to make our lives easier. And while using the apps associated with smart air purifiers is easy, we don’t think the expense justifies the purchase.
Adding intelligence provides a good monitoring source of your air’s pollutants, which is nice. And it does remind you to change the filter. But you can just as quickly set a calendar reminder for filter changes and save yourself some money.
Reason #2: Updates & Outdated Technology
Updating the software on a smart air purifier isn’t necessary for a regular system, which will keep working no matter the technology. And if your system becomes outdated, the manufacturer may no longer provide updates. So, you have an air purifier with good bones that won’t work.
Reason #3: Clean Air Is Wi-Fi Dependent
Smart air purifiers depend on Wi-Fi and a stable connection to do their job. So, if you have an outage, your purifier will quit working.
However, other systems will still allow the device to clean the air without an internet connection; you just bypass it through the control panel buttons.
And then, later, once the internet service returns, you’ll have access to the app controls again. So, if you purchase a smart air purifier, verify its connectivity requirements.
Reason #4: An Air Purifier Turns on Only When Air Quality Declines
If your smart air purifier only cleans once the indoor air quality is poor, it sits idle instead of continuously cleaning. Then, the system will need to work overtime to catch up in cleaning your unhealthy air.
This inefficient process is repeated over and over instead of simply keeping your air quality at a high healthy state. Checking a system’s actual cleaning process is essential when deciding whether to buy a smart air purifier.
Reason #5: Ionizers Could Release Ozone
©Casezy idea/Shutterstock.com
Whether you purchase a regular or smart air purifier, we encourage you to read the system’s data on whether or not it produces ionizers.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that under the right conditions, some ion generators could have unhealthy amounts of ozone, a lung irritant.
So, extra homework on ion generators is necessary before choosing this type of air purifier.
Reason #6: Security Concerns
One of the primary reasons many users don’t opt for smart appliances is their concern for online safety. While it is improbable that your smart air purifier is a target for hackers, the issue is often more about third-party data collection.
Using a smart appliance’s phone app requires you to provide some information about your household, which users might object to.
Alternatives to Smart Air Purifiers
Here are some excellent alternatives if you want to avoid getting a new smart air purifier.
Regular Room Air Purifier
- Effectively filters out particles such as smoke, pollen, dander, hair, and more
- Dual-channel and 360-degree air inlet technology
- Noise is as low as 22 dB
- Features an aroma pad
The best air purifiers are simple. They have a fan and a HEPA filter. Beyond those two items, everything else is an option. Look for a high circulation rate or how quickly it refreshes your room’s air.
And, also, check for low-decibel operations so the system doesn’t create sound pollution while trying to clean your air.
Indoor Plants
- Requires partial shade
- Weighs 4.88 pounds
- Fiddle-leaf figs are ideal as focal points in living rooms and dens
Houseplants are great home filters that naturally clean and purify your home’s air. They also bring in a little nature to help relieve stress, so that’s another excellent reason to skip a smart air purifier.
Placing indoor plants around your house gives you the maximum benefit from their air purification properties. Plants convert exhaled carbon dioxide into fresh oxygen.
And they also remove toxins during photosynthesis. They filter formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene, which are all irritants and can cause headaches or dizziness.
Activated Charcoal
- Works as a smoke odor, bathroom odor, and car odor eliminator
- 100% activated bamboo charcoal
- High density and porous structure
Here’s another natural way to help improve your home’s air quality. Activated bamboo charcoal (also called activated carbon) absorbs odors and excess moisture. Since there are no chemicals, it is suitable for homes with children and pets, so you can safely leave rooms smelling clean.
Most activated charcoal bags last up to two years as long as you reactivate them in sunlight. Set them outside or on a sunny windowsill for two hours each month, and they will continue cleaning your room’s air.
Bamboo charcoal has more surface area — ten times that of regular charcoal. So, its absorption rate is four times stronger. Buy bags in bulk to save money and keep one or two in every room of your house.
Himalayan Salt Lamps
- Made from natural Himalayan salt crystal
- Dimmable
- Orange/ amber color
- Handcrafted
- Improves air quality
Another way to purify indoor air quality is by using Himalayan salt lamps. They use hygroscopy to attract and absorb moisture from the surrounding environment. And since that moisture often contains allergens and pollutants, they are also absorbed into the salt.
Not all health experts agree on the exact benefits that Himalayan salt lamps provide. But your rooms stay cleaner, and you benefit from a beautiful light source to complement your decor. That’s a positive outcome, no matter what way you look at it.
Wrapping Up
We’ve shared valid reasons to skip a smart air purifier, helping you make an informed decision. Regular room air purifiers, houseplants, bamboo-activated charcoal, and Himalayan salt lamps are great alternatives.
| Reasons to Skip a Smart Air Purifier |
|---|
| 1. Smart appliances often come with a higher price than their regular counterparts. |
| 2. You’ll need to track software updates to stay abreast of outdated technology. |
| 3. You may not get clean air if your Wi-Fi is out of service. |
| 4. Some smart air purifiers only cycle when air quality is poor. |
| 5. Security concerns like third-party data collection make some users avoid smart air purifiers. |
| 6. Some air purifiers release ozone, a lung irritant. |
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Dabarti CGI/Shutterstock.com.
