Breathe
Purification you can trust.
Sometimes, it’s what you can’t see that matters the most. Allergens, pollutants, bacteria, and viruses can contaminate indoor air, often leading to air quality that’s worse inside than out. We’ve developed air purifiers that filter maximum levels of contaminants, so you can worry less and breathe a little more deeply.
Our Air Purification Systems.
Reduce contaminants with the touch of a button.
Indoor air can often be more polluted than the air outside. Dust, pet dander, pollen, tobacco smoke, and various molds are commonly found in indoor spaces, along with cooking odors, gases, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from furniture, carpeting, and personal care products. External contaminants can sneak into your home and irritate your eyes, nose, throat, and mouth upon exposure. Help ensure better air quality in your space with our line of science-backed home air purifiers, which reduce the toxins that can keep you feeling less than your best.
What is smoke?
Smoke is a collection of microscopic particles—tiny bits of solid, liquid, and gas that have not been completely burned during the process of combustion. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most particles in smoke range from 0.4–0.7 micrometers in size.
What are VOCs?
Volatile organic compounds are gases that are emitted from solid or liquid products, as well as during processes such as printing and manufacturing. Common sources include paints, cleaning supplies, pesticides, furnishings, air fresheners, cigarettes, gasoline, and personal care products. Exposure to VOCs is linked to kidney and liver damage, eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, central nervous system impairment, and specific cancers. Specialized filters provide the best reduction of VOCs and odors.
How does mold spread?
Understanding how mold spreads is key when you’re searching for an air purifier for mold reduction. Mold reproduces using tiny structures called spores. These spores are small, airborne, and found both indoors and out. Prolonged exposure to airborne mold may cause respiratory congestion, sneezing, sinus infection, and other allergy-based symptoms. Certain strains of mold are more harmful than others, and some people are more susceptible to its negative health impacts, including young children, pregnant women, seniors, and those with underlying respiratory conditions.
What is Sick House Syndrome?
Sick House Syndrome (SHS), or Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a condition in which building occupants complain of a specific range of discomforts, often including headache, non-productive cough, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and trouble concentrating; yet no outstanding illness can be identified. When diagnosed, SHS/SBS can often be linked to poor indoor air quality and high exposure to VOCs or mold.
What is the AQI?
The Air Quality Index is a standardized measurement of air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works with state governments to measure pollution levels in the air. The index rates air on a scale of 1-500, with a color-coded ratings system to clearly delineate healthful versus unhealthful air. In general, an AQI rating of 151 and higher is considered unhealthy for all groups. Young children, pregnant women, seniors, and those with cardiovascular or respiratory illness can experience effects of poor air quality at lower levels.
What is a CADR rate?
When it comes to cleaning the air, the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) indicates (in cubic feet per minute) how much air a purifier or filter is able to move through its filters. The higher the CADR rate, the more effective the machine can be at reducing contaminants. The CADR rate will vary depending on particulate size—smoke, dust, and pollen represent small, medium, and large particulates during testing—and does not measure the reduction of VOCs, odors, bacteria, or viruses. Room purifiers with adjustable fan speeds will have varying CADR levels.
What is CARB certification?
High concentrations of ozone can destroy bacteria and viruses, but ozone has also been scientifically proven to be harmful to plants, animals, and humans, causing respiratory irritation, asthma, lung damage and cardiovascular stress. includes ozone in its list of pollutants considered harmful to humans and the environment. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) offers certification against the usage of excessive ozone in air purifiers and filtration systems. All Brondell air purifiers hold CARB certification for minimal ozone emissions.
What are industrial emissions?
Industrial emissions are particulates, gases, and VOCs that are released into the air as a result of manufacturing, industrial activity, automobile and airplane travel, and more. These emissions, including ozone, carbon monoxide, lead, and PM 2.5 particulates, are widely associated with a negative impact on human health. Homes situated near factories, warehouses, and traffic-prone freeways are more likely to have higher levels of these pollutants present indoors. A high grade air purifier with additional specialized filters can help reduce industrial emissions from indoor air.
How does COVID-19 spread?
COVID-19 is an airborne respiratory virus. As a person exhales, microscopic droplets are released into the air. If a person is infected with COVID-19, these droplets can spread COVID-19 to others. Air purifiers circulate indoor air, helping to combat accumulation of viral aerosol pockets. For an extra layer of assurance, our Pro Sanitizing Air Purifier with AG+ Technology features specialized technology to trap and eliminate up to ≥99.9% of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) within 15 minutes, in addition to other airborne respiratory viruses like H1N1 and H2N3.
Air concerns grow over gas stoves.
An expanding body of research suggests that the use of gas stoves for indoor cooking is associated with negative health impacts. Gas stoves release airborne pollutants during the cooking and combustion processes, which include nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzene, and more. The EPA states that even low levels of exposure to nitrogen dioxide have been linked to an increased risk of respiratory infections, especially in young children, along with increased bronchial reactivity in people with asthma. Additional research has found that reducing nitrogen dioxide exposure is important in improving respiratory health in children with asthma.
Why do we need air purifiers? Take a look at the numbers.
A rise in wildfire smoke pollution.
Poor air quality has been making headlines—and for good reason. Extended drought conditions throughout the American West (along with other regions worldwide), has led to yearly occurrences of record-breaking wildfires. As such, particulate pollution resulting from increased wildfire smoke has become a growing health concern. As fires become larger and more destructive, wildfire smoke pollution is expected to have a continuing impact on the health and air quality of communities across the globe.
Wildfire smoke and air purifiers.
Wildfires generate massive quantities of heat, which rises high into the atmosphere, carrying with it microscopic particulates and gases from burning vegetation and buildings. These fine particulates are swept upward into the jet stream, where they can travel thousands of miles over land and water. As the jet stream weakens or slows, trapped pollutants settle over an area, impacting air quality for days or weeks. Smoke can drift into homes and buildings through poorly sealed windows and doors, faulty HVAC systems, and during air exchanges as doors are opened and shut to accommodate foot traffic.
The increasing impact of smoke.
Little is known about the long-term health impacts of repeated exposure to wildfire smoke. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that short-term exposure to wildfire particulate matter is associated with “an increased risk of respiratory events, such as impaired lung function and hospitalizations, emergency department visits, physician visits, and medication use for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and respiratory infection.”
For effective filtration of wildfire smoke, purifiers must trap PM 2.5 particulates: microscopic contaminants that aren’t visible to the naked eye but can be especially harmful to health. This fine particulate matter is small enough to bypass the body’s natural airway defenses and builds up in the bloodstream. Negative health effects can include: headache, coughing, increased asthma attacks, shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, irritated eyes, throat and sinuses.
Invest in better indoor air quality.
To ensure that your home remains a safer retreat during a wildfire smoke event, look for a purifier that removes particulates sized 0.3 microns. Select a model that is designed for your room’s unique square footage, and consider using multiple air purifiers for larger spaces. During a smoke event, keep exterior doors and windows shut. It is safe and advisable to run your air purifier continuously until outdoor air quality improves.
Air purifiers & electricity.
Do air purifiers use a lot of electricity? It’s a good question, especially because most air purifiers are designed to be run around the clock, providing safer air not only during the day, but also while users sleep. Thankfully, running an air purifier isn’t as expensive as running a refrigerator or air conditioner—and Brondell purifiers feature settings that can help reduce energy use.
Most HEPA air purifiers use between 50 to 100 watts of electricity per hour (W). Brondell air purifiers fall within this average range, using between 55 and 95/W of use—much lower than other standard household appliances such as your refrigerator (225/W), dishwasher (1800/W), electric dryer (2790/W), and air conditioner (3500/W).
- Horizon Air Purifier: 55/W
- Pro Air Purifier with AG+ Technology by Aurabeat: 95/W
To reduce the usage costs associated with your purifier, utilize the variable fan speed, sleep mode, and timer settings on your unit, and consider turning it off while away from home.
How air purification systems work.
The concept is simple. Modern technology delivers.
First, a fan pulls air into the machine.
Adjustable fan speeds allow air intake to be controlled at the touch of a button. Machines can have one or two intake ports, which determine how much (and how quickly) air can be cleaned.
Next, air passes through filters.
Different filters are designed to reduce different contaminants, and work in tandem to clean the air in stages. A pre-filter captures large particles like hair, fur, and dust, and works to keep the inner filters protected. Next, air passes through a HEPA filter, where smaller particles, like pollen, smoke, mold, bacteria, and viruses are trapped. Unique fibers within the HEPA filter create static electricity, pulling in particulates as they pass nearby.
Finally, specialized filters trap gases.
Due to their incredibly minuscule size, gaseous airborne particles are not easily captured by a HEPA filter—they’re able to pass right through it. To combat this, purification systems feature additional specialized filters, which target gases, odors, and VOCs. These filters are designed using high-grade materials, like activated carbon and nanocrystalline, that bind with gases instead of catching them outright, in order to safely reduce them from filtered air. Carbon filters for air purifiers are well-suited to reduce gases and odors, but must use a significantly high amount of carbon to do so. Filters embedded with trace amounts of carbon do not offer effective reduction.
Bonus features: additional settings that go the extra mile.
Features like intelligent ion technology, UV-light sanitization, and plasma generators work in their own ways to further reduce particulates and degrade viruses, ensuring that only the highest-quality air is released back into your space. Additional air purifier filter settings can often be turned on and off for enhanced air purification as desired.
HEPA air filters
How do air purifiers work—and which is the best air purifier around? The answer is in the quality of the filters. The human eye can detect items around 25 microns in size. Dust, pollen, and mold are about 10 microns, while smoke particulates, bacteria, and viruses are much smaller, ranging between 0.3-1 micron, and sometimes even smaller. Though these pollutants cannot be seen by the naked eye, breathing them in can cause a range of health issues, including allergies, asthma, and more. HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters help to protect your lungs by capturing airborne particulates. Larger particles are caught while passing over the outer HEPA layer, while smaller particles are pulled further into the filter, becoming lodged within the tightly-woven fibers. These unique fibers also create static electricity, which works to pull particulates into the air purifier filter as they pass nearby. The best air purifiers for pets, smoke particulates, airborne mold, and dust reduction will include a woven HEPA or HEPA-type filter.
What are specialized filters?
Brondell’s specialized filters reduce gases, odors, and airborne chemicals like VOCs, which are emitted from paints, aerosol sprays, cleaning products, pesticides, and insect repellants. These specialized filters work differently than those that trap particulate matter, making use of carbon or non-metallic minerals to capture and adsorb gases as the air is filtered. HEPA filters alone cannot reduce VOCs from the air—specialized filters play a crucial role in reducing these gases. When shopping for an air purification system, be sure to check manufacturer claims regarding how VOCs are eliminated. When you’re wondering which is the best air purifier for VOC reduction, rest assured that all Brondell air purifiers include specialized filters to enhance purification in your space.
- Horizon: granular activated carbon filter, integrated cold catalyst filter
- Pro: nanocrystalline filter
Smart Features
Trust in our technology to provide the best. At-a-glance sensors display up-to-the-moment readings of your indoor air quality, so you’re never left wondering about the particulate level of the air you breathe. Additional features like auto mode, timer, and child lock ensure that your purifier runs just the way you want it to, every time. And because poor indoor air quality is a pervasive problem, our air purifiers are designed to be run around the clock, featuring sleep settings and/or adjustable fan speeds which allow the system to run quietly through the night while still providing cleaner air.
Want up-to-the-moment, accurate readings of your indoor air quality? Consider an air purification system with a built-in air quality indicator. The Brondell Pro Sanitizing Air Purifier with AG+ Technology by Aurabeat and the Revive HEPA Air Purifier and Humidifier feature integrated, color-coded air quality indicators, so you can know the quality of your air with just a glance. Fan speeds adjust automatically when air quality is poor, offering top-of-the-line, reliable protection.
The history of air purifiers.
Air pollution isn’t new, but technology has come a long way in controlling indoor air quality. Air cleaners—also known as air purifiers, air filters, or air purification systems, have been around longer than most people realize, albeit in very different forms than those of today. Air purification, in its various forms, dates back over 200 years to the advent of a major decline in air quality across the industrialized world.
Poor air quality began to appear at the onset of the Industrial Revolution, when coal burning took center stage as a source for heating and electricity. The abundant availability of coal allowed for exponential economic growth and manufacturing, and revolutionized travel. But coal had a very dark side, and air in and around cities soon became heavily polluted with toxic smoke and heavy smog.
The first step in combating air pollution came in the form of a charcoal-based mask designed by John Stenhouse in 1854. This mask was, in some ways, similar to the carbon filters used in air purifiers of modern-day. It filtered a range of air impurities and was a key invention for basic air contaminant removal. Stenhouse’s mask was able to filter out harmful gases and particulates from polluted air much more effectively than typical cloth-based masks used during the same time period. In 1871, this useful carbon-based technology was leveraged to upgrade fire fighting masks. The introduction of a basic respirator made firefighting safer—and set the stage for further interest in air filtration technology.
The next important step in air purification came with the invention of the HEPA filter, developed by the US Atomic Energy Commission to protect soldiers and scientists from airborne radioactive particles in laboratories and on the battlefield.
During World War II, HEPA filtration was integrated into masks to offer protection against contaminant exposure during the production and testing of the atomic bomb. These early masks protected wearers against some of the toxic gases used in warfare, and were useful against hazardous aerosols, carcinogens, radioactive dust, and other airborne contaminants of the time period—including particulates found in coal smoke. Despite these important findings, it would be decades before HEPA filtration became a commonplace term.
During the 1960’s, the Department of Energy standardized the science behind HEPA filtration, officially labeling it “High Efficiency Particulate Air” technology. Standardization included guidelines for particulate removal—HEPA filters must remove no less than 99.97% of particulates over 0.3 microns. The United States Congress offered timely support for the reduction of air pollution with the passing of the Clean Air Act of 1963, furthering consumer awareness in air quality and environmental protection. It wasn’t long before residential interest in air filtration followed suit, sparking the continued invention and improvement of air purification products featuring HEPA technology. The first home air filters were overly large, expensive, and difficult to operate and maintain, but technology improved decade by decade, offering consumers moderate protection against allergens, indoor smoke particulates, and dust.
Keeping filters fresh.
The frequency in which an air purifier’s filters need to be changed varies greatly depending on usage and air quality—and even the best air purifier needs routine maintenance. Pre-filters, which trap the largest particles and protect the inner filters from debris, can be vacuumed on a regular basis to prolong use. Specialized filters can be removed and exposed to sunlight to extend their lifespan. Woven or HEPA filters should be checked when the purifier’s filter change light indicator comes on, and changed if the filter appears dark or dirty. Otherwise, filters should be changed according to the owner’s manual, usually between 6 and 12 months.
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