Why is it important that an Air Purifier is Certified?

Air purifiers play a very important role in maintaining a healthy indoor air environment, especially now in the current situation. In order to ensure minimum health risks, it is important to buy an air purifier with appropriate certifications. The best air purifiers last for years, which makes it very important that the device has the highest available standards. Air purifiers are only eligible for certifications after it has gone through extensive tests. These tests are all being performed in a secured environment with exposure to all types of hazardous particulates and all potential hazards are measured individually.

Most people consider buying a Winix air purifier with a HEPA filter for health reasons. Air purifiers can refresh stale air, greatly reducing the chances of health issues caused by indoor pollutants. These can trigger respiratory infections, neurological problems, and worsen asthma symptoms. The best air purifiers minimize and eliminate several indoor air pollutants, including house dust mites, pets dander, pollen, and mold.

The HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is proven to be the most effective filter out there and it is vital to be eligible for certifications. A certified air purifier with a HEPA filter should give you all the security you need that you are breathing the cleanest air possible.

People with underlying medical conditions can benefit greatly from buying a certified air purifier as it will improve their quality of life. That’s why the importance of certifications on air purifiers cannot be understated.

What certifications do WINIX Air Purifiers hold?

Winix air purifiers hold both ECARF and Allergy UK certifications, which are the most important in Europe for air purifiers. Winix air purifiers also have other certifications such as AHAM, the most important in the United States.

ECARF certification

Winix is ​​proud to be certified by ECARF.

ECARF stands for European Center for Allergy Research Foundation and it was founded in 2003 and based in Berlin, Germany. Their first seal of approval was granted in 2006. Their mission, as stated by their Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. med. Dr. C. Torsten Zuberbier: “The mission of the non-profit European Center for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) is to ensure that people with allergies receive the best possible guidance in everyday matters and treatment options.”

ECARF does not only test air purifiers, but a range of other products such as cosmetics, food, hotels, leather products, vacuum cleaners, and many more. In order for a product to be eligible for an ECARF certification, it will have to be submitted to a series of tests designed by 15 leading international scientists and technicians. All of these tests are performed in an enclosed climate chamber. Only the best air purifiers pass these tests and needless to say all Winix air purifiers pass these tests with flying colours.

The criteria for ECARF testing:

• Minimum Efficiency at the most penetrating particle size (> 0.1 – <0.3 μm):> 85%
• Collection Efficiency at particle size 0.5 μm (Bacteria, fine dust):> 90%
• Collection Efficiency at particle size> 3 μm (mold spores, pollen):> 95%
• Ozone release: <7 ppb
• Temperature difference (room temperature compared to exhaust air): <0.3 K
• The exhaust air has a neutral odour
• The device bears an instruction plate that gives information about the maximum room size for which 95% of all particles > 3 μm are filtered out within one hour.
• Devices with less than 200 m³/hour performance have < 32 dB on the lowest setting.

Allergy UK certification

The British Allergy Foundation was formed in 1991 by a group of leading UK allergists who believed that those living with allergies have the right to good quality support, education, and advice about their condition throughout their lives. The UK health system only provides limited allergy services and the British Allergy Foundation, operating as Allergy UK since 2001, is the charitable organization established to fill the gap and provide this support. It also lobbies and advocates for improved recognition of the seriousness of allergy and its impact on the quality of life of those living with allergic disease. Their mission: “Our mission is to raise the profile of allergy at all levels across the UK and our vision is that everyone affected by allergy receives the best possible care and support.”

Some examples of performed tests

In order for a device to be approved, the air purifiers will be subjected to a number of tests, including Airflow (measured in m3/h) which calculates the CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate). It gives insight into how much time is needed to fully refresh the air in a particular room.

Another example of a test being performed is the Efficiency Tests. The air purifier is being exposed to different sizes of dust particles in an enclosed room to measure its effectiveness when it comes to cleansing air.

Odour (gas) tests are also being performed. The air purifier is exposed to multiple types of gases and turned on at maximum filtration speed for a short amount of time to measure how quickly and effectively it can neutralize odours.

Watch the video below to see how the Winix Zero Air Purifier filters dirty air (completely polluted with smoke) from the environment effectively: