IQAir - HealthPro XE

Might be overkill for y’all but I got the HealthPro Compact XE because of really bad allergies and I love it.

The "handles everything" purifiers (with *no* humidifying) would be the IQAir HealthPro Plus XE and the Alen BreatheSmart 75i with the "Fresh" filter. The purifiers I mentioned in **bold** (Winix D480, Levoit Vital 200S Smart Air Purifier, Winix 5500-2, and the Coway Airmega 240) are *particulates air purifiers only*; these have small amounts of activated carbon for gases/VOCs. Ensure Smoke CADR equals your room's area. Blueair is a particulates air purifier with an always-on ionizer to electrostatically charge the filter media. Models have little activated carbon for gases/VOCs. I have one more suggestion for VOCs/gases. You could buy a few [Oransi TrueCarbon filters](https://oransi.com/products/airmend-truecarbon-filter) only and attach them to the front of a few box fans. Each TrueCarbon filter has 3.2 lbs. of potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) sprayed activated carbon and is $79. I would keep the fan(s) on a medium to medium-low setting.

I have severe (toxic) mold exposure and respiratory issues. I do not have a diagnosis of asthma, however. I can’t recommend based on asthmatic needs, but I can recommend based on chronic conditions and personal use. My choice would be the IQAir, especially, for you, if you can do the multipack deal with one gas exchange and one Health Pro in the same room. Expensive, but I think you would get pristine air every 15 minutes, particularly on setting 6, and particularly if you use HEPA filtered household chore items (vacuum, dusters, etc.).

So here's the thing - no matter what anyone tells you, there is no magic box that will do what you want. Air purifiers move air at relatively low speeds through a fairly restrictive filter. That means that they only "clean" an area of about 300sqft. around the unit effectively. They are almost universally ineffective through doorways, around corners, etc. If you have HVAC, the single best thing you can do is put a better filter in and run it on "always on" (not "circulate" or "auto", but ON). The best filter for a 1" insert (the most common) is a 3M Filtrete 1900. They're $20. The problem is they clog quickly, so you'll likely have to replace them every 30-60 days. That said, it'll cover your whole house. If you don't have HVAC, you could consider an AirFanta or building your own CR box. They're ugly and loud, but they move a lot of air. Again, I'd use those 3M filters if you want to stop smoke. Dust and other allergens, any ol' filter will do. The "traditional" route would also be to put several purifiers in your home, sized appropriately for the rooms - a large one for the open living space, and smaller ones for the bedrooms. I have the following setup: 1st floor, 1000 sqft, semi-open plan: I have an IQ Air and an Austin running at opposite corners of the home on a constant speed of medium. 2nd floor (bedrooms, also 1000 sqft): Master bedroom has a Coway 250, guest bedroom has a Winix 5500-2, both kids' bedrooms have Blueair 411's. Finished Basement (also 1000 sqft): Coway Mighty and Winix 5500-2 at opposite ends, running as needed (since the basement gets less outside air) and the one bedroom down there has an aging but still functional HEPA from Idyllis/3M (the Lowes brand) that was purchased years ago but uses 3M HEPA filters. IN ADDITION, I use MERV13 in my furnace and my ERV. The air here is VERY CLEAN. (Bad allergies run in the family...)