Studies indicate that Indians spend quite a lot of time commuting behind the wheels owing to the increasing traffic congestion. During this time, many of them roll up the windows to safeguard themselves from the pollution outside. However, little do they know that the air circulating in the car cabin is also polluted – mostly by contaminants like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Particulate Matter (PM), exhaust fumes, benzene, formaldehyde, cigarette smoke, hydrocarbons, and pet dander. This is significantly dangerous to health.
Your car may be a highly sophisticated and modern vehicle, but still, it is filled with unseen contaminants that could expose you as well as your co-travellers to health risks. Unfortunately, the air purifier you use at home is not ideal for purifying the air in your car. Just the way a room air purifier can improve the quality of the air you breathe indoors a car air purifier can benefit while you are travelling in your car. This is the perfect solution for eliminating the contaminants and giving fresh air for breathing all through your travel.
Before buying a car air purifier India, you need to take several things into consideration. Here’s a guide that can help you choose the best option in the Indian market.
Consider the Purification Technology
The technology used for purifying the air in the car should be your foremost consideration. A car air purifier that comes with 3-stage HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestor) purification technology would be your best bet. This ensures that 99% of toxic gases, Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), PM 2.5 and fine particles are removed from the air, thus making it safe for breathing. An activated carbon filter is also one of the stages in such car air purifiers and this helps to absorb any foul smell or odour present in the air.
CADR Rating and ACH Are Crucial Considerations
Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) refers to the rate at which the device purifies the air inside the car. A CADR of 15 – 20 m3/hr will do a good job. On the other hand, Air Changes per Hour (ACH) indicates the number of times the air inside the car gets filtered in an hour. For healthy and clean air, the standard air change is four times in an hour.
Low Noise Operation
It’s important to ensure that the air purifier operates with low noise. Since the car cabin is a compact space, the intensity of noise should be less than 35 dB. If it produces a high noise, you could end up with a headache by the end of your travel.
Brand Matters
Certain brands are highly preferred over others and these brands would have gained this reputation for a reason. This is because of the goodwill the brand would have earned by offering good quality products and services over the years. So, ensure that you buy a car air purifier from a reputed brand so that you can be assured of quality.
Ease of Use
Car air purifiers should be simple to operate. Generally, they need to be plugged into the car’s 12V power socket. Most models come with a single button for switching it on or off. There are several advanced purifiers, which also have buttons for adjusting the fan speed and also a filter change indicator. The latter is a better choice as you would know when to change the filters and you can also control the speed as required. However, if you find it daunting to operate multiple settings, you can opt for the former.
Ease of Maintenance
Car air purifiers are generally easy to maintain. You would just need to vacuum or replace the filters at recommended intervals. However, a few devices need to be cleaned more frequently than others. Purchase a purifier that needs minimal maintenance. You also need to consider the frequency of filter replacement. A device that needs you to purchase a new filter each month is high on maintenance costs. So, look for purifiers that have a longer filter life to cut down on expenditure in the long run.
Take all the above-mentioned points into consideration and make an informed decision while buying a car air purifier. India’s rising pollution levels definitely demands using a purifier not only indoors but also while commuting in a car.
