Something that many people wonder is an air purifier the same as a humidifier.
If you have breathing problems, the air in your home is dry, if you have allergies or anything else of the sort, you may have considered getting either an air purifier or a humidifier.
However, with that being said, humidifiers and air purifiers are not the same things, and both serve different purposes.
This is not to say that both air purifiers and humidifiers are not effective at their intended purpose, but the purpose is not the same.
Air Purifier vs Humidifier: Function
The most important thing to know is that air purifiers and humidifiers serve two different purposes. First, the air purifier.
The main purpose of this device is to clean and purify the air. Purifiers do this by sucking in air, passing that air through a filter or a series of filters, and then expelling the purified air back into your home.
The type of filter used can vary, with some using basic filters for particle removal, some using activated carbon for odor and chemical removal, and some using HEPA filters intended for allergen removal.
Many air purifiers come with a combination of filter types. One thing that an air purifier does not do is add moisture or humidity to the air.
On the other hand, the humidifier will humidify the air, or in other words, add more moisture to the air.
Exactly how a humidifier adds moisture to the air depends on the model, with some boiling water, evaporating water using a wick and a fan, or some using ultrasonic sound tech to vibrate water droplets so hard that they become airborne.
This is the only purpose of a humidifier, and unlike an air purifier, these devices do not clean or purify the air.
Air Purifier vs. Humidifier for Various Purposes
If you have an issue in your home, such as dry air, bad odors, allergens, dusty air, or anything in between, which of these two devices will you choose?
For Dry Air
If you have dry air in your home, and it is causing dry skin, irritated eyes, and affecting the way you breathe, a humidifier is the best option.
Although air purifiers increase air quality, they do nothing to bring moisture to the air, and therefore are not ideal for solving the problem of dry air.
For Asthma and Breathing Conditions
You might think that moist air is better for people with asthma and related breathing conditions, but this is not the case. High humidity levels are often associated with worsening asthma symptoms. Therefore, a humidifier is not ideal for this purpose.
However, an air purifier can remove various particles and components from the air that can cause asthma attacks, therefore making the air purifier the choice here.
For Allergens
Humidifiers may help to decrease stuffy noses to a certain degree, but they don’t do anything for removing allergens from the air.
Certain allergens like dust mites, as well as other irritants such as mold, do survive better in humid air; therefore, using a humidifier to get rid of allergy symptoms is counterproductive. The air purifier is the clear winner here.
For Odors
If you have smokers in your house, pets, or other odors, a humidifier will not do anything to solve these issues. Very humid air may intensify odors.
Therefore, using an air purifier equipped with an activated carbon filter for odor removal is the only way to go here.
For Dust and Hair in the Air
Once again, dust and hairs may cling to moisture particles in the air, thus making a humidifier counterproductive. Only an air purifier with a good filter can get rid of dust, hairs, and other airborne particles.
Conclusion
Although humidifiers work great to help solve problems caused by dry air, for anything else, such as for allergens, dusty air, odors, and everything in between, the clear winner is the air purifier.