The pandemic, and all the requisite sheltering in place that has accompanied it, has significantly driven up sales of a motley array of items: beans, puzzles, yeast, face masks, stationary bikes, inflatable pools in the warmer months, and, as it gets colder, outdoor space heaters. But the looming threat of an airborne virus coupled with all the time spent at home has also made many of us acutely aware of what we’re breathing in as we’re doing all that baking and puzzling—and keenly interested in figuring out means of making it better. Not to mention that many of the activities that we do from the comfort of our home like, say, that aforementioned baking with a gas stove, can actually be the source of some of the issues with the air.

“Indoor home air quality will be top of mind for the foreseeable future,” says Justin Seidenfeld, founder of Canopy, an innovative new humidifier brand. “People are spending so much time at home and they’re investing, not only into making it look like an oasis, but also in making it as healthy and safe as possible.” The brand saw their online sales jump 105% in spring 2020, compared to the same period a year earlier.

But is the marketing of purified air for your home just that, marketing? Or can it actually have a positive, and perceptible, impact on your health? Experts say yes and no. Dr. L. James Lo, a professor of architectural engineering at Drexel University who studies the health effects of indoor ventilation, says air purifiers can help in reducing the infectivity of aerosolized viruses. “An air purifier removes particles, and aerosolized viral droplets are very small particles,” says Lo. How much they can help depends on their CADR, or “clean air delivery rate,” meaning, as Lo explains, the equivalent of how much fresh air is being delivered into a space. “The downside here is that air purifiers can only be very effective in small spaces,” he adds. (This downside feels less negative when you consider the size of most New York City apartments.) Allergist Dr. Purvi Parikh adds that while HEPA filters (the high efficiency filters found in most of the fancier devices on the market) add a critical layer of protection, they are not foolproof. “Moreover, unless there’s a large amount of virus in the air and larger droplets, the purifier may not help as some viral particles may be too small for a HEPA filter especially if aerosolized,” explains Parikh. She says that from a COVID standpoint, filtering the air in your home is certainly good, but less of a necessity than limiting visitors, wearing a mask, and frequently hand-washing. Both Lo and Parikh agree that opening windows and doors to circulate air can provide a risk reduction similar to most air purification devices.

Canopy Humidifier

$125

CANOPY

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The caveat is, unsurprisingly, that not all the devices showing up as sponsored ads in your Instagram feed will do the job well. Lo underscores the importance of looking into any product’s CADR. It’s important also to differentiate between a humidifier and an air purifier. “Both products have the goal of improving air quality, which is a combination of pollution, humidity, and temperature, but a humidifier adds moisture into the environment, whereas a purifier moves air through a filter to remove impurities from the cycled air,” explains Seidenfeld.

Seidenfeld’s Canopy humidifier is unlike the traditional ultrasonic varieties in that it improves air quality by increasing humidity, doesn’t introduce new pollutants into the air, and impacts the air and surfaces in an entire room, versus just air that flows through a filter. As for air purifiers of note, there is Coway’s Airmega 150, which uses a three-stage filtration system (including a Green True HEPA) and covers 214 square feet; Blueair’s new Health Protect which uses new HEPASilent technologist which improves upon its filtration abilities and saves energy; and Molekule’s Air Mini, which is ideal for smaller spaces, adjusts its speed based on the particles found in the air and can be tracked via a handy app and linked to your Apple Home system. And then there is, of course, Dyson, whose ubiquitous air purifying devices have been cropping up in people’s WFH backgrounds all year. Their most recent launch, Dyson Pure Humidify + Cool, straddles categories. “It’s our first multi-functional product that is a purifier, humidifier, and fan all in one,” says Andrea Ricci, a research engineer at Dyson, explaining the advanced (and complicated) mechanisms that eventually projects purified, humidified air out of the machine’s amplifier and into a room. Even their projection system is thoughtfully conceived of. “Air Multiplier technology ensures that the clean air is circulated throughout the room and dirty air is pushed back toward the machines to be filtered, otherwise you risk purifying the pocket of air surrounding your machine, but not the entire room,” explains Ricci.

Coway Airmega 150

Blueair HealthProtect 7470i Smart Air Purifier

$640

BLUEAIR

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Molekule Air Mini+ Small Room Air Purifier

$500

MOLEKULE

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Dyson Pure Hot + Cool

While it’s not yet clear whether air purifiers will help in protecting you against COVID, the devices do have a number of measurable benefits—which, considering how much time we’re collectively spending at home nowadays, is appealing enough. The best air purification technology can destroy an array of pollutants, mold, bacteria, and harmful chemicals. More specifically, says Seidenfeld, it can help to relieve symptoms of cold, flu, and allergies such as nasal congestion, sinus irritation, and cough. And, when it comes to a device that creates optimal humidity, your skin will benefit too. According to New York dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman, optimal humidity (40-60%) allows the skin to retain moisture and maintain its barrier function so it can keep harmful pathogens at bay. “In low humid environments there is an imbalance in moisture and in turn it can start to affect your skin in as little as 30 minutes,” adds Engelman, who has been recommending Canopy to her patients to reduce dryness and cracking, redness, fine lines, and potential breakouts.