Air Purifier Guide for Living in Beijing

It’s no secret that the air quality in Beijing has been a hot point of contention over the past years. As China’s economic capital continues to surge forwards, the only thing seemingly being left behind are clear skies. Pollution has become a major source of concern as public awareness over the health consequences of air pollution grows. The wave of awareness did not only hit the private sphere but also, and significantly, the political agenda.

What measures to curb air pollution?
The Chinese Government has clearly shown its willingness to tackle the pollution curse. A 2014 bid from the Chinese Government committed $277 billion USD (1,700 trillion RMB) to improving China’s air quality over the next five years. The project addresses car emissions in the capital as well as the surrounding coal powered manufacturing and mining cities which contribute up to 70% Beijing’s pollution. Positive measures such as car restrictions, flue gas treatment to remove dangerous particles from coal industry emissions and removal of heavily polluting plants from the city outskirts have already been implemented, and we have seen a steep improvement for the first half year of 2015.

What to do in the meantime?

While the air quality fluctuates from smoggy to crystal clear skies on a regular basis, an air purifier at home is a great way to breathe easy on days when you’d rather not leave the house. Beijing’s winter months can be especially dry. So it may also be worth considering an air humidifier to help you breathe comfortably during the winter months. We’ve compiled a short guide on how to most effectively use an air purifier and humidifier as well as some of our most recommended brands and models.
 

How to effectively use an air purifier?
Keep doors and windows closed
This may seem like an obvious first step; however it’s common that many air conditioners require a door or window being left open during operation. It’s fair to assume that the same could apply to an air filter which is not the case. Keeping doors and windows closed allows the filter to effectively keep the level of PM particles low without having to overwork by continually cleaning air from outside.

Change filters regularly
It’s always a great idea to use the timer and filter life feature that many air purifiers have. Better still is to have a backup filter ready for when you need to swap them over. Too many times have we seen a brand new purifier loose effectiveness after the first change due to not having enough time/forgetting to purchase a (relatively cheap in comparison) replacement filter.

Air Purifier location
An air purifier in the back bedroom is not going to do any good for anyone watching TV in the living room or cooking in the kitchen. Many air purifiers, including the ones below, feature ultra quiet technology. So put the filter next to the TV stand or by the fridge or even at the foot of your bed. Even on the higher speed settings you’ll barely know it’s there.

HEPA Filter
HEPA (high efficiency particle absorbing) filters are an extremely high-grade of air filter. These filters are able to emit 99% of harmful particles, particularly those found in Beijing on smoggy days. Avoid terms like “as good as HEPA” or “HEPA like” there’s no substitute for quality and safe air for you and your family. It’s also worth noting that the higher amount filtered ie: 99.3% or 99.9% means that the purifier must work harder to draw air through, which may result in higher power usage or noisy fans.

When to turn it on
Many people think that once the air is clean, it will last. This is a wrong presumption! Depending on the isolation it might take just 30 minutes to un-do any effect the air purifier had on the air in your home. However it will only take 15-30 minutes to clean the air. So don’t waste energy by keeping the purifier running all day, while you are away at the office. It is essential to keep the purifier running while you sleep. The sleep mode on most models is very quiet.

Which air purifier to buy?
The following is not a ranking, merely a list of different purifiers. For a detailed article on the effectiveness of different models, see www.myhealthbeijing.com.

IQ Air –Health Pro Plus

The IQ Air Health Pro series is a fantastic long-term investment for you and your family. The main cause of Beijing’s air pollution comes from ultra-fine particles measured by a PM-2.5 scale. These filters use HyperHEPA filtration systems capable of filtering out 99.5% of these particles. Air intake is located underneath the machine so it can be tucked away in a corner of the living or bedroom at full capacity.

Features – 5 year warranty, ultra-fine particle filter, remote control, timer, filter change indicator, wheels, energy efficient
Price – 14,980 RMB
Air filtered per hour – 475m3/hour
Noise level – 35-69db depending on the setting
Dimensions (H x W x D) – 61 x 38 x 41 cm / 71 x 38 x 41

Where to buy

IQAir Head Office
Shunyi Villa Lifestyles
Seasons Place Mall
Lufthansa Center Mall
Scitech Plaza
Shin Kong Place
Parkson Taiyang Gong
New Yansha Mall
Parkson Fuxing MenCuiwei Mall
Gongzhufen Store
Zhuo zhan Shopping Mall

Find out more about where to buy IQ Air purifiers in Beijing.

Blueair 450E

The Blueair 450E is a compact filter ideal for living and bedrooms. An auto-sensor system constantly monitors air flow and quality in your home and adjusts to maintain a healthy level of air quality. This ultra quiet system also lets you know when filters need changing. You won’t have to think about adjusting timers and moving the filter around the house, the 450E is already a step ahead.

Features –  Remote, 99.97% filtration rate, energy consumption 20-70watts, 6 month life on filters, 5 year warranty, galvanized steel construction, filter change indicator, energy efficient
Price – around 6,460 RMB
Air filtered per hour – 500m3/hour
Noise level – 24-49db depending on the setting
Dimensions (H x W x D) – 66 x 50 x 34 cm

Where to buy

Torana Clean Air Center in Europlaza Mall
Address: Unit LB09, basement level, Europlaza Mall, 99 Yuxiang Road, Shunyi District, Beijing
Tel: 010-84590785 (10.00am-8.30pm daily)
Language Available: English/ Korean/Japanese

Torana Clean Air Center at Central Park
Address: Room 106A, 16F, Central Park, 6 Chaoyang Gate Outer Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Tel: 010-65979986(10.30am – 7pm daily)
Language Available: English

Torana Clean Air Center in Sanlitun
Address: Unit 1115, Building 1, Sanlitun SOHO, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Tel: 010-85900511
Language Available: English

Find out more about where to buy Blueair air purifiers in China.

Mi Air Purifier

The Mi Air Purifier from Xiaomi is a smart-home device with elegant and aerodynamic design. A smartphone functions as a remote control: the user can constantly monitor the pullution level and change settings on the device, even when away from home. When in auto-mode, the inbuilt sensor will adjust the fan speed in case the pollution increases.

Features – connected with app, 99.3% filtration rate, auto-sensor to adjust mode, measures and reminds when to change the filter,
Price – 899 RMB
Air filtered per hour – 406m3/hour
Dimensions (H x W x D) – 73.5 x 26 x 26 cm

Where to buy