Smart Air The Sqair Air Purifier

Yes! While we can't guarantee it will help everyone in every situation, the combination of the HEPA filter and the high clean air output of the Sqair is very potent! It means any pollutants in the air which may trigger Asthma or Allergies will be quickly removed.

Common triggers including dust, mould spores, pet dander and pollen will all be captured by the HEPA filter.

No, the Sqair has been designed for simplicity and affordability. While it may seem logical to want your air purifier to activate when it senses poor air quality. Many manufacturers unfortunately add on a cheap inaccurate air quality sensor and then charge you more for what should be a simple product! This means the air purifier may allow unhealthy levels of pollutants in the air.

Instead we recommend running the Sqair whenever people are around, or even 24/7 - our air purifiers are designed to last! You can also purchase an accurate standalone air quality monitor from us to better understand your air and how effective the air purifier is.

For the HEPA Filter:
As the filter slowly fills up with pollutants, you'll see it get discoloured from it's original white. Often it will appear grey or black. If you notice the Sqair doesn't seem to be providing as much clean air as before, have a look at the HEPA filter. We provide an estimate of a 10 month lifespan based on 8 hours use per day in NZ.

Carbon Filter:
Because it's very hard to estimate their lifespan, we recommend checking regularly by conducting the smell test. If it has an acidic/metallic smell then the filter is saturated and can no longer absorb VOCs and Odours.

Learn more about both including the smell test by checking out our blog article here.

Yes, the HEPA filter on The Sqair can indeed filter out nanoparticles! While some brands claim only their specific air purifiers can capture nanoparticles, this isn't true. Every proper HEPA filter, such as the H12-rated Sqair filter, can effectively remove nanoparticles.

You often see HEPA filters rated for 99%+ efficiency against 0.3-micron particles, which are much larger than nanoparticles. Interestingly, 0.3 microns is chosen as the test size because it's actually more challenging to filter than smaller particles due to their size and behavior. Nanoparticles, which can be as small as 0.001 microns, move in random zigzag patterns (Brownian Motion), making them more likely to get trapped in the filter fibers.

So, even though 0.3 microns are larger, HEPA filters can efficiently capture nanoparticles due to this Brownian Motion. This means HEPA filters are highly effective at removing these tiny particles from the air, ensuring nearly 100% filtration.

For more details, you can check out this article from Smart Air

The primary benefit of a pre-filter is to improve the lifespan of the HEPA filter by capturing larger particles. When the Sqair was designed it became apparent the cost of adding one in would be reduced efficiency, i.e. a lower Clean Air Delivery Rate.

By leaving it out, the Sqair is able to deliver best in class efficiency. The inclusion of the Carbon Filter means larger debris such as pet fur is trapped on the outside of the filter and can be carefully removed periodically.

Smart Air tested the Sqair with an H13 HEPA filter. However while an H13 will capture more particles (99.97% efficiency vs 99.5% in H12), it also restricts airflow. This lowers the Clean Air Delivery Rate significantly, meaning it will clean less air overall when fitted with an H13 filter. You can read more in this writeup by Smart Air.