I personally went through the struggle of finding an air purifier that worked well and did what it says. There are so many out on the market and they all advertise something different, so as a consumer, it can be very confusing. We personally use and recommend the Healthmate by Austin Air. The reason is it is not only has a medical grade HEPA filter for the removal of over 99.97% of particulates (over .3 microns), but it also addressed the chemical, gases and odors so prevalent in homes today. Everyone worries about biological contaminants and these are important as they can be allergens and asthma triggers, but in addition, this unit removes over 3,000 chemicals, gases & odors through it's cabon/zeolite filtration blend. It is the chemical exposure we get on a daily basis that concerns me the most in today's indoor environments.
This product comes in differnt sizes and a variety of color choices and it is ALL manufactured in the US which is great in promoting our own economy!
Best of luck to you :)

We use an Aireox air filter in our bedroom--however do have our window open as much as possible--and have been very happy with it. We also have an Aireox air filter in our car. They both work great and I would recommend them both highly. The units are both metal and have not had problem with odor with them.

My son has asthma as well as being an effective sponge for pretty much any virus which sets foot in North America. We live in an older home, and though we've done everything short of rebuilding it to minimise indoor air pollution, we do like to keep our windows open! To help him while he sleeps, we purchased a medical grade air purifier from intelligentair.com, after considerable research. They are reasonably priced for what you get... true HEPA, a large carbon filter, and UV. Filters last for at least a couple of years, so the hidden cost factor of filter replacements is nowhere near as shocking as most off-the shelf purifiers. It is incredible the improvement in his breathing since we've started using it.

We are beginning the search for a good air filter to use indoors for a child with asthma triggered by air pollution and other chemical irritants that occasionally enter our home. This summer has been terrible with air pollution day after day. The winter can be bad sometimes with wood burning that some neighbors do for "special occasions". We'd like to run the air purifier on these bad days.

I began by going to Sharper Image and buying one of their units based on a coworker's recommendation and the fact a store was 30 minutes drive. My wife took it out of the box and immediately we both smelled a strong almost glue odor that is clearly part of the plastic casing. The stainless steel units have no odor but they are inside the plastic. Next, we read in the manual that there is a small but distinct hazard of "ozone" and people with asthma or sensitivities should ask their doctors about that.

Today I read a few things on this website and will see if I have Debra's book where she says she talks about these. I think we have earlier book, Debra.

Anyway, it makes sense to have metal housing, but my wife and I were wanting washable filters as we both independently over the years have heard of issues with bacterial contamination in "paper" type filter systems. I mean we have that in our vacuum cleaner, but I'm not happy about it in my child's room. Something I can wash, that I can deal with.

I haven't looked at the websites posted on Debra's list under indoor air quality yet, but in any event would appreciate more advice on washable filters and if they even make sense since we primarily need to filter out (at times of high outdoor air pollution in our neighborhood that trickles indoors eventually) chemicals much more than particulate matter.

Thank you.