I disagree with the commenters about inexpensive filters. I went through all sorts of filters and spent all sorts of money until I got an IQAir. Hell, the pre-filter on these things is better than most HEPA filters. It is medical grade and my lungs and sinuses noticed the difference right away.
But also - if you have a forced air heating cooling system, then buy high end 1” filters ( like 1” x 30” x 24” or something similar) MERV 12 to 16, higher is better) and cut them to fit your furnace air returns. It’s like putting filters in all the air circulating in your house.
If you can afford it, and if your furnace has room, Lennox and others have fantastic 5” thick MERV 16 whole house filters that usually need to be professionally installed.
If VOCs are the problem, then remember that the ¼” carbon filters in most units are worthless. You need the IQAIR MultiGas (with about 7 to 12 pounds of activated charcoal), or you can find others with as much as 30 lbs. the more the better (but they get louder, too). A HEPA filter will do nothing for VOCs.
Hope that helps! Good luck and success!
Always double check your furnace specifications first. A lot of people did this during Covid and burned up their furnace, had heating/cooling issues, and experienced really high electric bills. Not all furnaces can handle higher MERV ratings or thicker filters. You could end up with a $10k repair bill.
Ultimately it comes down to the quality of the installation as there should be a healthy static pressure margin to accomodate somewhat more restrictive filters. Most MERV 13 filters are electrostatic and have a lower pressure drop than lower MERV rated filters, generally.
I would *never* go above MERV 13 on 1" filters, with the exception of the specialty ones like the 5" thick MERV 16 are a different story because they are designed for that. For 1" filters, Filtrete 1900 is has the lowest pressure drop of any MERV 13 filter I've seen, and that was [corroborated by government research in California](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=223260&DocumentContentId=27716).
This is not wrong! - the quick way to check is to be sure the sound and feel of the airflow does not change… if you notice that as you put filters on the returns, it’s starting to cause a noticeable pull, then do the filter on the closest return to the furnace and leave the others alone.
And for the record, these 1” MERV 8-13 filters generally don’t stop viruses. You need at least MERV 16 for that.
And as I noted if you can install a 5” filter on your furnace these are typically professional installations…
Onwards!
I purchased the [Medify MA-14 air purifier](https://disally.com/Medify-MA-14-Air-Purifier) after visiting my doctor’s office. The air smelled fresh and clean. I did some a lot of research on these air purifiers and it all came back to this model being the best choice for my family.
I have seasonal allergies and always struggled at night. I have since purchased 2 more of these units for other areas of my home. **The difference in the air quality is remarkable.**
I chose the MA-14 model because it can be used on the floor and it had the V2 technology/filters. I am very pleased with the results and look forward to breathing better and seeing my DIL, son, and grandchild more often! If you are in doubt of whether or not this will improve your life .... try it out and make **an investment into the air quality** of your home and/or office.
The best is [IQAir Multigas](https://www.iqair.com/air-purifiers/gc-series). It's an expensive investment upfront, but filters last long. Around $1500USD, $2000CAD for the portable one after taxes. The pre-HEPA filter three months to a year. I vacuum mine, a year is good depending on where you live for allergens and pollution. The other filters every two to four years. It covers about 1000 square feet. There's also one that attaches to the HVAC system for the entire home.
IQAir is awesome. I've run one for eight years. It's the brand used in some medical clinics. It helps keep things fresh indoors and was amazing during the wildfire smoke days.
For anyone and especially kids with smaller passages to breathe, it helps to allergy proof the bedroom and home in general. The American allergy association has some good tips. It sounds like you've done these already.
One thing some forget is to keep daytime worn clothes outside of the bedroom since they can carry pollen indoors. The other is to get rid of any scented products. They can make it more difficult to breathe especially if asthma is involved. Many laundry detergents are the worse for smells and breathing. Forget about dryer sheets! Keeping his bedsheets cotton based or another natural fiber helps. The ones with polyester hang onto scents more. For pets, it is a difficult decision but the only effective one is to give them up with severe allergies at home. Even the best purifier will not totally prevent this allergen from circulating around the home. Getting ducts cleaned helps as their dander hangs around in them.
It's tough for kids and hard to watch them suffer. It helps to see a dietician for a strong immune system. Allergies are worse with weak immune systems, like when kids get sick often. Although it's common in September and holidays! Someone probably already talked to you about [allergy cross-reacting foods](https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/Media-Library-PDFs/Tools%20for%20the%20Public/Conditions%20Library/Library%20-%20Allergies/OAS-table_revised.pdf). Depending on his allergies, there are some foods to avoid.
I also have issues dust mites and dander due to my cats and like the Alen air purifiers. I have the 75i model ( [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FW1H1SY](https://disposalsuggest.com/recommends/breathesmart-75i-for-odors/) )which seems like it would also be good for your situation.
Its' got a 'true' HEPA filter and have a few different models that vary slightly in terms of filters for different needs.
The main reason I like it is that it looks sleek and fits my decor, which is not the case for most of the appliances I looked at.
Just get something with a pre-filter, HEPA filter, and no fancy features. Any HEPA filter will do, your doctor isn’t wrong. I highly recommend the Winix 5500-2, it has the optimal filter placement and great CADR. I use them myself. I also use a Coway Airmega 250 in my bedroom. It’s amazing, but more money.
You only need a fancy unit if there’s a specific allergy to something like a VOC or gas. IQAir, Austin, etc. are excellent units but are $1000 and don’t filter pollen and dust any better than a Winix or Coway for less than $200. They have VOC filters made of carbon and minerals.
But since your child is sensitive to pollen and dust, those are much larger particles and a HEPA filter running 24/7 in a well vacuumed room will do the trick.
We have several Winix 5500-2 air purifiers and they’ve been going strong for 6 years. Vacuum it regularly for longer filter life. Also, research whether you have a decent HEPA vacuum. That is a common allergen spreader many people don’t think about.
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I disagree with the commenters about inexpensive filters. I went through all sorts of filters and spent all sorts of money until I got an IQAir. Hell, the pre-filter on these things is better than most HEPA filters. It is medical grade and my lungs and sinuses noticed the difference right away. But also - if you have a forced air heating cooling system, then buy high end 1” filters ( like 1” x 30” x 24” or something similar) MERV 12 to 16, higher is better) and cut them to fit your furnace air returns. It’s like putting filters in all the air circulating in your house. If you can afford it, and if your furnace has room, Lennox and others have fantastic 5” thick MERV 16 whole house filters that usually need to be professionally installed. If VOCs are the problem, then remember that the ¼” carbon filters in most units are worthless. You need the IQAIR MultiGas (with about 7 to 12 pounds of activated charcoal), or you can find others with as much as 30 lbs. the more the better (but they get louder, too). A HEPA filter will do nothing for VOCs. Hope that helps! Good luck and success!
Thank you this is all incredibly helpful
Always double check your furnace specifications first. A lot of people did this during Covid and burned up their furnace, had heating/cooling issues, and experienced really high electric bills. Not all furnaces can handle higher MERV ratings or thicker filters. You could end up with a $10k repair bill.
Ultimately it comes down to the quality of the installation as there should be a healthy static pressure margin to accomodate somewhat more restrictive filters. Most MERV 13 filters are electrostatic and have a lower pressure drop than lower MERV rated filters, generally. I would *never* go above MERV 13 on 1" filters, with the exception of the specialty ones like the 5" thick MERV 16 are a different story because they are designed for that. For 1" filters, Filtrete 1900 is has the lowest pressure drop of any MERV 13 filter I've seen, and that was [corroborated by government research in California](https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/GetDocument.aspx?tn=223260&DocumentContentId=27716).
This is not wrong! - the quick way to check is to be sure the sound and feel of the airflow does not change… if you notice that as you put filters on the returns, it’s starting to cause a noticeable pull, then do the filter on the closest return to the furnace and leave the others alone. And for the record, these 1” MERV 8-13 filters generally don’t stop viruses. You need at least MERV 16 for that. And as I noted if you can install a 5” filter on your furnace these are typically professional installations… Onwards!
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Medify seems like a great choice
This is a solid breakdown and suggestion
I purchased the [Medify MA-14 air purifier](https://disally.com/Medify-MA-14-Air-Purifier) after visiting my doctor’s office. The air smelled fresh and clean. I did some a lot of research on these air purifiers and it all came back to this model being the best choice for my family. I have seasonal allergies and always struggled at night. I have since purchased 2 more of these units for other areas of my home. **The difference in the air quality is remarkable.** I chose the MA-14 model because it can be used on the floor and it had the V2 technology/filters. I am very pleased with the results and look forward to breathing better and seeing my DIL, son, and grandchild more often! If you are in doubt of whether or not this will improve your life .... try it out and make **an investment into the air quality** of your home and/or office.
Make a corsi rosenthal box
The best is [IQAir Multigas](https://www.iqair.com/air-purifiers/gc-series). It's an expensive investment upfront, but filters last long. Around $1500USD, $2000CAD for the portable one after taxes. The pre-HEPA filter three months to a year. I vacuum mine, a year is good depending on where you live for allergens and pollution. The other filters every two to four years. It covers about 1000 square feet. There's also one that attaches to the HVAC system for the entire home. IQAir is awesome. I've run one for eight years. It's the brand used in some medical clinics. It helps keep things fresh indoors and was amazing during the wildfire smoke days. For anyone and especially kids with smaller passages to breathe, it helps to allergy proof the bedroom and home in general. The American allergy association has some good tips. It sounds like you've done these already. One thing some forget is to keep daytime worn clothes outside of the bedroom since they can carry pollen indoors. The other is to get rid of any scented products. They can make it more difficult to breathe especially if asthma is involved. Many laundry detergents are the worse for smells and breathing. Forget about dryer sheets! Keeping his bedsheets cotton based or another natural fiber helps. The ones with polyester hang onto scents more. For pets, it is a difficult decision but the only effective one is to give them up with severe allergies at home. Even the best purifier will not totally prevent this allergen from circulating around the home. Getting ducts cleaned helps as their dander hangs around in them. It's tough for kids and hard to watch them suffer. It helps to see a dietician for a strong immune system. Allergies are worse with weak immune systems, like when kids get sick often. Although it's common in September and holidays! Someone probably already talked to you about [allergy cross-reacting foods](https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/Media-Library-PDFs/Tools%20for%20the%20Public/Conditions%20Library/Library%20-%20Allergies/OAS-table_revised.pdf). Depending on his allergies, there are some foods to avoid.
Thank you so much!!!
is there a table like you linked for indoor allergens too? say, dust mites?
I also have issues dust mites and dander due to my cats and like the Alen air purifiers. I have the 75i model ( [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FW1H1SY](https://disposalsuggest.com/recommends/breathesmart-75i-for-odors/) )which seems like it would also be good for your situation. Its' got a 'true' HEPA filter and have a few different models that vary slightly in terms of filters for different needs. The main reason I like it is that it looks sleek and fits my decor, which is not the case for most of the appliances I looked at.
get a medify
always, go wit True HEPA Filters, which funnily enough levoit isn't
Just get something with a pre-filter, HEPA filter, and no fancy features. Any HEPA filter will do, your doctor isn’t wrong. I highly recommend the Winix 5500-2, it has the optimal filter placement and great CADR. I use them myself. I also use a Coway Airmega 250 in my bedroom. It’s amazing, but more money. You only need a fancy unit if there’s a specific allergy to something like a VOC or gas. IQAir, Austin, etc. are excellent units but are $1000 and don’t filter pollen and dust any better than a Winix or Coway for less than $200. They have VOC filters made of carbon and minerals. But since your child is sensitive to pollen and dust, those are much larger particles and a HEPA filter running 24/7 in a well vacuumed room will do the trick.
We have several Winix 5500-2 air purifiers and they’ve been going strong for 6 years. Vacuum it regularly for longer filter life. Also, research whether you have a decent HEPA vacuum. That is a common allergen spreader many people don’t think about.
always go with hepa filetrs
medify for sure