Air purifiers and dehumidifiers: 8 of the best Quiet Mark-approved appliances

Tackle condensation and clean your home’s air with quiet air purifying and dehumidifying appliances, accredited by Quiet Mark

We spend about 90% of our time indoors, where the air is up to five times more polluted than outdoors. It’s therefore important to make sure the air in our homes is as clean as possible without introducing a further noise pollution disturbance.

Silence is golden

A good air purifier and dehumidifier can help, and the selection shown here are all Quiet Mark approved, meaning they have been third party tested, verified by Quiet Mark’s acoustic experts as amongst the quietest available on the market.

Air control technologies are often on in the background for long periods of time and can be really intrusive if noisy. Choosing a great sounding product is also choosing vital health protection for the living space by keeping the peace.

The benefits of air purifiers

The air purifiers listed here all remove almost 100% of airborne particles. Such particles can lead to issues such as exacerbated asthma and allergy symptoms, the spread of illnesses like colds, flu and other airborne viruses, impaired development in children, and reduced sleep quality.

A recent study by Harvard University found that when office air quality was improved, productivity increased by 61%. Teachers in UK schools also say that results and focus improved following the installation of air purifiers in the classrooms.

Why you need a dehumidifier

Water stains on walls or ceilings, high humidity in rooms with poor ventilation, condensation on windows, black spots of mould spores on bathroom walls and a general musty smell throughout a space are all signs that you might need a dehumidifier. A good dehumidifier will help to normalise a room’s humidity levels, making the air more comfortable and reduce the signs and odours of dampness.

Other potential benefits can be both financial and health related. Less moisture damage to buildings and furnishings will prolong any need for repair or replacement. Also, a less humid environment in your home helps clothing dry faster, breads and cereals will remain fresh longer before going stale, and it will prevent the build-up of rust or corrosion on metal objects like computer equipment, electronics and tools.

Image: MeacoDry 'ABC' 12L Dehumidifier

Blueair Blue Pure 411 Air Purifier

The Blue Pure 411 is not only whisper silent and energy efficient, the one-button speed control makes it easy to use. The entire bottom part of each air purifier consists of an advanced filter. Using both mechanical and electrostatic filtration, it catches virtually every airborne contaminant down to a virus in size: pollen, dust, pet dander, mould spores, smoke, allergens and bacteria.

Designed for small rooms, the Blue Pure 411 filters the air at the industry-recommended rate of five times an hour (or about every 12 minutes) in a 15m² room to effectively lower particle levels and maintain a comfortable environment in your nursery, guest bedroom or home office.

Image: Blueair Blue Pure 411 Air Purifier

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 Air Purifier Fan

The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool is a multifunctional purifier that can be used to cool or heat a room using purified air. The product is designed to take in dirty air, clean it and then project clean air around the room. With 10 fan speeds it can be used as a traditional fan would be to cool a room. It also features heater capabilities. Simply set the thermostat in the product to the desired temperature and the machine will automatically turn on and off to maintain the temperature. It features a fully-sealed filter system that incorporates HEPA media and activated carbon to capture 99.97% of pollutants, particles, gases and odours as small as 0.3 microns.

The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool is connected via the Dyson Link App. Via the app you’re able to control the fan speed, turn the machine on and off and check your air quality levels (among other things). A new LCD screen on the front of the machine shows you your air quality in real time. When a pollution event occurs (i.e., cooking, spraying hairspray, etc.) the purifier will show the spike in pollutants. In auto mode, the purifier will also automatically draw in more air and push out more clean air for faster purification to rid the room of the pollutants.

Image: Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 Air Purifier Fan

Philips Series 3000i Air Purifier AC3033/30

At just the touch of a button the Philips Series 3000i Air Purifier will continuously detect and remove pollutants from the air without you having to worry, ensuring you always have healthy clean air in your home. The high grade filters remove 99.97% of airborne allergens, pollen, fine dust, odours, fine particles and bacteria and the 360 degree airflow enables fast purification in large spaces.

In sleep mode, the display lights are dimmed, and the purifier operates in near silence for undisturbed sleep. The intuitive digital display easily shows your indoor air quality in real time but by also connecting to Philips Clean Home+ app you can monitor your air quality and adjust the purifier settings wherever you are.

Image: Philips Series 3000i Air Purifier AC3033/30

Meaco 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier / Air Purifier

The Meaco 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier uses just 157 watts of electricity, helping to reduce bills. It can help to prevent mould, condensation and damp in flats through to three bedroom houses. Part of the exclusive Meaco Platinum range, with the Meaco 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier you don't just get a dehumidifier with low running costs you also get a very good dehumidifier with exceptional build quality.

The unique 2-in-1 mode allows you to use this unit as a dehumidifier in autumn/winter and as an air purifier only in spring/summer as you require. The unique Meaco control logic means that you get the best balance between saving money and accurate dehumidification. When the target relative humidity has been reached the dehumidifier will switch to fan only mode to check that the relative humidity is stable. It will then go to sleep for 30 minutes at which time it will wake up and run its fan again to check the relative humidity once more.

Image: Meaco 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier / Air Purifier

MeacoDry ABC 10L Dehumidifier

The new MeacoDry 'ABC' range offers the multi-award winning Meaco brand of dehumidifiers at an entry level price. Featuring the latest low-noise and energy saving technology, the 10 litre MeacoDry ‘ABC’ is the quietest compressor dehumidifier from Meaco, making it the most effective and practical dehumidifying solution for the home, especially flats through to three bedroom houses.

The MeacoDry ‘ABC’ beats desiccant dehumidifiers on sound levels at both low and high fan speeds. With less obtrusive background noise, the MeacoDry ‘ABC’ is more suitable for use in smaller properties than other compressor dehumidifiers. Featuring low energy consumption with running costs of just 2.45p per hour based on 15.2p/kWh. The MeacoDry ‘ABC’ is a cost-effective and practical solution to help remedy ongoing moisture issues within the home such as damp, condensation, and drying laundry. You can also select which control panel colour you want to match your home, choose from: black, white, silver, blue or green. It’s also available as a 12L option.

Image: MeacoDry 'ABC' 20L Dehumidifier 

MeacoDry ABC 20L Dehumidifier

The new MeacoDry ABC 20L compressor dehumidifier is a condensation beating solution for big rooms and larger four-to-five bedroom houses. This new dehumidifier uses the more energy efficient and environmentally friendly R290 refrigerant which means that it extracts more water from the air for less money.

Easy to use and set up the ABC 20L has a variable humidistat that allows you to put in whatever target humidity you want between 30 and 80%rh in 5%rh steps. Or you have the flexibility to leave the machine running continuously for maximum drying.. The MeacoDry ABC 20L also benefits from a Child Lock to stop little (or big) fingers from changing the machines settings! The dehumidifier has a large 4.8 litre tank which means that you will not have to empty the tank as often. A hose can be fitted to allow the water to drain away continuously so you never have to empty the tank at all. Extraction rate data is good down to 10°C, making the MeacoDry a viable alternative dehumidifier even in unheated spaces like conservatories, utility rooms and garages.

Image: MeacoDry 'ABC' 10L Dehumidifier

Dimplex EverDri14EL dehumidifier

The EverDri comes with integrated carry handles and easy glide castors to aid positioning around the home. The 2.5 litre water tank has an antibacterial agent added and is transparent so you can see how much water is collected 'at a glance'. Featuring an easy to use 'push button' control panel that incorporates the humidistat and timer, the electronic humidistat enables you to easily set your desired level of humidity in the room.  It has a continuous drain setting to aid the clothes drying process or for extreme humidity conditions, where the product will continue to run regardless of humidity level until the water tank fills, then it will switch off automatically. 

Image: Dimplex EverDri14EL Dehumidifier

Pro Breeze 12L dehumidifier with continuous drainage hose

This high-performance dehumidifier from Pro Breeze quickly and efficiently removes damp, mould and moisture from the air. It uses an energy-efficient compressor to remove up to 12 litres of moisture per day and is ideal for use in large spaces with persistent humidity issues. A large 1.8L water tank ensures continuous moisture collection throughout the day, and a drainage hose is included for optional plumbing into a drain or container for long-term use.

Image: Pro Breeze 12L Dehumidifier with continuous drainage hose

Read the original article on the Grand Designs Magazine website HERE.