Rather than being a blessing, the presence of many air filters out there in the market is a problem. Many buyers often find it hard to choose the right one among the many in the store shelves. But this problem is easily taken care of if you know the types of air filters out there and your peculiar needs.

Let's take a brief look at some of the various types of air filters in the market and you decide which one is ideal for you. The need for proper information like this cannot be overemphasized. You can only find the one that works best after going through information on the available ones.

MECHANICAL FILTERS

The HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Aresstance) filters remain one of the best air filters out there. It works by forcing air through a special screen that traps allergens such as pollen, dust and so on. It also helps to trap smoke and other air borne irritants. HEPA is often seen as the standard for all air filters in the market. All air filters try to be HEPA compliant. This is because it's able to trap over 90% of airborne irritants. Hence, any device that could not achieve this feat does not qualify as a HEPA filtering device. If you decide to go for mechanical air filters, make sure that it meets the HEPA filtering standards. Also, ensure that you're not buying any of the cheap imitation that litters the market.

GAS PHASE FILTERS

If you want to remove allergens in your home, this is not recommended. It's only suitable for removing odors and other types of pollutants such as gasses from perfume, cooking, paint or building materials. The gas phase filters is ideal for homes that want to eliminate allergies which are triggered by exposure to certain odors.

ELECTRONIC FILTERS

Electronic filters work with electric charges. The electric charges are used to attract and trap allergens and other contaminants. However, of the many types of electronic filters out there, the most effective is the one that uses electrostatic precipitators with a fan. Endeavour to find one that has plates for collecting the particles that are trapped within the unit. Otherwise, you'll have to clean everywhere in the room as the allergens will stick to surfaces. The plates having the particles must however be kept clean regularly. This is a much smaller task than that of cleaning the whole room.

HYBRID FILTERS

The hybrid filters is a combination of the features found in both electrostatic and mechanical filters. It's often preferred by those with allergens other than gas based contaminants.

The OZONE AIR FILTERS

These types of air filters have been found to be environmentally unfriendly. Hence, you're advised against buying ozone air filters.

To help you further in deciding the right air filter for you, it's advisable you know which type of contaminants you want to get rid of, air filter's filtering efficiency, its noise level etc. This will help you make the right choice.