This Editor-Approved Air Purifier Tackles Wildfire Smoke, Mold, & Dust

Nearly 99% of the world’s population1 breathes unhealthy air. Yes, this includes air that’s inside your home. Pollutants can sneak their way into your living space through drafty (or open windows) or heating or cooling systems. Or, they can originate from within, thanks to your beloved gas stovetop and your furry pet. 

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as I live in an older building with poor ventilation. And major construction just feet from my front door has left a constant layer of dust on my windowsills.

That’s when the Sans Air Purifier caught my eye. It uses a medical-grade HEPA 13 filter and activated carbon to remove 99.97% of small, harmful, and hard-to-capture particles from the air. 

So, I decided to put this filter to the test. Here's my honest review of the Sans Air Purifier after two months of testing. 

Why clean air matters for longevity 

The relationship between air quality and health outcomes has become increasingly clear. Research shows that fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide from traffic, and VOCs from household products make their way into your respiratory system and hurt your overall health.

While we can't control outdoor air quality, improving indoor air quality is one area where we actually have some influence, which is where high-quality air purifiers like the Sans come into play.

What is the Sans Air Purifier & how does it work? 

The Sans Air Purifier is a portable, plug-in device that’s designed to reduce the most common and prevalent indoor air pollutants with a 3-layer filtration system: 

The purifier can help clean the air of up to 1,560 square feet of a home. There’s also a mini option that’s suited for large rooms or smaller apartments.

How to use it 

The Sans Air Purifier is easy, and intuitive to use. You control everything via the panel at the top of the device. 

Once you turn it on, it immediately kicks into continuous mode and will run 24/7. If you’d rather run it for a set time, click through the stopwatch button and set the purifier to run for two, four, or eight hours before shutting off. 

And use the fan button to set the device on Auto Mode or manual fan speed. Auto Mode means that the Sans purifier will auto-adjust the fan speed based on your air quality. 

For example, if you burn something in the oven and smoke starts to fill the room, Auto Mode will dial the fan speed up to more efficiently tackle the influx of harmful chemicals. 

What’s great about the control panel is that it has a SmartPure technology integrated into the device and displayed right on the panel. This feature monitors and displays your air quality status in real time—reading the exact amount of PM2.5, PM10, and VOCs circulating in your air. 

Since most of us aren’t experts in what those levels should be (we aren’t all environmental experts), the color display around the panel will quickly summarize the data.

Just tap the sensor mode button that’s shaped like a magnifying glass to see what the rating is for each of these harmful particles. 

My experience testing the Sans Air Purifier 

What drew me to the Sans Air Purifier was its medical-grade filter, and it’s ability to trap some of the smallest, most harmful particles while also catching dust and pollen. 

I live in a small 1-bedroom apartment in the heart of one of Boston's oldest neighborhoods (so you know the building is old). My main form of ventilation is to open the windows. But of course, that leads to even more dust and pollen—especially with the ongoing construction outside! Oh, the joys of city living. 

Poor ventilation can also contribute to higher levels of mold spores (yikes), and the possibility of inhaling those was stressing me out. 

Needless to say, I was ready to put the Sans Air Purifier to the test. 

How I used the Sans Air purifier

The device is easy to use and integrate into your lifestyle. Even the whole-house air purifier is compact in size, and I found the perfect home for it in a nook in my living room. You’ll want to place the purifier in a central location in your home, so it’s near some of your top pollutant areas. For me, that’s by a window and near the kitchen. 

I most often opt to run the purifier for two to four hours a day on Auto Mode. I found this cadence to be sufficient for my needs; however, Sans does recommend running it 24/7 for energy efficiency, and I would absolutely recommend that if you have pets in the home. 

At least twice a week, I move the device into my bathroom to further target the air quality in that room. I close the door, put the fan on high, and go into complete disinfecting mode.

It’s quiet

The lowest fan speed is whisper quiet. This is the speed my Auto Mode most often defaults to. I can run it while I sleep, work, and watch TV, or cook and even forget that it’s running. 

Dust levels declined 

After two months, I noticed that dust was accumulating at a much slower rate on my windowsill, even in the midst of construction. Before getting this purifier, I was in the habit of wiping down the windows and vacuuming three days a week (which is too much for someone who doesn’t have a pet!). 

Now, dust levels have declined to a point where I’m down to doing this kind of cleaning during my Sunday reset. 

Many of the nearly 3,500 reviews (!!) agree that the Sans Air Purifier helps with dust, pollen, and allergies. 

It really does reduce odors

The most surprising benefit of this purifier is that it truly helps eliminate odors. Smells from cooking used to linger in my space. And oftentimes, the air just felt stale.

However, the Sans Air Purifier does effectively trap these odor-causing particles and freshens up the air. If I’m chopping onions, baking salmon in the oven, or preparing an elaborate meal, I always run the Sans Air Purifier during the process and even overnight to help freshen the air much more quickly.

It gives me peace of mind

Having the Sans Air Purifier also puts my anxious mind at ease. When I see that my air quality is good, I sigh in relief. While seeing a red light indicating poor air quality is alarming (this has only happened once), I know I have the tools needed to correct course swiftly. 

What I would change about the Sans Air Purifier 

There’s not much I would change about this purifier. It’s quiet. It works. The filter is easy to replace (each filter is designed to last at least 3 months or 2200 hours of use). 

I do wish this device had Bluetooth capabilities to connect to an app that tracks changes and trends in your air quality. Maybe this will be a future iteration of the product. 

Of course, with quality comes cost, and the Sans is an investment. It’s regularly $469, but it's currently on sale for $100 off (!!!). That’s still not cheap, I say it’s worth it to (literally) breathe easier.

The takeaway

We often think of things like sleeping well, eating whole foods, and exercising as health-promoting habits. But we shouldn’t forget about the importance of air quality. We spend about 90% of our time indoors6, so taking steps to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals is vital for our well-being and longevity. 

Adding a filtration device like the Sans Air Purifier to your home is an easy and effective way to keep the air you breathe a lot cleaner. Plus, you can save $100 in the brand's End Of Summer sale.