AirDoctor Purifier Review & Why I Love it as a Mom

As the mom of a very busy toddler with another baby on the way, I’m pretty conscious about everything I use in my house. I do my best to limit the amount of harmful toxins and ingredients we have in our home, which is one of the reasons I started using safer skincare and cleaner makeup years ago, and I swapped out my cleaning products for safer products like Force of Nature cleaner. But to be honest, the world of air purifiers was fairly new to me and not really something I’d thought about much until a few years ago when I was pregnant with our first son.

After chatting with some friends who were really passionate about the air purifiers in their home and doing my own research, I decided to buy an AirDoctor purifier. (Well, first I tried another brand that I don’t think did ANYTHING and was so finicky to use, but I won’t focus on that today and instead focus on the air purifier I do love.)

But first, if you’re reading this post because you’ve never ordered an air purifier and you’re doing some basic research like I did, here are a few reasons why people love them for their homes. In short, they’re great for managing or eliminating indoor air pollutants.

In general, air purifiers are made to:

• Reduce allergies
• Help with asthma and other respiratory issues – specifically in kiddos and women, as they tend to spend more time in the home
• Reduce smell and odors
• Clean air from pet hair and pet dander
• Make calming noises for sleep
• Help kill bacteria
• Removes smoke (from outside or cooking) – my AirDoctor always goes nuts when I’m cooking and people who live in areas with wildfires say they’re a must.

Okay, let’s dive into more details about why I love it.

AirDoctor Purifier Review & Why I Love it as a Mom

About AirDoctor

AirDoctor was invented by Peter Spiegel, who had the original vision of providing of professional air quality at an affordable price. AirDoctor been operating since 2016 and is based out of California and makes high-end, professional air purifiers at attainable prices designed to be used in individual households. They make four different purifiers for different size spaces (I’ll get into the details later in this post).

They have RAVING customer reviews on their website and have been featured on CNN, FoxNews, and The Chicago Tribune. AirDoctor is also praised by Dr. Mark Hyman, the Founder & Director of The UltraWellness Center and the Head of Strategy & Innovation of Cleveland Clinic’s Center.

After I fell in love with AirDoctor 3000, I reached out and asked if they could provide a promo to my readers. They kindly agreed and gave a VERY generous discount.

Where to Buy AirDoctor Purifiers

You can buy their purifiers and filters directly from AirDoctor and AirDoctors also now sold on Amazon.

Use this direct link to get the below discounts on AirDoctor Purifiers:

• $110 off the AD1000
• $110 off the AD2000
• $280 off the AD3000
• $300 off the AD5000

The discount will only work if you use this direct AirDoctor link. When I buy a new unit, I buy through AirDoctor but when I need replacement filters, I buy them from Amazon for convenience.

The machines are pricey but they will last you for YEARS. They also have a 30-day return policy, no questions asked.

Okay, let’s get into the details.

First, What Makes a Good Air Purifier?

Not all air purifiers are made equal. What you want to look for when shopping for a good air purifier is HEPA filtration, an additional carbon filter, and CADR ratings.

1 – HEPA Filter

A HEPA filter (which stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air) is what actually filters the air in your home. The EPA states that a HEPA filter can remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns. AirDoctors have a UltraHEPA® filter which actually removes 99.99% of tested bacteria and viruses down to 0.003 microns. That’s 100x smaller than the HEPA standard!

2 – Carbon Filter

A carbon filter is what removes things like VOC’s, gases, odors, etc. from your home. HEPA filters don’t do this, which is why you want look for an air purifier that has both. AirDoctor has a a dual-action gas and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) filter. The VOC filter works together with the UltraHEPA Filter to remove dangerous ozone, gas, and volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde that can typically cause coughing, wheezing, and irritation in the eyes and throat.

3 – CADR Rating

Lastly, you want to make sure your air-purifier has a CADR rating. This stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate. A CADR rating tells you how much clean air is produced in a specific amount of time. The higher this rating is, the better! AirDoctor’s purifiers have SUPER high CADR ratings:

• AirDoctor 1000: 152
• AirDoctor 2000: 340
• AirDoctor 3000: 340
• AirDoctor 5000: 534

CADR ratings from 120-179 are deemed Very Good, and anything above 240 is considered Excellent (read more about CADR from AirDoctor’s website here). Air changes per house matter because if you’re not moving the air, you’re not cleaning the air. Experts recommend at least 4 air changes per hour for optimal removal of airborne particles. Many air purifiers base their room size coverage on only 1-2 air changes per hour (ACH) so it’s important to check that your air purifier has a high enough CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) to circulate the air in the room at least four times per hour. All of AirDoctor’s purifiers do.

AirDoctor Purifier Pros And Cons

Pros

Removes 99.99% of tested bacteria and viruses down to 0.003 microns

Laboratory testing found that AirDoctor removes 99.99% of tested bacteria and viruses down to 0.003 microns. This is the most impressive thing to me; like I mentioned above, 0.003 microns is 100x smaller than the HEPA standard, which is what most people have in their homes. See the whole report here.

Want to see JUST how effective the AirDoctor is? Check this out.

Removes 99.97% of live SARS-CoV-2 virus from air

AirDoctor removes 99.97% of the live SARS-CoV-2 virus from the air!!! I’m always wiping down surfaces, making sure to wash my hands and keep Thomas’s hands clean, etc. and I appreciate that the AirDoctor takes it a step further to clean the air. I also love that I don’t have to think about it since the machine can run 24/7 and will adapt to the needs in the air. Read more about the test they completed with the AD3000 and the virus here.

Works in large spaces

The smallest AirDoctor completely purifies the air every 15 min in a 285 sq ft space, and the larger versions (2000, 3000, and 5000) cover even more space. I have the AD3000. Here’s a picture of it next to a basketball and another with my chair in it for scale, so you can get a sense for the size.

Quiet

I hate loud noises and now that I keep it in my kitchen, I didn’t want a loud buzzing in the background. It is completely quiet unless it increases the fan speed to clear the air (which happens often while cooking) and if it dos get louder, it’s only for a couple minutes.

Unique features

AirDoctor has Dual Action VOC filter, Auto-Mode function, and UltraHEPA filtration which are somewhat unique to this air purifier compared to others on the market.

Automatically adjusts based on air quality

The built-in air quality monitor automatically adjusts the purifier based on your air. You’ll see the ring turn red, orange, or blue depending on the quality of the air, and then it’ll go to work. These lights also turn off which is great for nighttime. If you set the AirDoctor to Auto, the fan speed will adjust automatically (good air quality = low fan speed; fair = medium, poor = high and boost fan speed).

Not too heavy

I expected the AirDoctor to feel really heavy but it’s not too bad. The midsize machine, the AD3000, weighs 18 lbs, so I’m able to move it around easily if I need to. I almost never move mine but it’s easy if I need to since there are built in handles on the AD3000 and AD5000.

24-Hour Timer

If you don’t want it to run 24/7, you can set a timer anywhere from one to 24 hours and then it will automatically shut off. This is a great feature if you’re going out of town and like to minimize things that are running.

Easy to set-up

I took it out of the box, removed tape holding the front panel, popped it open, took the plastic cover off the filter, put it back in and plugged it in and hit the power button. It took about 30 seconds.

Cons

Limited to shipping in North America

This shouldn’t be a problem for most of my blog readers. If AirDoctor isn’t available where you are from their website, you can order from Amazon.

No remote control

I don’t really care about a remote control since I keep mine on auto, but I do think an app would have been nice since I’m a data junkie. I would love an app to monitor air quality when I’m out of town. And it’d be awesome if it could integrate into my security system and alerts. But again, none of these are deal breakers.

Online Checkout Process

This isn’t a big deal since I know the company is legit and my order went through just fine, but the checkout page is a little outdated and looks clunky.

How to Use the AirDoctor Purifier

Truthfully, all you have to do is remove the air filter plastic cover before using it for the first time, plug it in and turn it on. But I’ll go into to detail about how the AirDoctor works in this section in case it helps you.

Once you press the power button, it will start in Auto mode on the high-speed mode. Then, the air sensor monitor will detect the air (it monitors the air quality all day long, which I love) and adjust as necessary, changing the fan speed to whatever is appropriate to handle the contaminations in the room.

You can also manually adjust the fan speeds between Low, Medium, High and Boost. Low and Medium are best for everyday use while High is best for areas with more airborne contaminants (such as excessive smoke).

The Boost setting is best used for shorter bursts of time when you want to rapidly purify the air. We renovated for a year and are still wrapping up projects so I often use it when we have random work being done now. I also use Boost if someone comes to my house and I can tell they are sick.

If the LED lights are too bright, select Dim Mode to turn them off.

AirDoctors have three filters that create a 4-1 cleaning process.

1. Pre-Filter

This is the first filter used by the AirDoctor. It’s a washable, reusable filter and you never have to replace it give that you can wash it. It traps large particles like dog hair, dust, pollen, etc. Catching all of the large particles is essential for the other filters to work.

2. Activated Carbon Filter 

I explained this above, but the AirDoctor is a dual-action gas and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) filter. The VOC filter works together with the UltraHEPA Filter to remove dangerous ozone, gas, and volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde that can typically cause coughing, wheezing, and irritation in the eyes and throat. Most air filters have a gas trap voc filter, so it’s likely that if you’ve had a different brand, this is the same thing. This filter should last about 6 months before a replacement is needed.

3. UltraHEPA™ Filter

the UltraHEPA filter is what makes the AirDoctor so special. It’s the most advanced version of HEPA filters you can find and it captures the 99.9% of particles up to 0.003 micros, like I mentioned before. Most air purifiers on the marker trap down to 0.03, so the AirDoctor is MUCH more effective. This filter should last 12 months.

I mentioned that the AirDoctor has a 4-1 cleaning process, and the 4th part is that it contains an air ionizer.

4. Ionizer

This emits negatively charged ions into the air which helps purify it.

How long do Airdoctor filters last?

It varies depending on the machine you have, but all of them have a Change Filter Alert indicator light so you know when it’s time. But, here are the guidelines provided by AirDoctor. You can order replacement filters through Air Doctor.

• AirDoctor 1000

Based on 24/7 usage, the UltraHEPA® filter and Carbon/VOC filter in AirDoctor 1000 both need to be replaced about every 6 months.

• AirDoctor 3000

Again, if you run the machine 24/7, the Carbon/VOC filter should be replaced every 6 months and the UltraHEPA® filter should be replaced every 12 months.

• AirDoctor 5000

Based on 24/7 operation, the Carbon/VOC filter should be replaced every 6 months and the UltraHEPA® filter should be replaced every 12 months.

• You can buy filter replacements right from AirDoctor.

What size Air Doctor should I get?

It depends where you want to use it!

• The smaller and most compact AirDoctor 1000 purifies the air in smaller spaces like a guest bedroom, kids’ room or office, changing the air in up to 285 square feet 4 times per hour, or every 15 minutes.

• The next size up, AirDoctor 2000 cleans air in small rooms, medium/small bedrooms, nurseries, home offices and more. It circulates the air in 305 sq. ft. 4 time per hour or in 610 sq. ft. two times per hour.

• The AirDoctor 3000 cleans air in large rooms and spaces like master bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens. It changes the air in up to 638 sq. ft. 4 times per hour, or every 15 minutes. (This is the size I have and I keep it in our kitchen.)

• The AirDoctor 5000 is best for extra-large spaces like open concept living rooms and high ceiling great rooms, and will change the air in up to 1,001 sq. ft 4 times per hour, or every 15 minutes.

Why I love it as a mom

• It’s quiet & not an eyesore.

I never hear it unless the fan kicks up speed. I had another high quality air purifier in the past and even though it was smaller, it was such an eyesore. It was black and round and I much prefer the white machine that doesn’t draw attention to itself. The rectangle shape makes it easier to slide up against a wall or into a corner. The sound of the previous one was also so much louder than the AirDoctor but the AD is quieter than my air conditioning.

• It stands up to my son messing with the buttons.

I have a toddler and he loves to press the buttons and so far, it’s still been working just fine even after he presses alllll the buttons. I sometimes just have to turn it off and back on.

• Lightweight

It’s light enough that I can move it if I need to. The only time I move it is if one of us is sick and I’ll move it to the room where we are spending the most time, oftentimes a bedroom.

• Thoughtful design

I appreciate the simple features that make this machine so much higher end, including the ability to turn off lights at night and how easy it is to change filters. It’s nice to simply know that our family is breathing purified air.

• It’s nice peace of mind.

It cleans the air even when I can’t tell that their are contaminants. I notice it will increase fan speed when we are having our house cleaned, when I blow out a candle and when I’m cooking. When we are having random work done in the house, like painting or sanding, it will also increase fan speed.

I also like knowing our air is being cleaned since we host a church group of 10-12 people in our home most weeks. And with a toddler in preschool, he’s always bringing germs home. So while it can’t prevent all illnesses, it’s nice peace of mind that the air is being cleaned regularly.

And, since I’m pregnant, I like knowing that the air is clean so I’m not breathing in harmful things without even knowing it.

A few months into using the AirDoctor I started noticing it was giving me the red light (meaning it sensed the air was very poor) every few mornings and I couldn’t figure out why. Then I noticed it was turning red when I was using my Dyson AirWrap! Super interesting. One of my followers reached out to explain– here’s what she said.

Her answer made me feel even BETTER about our AirDoctor!

I’ll be really curious to see how it does when we have air quality issues. There was a wildfire near us last year and the air was TERRIBLE. The previous air filter I had didn’t even register that there was smoke. I KNOW the air inside my house was bad since we could smell it!

Bottom Line: I love it.

I hope this post was helpful since I couldn’t find many AirDoctor reviews out there when I was researching.

If you have other questions I didn’t address in this post, leave a comment and I can try to answer or you can always contact their customer service center at 800.221.2515 or [email protected].

Don’t forget to use this AirDoctor discount link when you purchase to save on your purchase!

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