Air Purifier Guide
The Difference Between An Air Purifier And A Fan
Jan
Is an air purifier the same as a fan?
As both an air purifier and a fan revolve around a similar idea of using wind and air for circulation, you might wonder if an air purifier and a fan are essentially the same. While most air purifiers have in-built fans, this does not mean both products have the exact same function.
An air purifier is a device which removes contaminants from the air to improve indoor air quality. They are great for allergy sufferers or asthmatics as they are effective at reducing or eliminating dust particles or irritants in the air. Whereas a fan does no such thing — it simply serves the sole purpose of cooling down a room.
In this article, we explore the differences between a fan and Singapore’s trusted air purifier, as well as why you would need an air purifier in your space.
At a glance…
| Topic | Cosmo’s Prime Air Purifier | Fan |
| How it works | Air goes through multiple filters in order to be purified | Pushes and pulls air in order to create a breeze |
| Purify air | ✓ | ✖ |
| Cools down the room | ✓ | ✓ |
| Trial | 20-night trial | ✖ |
| Safe to leave on overnight | ✓ | ✖ |
| Price | $399 | $56.90 – $499 |
1. An air purifier may not have cooling effects
Fan
A traditional fan simply serves the purpose of moving air, allowing the body to release more heat into the area, cooling you down faster. Electric motor blades send the air in one direction hence creating the breeze. The curved blades turn due to the electric motor, creating a magnetic field. These blades cut through the surrounding air, forcing it to move.
The fastest fans have the greatest flow of air, hence creating stronger winds.
Air purifier
Air purifiers on the other hand, work by moving air through its filters and trapping airborne particles that cause pollution, asthma, sickness, and so on. Most air purifiers also contain an electric fan which pulls air to the intake part of the device. After the air is ‘cleaned’ by the filters, it’s released back into the room.
As such, air purifiers may not serve the same purpose. They are not able to directly change a room’s temperature, but the process of air movement may make the room a little cooler. The more filters an air purifier has, the less direct airflow you will feel.
To help you understand a little better, here’s an example of Singapore’s top ranking air cleaner — Cosmo’s Prime Air Purifier. The german design features a powerful dual fan system, which helps to increase overall air filtration coverage all throughout your home as wide as a typical 4-room flat (80m2) in Singapore.
2. An air purifier removes contaminants in the air
Fan
Fans may in fact blow contaminants like dust and smoke throughout your home, spreading contamination. They don’t have any form of filter to reduce such pollutants and can be irritating to people with sensitive noses or eyes.
Air purifier
Air purifiers, on the other hand, have air filters. As air goes through the purifier’s filters, it comes out cleaner and fresher, with reduced levels of contaminants. Keep a lookout for HEPA filters which filter 99.97% pollutants of up to 0.3 microns. Read on how such filters work here.
Air purifiers with inbuilt fans can then work to circulate air around a room, it can actually help air purifiers to function better since they can only purify the air that passes through them, allowing air around the entire room to be filtered.
3. Safe to leave on overnight
A fan could easily dry your skin out or even irritate your eyes when left blowing straight at you for long hours. Hence, it would be best to point your fan towards the area you’re at but placed far enough to prevent your skin from drying up.
An air purifier is safe to be left on overnight. However, do remember to wash or replace the filters once in a while for maintained filtering efficacy. The last thing you would want is dirty air blowing around your room.
Why you would need an air purifier — Cosmo’s Prime Air Purifier
Air purifiers are not only great for people with allergies or asthma but for anyone in general as an air purifier removes fine airborne particles that may cause irritation or allergy.
The Cosmo’s Prime Air Purifier ($399 after sale) boasts outstanding reviews and many agree that it runs quietly in the background, ensuring no distractions.
Their air purifiers filter 99.7% of all air pollutants including dust mites, pollen and so on. They use medical-grade in-house engineered H13 HEPA technology, which means their HEPA filters have pores that are up to 20 times finer than average HEPA filters. Rest assured that pollutants such as dust mites, pollen, smoke, downright to viruses are effectively removed.
They also offer free, same-day delivery along with a 5-year warranty. You could even try out their purifiers for yourself with their 20-night trial with a full refund if you’re unsatisfied.
Check out more articles on why Cosmo is fast becoming Singapore’s top air purifier and how it compares to other brands:
- 6 reasons why Cosmo is Singapore’s top air purifier
- Cosmo VS Coway Air Purifier
- Air purifiers for allergy sufferers
Cover image adapted from Shutterstock
Written by Angeline