Did you know that air pollution is the world's largest single environmental health risk? 92% of the world's population breathes polluted air, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and more than 5.5 million people worldwide are dying prematurely every year as a result of air pollution.
If you live in the United States, you are not exempt from this. More than half of our population lives in counties that have unhealthful levels of air pollution, putting them at risk for premature death and serious health effects including lung cancer, asthma attacks, cardiovascular disease, and developmental and reproductive issues
This makes you wonder, what are we breathing?
The answer to this question depends on where you live and what's around you. We breathe dust particles that contain all sort of toxic chemicals, even pesticides. The dust particles are so small that they travel really easily, which is why a lot of the toxicity in your own town can be found on the air you breathe at home. And this is why so many health issues, including fertility issues, have been linked to air pollution.
If we're making the effort to eat organic foods and live a healthy lifestyle, we should also make changes to make sure the air we breathe is not toxic.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you remove the source of pollution and clean the air with a high-end purifier. The problem with this is that not all air purifiers are equipped to remove all of the toxins found in your home.
Earlier this year I was given an Intellipure Ultrafine 468 for review. Before I accepted this product I researched the company to make sure it was up to my standards. HealthWay is the maker of the Intellipure brand. HealthWay has more than 35 years of experience in indoor air quality solutions and over 25 different patents in over 40 countries.
One of the things I loved about Intellipure is that their products are designed here in the U.S. Not only that but when I received my Intellipure Ultrafine it contained a Certificate of Efficiency. This means an actual human being tested the machine before it shipped out. They do this because they have really high standards and make sure their air purifiers has an efficiency rating of at least 99%.
I love also that this machine was assembled by hand, there is an actual human being making sure all the parts are properly in place.
How does the Intellipure Ultrafine filtration system work?
They use their own patented filtration process, known as DFS, which stands for Disinfecting Filtration System. This filtration system is more complex and thorough than traditional HEPA filtration. What's unique about DFS is that the media filters are less dense than HEPA filters.
HEPA filters have a 99% density, which makes it harder for the machine to push clean air out; this results in a louder noise volume, more energy used, and a smaller output of clean air - which means all the air in the entire room is not getting thoroughly cleaned. The DFS filters have a density of approximately 90%, which allows a larger outflow of clean air, faster air turnover in an entire room, a quieter system, all while using less energy!
Another feature is that there is a constant electrical charge running through the main filter, which prevents microbial growth in the main filter. HEPA filters do not have this feature, so pollutants and microorganisms build up on the filter, feed off one another; and therefore, create a breeding ground - causing pollution and mold inside a HEPA air cleaner.
The DFS technology includes multiple filters, all for different purposes - two filters capture volatile organic compounds (VOCs - gases, odors, chemicals), two filters capture particles (including ultrafine particles), and the high energy grid kills microorganisms, clumps them with other particles, so they are then captured by the main filter.
Other air cleaners are only designed to capture one or two categories of pollutants, while Intellipure Ultrafine Series captures all three - microorganisms, particles, and VOCs. Hence, why I chose this air purifying system over the other options I found.
The Intellipure Ultrafine 468:
- It retails for $999 - which is a lot less than competitors that don't even clean the air as well. (Price may vary if you are reading this post after its published date).
- Parent Tested Parent Approved certification
- Family Review Center Seal of Approval
- In case you missed it from above: it's the only air purifier on the market that combats all three pollutant categories - Micro-organisms, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and Particles
- Uses DFS technology, which more efficient than HEPA filtration standards
- Low noise level
- Sleep mode option
- Only uses 1 watt per hour when on low or sleep mode
If you're wondering about the maintenance of the filters, this is when you have to replace them:
- VOC pre-filter: every 6 months
- Main filter: every 12 months
- VOC post-filter: every 6 months
*Units and replacement filters are available for online purchase at the Intellipure site or by phone at (315) 298-2904.
My experience using the Intellipure Ultrafine 468
I wanted to use this product for a while before I wrote this review since I feel like you can't really know a product with just a few weeks of use. I have been using the Intellipure Ultrafine 468 for over 3 months now and I have seen changes in my family and my own health. First off, I want to say that I was impressed by this machine when I received it. It's really well made and although it's big, it's not too wide so it easily hides in the corner of our room. Plus it has wheels so it's easy to move from one room to another.
It was really easy to set-up, just plug it in and turn it on. That's it! You can adjust the setting just by sliding your finger across the top. You don't even have to press down hard.
I had a hard time deciding where to keep it. Ideally, I would love to have one in our bedroom, the kids' room, and our living room but since we have just one I decided to put it in our bedroom. Our kids still sleep with us most night and sleep is how the body cleans itself and recharges so I figured clean air would be even more important during our sleep.
We leave our Intellipure running all day and use it on sleep mode at night. It barely makes any noise at night, which is a huge plus since I'm a light sleeper. On some nights I have it on the highest setting because it creates a very low white noise that helps my baby go to sleep. After a few days of using it, our air felt less "heavy". It just seemed easier to breathe and all of us overall slept better. However, I noticed the BIGGEST difference with my husband. He suffers from allergies that will cause him to get asthma at night and he also snores a lot. Just a few days after we started using the Intellipure he said he felt like he could breathe better. After years of struggling with this, I was so relieved to hear him say he felt like he could finally breathe. I couldn't even hear his loud breathing anymore and he has actually stopped snoring. I honestly couldn't believe it at first. Where most of his issues caused by air pollution? I had to know, so I took the air purifier out of our bedroom and sure enough, he was breathing heavily again and snoring in his sleep. Needless to say the Intellipure Ultrafine went straight back into our bedroom and that's where it's been ever since. After seeing the difference in him it got me thinking about my kids and all the pollution they might be breathing. Until we can buy a second machine our kids will be sleeping with us so they can breathe purified non-toxic air.
If I were to have a baby and I didn't have an Intellipure, I would definitively invest in one. A baby should not be breathing toxic chemicals and the only way you can clean your air is by using an air purifier that actually works. There are so many dust particles your baby could breathe that could eventually cause serious health issues, so why risk it?
I know the Intellipure Ultrafine is a big investment but keep in mind it's less than other air purifying systems and soon they will offer financing options. If you ask me, you can't really put a price on health. If you can't afford more than one, keep in mind that it has wheels so you can easily move it from one room to another. It's also great to clear the air if you just painted, are having lots of guests over, do housework, etc.
Overall, I think this is a great air purifier and one that everyone should have in their home. Even more so if you have respiratory issues, are trying to conceive, or have small kids. These machines are well made and will last you a long time, so look at it as an investment in your overall health.
Original article posted by Carolina King, Mama Instincts: http://mamainstincts.com/intellipure-review/
