This Air Purifier Finally Removed The Dust & Odors Lingering In My Space

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. 

Breathing that air can trigger allergies and, over time, affect long-term health2.

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. 

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.

Decades of studies connect long-term inhalation of fine particulate matter (especially PM2.5) to serious outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses3, and cognitive decline. A major 2023 study even found that dementia risk increased4 with PM2.5 exposure below the current EPA annual standard.

And data also show that air pollution shortens lifespans5 worldwide. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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.