Why This Air Purifier Was the First Piece of “Furniture” I Put in My New Apartment

At some point last spring, the white furry pillows that served as the centerpiece of my bedscape started to turn black. It happened so slowly that I didn’t even realize it was happening until the damage was irreversible. It was around this same time that I started waking up with coughing fits and noticed some unexplained new breakouts, and when I offhandedly mentioned all of this to a colleague, she asked, “Well do you have an air purifier?” The answer, of course, was no, which is why I decided to make the Dyson Pure Cool Air Purifier & Fan Tower the first piece of “furniture” I put into my new apartment when I moved in.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, some concentrations of pollutants are two to five times higher indoors than they are outside. And as I learned first hand, this can have a pretty significant impact on your health (and, less important, your expensive decor). Pros say that older, less energy efficient buildings, newly installed floors and furniture, and increased humidity can all impact the amount of pollution in your home, and activities like burning candles and cooking can release particles into the air. Plus, dust mites run abound. The EPA notes that these things can lead to irritation in your eyes, nose and throat, plus headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. They can also cause asthma and allergy flare-ups, and in In more severe cases, they can result in more long-term problems like respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer. What’s more? Crappy air quality is believed to impact your sleep and concentration for the worse.

While some folks are able to exist amongst polluted indoor air without feeling its effects (especially if they’re living in newer, well-ventilated spaces), microbiologists suggest that if you’re noticing any symptoms, it’s probably a good idea to invest in a device that will help purify what you’re breathing—and that’s where my new Dyson comes in.

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Dyson Pure Cool Air Purifier & Fan Tower

It acts as HEPA filter, which microbiologist Jason Teatro says is your best bet for clearing away indoor air pollution. It works as a sort of “web,” catching the harmful particles in the air before they make their way into your lungs. It’s certified as asthma and allergy friendly by the Asthma and Allergy foundation of America, and removes 99.97 percent of allergens and pollutants as small as 0.3 microns.

Aside from the science-y stuff, I really love this air purifier because it gets its job done without me even noticing it. I can choose to use it as a fan when I want a blast of cool air, but can also set it to “auto mode,” in which it kicks on its filters on its own whenever it detects pollution in the air. It’s also super sleek, so doesn’t look like an eyesore amidst the rest of my artfully selected decor. My lungs, skin, and yes—my pillows—have never been happier.

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