Price is always on the mind of home air purifier shoppers. But is price a guide to quality and value? Two'tricks of the trade' you have to know uncovers pricing may be no guide in any way. Read on before you purchase your next home air purifier. After all , can you actually afford the incorrect choice?

The Low Price Tease

Cost is important. But please do not be deceived. A low first purchase price doesn't equal long-term value.

One of the commonest tricks is to sell an inexpensive home air purifier that needs regular replacement of costly filters. The air purifier is a loss leader. The filters are pure profit.

And you suffer for it. And not solely in your wallet. Inexpensive home air purifiers typically have poor filtration due to leaks that allow air to go around the filter. So you never really get the fresh air you thought you were buying.

These cheap'big box retailer' units are also renowned for poor quality or absent prefilters that allow the main filter to clog and require replacement, potentially even ahead of the'recommended' schedule.

The High Price Bluff

If going for a low price isn't the best plan are you sure to fare better by shelling out the enormous bucks?

not always. While better quality home air purifiers are more costly as a rule, some dodgy makers are known to sell expensive models that do anything but purify the air.

The ozone generator crowd falls into this class. Sometimes priced well north of $500 these units fail to scrub the air and are really dangerous. They've been banned in Canada and California. The FTC has sued and secured court orders to stop the patently fake claims by the more unreliable makers.

Another'price as no indicator of quality' example is the famous Ionic Breeze by Sharper Image. These units were sold for $100 more than the 3M Ultra. But a comparison of their own clean air delivery rates revealed the 3M Ultra delivered 13 times as much unpolluted air.

Why Set Yourself Up for Disappointment?

If you examine comments left on lots of the customer review sites you'll find a common theme. Multiple home air purifier purchases over time leading to dissatisfaction and often a complete failure to get desired results.

Why is this the case?

It truly boils down to a scarcity of accurate and effective consumer education. You simply are not being informed about what works, why it works, what's a scam and how it's possible for you to judge the difference.

What can you do to be an educated consumer before you buy an air purifier? Two wonderful resources you may want to consider are hunter air purifiers and iqair healthpro air purifier.