Best Air Scrubber for Dust [Top 5 Air Scrubbers & Comparison]

Today, there is a lot of talk on the purity of air inside our homes and places of work. Indoor air can be many times more polluted than outdoor air, even in large cities where outdoor air is considered highly polluted.

On average, people spend 90% of their time indoors, and according to EPA, the group most exposed to this polluted air are children, the elderly, and the chronically ill.

Thus, there is a need to invest in the best air scrubber for dust to ensure indoor air is healthy for everyone.

Investing in an air scrubber for dust helps eliminate many air contaminants inside our homes and places of work. An air scrubber is designed to capture gases, VOCs, gases, and dust using a wet or a dry scrubbing mechanism.

It is used mainly in commercial establishments, remodeled homes, factories, and homes. Ideally, anywhere fresh air required. Air scrubbers for dust are popular with home remodelers, contractors, and companies dealing in mold removal.

Finding the best scrubber for dust can be an uphill task if you don’t have the right information. These pieces of equipment are not cheap hence the need to consider the key factors you must consider when shopping for one.

List of Top 5 Air Scrubbers to Get rid of Dust

Important Factors to Consider to Select the Best Air Scrubber for Dust

1. Type of scrubber

Air scrubbers are categorized into wet, dry, and electrostatic. A wet scrubber will remove dust and other harmful substances from the air by letting the contaminated air pass through water found in the mechanism.

For better performance, other liquids of different chemical compositions are used to capture contaminants of diverse charges. The air coming out of the air scrubber will have more moisture.

In fact, one can see a cloud coming out of a wet scrubber. The wet scrubbers are more popular because they capture particulate particles and gaseous contaminants.

The dry air scrubber for dust is designed with a reaction center where dry reaction material or sorbent is found. The contaminated gases are passed through the sorbent, and pollutants are absorbed.

It is now becoming more common to use these air scrubbers whenever gases are contaminated with acid.

The third type of air scrubber is the electrostatic precipitators which use charged energy to eliminate dust. A metal plate charged with a particular charge is used to capture contaminants from the gases passing over it.

2. Range/ Room size

To get the best value for your money, you need to check CFM – Cubic Feet per Minute. This is the scrubber’s ability to remove contaminants from the air in a certain room.

For a large bedroom or a medium-sized bedroom of about 1500 cubic feet, you might not need a scrubber reading more than 500CFM.

Such a scrubber will only take 3 minutes (1500/500) to scrub the room once, assuming you have properly sealed the room.

Remember, a scrubber works in volume, which means that CFM takes the length multiplied by the width and height of a room. Some scrubbers have 2000CFM and more and are more appropriate for use in factories and large warehouses.

3. Capturing other contaminants

A good air scrubber should capture all the contaminants in the air. They’re popular among home remodelers and industrial workplaces because they make the environment healthy by removing all the dust, smoke, and other dangerous particles in the air.

In an industrial set up there are many contaminants besides dust. As such, you need a scrubber that captures the VOCs, smoke, and anything that can make the air the workers breathe unhygienic.

This is why some buy scrubbers equipped with UV-C light technology to ensure which destroys the captured contaminants.

As a homeowner, you might not need to go to great lengths as industries a home because the main contaminants are dust and smoke. However, when remodeling, you will need a scrubber that will eliminate mold.

4. Noise level

The air scrubber is noisy, but there is no need to run it overnight or throughout the day. You will find most air scrubbers producing <70 dba. This means you can’t have a quiet conversation around it.

However, depending on the intended use and power needed, you should consider how much noise the unit can make when in use.

5. Extra features

For improved effectiveness of an air scrubber, manufacturers do include extra features. Modern scrubbers have a pre-filter, main filter, and a blower at the bare minimum.

The carbon filter, which captures odors and gases, is a common feature in many modern scrubbers.

Some scrubbers come with UV-C light technology, designed to inactivate microorganisms such as mold, germs, and viruses. The UV light disrupts the pathogens’ DNA hence making them inert and harmless to people and animals.

6. Budget

The price of an air scrubber is something every other buyer will want to look at. In general, scrubbers are pricier than air purifiers.

This is because they are more heavy-duty and are only designed to be used in places and instances where intense cleansing of the air is required.

For the smaller scrubbers meant for smaller spaces like homes, the price will range between $500 and $1,000. The pricier scrubbers ($1,000 and above) are ideal for construction sites, commercial sites and industrial use.

7. Portability

Air scrubbers are often used to remove dust, mold, and other air contaminants from a space that has been contaminated. As such, they are not ideally designed to be portable.

Still, there is a need for portable air scrubbers that home remodelers and contractors can use. In a portable air scrubber, a series of HEPA filters are installed to ensure the air gets cleaned before it’s removed.

In an industrial setup where exhaust gases need to be scrubbed regularly, you will find permanently fixed air scrubbers. The portable ones are cheaper than the permanent industrial scrubbers.

Top 5 Best Air Scrubbers for Dust

1. Dri-Eaz F284 DefendAir HEPA 500 Air Scrubber

Best for Restoration Projects

The Dri-Eaz air scrubber outperforms the competition when you are working on a building restoration project where dust, water, mold and other contaminants are plenty.

The unit is equipped with a pre-filter that traps all the large particles. The air then passes through a HEPA filter which traps 99.97% of all particles of 0.3 microns and above.

This ensures all the particles in the room are effectively removed. For maximum filtration, the manufacturer has equipped this easy-to-handle dry air scrubber with 2 operational speeds.

Moreover, it has a filter change indicator. No matter the size of the room or the intensity of the work, this 500CFM air scrubber with a daisy chain capability of three extra units can handle it with ease.

Specifications

• HEPA filters
• Carbon filter optional
• Weighs 44 pounds
• Dimensions 18.2x 26.2 x 24.6 inches
• Uses 3 Amps
• Blue in color
• Captures 0.3 micron dust particles
• 500 CFM
• Daisy chain capability
• Frequency 60 Hz

Pros

• Superior performance
• Daisy chain capability
• Capability to do 250CFM up to 1,500 CFM
• Strong outer walls and durability is guaranteed

Cons

• Very expensive filters
• It is expensive

2. ALORAIR PureAiro HEPA Max 970 Industrial Air Scrubber

Best for large areas

This AlorAir PureAiro air scrubber is a precious add-on to those looking to remove dust in warehouses, factories and other large space areas.

It has a capacity of 750CFM and is further equipped with daisy chain capability. This unit is armed with 3 HEPA filters that ensure all dust and other air contaminants are removed from the room. A carbon-activated filter is also included to help to remove all odors.

The manufacturer has added UV-C light technology which comes in handy especially in places where the air can be contaminated with harmful bacteria and viruses.

It is critical that dust gets removed from the room as fast as possible and this is why the intake is 14”. Moreover, the inlet and outlet can be ducted for faster removal of dust in a room.

Specifications

• Pre-filter and HEPA/ carbon activated filters
• Weighs 41.8 pounds
• Measures 25 x 21.7 x 14.2 Inches
• An inlet of 14” and outlet 8”
• 750CFM
• 120V, 50Hz
• 69dba
• UV-C light technology
• Daisy chain capability. Links up to three units
• Inlet and outlet can be ducted

Pros

• Bigger air inlet
• 750CFM at its peak and also comes with daisy chain capability
• Roto molded plastic hence more durable
• A 10-year warranty

Cons

• Pricey
• Can’t be used in cars

3. ALORAIR PureAiro HEPA Pro 970 Air Scrubber

Very Efficient

It comes as no surprise that the HEPA Pro 970 air scrubber boasts an upgraded motor that lets it create strong airflow of up to 750CFM. You can regulate the speed of the airflow too.

The manufacturer has installed a big air intake of 16” and 10” outlets hence making it possible to clear any dust and other air contaminants fast.

Besides being equipped with highly efficient filters, the HEPA Pro 970 comes with UV-C light technology that ensures not only the capture of air contaminants but also their destruction.

The activated carbon filter eliminates all odors in the air hence making this an ideal air scrubber to clean your home or job place.

Specifications

• Pre-filter and HEPA activated carbon filter
• Weighs 39.6lbs
• 750CFM
• 65dba
• 120V, 50Hz
• Inlet 16” and outlet 10”. Inlet and outlet can be ducted
• Dimensions 24.2 x 24 x 14 Inches
• UV-C light technology
• Daisy chain technology – 2 sockets
• Air flow regulating switch
• Power-on indicator light

Pros

• Stackable and easy to carry and store
• Has a cover to prevent dust
• Roto molded polyethylene housing design
• Light
• Low noise

Cons

• Relatively Costly

4. BlueDri BD-AS-550-BL Air Scrubber

Value for Money

You can never go wrong with the BlueDri BD-AS-55 air scrubber. This unit is packed with a plethora of cool features, among them 3 heavy-duty HEPA filters.

The pre-filter, the prime filter, and the HEPA filter ensure 99.97% of the air pollutants measuring as little as 0.3 microns are eliminated from the air.

The effectiveness of this blue unit is further enhanced by the LED light, which shows you when a filter should be changed.

Three operational positions are present to enable you effectively utilize the scrubber’s 550CFM capacity. This makes it ideal for both home and commercial use to get rid of dust.

The overall weight of the machine is 41.2 pounds. However, the user has to learn to cope with the high noise the machine makes.

Specifications

• Powerful HEPA filters
• Weighs 41.2 pounds
• 550CFM at its peak
• Three operational positions
• Dimensions 15.25 x 24 x 23 inches
• LED light indicator for intake filter
• An hour meter display
• Daisy chain compatibility, up to 3 units

Pros

• LED indicator light for intake filter
• Daisy chain capability
• 5-year warranty
• Variable speed control

Cons

• Loud
• Carbon filter not included

5. MOUNTO AF500 HEPA AIR SCRUBBER

Best price

This MOUNTO air cleaner is highly effective in its job while remaining totally affordable to anyone who wishes for cleaner air. It is armed with a two-stage filtration system ensuring that all dust in the room is filtered.

The variable airflow control allows the scrubber to start filtering air at 250CFM all the way to 500CFM.

The weight of the unit is 40 pounds which makes it easy to carry to attics and other areas where you wish to remove dust and other harmful air particulates.

Even though it is a basic air scrubber, it cleans the air to near perfection whether it’s in your home or place of work.

Specifications

• Pre-filter and standard HEPA filter
• 40 pounds
• Dimensions 25 x 24 x 17 inches
• 65dbs
• 1/3 HP
• Change filter indicator light

Pros

• Units interlock for easy stacking during storage
• Variable speed control switch
• Highly portable

Cons

• Noisy

Comparison of Above Listed Air Scrubbers for Dust

	Airflow (CFM)	Filters	Carbon filter	Daisy chain compatibility	UV-C technology	Dust particle size (micrometers)
Dri-Eaz F284 DefendAir	500	3	Not included	Up to 4 units	No	0.3
ALORAIR PureAiro HEPA Max 970	750	3	Yes	Up to 3 units	Yes	0.3
ALORAIR PureAiro HEPA Pro 970	750	3	Yes	Up to 3 units	Yes	0.3
BlueDri BD-AS-550-BL	550	3	Not included	Up to 3 units	No	0.3
MOUNTO AF500 Dust air cleaner	500	2	No	No	No	0.3

Final Words:

When you have the right information, it becomes quite easy to pick the right air scrubber. Whether you intend to use the unit in your home or place of work, you can rest easy knowing that the above list gives you the best options in the market.

You should no longer breathe polluted air indoors because these air scrubbers are designed to ensure that 99.97% of dust, even particles measuring 0.3 microns, are eliminated. Go ahead, make your informed choice today.