Insights | Air Quality
How do air purifiers work?
The Covid-19 pandemic has raised our awareness of indoor air quality and with it the benefits of an air purifier. We can do little to control what we breathe outside but with an air purifier we can help protect our health and wellbeing indoors.

What is an air purifier?
The basic function of an air purifier is to filter dirty air and release purified air out into the atmosphere. An air purifier engineered with HEPA and activated carbon filters can work effectively against pollens, fine particles, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), viruses and bacteria. Dyson purifiers can remove up to 99.95% of particles as small as 0.1 microns.¹
More and more we’re seeing air purifiers in the spaces around us. Hospitals, schools and office spaces are all reaping the benefits of air purifiers.
How does an air purifier work?
An air purifier tackles the pollution in our homes that we can’t see. Most are engineered with a filter and a fan – to draw a cocktail of air inside and circulate clean air back out.
Dyson air purifiers have multiple sensors that detect pollutants in the air, before filtering them out in two or three stages. A HEPA filtration system captures dust, pollen, ultrafine particles and bacteria while an activated carbon layer removes gases and odours. In some of our purifiers, a selective catalytic oxidisation filter captures and destroys formaldehyde.²
Dyson engineers have re-engineered the machine's airflow pathways to achieve fully-sealed HEPA 13 filtration – not only ensuring that no air bypasses the filter but blocking any potential leak points through which dirty air might enter the airflow.
What's in our air?
Indoor air consists of a concoction of potentially dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde, as well as particulate matter such as pollen, dust, bacteria and nitrogen dioxide.


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