Research shows that wildfire smoke does much more than just make the sky hazy.
If you live in a wildfire-prone area, you could be breathing in the equivalent of smoking half a pack of cigarettes per day, according to a Stanford University study. Chronic exposure leads to increased hospitalizations for heart and lung conditions and even premature death.
Investing in a quality air purifier can protect you from wildfire smoke. One Reddit user turned to the internet to ask the r/AirPurifiers community for recommendations. After moving to a larger home, the Redditor considered upgrading their air purifiers for forest fire season.
The Redditor, who rents a 1,600-square-foot house in metro Vancouver, asked, "What air purifiers make sense for my space?"
In the post, the Redditor explained that their air purifiers are "working overtime, and I'm still getting asthma symptoms."
The original poster considered the Alen BreatheSmart 75i Air Purifier but wondered if it would be overkill given its hefty price tag (over $700 USD).
The renter's concerns are valid, considering how prevalent wildfire smoke has become across North America — with rising global temperatures contributing to the problem — and how damaging its effects are to human health. However, HEPA air purifiers are designed to capture more than 99.97% of wildfire smoke particles.
Even more frustrating was the fact that the renter had to take matters into their own hands, as the landlord's failure to equip the home with a properly fitting door likely exacerbated the issue.
"I've had the vents professionally cleaned because apparently the landlord didn't think of doing it during their reno," the OP added.
While many renters are fortunate to have conscientious landlords or homeowners associations, there are all too many stories of tenants struggling to obtain upgrades that benefit their health and save them money, like one renter who found themselves in a bind after their building tried to prevent them from air-drying clothes on their balcony.
Our HOA guide is a helpful resource for situations like these and can advise you on how to work with your landlord or HOA to change the rules or find a compromise.
Reddit users offered helpful advice on how to survive wildfire season with clean air to breathe.
"The Alen unit is overpriced for the CADR performance," one person wrote in the comments. "BlueAir 211i, Oransi mod+, and Levoit Core 600S have higher performance and are lower priced."
Another Reddit user commented, "I don't think you need an expensive, fancy air purifier for your situation. A Standard AM90/5500-2 or 200M/ap-1512hh should be more than enough."
Other effective air purifiers to consider include the Coway Airmega True HEPA Air Purifier, BLUEAIR HEPASilent Air Purifier, and Levoit True HEPA Air Purifier.
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