Dyson’s deep dive into air science
Dyson’s indoor air quality testing – engineered above and beyond industry standard.
What is air quality and why does it matter?
Air quality refers to the level of pollutants and solid particles in the air. Through an air quality tester, the types and levels of impurities in the air can be detected at any given time. When only a small amount of pollutants are present, air quality is suitable for humans. Currently New Zealand exceeds the World Health Organization (2021) guidelines by 1-2 times. Poor air quality contains high levels of pollution and can impact health.
Dyson has researched the particles we intake both indoors and out, to improve the standard of what we breathe. Our purifying technology senses air quality, allowing you to monitor and remove pollutants inside your home.
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Indoor and outdoor air quality
Most of us are familiar with outdoor pollution – but very few of us know that these impurities make their way into our homes. Indoor air quality testing reveals a combination of indoor and outdoor pollutants, which can actually make indoor air quality up to 5x worse.1
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Seasonal air quality changes
Dyson’s research into air science reveals that different seasons present different concentrations of air pollution. Increased heating in winter creates more gas pollution inside the home. Colder air also doesn’t rise like warm air, so pollutants often stick around for longer.
What is air pollution and the causes?
A mixture of solid particles and gases make up air pollution. Household cleaning products, vehicle exhaust fumes and some building materials are examples of pollutants. Dyson’s home air quality test tracks what emits air pollution, in and around the home.
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Indoor air pollution
Indoor air quality testing reveals that some of our most-used products are the cause of the majority of pollutants. You may be surprised to learn about the effects of daily habits – here are a few of the most common household pollutants:
- Self-care products like nail polish, lotions and scented candles
- Cleaning products
- Gas stoves and other indoor cooking fumes
- Home improvements like paint and furniture materials
- Mould, pet allergens and dust mites
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Outdoor air pollution
We tend to view outdoor pollutants as separate to indoor – when really, air pollution often includes a combination of both. Outdoor pollutants make their way into homes through ventilation, on the soles of shoes and on pet hair. An air quality tester will commonly find the following pollutants indoors:
- Exhaust fumes from vehicles
- Pollen
- Chemical and gas pollutants
- Pesticides and gardening products
- Natural sources including dust, fires and burning solid fuel such as wood
Air quality myths or facts?
Many misconceptions surround air pollution and how to deal with it in the home. Dyson’s research into air science reveals some of the common myths around air quality.
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Myth. Air pollution is always visible
Many of us only vacuum when we see visible dust. Particle pollutants as small as 0.1 microns can affect our health – and in some cases, trigger asthma. Bacteria, pollutants, and allergens can all be invisible to the naked eye.
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Fact. The smaller the particle the bigger the problem
Some purifiers leak tiny particles back into rooms, affecting the health of homes. The smaller the particle the harder to capture. Every Dyson air purifier is sealed to HEPA H13 standards2, so that they can capture 99.99% of tiny particles as small as 0.1 microns3.
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Myth. Opening a window will increase air quality inside my home
Outdoor pollution gains access to homes through ventilation. Exhaust fumes, pollen and gases can add to indoor pollution. An indoor air purifier is therefore your best defence against effected air quality.
How Dyson supports the conversation around air quality
We breath in up to 9000 litres of air per day, so air quality is essential to our health. To improve understanding around indoor and outdoor pollution and how it affects our health, Dyson conducted air science studies in different cities around the world.
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Global air quality studies
To test air quality in an average day, Dyson developed backpacks which could measure levels of pollution. From barbeques, cooking indoors and trips to the beach, how our daily activities affect us were revealed. As Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis from the Australian National University (ANU) Research School of Population Health explains, “one in nine Australians suffer from respiratory health conditions such as asthma, hay fever or bronchitis. So, understanding air quality is extremely important to decrease one’s own exposure to pollution.”
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The COVID-19 effect and findings
Covid-driven lockdowns presented unique levels of indoor pollutants. During this time, many of us wondered ‘how can I test the air quality in my home?’. Using the same technology we use in our air purifiers, recordings in different homes around the world were taken. Alex Knox, Vice President of Environmental Care at Dyson explains, “While it has been widely reported that air quality on some cities has improved during the lockdown period, initial data insights from Dyson’s connected purifiers indicate a small but consistent increase in indoor NO2 and VOC levels in cities during lockdown.”
Discover more about Dyson’s lockdown investigation.
The science and research behind Dyson air purifiers
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The lab testing process CADR industry standards test on spaces smaller than the average living room. To ensure our purifiers provide cleaner air in realistic spaces, our air quality test called POLAR measures rooms almost three times the size of CADR standards.
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How Dyson purifiers capture particles Air science reveals that particles move through space differently. Dyson’s purifiers feature different filters which are designed to capture different-sized particles. 360 HEPA filtration captures tiny particles the size of 0.1 microns3, and a carbon activated filter removes gases. You can continuously check air quality in home spaces through real-time reporting.
What to consider when buying a purifer
Multi-functional and with whole machine filtration – designed with air science in mind. See what separates Dyson from the rest, and explore the range of features.
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HEPA filtration HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) is a measure of filtration efficiency. All of Dyson’s purifiers are whole machine sealed to HEPA H13 standards2. This means that they can capture 99.9% of particles as small as 0.1 microns3.
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CADR vs POLAR testing CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) testing doesn’t reflect the size of actual living spaces. While industry may use this metric, Dyson goes a step further. We created POLAR (Point Loading Auto Response), our own standard – using real-world living spaces reflective of a real sized home.
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Capture rate In indoor air quality testing, some purifiers release dirty air back into the room. Dyson’s engineers research into air science allows our purifiers to capture and hold 99.95% of particles as small as PM 0.1.
Explore the range of Dyson air purifers
Explore the range of Dyson air purifers
Compare Dyson purifier technology and find the right purifier for your home.
Choose your model
Dyson Pure Hot+Cool™ Link
- Powerful, personal cooling in summer
- Fast, even room heating in winter
- Purification all year round
Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool™
Purifies, heats and cools you.
Automatically senses airborne particles and gases.
Automatic filtration with HEPA 13 360° Glass+Carbon filter.
Projects purified air across the whole room.1
Control and monitor your air quality from anywhere with the MyDyson™ app.
H 764mm x L 130mm x W 205mm
Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool™ Formaldehyde
Purifies, heats and cools you.
Advanced automatic sensing of airborne particles and gases, including formaldehyde.
Advanced filtration with HEPA 13, Activated carbon and SCO filters.
Projects purified air across the whole room.4
Control and monitor your air quality from anywhere with the MyDyson™ app.
H 764mm x L 130mm x W 248mm
Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1
Purifies, heats and cools you.
Automatically senses airborne particles and dust.
Automatic filtration with HEPA 13 360° Glass+Carbon filter.
Projects purified air across the whole room.
Magnetic remote control for easy storage.
H 765mm x L 131mm x W 205mm
Fans and heaters
Quickly cools you and heats the room.
Air Multiplier™ technology for powerful airflow.
Jet focus control for personal or whole-room heating and cooling.
Smooth oscillation.
Remote control with 10 airflow settings.
H 595mm x L 113mm x W 153mm
Get more from your new Dyson with the MyDyson™ app
Expert guides and content. Automated filter alerts. Tailored 24/7 support.
Learn more about our purifier technology in our Newsroom
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What is CADR? And other air purifier testing questions
Purifiers come in many shapes and sizes, and within their categories there is significant variation – in price, in performance, in appearance. Read on to see how you can choose the best purifier for your home.
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What is a HEPA filter?
To understand how HEPA filter’s can improve the air quality of your home, it’s helpful to understand how it works and what it captures.
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Formaldehyde: the invisible indoor pollutant
Dyson experts explain what the invisible indoor pollutant formaldehyde is and why it is in our homes.
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1Supported by data from the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, 2009.
2Particle challenge by DEHS oil specified in EN1822 within a chamber specified in ASTM F3150. Tested in Max Mode at IBR US, for whole machine efficiency above 99.95%.
3Tested for filtration efficiency at 0.1 microns (EN1822, ISO29463)
4Gas capture rates may vary.