Skip to content
Clean Air Guides

How We Research and Recommend Products

Our editorial policy: sources, product selection, independence and updates.

Every guide on Clean Air Guides is written by the Clean Air Guides editorial team. This page explains exactly how we work, so you can judge our recommendations for yourself.

We don’t claim to test products

We don’t own a testing lab, and we never write as if we had used a product when we haven’t. Our recommendations are research-based: they rest on published data that anyone can check. When a guide does include hands-on experience in the future, it will say so explicitly.

The sources we rely on

  • AHAM Verifide directory (ahamdir.com): independently verified Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) figures for smoke, dust and pollen.
  • California Air Resources Board (CARB): the official list of air cleaners certified to emit no more than 0.050 ppm of ozone.
  • ENERGY STAR: certified models, power use and efficiency.
  • US EPA: guidance on air cleaners, ozone generators, indoor humidity, mold and humidifier care.
  • Manufacturers: product pages, spec sheets and owner’s manuals, for filters, coverage, noise, power and cleaning instructions.
  • Health and safety sources such as the CDC, CPSC, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the ASPCA, where a guide touches on health, children or pets.

Each article lists its main sources in a Sources box at the end.

How we choose products

  1. We start from the need (for example smoke, pets or a large room) and the specifications that matter for it, such as smoke CADR, activated carbon or humidifier output.
  2. We shortlist models that are currently sold in the US and publish verifiable specifications.
  3. We prefer products with an AHAM-verified CADR, CARB ozone certification and a true HEPA filter, and we explain the trade-offs (noise, filter cost, size) for each pick.
  4. We flag what we couldn’t verify, discontinued models, and claims we find misleading.

Some links go to Amazon and earn us a commission if you buy. Brands can’t pay to be included or to change a ranking, and we don’t accept free products in exchange for coverage. See our affiliate disclosure.

Health information

Our guides are for general information. They are not medical advice. If you have asthma, allergies, a lung condition or concerns about mold or a child’s health, talk to a doctor.

Updates and corrections

We review our guides regularly and update the date at the top of each article when facts change. If you find an error, tell us and we’ll check it against the source.