Clean Air for Health Boosts Air Purifier, Sterilizer Market

Heightened awareness of the health risks from polluted air and the presence of pathogenic microbes has been growing the market for air purifiers and sterilizers, with the pandemic highlighting the need for clean indoor air.

Air purifiers remove harmful pollutants, including particles, allergens and airborne contaminants, by using HEPA and activated carbon filters, UV-C light and ionizers. Air sterilizers remove or kill bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms, improving indoor air quality and preventing the spread of airborne diseases. They include UV-C, HEPA, plasma, ionic types, as well as ozone generators.

Both products come in fixed and portable designs, with the latter growing in popularity as they are light enough to be used in homes, offices and vehicles.

With technology advancements, there are now smart air purifiers that can be controlled using mobile devices and integrated into smart home systems. These devices use sensors to automatically detect changes in air quality and adjust their settings. In the air sterilizer sector, the shift is toward HEPA filters or electrostatic precipitators to capture microorganisms, UV light to clean air, and photocatalytic oxidation or a combination of UV-C light and a catalyst, such as titanium dioxide, to create a chemical reaction that breaks down pollutants into harmless byproducts.

Globally, air purifiers are expected to be a $25.97 billion market by 2030, at a CAGR of 8.1 percent from 2022, according to Research and Markets.

There are about 40 manufacturers of air purifiers in South Korea – nine of them are exporters, according to companies interviewed by Global Sources. Collectively, they produce about 2 million units each year.

Here are air purifiers and sterilizers from South Korean suppliers.

Air purifier, 12 to 15 cubic meters per hour CADR

Company: Honey IT Inc.

Honey’s ipuri C1 is a tumbler-type air purifier that measures 68x68x180mm and is small enough to fit any space. It has a 50mm BLDC fan, and HEPA 13 and copper-coated sterilization filters.  Its clean air delivery rate is 12 to 15 cubic meters per hour. This low-noise 5VDC device, with a vertical and horizontal wind direction, three-speed control, LED display and filter replacement alert, connects to an external power source. It meets KC, CE, FCC and RoHS standards.

MOQ: 1,000 units

Lead time: 4 to 6 weeks

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Air purifier, with mounting strap

Company: Honey IT Inc.

The ipuri A1 from Honey is an air purifier designed for mounting, with its bundled strap, on the center console, armrest, headrest or rear deck of a midsize car. It uses five-stage filtration with pre-, yellow dust, N29 sterilization, HEPA 13 and carbon filters, and has a 150mm BLDC fan. Its clean air delivery rate is 31 cubic meters per hour. This 12 to 24VDC device has a dust sensor that changes the color of the LED indicator and shows the PM number on the LCD. It also has an alert for filter replacement. This 170x210x75mm unit has CE, E-Mark, FCC, KC and RoHS approval. It includes a cradle and adapter that can be purchased separately. Available colors are mint, rose gold and black.

MOQ: 100 units

Lead time: 4 to 6 weeks

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Mini water-based air purifier

Company: Lenotre Corp.

Instead of HEPA filters, Lenotre’s Air Green mini air purifier uses water only, making it an eco-friendly device that does not contribute to filter and microplastic waste. It has a 160 to 250mL cup and a 5VDC BLDC blower that forces contaminated air into the water and discharges clean air with a small amount of humidification, which is 13mL per hour. This 3W device cleans 98 percent of coarse, fine and submicron dust. It sources power from an external battery, PC or cigarette lighter socket through a USB-C cable. Weight is 260g.

MOQ: 20 units

Lead time: 30 days

Portable air purifier

Company: Lenotre Corp.

Lenotre’s portable water-based air purifier, the Air Green, can be used in the house, a car or while camping. It cleans 98 percent of coarse or 10µm, fine or 2.5µm and submicron or 1µm dust particles. This unit has a 160 to 250mL cup and a 5VDC BLDC blower. It releases cleaned air with 13mL humidity per hour. This 3W device is bundled with a USB-C cable and plugs to any device for power. It has a control button at the top.

MOQ: 20 units

Lead time: 30 days

Indoor air sterilizer, with oxygen generator

Company: Shin-Ah Electronics Co. Ltd

The SA-16001 OXY from Shin-Ah is an indoor air sterilizer with efficiency of more than 90 percent. It has a nine-step filtration system, using a prefilter, nano silver carbon, titanium dioxide photocatalyst, composite and HEPA filters and a 365nm UV lamp. It also has a built-in oxygen generator with 30 percent pure output, and PM 2.5 and gas sensors. This 18kg unit, with casters, has Wi-Fi support and a mobile app for real-time remote control. Other features include a sleep timer and a child lock. The ABS housing is white or dark gray. This product has CB, CE, KC and SAA approval.

MOQ: 10 units

Lead time: 30 days

Smart air sterilizer, with sleep timer & child lock

Company: Shin-Ah Electronics Co. Ltd

For indoor use, Shin-Ah’s SA-16001 smart air sterilizer has a prefilter, carbon and HEPA filters, UV lamp and nine-step photocatalyst filtration system, with over 90 percent efficiency. It is equipped with a PM 2.5 sensor, Sirocco fan, sleep timer, child lock and casters. This 10kg unit comes in white and dark-gray variants. It meets CB, CE, KC and SAA standards.

MOQ: 10 units

Lead time: 30 days