How two engineers solved the air purifier problem
What happens when you publicly challenge an entire industry built on expensive, ineffective products?
In March 2024, I released a youtube video titled "Most HEPA Air Purifiers Are a SCAM" when my channel had just 2,700 subscribers. I didn't expect it to go viral. But it did - because the message resonated with thousands of people who'd been experiencing the same frustrations I had. Expensive HEPA purifiers that didn't seem to work. Worsening symptoms despite following expert advice. Spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on machines that barely moved any air.
Today, I'm going to share the story of two engineers who built a company around the principle that air purifiers should actually clean the air - and the real-world validation that proved their controversial position was right all along.
Let's wrap this up.
Why I started my channel and made that video.
Years ago, I developed severe chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) from mold exposure. An environmental consultant told me I could remediate the problem myself - I couldn't. HVAC companies told me the only solution was retrofitting my home with ducted systems and whole-home dehumidification for tens of thousands of dollars - I couldn't afford it. Another consultant told me to open windows for fresh air - which caused humidity problems and more mold growth. A mold inspector told me my MERV-13 CR boxes weren't good enough for ultrafine particles - so I bought premium HEPA units that made my symptoms worse.
Each recommendation was either incomplete, inappropriate for my situation, or downright wrong. I'm not blaming the individuals - they were doing what they'd been taught. But those teachings represent the old way. The way it's always been done. I don't care about tradition. I care about what actually works.
That's why I started my youtube channel, Healthy Home Guide. That's why I made that video. And that's why I featured Clean Air Kits.
Two engineers with an iterating spirit.
Wayne Westerman and Rob Wissman co-founded Clean Air Kits with the same passion for ensuring people actually breathe clean air that I have. They're engineers who tinker tirelessly until they find the best possible solution. They publish novel experiments on their website. They share ideas and take suggestions from online engineering communities. They don't just claim their products are better - they prove it with data.
When I interviewed them for my original video, both my channel and their company were much smaller. Neither of us knew that video would change everything. It wasn't sponsored then, and this isn't sponsored now (although I have become an affiliate since making the original video) - I featured them because I knew their products represented the future of air purification: high CADR, low noise, excellent energy efficiency, and affordable pricing using MERV-13 filters instead of proprietary HEPA cartridges.
The Energy Star validation that proved us right.
After my video went viral, something significant happened: Clean Air Kits submitted their products for Energy Star certification testing. The results were stunning. Their Luggable XL Ultra achieved an Energy Star efficiency of 26.2 CFM per watt - far outperforming any competitor on the market. Their Triple Exhalaron became the highest-rated HEPA air purifier on Energy Star, and they achieved it using less restrictive H11 filters instead of the more common H13 (99.97% efficiency) filters.
Their newly launched Brisk Box Ultra maxed out AHAM's pollen test at 450 CADR CFM (the test's upper limit), meaning its true performance could be closer to 500 CFM. These aren't marketing claims - these are independently verified test results.
The vocal minority who defended traditional H13 HEPA purifiers in the comments now have official data showing that MERV-13 and H11 filters in properly designed high-airflow units absolutely destroy H13 units in real-world air cleaning performance.
Why are people so attached to HEPA being necessary?
This is the question that fascinates me most. Why do people get angry when you challenge HEPA superiority? I think it comes down to intuition and conditioning. Higher efficiency sounds better. 99.97% sounds impressive. It feels like you're getting superior protection. The industry has spent decades reinforcing this messaging until it became accepted wisdom.
But intuition fails when it contradicts physics. No matter how efficient your filter is, if your unit only moves 100 CFM through it, you're cleaning air slowly. A less efficient filter moving 600 CFM cleans air six times faster, even if each pass is less pure. In an hour, the high-airflow unit passes the room's air many more times, resulting in dramatically cleaner air overall.
Some HEPAs work - but there's still a better option.
I want to be clear: our argument was never that HEPAs don't work at all. Some HEPA units are decent, particularly those using H11 filters with good airflow. If you bought a HEPA that helped your allergies, I'm genuinely happy for you. But here's the truth: there's a better option that costs less upfront, uses less energy, achieves higher CADR, and doesn't lock you into proprietary replacement filters.
Do I believe every employee at every HEPA company is knowingly scamming customers? No. I think most genuinely believe their product is superior. But from the consumer's standpoint, we're being sold machines that are far less effective than advertised, we're being misled with performance metrics that aren't evidence-based, and we're paying far more money than necessary while often sacrificing our air quality.
To me, that's a scam.
Why this matters more than you think.
I know calling most HEPAs a scam is a bold statement. But sometimes you need strong messaging to create a paradigm shift. The scientific evidence is overwhelming: ambient particulate matter and poor indoor air quality are now among the most common causes of death worldwide, ranking right alongside high blood pressure, poor diet, smoking, and alcohol use. Higher particulate concentrations in cities directly correlate with higher mortality rates.
This isn't theoretical. This is life and death.
My personal recommendation for sizing air purifiers.
Standard guidelines like AHAM's two-thirds rule suggest your CADR should equal at least two-thirds of your room's square footage. For wildfire smoke, CADR should equal the full square footage. But as someone who's environmentally sensitive with severe allergies, I prefer CADR closer to twice the room area.
For example, in my 500-square-foot kitchen and living room space, I have three Brisk Boxes from Clean Air Kits, each with 300 CFM CADR (900 CFM total) - almost twice the room area. This keeps particle counts extremely low. If you have bad allergies, live in a home with mold problems you can't immediately fix, or are environmentally sensitive, consider oversizing your air purification significantly.
You can use multiple units to achieve this.
Breaking free from proprietary systems.
Let's never again let anyone manipulate us into getting locked into proprietary systems that profit from selling needlessly expensive filters and replacement schedules designed to maximize revenue rather than your health. Whether you buy from Clean Air Kits, build your own CR box, or choose one of the few decent HEPA units with genuine high CADR, make sure you're making decisions based on clean air delivery rate - not filtration efficiency marketing.
The reason I'm so passionate about this is because having the right air purifiers is literally a matter of life and death.
Through the years, I bought numerous brands of overpriced and ineffective HEPA units. Now that I understand CADR, my days of being scammed are over. My hope is that this newsletter series gets shared enough to reach indoor environmental professionals and helps them share information that actually benefits their clients.
Stay rebellious,
Alex Kessler
P.S. You can buy from Clean Air Kits and get 5% off with my code ALEXKESSLER, which is a great way of supporting my work. Also, their Luggables are now available in the UK and most of the rest of Europe with free shipping.
Also, if you want to test your own air purifier's CADR, David Elfstrom wrote an excellent DIY testing guide: https://itsairborne.com/how-to-measure-hepa-air-cleaner-filter-cadr-a660bfa4479d
