The Air Doctor is an air purifier brand manufactured by a company called Ideal Living which claims their device is effective at removing COVID-19 particles from the air. The most popular device, the Air Doctor 3000, is a more powerful version of a similar device made by the same brand.
In this article we’ll review some of the health claims made by Ideal Living based on research to determine if we believe they’re likely to be true. We’ll also overview whether we believe air purifiers are necessary at all.
Are Air Purifiers Really Necessary?
The topic of indoor air purifiers is a complex one, partly because there are simple, no-cost steps that consumers can take to vastly improve indoor air quality. As we described in our review of air purifier device Molekule, indoor air quality is significantly worse than outdoor air quality in most developed nations.
Consumers could simply air out their house more, especially during summer months, and experience an improvement in indoor air quality at no cost. This is probably the best option for people on a budget.
For consumers with high disposable income, or for people living in nations like India with relatively high outdoor air pollution, air purifiers may be a logical choice.
An extensive medical review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that indoor air purifiers significantly reduced contaminant levels but did not improve any health parameters. We don’t find these results surprising, given that air purifiers are typically used as a preventative measure and don’t provide a mechanism to treat lung dysfunction. We actually find it strange that the researchers even considered this. In our opinion this study proves the efficacy of indoor air purifiers.
Our takeaway is that indoor air purifiers make sense in countries with high outdoor air pollution, where opening windows will not improve indoor air condition. The devices also seem to make sense for patients with lung dysfunction to prevent a further degradation of condition. They don’t seem to make sense for healthy patients in countries without significant outdoor air pollution.
How Does Air Doctor Work?
Air Doctor air purifiers fall into the most popular category of air purifiers called High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) purifiers. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these devices are effective because they trap particulates in air, which removes them from circulation and therefore reduces the number inhaled into the lungs.
HEPA filters typically publish Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values (MERVs) which detail what size particles the device can trap. Devices which can trap smaller particles are better for human health, and these devices have higher MERV ratings. The highest MERV rating is 16 according to the EPA resource.
Air Doctor does not appear to publish the MERV ratings for their devices.
Air Doctor Health Claims
Ideal Living makes a number of health claims about their products, which are cited by at least some level of research. Their claim of efficacy in reducing COVID-19 comes from a research study conducted by a firm called MRIGlobal. This research firm is not-for-profit which is a good sign for consumers, as this reduces bias in the evaluation process.
The research study tested whether the Air Doctor 3000 could eliminate aerosolized COVID-19, and to what degree. The results were impressive: the device reduced the virus by 99.97%. The methodology appears to be sound, and we consider this legitimate scientific research.
The brand also claims that their UltraHEPA filter removes particles 100 times smaller than the HEPA standard, which would provide theoretical health benefits by reducing levels of fine particulate matter and viruses.
However, we don’t find this health claim to be very strong, because it’s cited with an asterisk that’s referenced at the bottom of the page. The brand does not link out to the research backing this claim, and instead states that a company called LMS Technologies, which appears to be for-profit, proved this. This is a weak standard of evidence in our opinion and is not convincing. Companies should not make health claims without linking to the cited research.
We believe that Air Doctor’s health claim about COVID-19 is likely accurate and their claim about increased efficiency relative to standard HEPA filters is questionable.
Third-Party Reviews
ConsumerLab, which is an independent research organization that we trust, published an air purifier review which included the Air Doctor 3000. ConsumerLab claims that the Air Doctor 3000 is effective but overpriced, and asserts that it’s no more effective than other HEPA filters which are sold at a lower price.
Air Doctor is missing from ConsumerReports reviews of air purifiers, which make it a worse option in our opinion than devices actually tested for efficacy and compared against one another by this independent research organization.
Is Air Doctor More Effective Than Other Air Purifiers?
While the brand claims increased efficacy, we cannot verify this. Proof of technical superiority would require medical research published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, or at least comparative research published by an independent organization like ConsumerLab. Because Air Doctor has neither, we would not consider their purifiers more effective than other air purifiers on the market.
We believe that the Blueair Blue Classic 605 is the most logical choice for an air purifier, as it’s top-rated by both ConsumerLab and ConsumerReports, is verified by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), and is around $200 cheaper than the Air Doctor 3000 at the time of writing this article ($414.99 vs. $629).
Air Doctor Price
For consumers set on purchasing the Air Doctor, we would recommend buying on Amazon rather than the manufacturer’s website as the product is significantly cheaper at the time of writing this article. The prices of the most popular Air Doctor 3000 device are as follows:
Amazon: $519
Manufacturer: $629
The Air Doctor 5000, their most powerful model, is currently retailing for the exact same price of $999 on both Amazon and the manufacturer website. In that case, we would recommend purchasing directly from the manufacturer for quality assurance.
Air Doctor User Reviews
The Air Doctor 3000 has impressive reviews on Amazon, which is a better place to search for unbiased reviews than a manufacturer website in our opinion. The product is rated 4.7 out of 5 stars with 902 overall ratings.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser was published by a user named “Toney Larrell Reid” who claims the product was beneficial for their mother’s breathing issues:
“My mother now has the AirDoctor and set it up herself! She called to tell me how the Air Sensors worked. She's had it for about a week now and already feels a difference in the way she breathes.”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Brian K.” who claims the device seemed to be contaminating their room:
“This thing was a disaster. Instead of cleaning the air, it felt like it was contaminating it..The Airdoctor Couldn't clean a 185 square foot room. DO NOT RECOMMEND!”
We want to note that we find it unlikely based on the materials used that a HEPA filter could contaminate a room.
The device also has a B rating from FakeSpot which is a good sign that the majority of reviews are legitimate. This is a software tool that scans Amazon reviews for potential manipulation.
Air Doctor Influencer Review
One of the most popular reviews of the Air Doctor purifier on YouTube is published by a naturopathic doctor whose channel is called “Stephen Cabral.” He overviews the science behind the device, shares personal experience with it and highlights some of the technical specs:
