Best Air Purifier for Nail Salon

Last updated on Oct 15, 2021 Air Purifiers
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Many of us commonly visit nail rooms to get our nails done or to look good for an upcoming event. However, this experience could quickly become an uncomfortable one due to chemical odors. Chemicals used on nails can cause irritating lung conditions which may scare away customers from the salon. For this reason, nail rooms should consider having air purifiers that can help improve the air quality for both their clients and nail techs. In this article, we bring to you the best air purifier for a nail salon and our top 5 picks.

Summary of the 5 best air purifiers for a nail salon

Air purifier1# Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier 2# Levoit core 400s Air Purifier3# Medify MA-40 Air Purifier4# Airthereal AGH380 Air Purifier5# Blueair Pure 211+ Auto
Stages of purification43333
Carbon filter ✔ ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔
HEPA filter ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Noise27-60 dB24-52 dB 46-66 dB22-49 dB31-56 dB
Air Quality sensorYes Yes Yes YesYes
Auto modeYes Yes Yes YesYes
Room coverage360 ft2403 ft2840335 ft2550 ft2
Timer Yes Yes Yes Yes No 

Do you need an air Purifier for your nail salon?

Yes, every salon needs to have an air purifier as it helps eliminate hazardous chemicals from the room. Nail salons commonly use products with chemicals that are rich with numerous substances that contaminate the air when they evaporate. Below we highlight for you some of the products along with the chemicals they contain and the resulting complications if inhaled.  

Nail polish and polish remover: This contains dangerous chemicals such as Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate. These are known for causing dizziness, headache and irritating eyes, throat, and skin 

Finger nail glue remover: Contains acetonitrile, which is known for causing irritating nose, nausea, and breathing conditions. 

Artificial nail liquids: Contain Ethyl Methacrylate, which causes asthma related complications, difficulty in concentration. In fact, for pregnant women you need to worry about this more as it can severely affect the unborn child. 

Disinfectants: contain ammonium compounds, which can cause asthma and irritate the skin and nose. 

Without an air purifier, most of these chemicals will contaminate the air and find their way into the clients’ and nail technicians’ lungs, thus affecting their lives. Clients will begin avoiding your salon as they keep developing complications whenever they enter your salon. The resulting effect will be poor sales and a consequent closure of business.

How you can choose an air purifier for nail rooms or nail salons?

Issues concerning air purifiers usually cause hiccups among many business proprietors, especially when it comes to determining the right air purifier and salon owners are no exception. 

So, if you have been wondering how you can identify an air purifier that suits your nail room or salon, read on as we explain what you need to know. Below we highlight some factors to consider when choosing an air purifier for your nail salon. 

Type of pollutants you want to be filtered by the purifier

While all air purifiers are suitable for the job, some are better than others in terms of air pollutants being filtered. Take an example of manicure or pedicure products, many of them contain irritating chemicals that can affect the clients’ breathing. In this case, if the main concern is getting rid of the odors in the room, then you will consider air purifiers with an activated carbon filter. Ultimately, when choosing an air purifier, you need to consider the type of filter that the air purifier uses.

The Size of Air Purifier

Although all air purifiers can be used in a nail salon, it is important for you to consider the size of the purifier depending on the size of the room you wish to purify. A small desktop device may be appropriate for an average room, while a heavy duty air purifier may be what you need for a bigger room. 

Noise Level

It is quite frustrating living in a room full of noise, so it is necessary to look at the noise level of the air purifier of your choice. Most manufacturers indicate the noise level rating on the packaging. Therefore, you should find an air purifier with a favorable noise rating for your room. The cdc website states that a whisper has a noise level of 30dB and while a normal conversation is around 60dB. So an air purifier with a noise level between 20 dB to 66 dB has a manageable noise output.

Portability of an air purifier

This is also an important factor to consider. Some air purifiers are larger and heavier while others are lighter. A small air purifier can be fixed anywhere and can be moved from place to place. On the other hand, the heavier ones are best kept stationery. So, if you want a device that can be shifted with ease, consider a smaller one or those that have wheels. However, if the room is bigger, heavier devices can be considered especially if they can get the job done.

The 5 Best Air Purifiers for Nail salon

1. Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier

winix 5500-2 for nail salon
Winix 5500-2

If you are looking for an air purifier with multistage filtration, then Winix 5500 is the way to go. The washable pellet-based carbon filter and plasma wave are incomparable in removing odors. The device comes with a washable carbon filter and a basic remote control device. 

The purifier comes with a 4 stage filtration system and these include

  • Fine mesh pre-filter that targets large particles
  • Granular activated carbon filter that targets odors
  • True HEPA filter targeting fine particles
  • Plasma Wave targeting odors. 

The model also comes with auto mode that works with an air quality monitoring system. When the VOC sensor detects contaminants in the air, it will automatically set the fan speed to remove them immediately. The winix 5500-2 is a worthy contender for being the best air purifier for nail techs you can buy.

Why you need Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier in your nail Salon

  • It comes with PlasmaWave technology that filters and breaks down the odor, allergens, and chemical vapors and related contaminants. Besides, the technology helps remove airborne bacteria by 99.9 percent and influenza strain H3N2 by 99.6 percent. This means your customers will always be assured of quality air despite the dangerous chemicals being used. 
  • The CADR is rated for 360 square feet of room. Interestingly, this room size matches the standard size of an average nail salon. 
  • The True HEPA filter captures 99.97 percent of the airborne pollutants such as allergens of up to 0.3 microns. This will help keep the customers and employees from being exposed to elevated levels of chemicals, which can cause nausea and headache. 

Pros

  • In-built odor sensor to detect contaminants
  • Washable carbon filters
  • 4-stage filtration system

Cons

  • It produces a small amount of ozone
  • Filter performance decreases after each wash. 

2. Levoit core 400s Air Purifier

levoit core 400s for nail salon
levoit core 400s

Second, on our list of the best air purifier for nail salon is the Levoit core 400s air purifier. Indeed, this model has come to dominate the air purifier market. It comes with a series of interesting technologies that automatically suit the nail salon environment. 

The auto mode setting adjusts the speed of the fan according to the pollutants present in the air. In fact, the VeSync companion app enables the user to connect to the air purifier using a smartphone or Google assistant commands. This is possible because the device has a wi-Fi feature that allows you to connect and control it without moving a single step. 

While many other Levoit air purifier models have similar model numbers, the core 400s has a larger coverage of about 403 square fit. 

Interestingly, the device entails the HEPASmart technology which captures 99.99 percent of airborne bacteria, viruses, and mold. 

Why Levoit core 400s Air Purifier is good for your nail salon 

  • The device comes with AirSight Plus technology that helps it sense changes in the air quality and automatically adjusts the fan speed. This means that after setting the device to auto mode, salon workers do not need to worry about the state of the air quality. Thus helping them focus on their clients.
  • When busy and you feel like you cannot move at any time, the device has a voice command feature to help you adjust it. In this case, you only need to connect the core 400s to a voice assistant such as Google assistant. You can then operate it using voice commands. 
  • Nail salons are exposed to numerous pollutants that come from various products. However, you can control sneezing, congestion and related allergy symptoms caused by contaminants among customers.  The H13 HEPA filter with HEPASmart technology captures a lot of pollutants including bacteria, mold, viruses, and pollen of size 0.3 microns. So, your customers will be assured of good health while at your nail room. 

Pros

  • Smart app controls
  • Quiet and efficient auto mode
  • 3-stage composite filter
  • Exceptional clean air delivery rate
  • Solid performance

Cons

  • Cannot remove strong odors and VOCs
  • Lacks mobility

3. Medify MA-40 Air Purifier

Medfiy MA-40 for nail salon
Medfiy MA-40

Medify MA-40 Air Purifier is one of the best air purifiers for nail rooms that you can have. It is trusted for removing 99.9 percent of dangerous particles suspended in the air including strong odors, VOCs, smoke, dust, and related pollutants of 0.1 microns in size. 

It cleans about 840 square feet, which is perfect for your nail salon. Remarkably, it does this in 30 minutes. 

Medify MA-40 Air Purifier uses a medical grade H13 True HEPA filter with a three stage filtration system that traps and removes allergens, chemicals, virus carrier, tobacco smoke, carbon dust, paint pigment and others. 

However, you will need to consider the factor of noise. This is because it is a bit loud when operating at maximum speed. It can go up to 66 dB on maximum speed.

Why you need the Medify MA-40 Air Purifier in your nail Salon

  • The device comes with easy to use features. These include a sleek touch screen panel, fan speed, filter replacement indicator, and timer. This enables the nail techs to swiftly adjust the purifier, and attend to the client. 
  • It uses HEPA H13 filtration system that is trusted to remove 99.9 percent of particles such as odors, and other allergens. This would help nail techs apply chemicals without worrying about irritating conditions such as nausea, headache, and eye itching. 
  •  No need to stress with device adjustment, a single button press is enough to have your air purified. After pressing the start button, the device starts adjusting itself.

Pros 

  • Ozone-free ionizer 
  • Carbon filter for odors which are common in nail salon
  • 4 fan speed with whisper mode
  • Touch screen control

Cons

  • Noisy on medium and top speed
  • No smart connectivity such as WiFi

4. Airthereal AGH380 Air Purifier

Airthereal AGH380 for nail salon
Airthereal AGH380

The Airthereal also makes it to our list. Airthereal AGH380 UV-C Air Purifier is a good option, especially for a salon or nail room with high contaminants such as chemical odors. 

Airthereal AGH380 UV-C Air Purifier is designed with a medium size, but so effective. It comes with a three-stage filtration system along with an ultraviolet sanitizer. These enable it to remove both large and small containments such as hair, dust, and odors.

Airthereal AGH380 UV-C Air Purifier is known for its high performance as it is capable of cleaning and recirculating air every 20 minutes within 550 square feet room. Moreover, it has the ability to cleanse odors, mold, pet dander, and dust.

The unit is not only capable of cleaning your air, but also kills viruses, mold, bacteria, and other related substances. The device comes with a smart auto system that senses the air condition and adjusts the fan speed accordingly.

Airthereal AGH380 UV-C Air Purifier produces the least sound. While in sleep mode the noise level goes down up to 22 dB, so you can perform all tasks without noise irritations. 

Why the Airthereal is good for a nail salon

  • The HEPA-grade filter removes 99.97 percent of the particles of about 0.1 microns. In this case, customers will not have to think twice before entering your salon.
  • The carbon filter captures the smell and chemicals that come from products used. This would make the air in the room more breathable and cleaner.
  • While in sleep mode the noise level goes down up to 22 dB, so you can perform all tasks without noise disturbance.
  • The unit meets the California ozone emission limit and is certified by CARB. Notably, you will feel at ease when it is right by your side as it has no effect on your health.

Pros

  • The unit has a high performance as it can clean and recirculate air after every 20 minutes.
  • It also has a HEPA Filtration system, which removes about 99.97 of airborne particles such as smoke and odors.
  • Automatically changes the fan speed after detecting changes in the air quality.
  • It has a low noise level operating a maximum noise level of 22dB, making it possible to keep conversations with the client.

Cons

  • It has no separate pre-filter
  • It costs slightly higher than most alternative models on the market

5. Blueair Pure 211+ Auto

Blueair 211+auto
Blueair 211+auto

We find Blueair Pure 211+ a good purifier suitable for our nail salons and nail rooms. The unit works effectively, so you have no reason to worry about poor air quality as everything is covered. It is engineered with modern technology that makes it fit for the task of air purification. 

The blueair pure 211+  also works well against acrylic smells and odors. This makes  it one of the best air purifiers for acrylic smells and odors.

The device uses a 3-stage filtration system that can trap odor, allergens, mold, smoke, and other related air pollutants. It filters the air every 12 minutes in a 550 square foot room to ensure a comfortable environment in your salon. The pre-filter provides the first layer of protection, capturing large particles. It uses the activated carbon to filter odors within the air. It also comes with an automatic system that enables it to adjust the fan speed depending on the prevailing conditions. 

Why the blueair 211+ is good for a nail salon

  • It gives real-time air quality information. You can stay updated with the room air quality with the LED display. It displays different colors to indicate good, moderate, and poor. This helps employees to swiftly adjust the device to prevent customers from inhaling poor air that can affect their health.  
  • Salons are filled with different machines that make a lot of noise. However, this should not scare you away from buying an air purifier. Blueair Pure 211+ purifier produces a low noise that is less than the sound of a whisper. 
  • The three-stage filtration system traps large particles, filters odors, and removes airborne particles. So, as a salon owner, you should no longer be afraid of using products containing acetone, butyl acetate or ethyl acetate as you can rest assured the blueair 211+ wil get rid of them.

Pros 

  • The filtration system removes both VOCs and particulate pollutants
  • Produces low noise
  • High airflow rate, fit for cleansing pollutants faster

 Cons

  • No timer functions
  • The particle filter not HEPA-grade

In summary, nail salons are fond of using hazardous chemicals, which evaporate into the air, making it unsafe for customers and nail techs. These chemicals contain VOCs and particulates that are the main pollutants of the air. Purifiers help in cleansing the air by trapping the particles, gases, and acrylic odors that are suspended in the air.

Should you place an Air Purifier next to the nail tech?

Indeed many people get confused when it comes to where to place an air purifier. For a nail salon, this is something challenging given that there are many sources of pollutants. Since there is continued movement as well as the constant release of chemicals. 

However, given the primary problem comes from the chemicals the nail tech is using, it is important to place the air purifier next to them.  With this considered, you will eliminate the threat of the pollutants almost immediately. Thus minimizing the rate of exposure to the chemical pollutants.

Can an air purifier remove acrylic odors? 

Acrylic fumes significantly affect one’s health, and they can cause irritations, nausea, and dizziness. The fact that it is irritating, many nail techs wonder whether the purifiers can remove this acrylic smell. The answer is yes. Air purifiers have the potential to dilute the odor that comes from the chemicals. This makes air purifiers ideal for any nail salon. 

What Common air Pollutants Found in a Nail Salon

Nail salons are full of strong chemicals that emit pollutants such as particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOC). The chemical products used in these nail rooms evaporate and turn into fumes,which remain floating in the air. 

  • Volatile organic compounds. Vocs are gasses that are emitted into the air from various liquids and solids. VOCs entail numerous chemicals, which may have adverse health effects once they are released into the air we breathe in the salon. Some can be smelled and others not, but the conclusive factor is that they are a threat to our health. Many customers frequently ask what kind of smell they overly endure when getting manicures and pedicures. To be precise, this smell comes from VOCS. Examples of VOCs that may be present in your salon include methylene chloride, benzene, formaldehyde, ethylene glycol, and benzene. 
  • Particulates. These are primarily liquid and solid particles in the air, and usually arise from chemicals used in the salon. These particles appear in different ranges such as fine, ultrafine, and coarse. They are commonly emitted in the air by burning processes. Given that salons frequently practice chemical mixture and burning, particulates become a common pollutant within the rooms. Some of the examples of particulate matter include but are not limited to carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particle pollution, and lead. Therefore, the above are the common pollutants found in nail salons, which calls for air purifiers in nail salons to have quality air. 

How to improve the air quality in the nail room?

There are various ways nail techs can improve the air quality in their salons. Salon owners need to adhere to work practices that emit less or no pollutants in the air. By improving the working practices, nail salons can significantly reduce emissions and protect both the employees and clients. We therefore, discuss some of the work practices that you need to implement to ensure your salon has clean air quality. 

Purify your salon with air-purifying plants

All along our great grandparents enjoyed the clean air, and not because of fewer polluting agents at the time, but  because they surrounded themselves with a green environment. In this regard, adding plants does not only put a gesture of being eco-friendly, but an effective approach to purifying the air. In our childhood science, teachers taught us that plants clean air through photosynthesis. This is done by absorbing light, water and carbon-dioxide to produce oxygen. Besides, using plants in the salon can help improve ventilation, an important aspect to reduce respiratory related attacks among the workers and customers.  

Keep chemical containers closed

You ensure the containers remain closed when not in use. In most cases, we are always taken by conversations or become relaxed after a long day of work leaving the tins open. Typically, this makes the chemicals evaporate into the air, which puts the customers’ and workers’ health at stake. Additionally, leaving the containers open increases the chances of it pouring out, leading to much more pollution. In a nutshell, to prevent air pollution in your salon, you need to ensure all chemical products are properly sealed. 

Install Adequate Ventilation

After gaining the expertise, many of us run into any room and set up a nail salon. This could probably be the reason why our nail salons have poor air quality. Now salon owners need to set up a dedicated ventilation system, especially in areas where products are kept. More so, you should put up a local exhaust ventilation system next to every manicure station. Noteworthy, the ventilation system should not be shared with neighbors. This would significantly help you maintain the required air quality within your salon despite using chemical pollutants. 

Resort to alternative Materials

You should also opt for acrylic nails that do not require a primer. Further, you can use formaldehyde-free nail hardeners to pamper your clients. Although these products are not commonly accessed everywhere and slightly cost more than the traditional materials, they play a greater role in protecting the air quality in the room. 

Conclusion

Finally, with  the growing competition in nail salons, proprietors need to be vigilant to stay on top of their game. In this case, you need to focus on the lives of your customers. Since these chemicals from the products escape into the air, clients are likely to develop complications such as asthma, irritating eyes, skin, nausea and other related conditions, which may be bad news for your salon. In this regard, you need an air purifier to avoid such circumstances. Though before purchasing one, you need to consider the factors mentioned in this article.

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