The difference between HEPA and PCO filters

The importance of the filter

If we talk about an air purifier, the most important element to analyze is certainly the filter, which is the place where the real purification process takes place, where pollutants present in the airflow are removed.

Therefore, one of the points to be taken into consideration to judge the performance of an air purifier is the filter's ability to be effective in the purification process.

But what are actually the alternatives that a consumer can rely on? What are the differences between the various purifiers? Are there any technologies that are different from each other? What is the best choice? Let's find out together!

Best solutions 

Dominating the air purifiers market are two major companies, which are often combined despite being very different from each other: HEPA and PCO technologies. They differ greatly in:

• capacity for purification

• mode of purification

• filter life

• costs

• environmental sustainability

Even though they are of a totally different nature, it is right to compare these two types of purification to fully understand which choice belongs to your needs.

HEPA and PCO technologies are the best choices on the market in the world of air purification and both have their pros and cons. But there are substantial differences that it is good to bring out, to give people more awareness about their functioning and how they are used in the long term. In fact, once bought, it is difficult for a person to give up having healthy and clean air after noting the benefits for their health.

The goal for Vitesy is to help people discover the benefits of air purification, giving awareness on this particularly sensitive issue for our health. And there is no better way than to clarify the final purchase choice, showing what are the critical issues and salient points of the purification process and indicating what for us is the best choice in terms of purification efficiency, energy consumption, long-term cost, but above all sustainability, the backbone on which our company mission is based.

The HEPA filter 

The HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is the best known and most used type of filter on the market, as it guarantees excellent performance in terms of purification and flow rate.

HEPA technology purifies the air thanks to the mechanical blocking of pollutants in its narrow mesh; in this way the air that passes beyond the filter is renewed since the pollutants have been "captured" by the thick layers of the filter, which certainly makes it an efficient and functional technology for different purposes and needs.

However, there are some criticalities and problems related to its functioning that cannot be ignored, because this technology should be analyzed only partially.

Why is PCO so well known and appreciated?

PCO is an innovative air purification method that does not block pollutants such as HEPA filters, but eliminates them thanks to a particular chemical reaction, transforming them into harmless substances such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. So this transformation process makes the PCO filter more incisive than HEPA filters, which do not decompose harmful substances but only block them. This is why both our products Natede Smart and Eteria have a photocatalytic filter inside.

Another fundamental feature is that the filter does not need to be changed because, as there is no blocking of pollutants or materials to replace, the filter is perennial and doesn’t require maintenance or the purchase of additional materials. In fact, the catalyst during the chemical reaction that takes place on the filter is not consumed, thus making the coating durable over time. This undoubtedly implies significant economic savings and full respect for sustainability.