Whether they're advertised asdiscount or aftermarket, fake IQAir filters are inferior to genuine IQAir system filters inevery way imaginable. While you think you might be saving money or getting a good deal on shipping costs, the long-term costs to your purification system and your health may be far higher than you think.

Here are three essential reasons you should avoid these fake filters and purchase only quality, certified IQAir filters.

1. Fake filters are (at least!) 41% less effective than real IQAir filters.

Fake IQAir filters are about only half as effective as the real deal, if even that. More concretely,a typical IQAir HyperHEPA filter removes around 99.5% of particle pollutants from the air, whilea knock-off filter may, at best, only remove 58% of these particles.

Why the huge difference?

• IQAir consistently ensures that it sources the best and safest synthetic and inorganic fibers for its HyperHEPA filters.
• The fiber material used in fake filters isn’t regulated or consistently sourced.
• Fake filterscould be made of literally anything.
• No one’s keeping fake filter sellers accountable for their materials.

In any case, you may think that half as many pollutants filtered from the air may still seem better than none. But particle filtration isn’t a simple numbers game.

When an IQAir filter removes nearly all pollutants, your body is being protected from nearly all potential harm caused by these pollutants because the concentrations of particles are lowered drastically to near absence.

If even half of these pollutants get through, you’re still being exposed to quite a high concentration of pollutants.Instead of being almost fully protected by your purifier, you’re simply delaying the inevitable effects of harmful particle pollutants.

You’re also not getting the discount you may think. When you buy a “discount” or 3rd-party filter, you’re probably not paying 41% less for these fake filters.You’re not really saving any money at all – you’re paying more money for less value.

2. Fake filters have 50% less filtration material than real filters.

IQAir filters are lauded for their extremely dense HyperHEPA design. The HEPA standard only requires filters to be tested for removing up to 99.97% of paticles down to 0.3 microns. HyperHEPA filters remove up to 99.5% of particles down to 0.003 microns - nearly 100 times smaller than what HEPA filters can remove.

This includes ultrafine particles (UFPs), which are not only much smaller than the typical particles captured by HEPA filters but also a majority of the total composition of air pollution itself: over 90% of air pollutants are UFPs like diesel soot, tobacco smoke, and viruses.

Unlike larger particles above 0.3 microns, which primarily affect your respiratory tract, UFPs can affect almost any organ in your body. They’re small enough to pass through your lungs and get into your bloodstream, increasing your risk of conditions like heart disease.

Because its filtration material is so dense, a genuine IQAir HyperHEPA filter lasts up to four years because there’s so much filter material for particles to stick to. A fake filter with half as much material may stop filtering your air yearsbefore that when it simply runs out of material for particles to stick to. Even worse, sometimes you'll pay for less filter material at the same price as a real IQAir HyperHEPA filter.

When you buy anauthentic IQAir filter, you know for a fact that you’ll be protected from all possible pollutants in your air for the maximum amount of time advertised—but if you settle for a fake filter, you’re likely getting only 50% or less of this IQAir HyperHEPA fiber material, which means 50% less filtration efficiency.

To summarize:

1. Fake filters lose efficiency quickly.There’s far less fiber filtration material to capture particles in the air.
2. Fake filters don’t capture most of the particles from the air they filter.The air has so much more space to pass through since there’s half as much filter material. You’re still exposed to the dangers of air pollution.

3. Fake filters lower your system’s energy efficiency and lifespan.

Fake filters can cost you more money by consuming more electricity, causing your system to run too hard and potentially lose years of its life.

IQAir systems are designed to use minimal energy while pushing a large volume of air through several dense filters.

In the case of the HealthPro Plus, for example, air must pass through an IQAir HyperHEPA pre-filter, a densely-packed activated carbon gas and odor filter, and an extremely dense HyperHEPA particle filter. The denser the filter, the more resistance, or drag, occurs as air passes through them.

Typically, purifiers must work harder and use more electricity the denser their filters are. But in the case of IQAir systems, the entire purifier has been designed to specifically account for the high resistance of our dense particle and gas filters.

If fake filters typically have much less fiber material, wouldn’t it require less energy for the system to send air through them since they create less drag?

No.

The six speeds on a typical IQAir system are not calibrated to handle the decreased resistance of a fake filter.The system will still push the same amount of air through the system based on what speed you’ve set it to.

As a result, the system overcompensates for the absence of filter material by rushing extra air through a greater amount of empty space. This can overwork your system and decrease its overall lifespan while also costing you the same, if not more, in your energy bill.

The takeaway

Only buy IQAir filters directly from IQAir or from an IQAir affiliate.

This ensures that you're getting a genuine IQAir filter and not a cheap knock-off with a fake label or from another manufacturer of aftermarket imitations that just happen to fit an IQAir system.

It’s easy to fall into the bargain-hunting trap for something seemingly as costly as a replacement filter for your system. However, IQAir purification is an investment that gives you a lifetime return: good health and true peace of mind.