Air purifiers to tackle kafunsho

I’ve mentioned in a couple of other pieces here on City-Cost that we’re a family of allergy sufferers to different degrees, and my son and husband in particular really struggle with their seasonal allergies. One thing that I’ve found hugely helpful is running air purifiers in different rooms of our home during kafunsho season, and I have nothing but good things to say about these Levoit ones that we purchased from Amazon Japan. When I was originally searching for air purifiers on Amazon these were the first ones that came up, and with almost 35,000 reviews with an average of 4.5 stars I was encouraged!

There are a few reasons why I love this brand of air purifiers – and these are some of them!

– They don’t make a ton of noise. Because we use these primarily in our children’s bedrooms, I didn’t want them making so much noise that they ended up being prohibitive to sleep. I’ve found that they are super quiet, so if that’s a factor in your decision making I would definitely recommend these to you.

– The actual size of the product is very compact, but it filters a significant space. These ones cover an area of up to 18 tatami mats, so they are small but mighty! I wanted something that wouldn’t be bulky or cumbersome to move around to different rooms where necessary, and these have been great for that.

– They have a night light function on them, which is really nice if you are also using them for a child’s bedroom like we often do.

– You can buy replacement filters for them on Amazon, and a light illuminates on the device when it’s time to replace it – so there is no guesswork needed. Super easy and convenient!

Something important to consider when buying an air purifier is to check that it’s suitable for the room size you intend to use it in. Most air purifiers sold here in Japan seem to list the tatami mat size they’re appropriate for, so it ends up being quite easy to measure in most cases. If you're trying to purify a large space with a purifier not cut out for the job, you probably won't notice a huge reduction in pollen levels.

If you (or someone in your family) is finding that they’re struggling with kafunsho symptoms, I’d highly recommend trying an air purifier in your bedroom or living area(s) where you spend most of your time. We’ve definitely found that a multi-pronged approach has been necessary to minimize our family’s allergies, and this is one of the strategies that has helped! I hope that they help you too if you end up purchasing one.