When shopping for an air purifier, you'll encounter numerous specifications and technical terms. One of the most important yet often misunderstood metrics is the CADR rating. If you're wondering what CADR means and why it should influence your purchase decision, you're in the right place.

What Does CADR Stand For?

CADR stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate. In simple terms, it measures the volume of filtered air that an air purifier delivers. This rating indicates how quickly and effectively an air purifier can clean the air in a specific room size.

The CADR rating is typically measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM) and gives you a clear picture of an air purifier's performance capabilities. The higher the CADR number, the faster the unit can filter air pollutants and the larger the room area it can effectively serve.

In addition to the traditional CADR ratings for particles, AHAM standards are expanding the scope of testing. 

• The AC-4-2022 standard evaluates an air purifier’s ability to filter chemical gases like VOCs, providing a c-CADR rating

• The AC-5-2022 standard measures performance against microbiological pollutants such as viruses and bacteria, resulting in an m-CADR rating. 

These advancements position brands like Air Oasis at the forefront of innovation, addressing a wider range of indoor air quality challenges with cutting-edge solutions.

Why CADR Ratings Matter

Let’s talk about why you want to understand CADR to pick the perfect air purifier for you.

1. Performance Comparison

CADR ratings provide an objective way to compare different air purifiers. Rather than relying solely on manufacturer claims about coverage area, CADR gives you concrete numbers to evaluate how efficiently each model processes air.

For example, the Air Oasis iAdaptAir® 2.0 series offers models with varying CADR ratings:

• Small (AOIA-2S): 177 CFM

• Medium (AOIA-2M): 353 CFM

• Large (AOIA-2L): 530 CFM

• Pro (AOIA-2P): 706 CFM

These numbers make it easy to see the performance difference between models at a glance.

2. Room Size Appropriateness

One of the most practical benefits of understanding CADR ratings is being able to select the right air purifier for your space. Using an underpowered air purifier in a large room will result in inadequate air cleaning, while using an overpowered unit in a small room could be a waste of energy and money.

Air Oasis provides clear guidelines on how their CADR ratings translate to room coverage:

• 177 CFM CADR can clean a 265 sq. ft. room in just 12 minutes

• 353 CFM CADR can clean a 530 sq. ft. room in just 12 minutes

• 530 CFM CADR can clean a 795 sq. ft. room in just 12 minutes

• 706 CFM CADR can clean a 1,059 sq. ft. room in just 12 minutes

3. Air Changes Per Hour

CADR is directly related to how many times the air in a room can be completely filtered in an hour (Air Changes per Hour or ACH). Health experts, including those at Harvard, suggest targeting five air changes per hour for optimal indoor air quality.

With Air Oasis iAdaptAir® 2.0 purifiers, the 12-minute complete air cleaning cycle means you're getting 5 complete air changes per hour—exactly what experts recommend for maintaining healthy indoor air.

4. Real-World Performance

While some manufacturers may advertise large square footage coverage with low CADR ratings, this usually means their units would take much longer to clean the air completely. The CADR rating helps you understand the real-world performance you can expect.

Air Oasis's impressive CADR-to-coverage ratio ensures that your air is cleaned thoroughly and quickly, rather than the partial cleaning that might occur with lower-rated units.

AHAM CADR Ratings for Specific Pollutants

To make informed decisions about air purifiers, it’s essential to understand how they perform against specific pollutants. 

The AHAM Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) ratings provide a standardized measure of an air purifier’s ability to filter out dust, smoke, and pollen, the three most common indoor air contaminants. 

With new standards emerging for other pollutants like mold, viruses, bacteria, and VOCs, CADR ratings are evolving to address a broader range of indoor air quality concerns.

Dust, Smoke, and Pollen

The AHAM CADR rating system primarily measures the effectiveness of air purifiers in removing three core pollutants: dust, smoke, and pollen. 

Each pollutant is categorized based on particle size, and the CADR rating reflects how efficiently an air purifier can filter these particles.

• Dust: Represents mid-sized particles ranging from 0.5 to 3 microns (μm). These particles include household dust from activities like cleaning or walking indoors. The maximum CADR rating for dust is 400.

• Smoke: Represents the smallest particles, between 0.09 and 1 micron (μm). These include tobacco smoke, wildfire smoke, and other fine combustion particles. The maximum CADR rating for smoke is 450.

• Pollen: Represents larger particles, typically between 5 and 11 microns (μm). These include allergens from plants like trees, grasses, and weeds. The maximum CADR rating for pollen is also 450.

Here’s a summary table:

As you’re shopping, consider the CADR ratings that will make the biggest difference in your life. For example, a high smoke CADR is ideal for wildfire-prone areas, and a high pollen CADR benefits allergy sufferers. 

Mold

Mold spores are typically within the same size range as pollen particles (5–11 μm). While AHAM’s AC-1 standard does not specifically test for mold removal, the pollen CADR rating can provide a good indication of an air purifier’s ability to handle mold spores.

Air purifiers equipped with multi-stage filtration systems, such as those offered by Air Oasis, often excel at capturing mold spores. These systems combine HEPA filters for particle removal with technologies like UV-C light to neutralize biological contaminants.

Viruses and Bacteria

AHAM has introduced the new AC-5-2022 standard to address microbiological pollutants such as viruses and bacteria. 

Air purifiers tested under this standard will receive an m-CADR rating, which measures their effectiveness in removing these microscopic pathogens. 

However, this standard is still emerging and may not yet be widely adopted.

• Viruses: These are much smaller than traditional particles, typically ranging from 20 to 200 nanometers (nm). Removing viruses requires advanced filtration technologies like HEPA filters or UV-C light.

• Bacteria: Larger than viruses but still microscopic, bacteria removal also benefits from high-efficiency filters combined with sterilization technologies.

VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)

Volatile organic compounds are gaseous pollutants emitted from products like cleaning supplies, paints, or cooking processes. AHAM’s new AC-4-2022 standard will provide a c-CADR rating, which evaluates an air purifier’s ability to remove chemical gases and odors.

To effectively address VOCs, air purifiers must include activated carbon filters. These filters adsorb chemical molecules, neutralizing odors and harmful gases that traditional particle filters cannot capture.

By understanding these pollutant categories and their corresponding CADR ratings or standards, consumers can make more informed decisions when selecting an air purifier tailored to their specific indoor air quality needs.

How CADR Relates to Other Features

As you decode the various specifications on air purifier, remember CADR is just one piece.

Air Quality Sensors and Auto Mode

The iAdaptAir® 2.0 series combines high CADR ratings with smart features like air quality sensors and an AUTO mode. When AUTO mode is active, the fan speed automatically adjusts according to your air quality:

• Excellent air quality (0-75 μg/m³): Speed 1

• Moderate air quality (76-150 μg/m³): Speed 3

• Poor air quality (>150 μg/m³): Speed 4

This intelligent operation ensures you're always getting the optimal air cleaning based on current conditions, maximizing the effectiveness of the CADR rating.

Multi-Stage Filtration

CADR ratings reflect the overall air cleaning capability, but it's important to note that the iAdaptAir® 2.0 achieves its impressive ratings through a comprehensive 5-layer filtration system:

1. Medical-Grade H13 HEPA Particle Filter

2. Activated Carbon VOC and Odor Filter

3. Silver Antimicrobial Filter

4. Germicidal UV LEDs

5. Ozone-Free Bi-Polar Ionization

This multi-stage approach means that while the CADR rating tells you how quickly air is cleaned, the advanced filtration technologies ensure that virtually all types of pollutants are addressed.

Choosing the Right CADR for Your Needs

When selecting an air purifier based on CADR ratings, consider these factors:

Room Size

Measure your room's square footage to determine the minimum CADR you need. For the best results with an Air Oasis purifier, use this simple formula:

• For a complete air cleaning every 12 minutes (5 ACH): Choose a model with a coverage rating that matches or exceeds your room size.

Ceiling Height

Standard CADR ratings assume 8-foot ceilings. If your ceilings are higher, you'll want to account for the additional volume:

• For 10-foot ceilings, add 25% to your room's square footage

• For 12-foot ceilings, add 50% to your room's square footage

Specific Air Quality Concerns

If you have specific concerns like allergies, pets, or located in an area with poor outdoor air quality, consider selecting a model with a higher CADR than the minimum required for your room size.

The Air Oasis Advantage

What sets Air Oasis iAdaptAir® 2.0 purifiers apart is not just their impressive CADR ratings, but how quickly they can completely clean a room's air. While many manufacturers advertise the total square footage their units can handle (often based on minimal air changes per hour), Air Oasis focuses on providing 5 complete air changes per hour—the gold standard for air purification.

The iAdaptAir® 2.0 Pro, with its 706 CFM CADR rating, can clean the air in a 1,059 square foot room in just 12 minutes. This means that even in a large open concept living area, you're breathing significantly cleaner air within minutes of turning on your purifier.

High-CADR Air Purifiers

CADR ratings are more than just numbers—they're a reliable indicator of an air purifier's performance and efficiency. By understanding CADR and how it relates to room size and air changes per hour, you can make an informed decision when purchasing an air purifier.

With Air Oasis iAdaptAir® 2.0 purifiers, you get industry-leading CADR ratings combined with advanced filtration technology, smart features, and whisper-quiet operation (as low as 25 dB). This powerful combination ensures you're not just getting an air purifier that looks good on paper, but one that delivers clean, healthy air throughout your home.

Ready to experience the difference that a high-CADR air purifier can make? Explore the iAdaptAir® 2.0 series today and breathe easier knowing you've chosen an air purifier that's perfectly suited to your space and needs.