Is an air purifier worth it during smog?

During smog season many families in Pakistan ask whether an air purifier is worth buying. The honest answer depends on what you expect it to do. Here is what a purifier can and cannot do, and what else helps.

The air in Pakistan

Pakistan's average PM2.5 level in 2025 was 67.3 µg/m³, about 13 times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, according to the IQAir 2025 World Air Quality Report.

The University of Chicago's Air Quality Life Index estimates that the average Pakistani could live 3.3 years longer if fine-particle pollution met the WHO guideline (2023 data).

What an air purifier can do

Reduce indoor air pollution. The US Environmental Protection Agency says portable air cleaners can reduce indoor air pollution (EPA, Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home).
Filter fine particles from the air of the room it runs in, again and again. The XR2 passes 255 m³ of air through its True HEPA 13 filter every hour.

What it cannot do

Clean a whole house. The EPA notes that portable air cleaners are designed to filter the air in a single room or area.
Remove every pollutant. The EPA says air cleaners cannot remove all pollutants from the air, and that most filters are designed for either particles or gases.
Replace other steps. According to the EPA, the most effective ways to improve indoor air are to reduce the sources of pollution and to ventilate with clean outdoor air; filtration is a supplement.
Treat or prevent illness. An air purifier is not a medical device.

When it makes sense

You spend many hours a day in one room, such as a bedroom or an office.
You can keep that room's doors and windows closed while it runs.
You choose a purifier rated for that room's size. See how to choose by room size.
You change the filter on time. See how often to change a HEPA filter.