Many compatible air purifier filters fail quality tests in South Korea

Many consumers opt for compatible air purifier filters due to their lower cost compared to genuine products. However, a recent evaluation by the Korea Consumer Agency has revealed that a substantial portion of these filters fall short of essential quality and safety standards.

Out of 20 compatible filter products tested, only four met the required standards for removing harmful gases. The remaining 16 filters showed significantly lower efficiency, ranging from 20% to 63%, compared to the genuine filters which achieved 81% to 100% removal rates. Performance in removing fine dust also varied widely, with only eight compatible filters meeting the criteria, while the others performed between 68% and 89% of the advertised values.

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The average removal efficiency of the remaining 16 was 20-63%, significantly lower than the average removal efficiency of the four genuine filters (81-100%).

More alarmingly, two compatible filter products for Xiaomi air purifiers were found to contain methylisothiazolinone, a substance legally prohibited for use in deodorizing filters. The consumer agency has recommended that the involved companies halt sales, recall the products, and offer free exchanges or refunds, which the companies have agreed to.

The agency also urged 16 manufacturers whose filters showed inadequate performance in removing harmful gases and fine dust to improve their product quality. Thirteen of these companies have committed to making improvements in materials and production processes.

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Methylisothiazolinone, which is legally prohibited from use, was detected in the deodorizing filters of two compatible filter products for Xiaomi air purifiers.