Air Purification

The air quality products category includes air purifiers, humidifiers and dehumidifiers for personal or household use. These appliances are designed to alter the quality of indoor air in a specific room or within a section of a home. They are typically small enough to be easily portable, and require no installation and little maintenance. With growing consumer understanding of, and interest in, improved air quality, there is an opportunity for manufacturers and marketers to position air quality products as must-have appliances, equal in importance to the likes of vacuums and irons.

Manufacturers are also innovating in the area of products that do not produce unwanted pollutants such as bad ozone. Air purifiers with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) do not release bad ozone into the air, which can exacerbate allergy symptoms.

Air quality products are getting a lot of traction and inspiration from Eastern-influenced complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAM refers to a wide variety of treatments, therapies and health systems—both new and ancient—that can be defined generally as health and wellness practices outside the realm of conventional Western medicine and Western consumer practice.

The air quality products market has many players, with no single entity dominating the field. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) alone lists more than 40 brands of air cleaners that have been certified through its Room Air Cleaner Certification Program. Humidifier and dehumidifier manufacturers are equally as numerous and fragmented. Air quality product companies largely fall into two camps: Larger companies with multiple product lines, including home appliances, and small private innovators with limited products and distribution. Hamilton Beach is a significant player in the market, but much of its clout comes from the company’s ability to claim more shelf space and brand visibility by offering multiple product lines.