A lot of people turn to houseplants when they want to improve the air quality or humidity in their homes, however, some studies suggest that to make any real impact in your indoor environment, you'd need to pack your space full of plants. In a lot of ways, choosing a standard air purifier or humidifier is a lot simpler and much more effective way of getting the job done, even if it won't make your home look quite as good.
Yet, recently, however, I've been seeing a new design that looks to combine the best of both worlds all over my Instagram explore page — an air purifier and humidifier filled with natural, living moss, created by mosslabs. 'Moss is one of nature's secret weapons – prized for its ability to retain moisture, its durability, resilience and natural cleansing properties,' Jay, business manager at mosslabs tells me.
The Moss Air is not the only example of a moss air purifier out there, but this recently launched product, the result of a successful kickstarter, is one that uses live, not dried, moss and is surprisingly affordable in comparison to some others out there. This means the moss air purifier could be something we start to see in more and more homes.
But, can moss really make for the best air purifier for your home?
How does a moss air humidifier work?
This small air purifier and humidifier uses a sheet of live moss to act as the purification system, as one of nature's most prolific oxygen producers and carbon sinks. Did you know, for example, moss is responsible for 30% of the world's oxygen production? And that a small moss lawn can absorb more carbon than hundreds of mature trees?
This particular air purifier and humidifier is designed to be both an indoor terrarium and a practical way to increase your indoor air quality. 'It has a built-in humidifier feature perfect for colds, congestion and allergies,' Jay explains. 'Easily toggle between either mode by simply shifting the sleek magnetic ball atop the unit. Choose “terrarium” to direct mist inward, water the moss and keep the air exceptionally pure, or “humidifier” to disperse the mist outward and replenish moisture in the room.' The integrated water tank feeds the moss, and allows for moss-generated moisture to be released into the air — one tank will let your humidifier run for 8-10 hours.
Price: $109
This new moss air purifier also has a humidifying function, which can be used to add moisture to the air that can help your skin thrive, and also help ward of asthma and allergies.
Price: $360
This air purifier uses a mix of dried reindeer moss, coconut coir fiber, and silk for its filters, and has the air purifying ability of "3,043 houseplants". Its cycle can be controlled by app.
What makes a moss humidifier different to a standard air humidifier?
Moss can remove some other undesirables of indoor air quality that standard air purifiers can't. 'Moss filters can reduce carbon dioxide / TVOCs by photosynthesis, but normal air Hepa filters cannot,' Jay explains. Reducing your home's carbon dioxide can have beneficial effects, including increasing focus and reducing drowsiness and headaches. ' It is also certified to filter out fine dust particles and to break down harmful VOCs,' Jay adds. 'When you use a normal air filter, it just holds the fine dust on its surface.'
Compared to a standard air filter, mosslabs also says this approach is much more sustainable. While you may need to replace your moss sheet filter every 12 months, they can last up to 6 years with good care, and even if you do need to replace them, they are, of course, bio-degradable. Air filters need to be replace every 6-12 months, and are often non-recyclable.
However, there are drawbacks too. For example, as moss is a living thing, it's efficacy can't be guaranteed in the same way that a standard air purifier can. This means, when it comes to consistency of improving your home's air quality and humidity, a standard purifier or humidifier wins out. 'Moss filters use living moss, so it is difficult to keep consistency in various circumstances,' Jay explains.
Various moss air purifiers claim to be as effective as HEPA filters, but unlike many of these devices, there's no integrated data in the product for you to see it in action for yourself. Where products like the Dyson Pure Hot + Cool (here on Amazon) offer live air quality reports, that's not on the cards for a moss air purifiers as of yet, however, Briiv is launching a Pro version of its popular reindoor moss filter, which may go some way to bridging this gap.
