Category rating — not an assessment of any specific brand
This rating covers a typical, mass-market
home lifestyle product based on publicly available data.
It does not name or assess any specific manufacturer or product.
Individual products may perform better or worse.
Learn about verified ratings →
Below HIP Mark threshold
Score 2.9/10 — Standard mark requires 6.0
Standard
Silver
Gold
Category best achievable: 7.1
Depleting — materials are being used up with no way to replace them
This is what a typical air purifier looks like today. It's built to last longer than the typical one. If the maker shares their data, the score usually goes up.
Category baseline
2.9 HIP
Below Standard
Category ceiling: 7.1 HIP
Regenerative Index
-7.0
Depleting
Category ceiling RI: -2.0
What this score means
This is the starting score for Air Purifiers, based only on public data. No maker has sent us
their own data yet. The ceiling score (shown below) is what a product can reach when the maker
shares real evidence. To close the gap, makers apply for a verified rating.
Make this product? You can raise this score.
The starting score for this category is 2.9 HIP.
With full evidence, a product in this category can reach 7.1 HIP.
Our first verified product scored 6.9 and earned the HIP Mark.
Share your product data and we score what you can prove.
Apply for verified assessment
What to Check Before You Buy
- Check that H13 or H14 HEPA filter replacements are stocked at a known part number. The filter is a consumable; unavailability means you replace the whole machine for a £20 part.
- Confirm the motor and fan are accessible for service. Air purifier motors fail after years of continuous use; a machine where the motor can be replaced has a much longer service life.
- Look for a CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) rating appropriate to your room size. An undersized purifier runs continuously and wears faster; a correctly sized one runs less, lasts longer, and uses less energy.
- Check the pre-filter is washable. A washable pre-filter extends HEPA filter life and reduces the running cost significantly.
Score Breakdown
How rare are the materials?
MSI · 20%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product contains copper, a material designated as critical by the EU and USGS, which drives the scarcity score despite the absence of rare earth elements. The lack of submitted recycled content data forces a conservative assumption of zero recycled content, preventing a higher rating. Additionally, the primary extraction country is unknown, implying potential supply concentration risks that cannot be mitigated by diversity assumptions.
Where do the materials come from?
SCR · 18%
2.5
Why this score ▸
The air purifier relies on rare earth elements and copper, with rare earths predominantly sourced from China (high concentration risk) and copper from moderate-risk jurisdictions. Due to the lack of submitted due diligence standards, alternative suppliers, or audit verification, the supply chain is exposed to critical geopolitical and governance risks without mitigation.
Can it be recycled?
RC · 18%
2.0
Why this score ▸
The air purifier is assumed to be glued with no take-back scheme, making material separation impractical without specialist equipment. Only an estimated 20% of the product (primarily metal components) enters practical recycling streams, while plastics and heating elements are likely landfilled. This aligns with the baseline for sealed consumer electronics lacking design for disassembly.
Can you fix it?
R · 13%
4.0
Why this score ▸
The product is a mass-market air purifier with spare parts available, but the housing is assumed glued due to missing fastener data, making disassembly difficult. While internal components can be replaced, the lack of a public service manual and the destructive opening process limit repairability to the 'Difficult' range.
Is it made fairly?
SEI · 8%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product is manufactured in China, a moderate-to-high risk jurisdiction, with no submitted third-party audits, environmental certifications, or modern slavery statements. While ILO compliance is not claimed, the absence of independent verification or audit evidence places this assessment in the elevated risk category.
How long will it last?
PL · 8%
5.0
Why this score ▸
The product receives an average lifespan score due to a 2-year warranty and a stated design life of 7 years, which aligns with typical mass-market small appliance norms. However, the lack of an IP rating, modular design, or explicit spare parts commitment prevents a higher rating.
Does it give back to nature?
RI · 15% · scale −10 to +10
-7.0
Why this score ▸
The product is classified as Depleting (-7) because it relies on virgin mined materials with zero recycled content and lacks a take-back scheme. Not Depleting because recycled content >= 50% with verified take-back does not apply, as both are absent. This aligns with the standard for conventional consumer electronics manufactured without regenerative inputs or recovery programs.
MSI 20% · SCR 18% · RC 18% · R 13% · SEI 8% · PL 8% · RI 15% = 100%
About the HIP Methodology ▸
Starting scores are low on purpose. We only count what we can confirm from public data,
so most products sit between 2 and 4 out of 10 before a maker shares their own evidence.
That gap between the starting score and what a product could reach is the whole point.
When a maker proves what their product is really made of, the score goes up.
The HIP Mark shows it has been checked.
Read the full methodology →
Consumer Summary
This air purifier has an overall HIP Score of 2.9 out of 10, indicating significant challenges with its environmental impact. Its Regenerative Index is -7.0, which means the product relies entirely on newly mined materials and lacks any recycled content or plans for future reuse. Essentially, this item contributes to resource depletion rather than supporting a circular economy.
What This Means For You
When shopping for air purifiers, look for models that explicitly state they use recycled materials and offer repairable designs with replaceable parts. Avoid products that are glued together or lack a clear plan for recycling, as these are difficult to recover at the end of their life. Prioritizing brands that publish third-party sustainability audits will help you choose appliances that are built to last and support a more sustainable home.
Data Transparency
This is a category rating based on publicly available data. The following data fields were not submitted by a manufacturer and have been estimated conservatively using open reference data and the category default assumptions table v0.1 (provisional — sources pending full citation):
material_percentagesrecycled_content_pctcountry_of_primary_extractionprimary_sourcing_countriestier1_supplier_countdue_diligence_standardalternative_supplier_existsdisassembly_typerecyclable_streams_pctrecycling_label_complianttakeback_schemedesign_for_disassemblyfastener_typespare_parts_years_committedservice_manual_publicifixit_scoreecodesign_in_scopemanufacturing_countriesenvironmental_certificationsthird_party_certificationrba_audit_completedmodern_slavery_statementilo_compliance_claimedip_ratingmodular_designsoftware_support_yearsprimary_material_originregenerative_certificationsclosed_loop_programmeend_of_life_programmematerial_origin_certifiedregenerative_practices
A verified rating uses manufacturer-submitted data and produces a more accurate, product-specific score.
Material Watch Points
- Copper — EU Strategic Raw Material (CRM Act 2024/1252)
- Recycled content assumed at 0% due to missing data
- Primary extraction country unknown
- Rare earths — China >60% global supply, high concentration risk
- No due-diligence programme documented
- No alternative supplier documented
- Single primary supplier assumed
How this score was calculated
The HIP Score is a weighted average of seven dimensions measuring material
resilience, supply chain integrity, and end-of-life characteristics.
| Code |
Dimension |
Weight |
Score |
| MSI |
Material Scarcity Index |
0.20 |
3.5 / 10 |
| SCR |
Supply Chain Risk |
0.18 |
2.5 / 10 |
| RC |
Recyclability and Circularity |
0.18 |
2.0 / 10 |
| R |
Repairability |
0.13 |
4.0 / 10 |
| SEI |
Social and Environmental Impact |
0.08 |
3.5 / 10 |
| PL |
Product Longevity |
0.08 |
5.0 / 10 |
| RI |
Regenerative Index |
0.15 |
-7.0 (raw) |
Regenerative Index note: RI scores on a unique scale of -10 to +10.
Before weighting, the raw score is normalised: RI normalised = (RI raw + 10) / 2.
This product's RI band is Depleting.
Weighted HIP Score: 2.9 / 10
· Methodology v1.5
Base weights shown. Some product types use category-specific weight profiles —
see full methodology for details.
Read the full methodology →
Data Sources
This rating draws on the following public sources:
USGS Mineral Resources Program (public domain) · EU Critical Raw Materials List 2023 (CC BY 4.0) · World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Category default assumptions table v0.1 (provisional — sources pending full citation)
All sources are public domain or published under open data licences.
Full source list →
About this rating:
HIP scores are based on public data at the date shown.
They show how well a product holds up over time — not a promise about safety or future supply.
Resourcehip is not liable for choices made based on these ratings.
Scope:
This is a category rating for Air Purifiers and does not assess any specific brand or manufacturer.
Individual products may perform better or worse than this baseline.
Produced under Resourcehip Scoring Methodology 1.5 (CC BY-NC 4.0).
AI disclosure:
An AI model scored this rating on our own hardware — no data was sent to the cloud.
A human reviewer checked and approved it before it went live.
Model: qwen3.5:35b.
AI transparency notice →
Not financial or investment advice.
Ratings are for consumer information only.
Dispute this rating · Our methodology · All ratings
Assessed: 2026-06-17 · Next review: 2027-04-26 · Methodology 1.5
