Engineering · HOKO Export Team · 2026-03

"HEPA-type" is the most profitable phrase in the air purifier industry — profitable for whoever saves on filter media while your brand absorbs the reviews. Here is how to specify filtration so precisely that samples and mass production cannot quietly diverge.

What the grades mean

Under EN 1822 / ISO 29463, true HEPA starts at H13: ≥ 99.95% efficiency at the most penetrating particle size (MPPS, ~0.3 µm). H12 reaches 99.5%, H11 95%, E10–E12 sit below. "HEPA-type" and "HEPA-like" have no defined efficiency at all — they are marketing words, not filter classes.

Why factories blur the line

H13 media costs meaningfully more than H11, and far more than unclassified "HEPA-type" paper. It also creates more pressure drop, which forces a better fan and motor — the cost cascade continues. A quote that is 15% below the market usually finds the saving in the filter stack.

What to put in your RFQ

  1. Filter grade by standard: "H13 per EN 1822" — not "HEPA". If H11 is acceptable for your price point, say so explicitly; ambiguity only helps the supplier.
  2. Media weight and pleat count: specify grams of media and pleat geometry for the agreed sample, then reference the signed sample in the PO.
  3. Carbon spec: activated carbon weight and type (granular vs. impregnated), plus the target gases — for pet products, ammonia and odor removal validated by report.
  4. Sealing method: the best H13 media fails if bypass air leaks around the frame. Specify sealed-frame construction and ask how seal integrity is tested on the line.
  5. Performance evidence: CADR report (chamber-tested) for the exact configuration, not a sibling model. Particle CADR plus formaldehyde CADR where your market claims it.
  6. Replacement economics: filter unit price at your projected annual consumables volume — the filter, not the machine, is the lifetime margin.

How we answer this RFQ

Our filters are made by our own filter division — H11 to H13 composite filters with carbon blends tuned per application (pet-odor blends validated by third-party allergen and odor reports), produced at 2 million sets per year across home, car, commercial and industrial lines. Machines are CADR-tested in our on-site chamber and at CMA/CNAS third-party labs, per configuration. See the consumables program or request the filter test file.