What is CADR?
Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) is the volume of filtered air an air cleaner delivers, in cubic feet per minute (cfm), measured separately for tobacco smoke, dust and pollen at the highest fan speed. The higher the number, the faster the unit cleans that particle type (AHAM).
- Smoke CADR covers the smallest particles and is the number used for room sizing.
- ENERGY STAR room size = 1.55 × smoke CADR (10 CFR 429.68).
- AHAM's 2/3 rule: smoke CADR ≥ 2/3 of floor area (8 ft ceiling), i.e. room ≈ 1.5 × CADR.
- PM2.5 CADR is newer and only reported for some listings.
CADR says nothing about noise, filter cost or gas/odor removal. Size your room or browse models.