The Best UV Sanitizers of 2023

We wrote our UV light sanitizer review because we thought that as people learned more about the risks of COVID-19, they would start looking for reliable and safe ways to disinfect their electronics, homes, cars, and other items. We spent a lot of time researching the topic because we noticed that there were a ton of handheld UV light products available for purchase that, in our opinion, were of questionable quality. We even went so far as to consult a theoretical physicist about the science behind how UV radiation destroys the DNA and RNA of germs, rendering them inert.

UV light sanitizers have grown significantly in popularity since April among consumers, businesses, and particularly hospitals. Reputable journals have also released new medical and scientific material supporting the efficacy of UV light sanitizers.

We’ve also seen a number of high-profile websites write their own UV light sterilizer box reviews as the literature has increasingly supplied proof of the usefulness of employing a UV light sterilizer box—or any other ultraviolet light sanitizer. They also contain broken links and suggestions for things that may not be effective, which is disappointing.

Based on wattage and lumens, which we believe to be the most reliable indicators of a product’s efficacy, our UV light sanitizer evaluation suggests the top UV sanitizers. If we suggest UV light sanitizers that aren’t transparent about their wattage or lumen output, it’s because there are other grounds for trusting the items, such corporate reputation or publicly available test results. As we carry out more study, we’ll keep adding reliable UV light sanitizers to our review. We’re dedicated to gaining and maintaining your trust as a reliable source of UV light knowledge.

Best UV Sanitizer, Best UV Sanitizing Wand, Best UV Phone Sanitizer, And Other Portable UV Light Devices At A Glance

What is Ultraviolet Radiation? The Visible Light Spectrum And UV Light

Scientists refer to both visible and invisible light in the universe as the “electromagnetic spectrum.” It is a type of electromagnetic radiation, as the name implies. Since light is a wave, the wavelengths of different colors are grouped in the spectrum. Radio waves are really long—they are as long as a building. On the spectrum, they are slightly to the left. X-rays, on the other hand, are atomically minuscule and are positioned to the right. The “white light” that we can see, often referred to as “visible light,” is located in the center and is what gives the rainbow its distinct colors.

Red light is slightly larger than blue and violet light throughout the visible portion of the spectrum (also known as the rainbow). Ultraviolet light is found just beyond the visible spectrum. For the avoidance of doubt, “ultraviolet light” and “ultraviolet radiation” can be used interchangeably because in science, “light” is merely another form of radiation.

The actual UV light is then divided into three categories: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. The longest wavelength is UV-A, while the smallest is UV-C. UV-A is the portion of solar radiation that reaches us the most. Age-related skin changes and wrinkles are caused by UV-A. In terms of wavelength, UV-B is closer to an x-ray than UV-A, which is closer to blue/violet visible light. UV-B has shorter wavelengths than UV-A. These shorter, more intense waves are more likely to impair cellular function and result in cancer in people, exactly like x-rays. Because of this, effective sunscreen will advertise “full spectrum UV-A and UV-B protection.”

Despite being much shorter and potentially more destructive than UV-B, UV-C rays are luckily too short to get through the earth’s atmosphere. A serious sunburn could result from exposure in just a few short seconds. UV-C is outright lethal to germs and viruses.

Do UV Sanitizers Work? How Does UV Light Kill Germs?

For more than a century, researchers and medical professionals have employed UV light to eradicate bacteria and sanitize equipment. UV germicidal irradiation is the name of the procedure (UVGI).

UV sterilization became a key strategy for stopping viral propagation during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Hospitals are cleaned by UV-C robots, and bank bills are cleared by UV light. Even now, Boeing is working on a UV-based self-cleaning bathroom for its aircraft.

Similar to how UV light exposure can cause cancer, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation functions. Particularly, the wavelength of UV-C light is just the perfect size to penetrate a virus or cell’s RNA or DNA. Things warm up in the sun because they are absorbing energy from the light that is hitting them. When the UV radiation’s energy is absorbed by the DNA or RNA, it disintegrates. An example of a photolytic process is this. The virus or bacteria is rendered harmless and inert after the DNA or RNA is destroyed.

Types of UV Disinfection Lamps: Low-Pressure Mercury vs. LED

The majority of high-end and commercial UV-C disinfection lamps are low-pressure mercury vapor lamps. This is your best option if you’re searching for exceptionally excellent quality, but it will cost extra. Large amounts of UV-C at a wavelength of 254 nm are released by mercury-vapor lamps, and this UV-C is suitable for damaging viral and bacterial DNA/RNA.

Low-pressure lamps utilize less power than higher-pressure counterparts, thus they need to be held closer to the object they are cleaning or for longer exposure times, but they are also cooler and more energy-efficient.

Low-pressure mercury-vapor lamps will be the most common consumer models.

Recently, light-emitting diode (LED) variants have been accessible; they are frequently utilized in compact, low-powered, consumer-oriented gadgets. Since LEDs are strong and very effective, they can be used in compact, mobile, and battery-operated gadgets. Devices using LED-based UV sanitizers are frequently less expensive than those using mercury.

However, the quality range of LED-based products will be much greater. Most LED UV Sanitizers must be held significantly closer to the object for a longer period of time due to their reduced power. Some LED-based products are low-quality knockoffs that lack the strength to effectively disinfect. Therefore, we advise that you refer to the chart below and refrain from purchasing any LED-based cleaning device that does not disclose its watts or lumens.

Some LED-based devices are cheap knockoffs, too underpowered to have a meaningful disinfecting effect.

UV Sanitizer Effectiveness: Power And Dosage Are Crucial Buying Criteria

A UV light’s ability to disinfect an object depends on the UV exposure period, distance from the object being disinfected, and light intensity (technically referred to as irradiance).

Milliwatts per square centimeter (mW/cm2) is a unit of measurement used by scientists to describe the intensity of UV radiation on a surface. The unit of power, or energy per time, is the watt. The “milli” prefix refers to one one-thousandth of a watt, whereas the “micro” prefix refers to one one-millionth.

The amount of UV radiation recommended for killing microorganisms varies. Between 2,000 to 8,000 microwatts per square centimeter are needed to disinfect drinking water with 90% efficacy, and the U.S. EPA demands a minimum of 2,500. Disinfecting a surface differs from disinfecting drinking water.

A noteworthy study found that 99.9% of bacteria are destroyed in just 5 seconds at a distance of around 1 inch and a power of 15.54 mW/cm2 (15,540 microwatts). Another contrasts the efficacy of low- and medium-pressure lights at 5, 15, and 40 mW/cm2. For 99% sterilisation, a third set of recommendations from a UV system manufacturer falls within the same range. A 55W bulb from a fourth vendor can reportedly kill 99.9% of common viruses at a distance of 16 inches in 24 seconds and at a distance of 12 inches in 8.5 seconds, according to the company’s calculator. In experiments on keyboard disinfection equipment, a UV lamp with a strength of 40–45W eliminated 99.9995% of E. Coli bacterium can be found within 90 seconds at a distance of around 1 inch.

A number of factors affect the UV output of a lamp used for disinfection, including the lamp’s form (a circular bulb broadcasts its radiation in all directions, only some of which is targeted at the target), the operating temperature (which alters the pressure inside the lamp), and the bulb’s age. It’s important to consider your distance when disinfecting. As the inverse square of the distance from the bulb, the UV energy that is supplied to a surface decreases. In other words, increasing the distance between the bulb and the surface from 12 inches to 24 inches results in a 4x reduction in output rather than a 50% reduction.

It should be noted that the lamp’s quoted wattage refers to the overall amount of energy produced. Although these lamps concentrate on producing UV-C light, which has a wavelength of about 254 nm, they don’t only do so. As a general rule, estimate that 33% of the advertised wattage is UV-C energy that kills germs.

The Unwinder’s UV-C Dosage Recommendation Table

Given the uncertainty around UV-C effectiveness, The Unwinder collaborated with a PhD theoretical physicist to develop a conservative model to aid in your decision-making regarding the strength, range, and timing of various UV disinfection products.

As a rule of thumb, assume about 33% of the advertised wattage is germ-killing UV-C wattage. 

Applying at least 100,000 microwatt-seconds/cm2 is advised by the data that is currently available to guarantee disinfection rates of at least 99%. This manufacturer’s chart, which shows all viruses killed to 99% at or below the 100K intensity level, supports the studies. This threshold is calculated in the table below.

The 100,000 microwatt-seconds/cm2 threshold and some of the assumptions, such as the one that a circular light emits energy equally in all directions, are designed to be conservative. In order to boost the irradiance onto the intended surface, many items in this market include some sort of reflective component. Some manufacturers could disagree with our suggestions. Nevertheless, we firmly believe that it is preferable to be cautious than careless in this case because it concerns household safety.

LED-Specific UV Dosage: Lumens For Disinfection

A slightly different conversion issue arises with LEDs. First off, the majority of LED producers gauge their performance in lumens rather than watts. Second, the wattage to UV-C wattage ratios of LEDs are often lower than those of mercury-vapor lamps. As a result, we’ve dropped that number from 33% to 16% in our calculations. As a result, we’ve dropped that number from 33% to 16% in our calculations. As a result, we’ve dropped that number from 33% to 16% in our calculations. Third, even if a manufacturer provides lumens, the conversion of lumens to wattage still requires the addition of a second variable, luminous efficacy. We use the cautious estimate of 80 lumens/watt because few UV-C LED manufacturers reveal their luminous efficacy. Finally, we only suggest UV sanitizers that explicitly state that they emit UV-C radiation (200 – 280nm). Though not very effective in disinfecting, higher frequency UV light (300 nm or greater) can be utilized for novelty blacklights.

We advise you to stay away from products that withhold data. However, you can be forced to in a crisis. If you can, attempt to determine whether the device employs a high-quality UV-C LED, such as this one, which can disinfect to 99% at 1 inch distance in less than 5 minutes. This works perfectly for cleaning baby goods or your phone. It is advised to stay away from products that appear to use LED strips of inferior quality.

The two tables demonstrate that closer is preferable. Use the lowest feasible distance when shining the light onto the surface when utilizing these goods (without actually touching the surface). Additionally, keep in mind that UV light only functions where it can beam. Bacteria or viruses that may be present in a crack cannot be disinfected if the light cannot shine directly in it. 

Cautions When Using UVGI

The majority of UV-C rays can harm your skin, increasing your risk of cancer and resulting in very rapid and severe sunburns. Direct UV radiation exposure to the eyes should be avoided at all costs as it can seriously harm them and even result in blindness. Simply avoiding direct light exposure to your skin is a reasonable rule of thumb. You should also take additional care to prevent children from playing with the lights.

UV light also causes the paint or coatings on things like countertops, furniture, consumer electronics, and materials like plastic and rubber to degrade over time.This shouldn’t come as a surprise because we’ve all witnessed how the summer sun can harm the tires in our automobiles or the paint on a house. Fortunately, the amount of UV-C required for regularly sanitizing household items shouldn’t do any substantial harm.

Finally, it’s possible that UV-C sanitation lights that are built on the cheap or that are replicas will release ozone. One of the main ingredients of smog, a type of air pollution that irritates and endangers the respiratory system and can result in itchy eyes and the sniffles, is ozone. However, high-quality UV-C lamps are coated to reduce ozone emission.

New developments in “far UV-C” technology have the potential to provide UV-C disinfection solutions without any dangers to people.

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Best UV Sterilizer (Light Box)

The US has strict regulations on children’s products, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission closely examines any item intended for newborns or young children. Both their safety and their marketing claims are held to a higher level for these products. A baby-focused UV sanitizer is now your best chance for disinfecting adult personal things, including as phones and keys, according to The Unwinder, so if you can afford it.

• High-quality mercury-vapor lamp with disclosed wattage
• Realistic disinfection timer – 5 minutes+
• Multiple racks for disinfecting baby gear, phones, electronics, keys, wallets, all at once
• UV-only setting (no dryer) enables the safe disinfection of electronics (no worry about heat on the battery)
• 2 year limited warranty
• FCC, EMC, and 3rd-party tested

Wabi is the best option for people seeking excellence. The Wabi is a medical device registered with the FDA and a pesticide device certified with the EPA. It is used to sanitize baby bottles, pacifiers, and other baby goods. The fact that Wabi admits that Osram/Puritec manufactures its mercury-vapor UV lamps is crucial; this level of openness is lacking in less priced products. If cleanliness and safety are your main concerns and you have the money, the Wabi is the ideal option for this with babies and without.

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Another Good Option: Best UV Sterilizer

Although it is designed for babies, there is nothing prohibiting you from using this device to sanitize pretty much anything. This Coral product is the perfect option if you want complete piece of mind from your sanitizer. Coral promotes their 55W lights, which, at the very least, will disinfect your items in roughly 90 seconds (though its quickest setting is 10 minutes). An independent lab tests it. You may disinfect your electronic devices with the “UV Only” setting without worrying about the batteries being too hot. Everyone in your home should make an investment in this hand sanitizer.

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One More Recommendation For Best UV Sterilizer

Yes, the review’s opening item is another baby product. However, as the pandemic has spread, UV light sanitizers on Amazon seem to be in constant demand, either because they are too weak to effectively clean anything or because they omit to disclose their wattage or lumen output. The takeaway is that you are primarily limited to purchasing infant things if you want to get anything that genuinely works. Luckily, Philips G5 germicidal UV lights are used in Grownsy’s UV sanitizing box. While using 8W, this bulb emits 2.4W of UV-C light, which is enough radiation to clean your electronics.

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Best Portable UV Light Sanitizers: Our Recommendations For The Best UV Sanitizing Wand

Due of the varied length of time and distance that you will spend hovering the UV light sanitizing wand over any given area of a surface, it is possible that this is the least “airtight” UV light sanitizer you can purchase. If a portable light sanitizer, for instance, claims to destroy 99% of germs in 10 seconds if held within 6 inches of the surface—say let’s it’s the tray table on the back of an airplane—surely they are just referring to the area that the wand is shining on.

Therefore, in order to cover the full airplane seat back tray table, you would have to move the object incrementally over the surface while maintaining the advised distance and covering each section of the tray table for the advised period of time. Additionally, you must monitor the amount of time you spend on each area of the tray table. In the end, you can waste 2 to 3 minutes cleaning the tray table while also losing your composure in front of other passengers.

The other side of the tray table is therefore something to consider. Use a Purell wipe instead, perhaps, for the airplane items.

However, when utilized properly, handheld UV light sanitizers do function. They are also helpful in some situations, such as when you need to quickly disinfect your phone, your silverware at a restaurant, or other little objects that the device can illuminate all at once.

PORTABLE UV SANITIZER

Time for 99% disinfection: 14 seconds

Surfaces can be cleaned with the UVLIZER’s UV light sanitizer for just under 30 seconds at a distance of an inch because it only uses 2 watts. It is run by LEDs.

The Details

• 2 watts
• Will disinfect surfaces at a distance of 1 inch in just under 30 seconds
• You can buy a warranty for this product
• Money-back guarantee
• Customer support
• Child lock—important because if used incorrectly, can cause material damage to the skin and eyes
• Convenient—it’s USB rechargeable

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Best UV Phone Sanitizer

Phones may be filthy. We touch them to our faces, carry them around, and set them down everywhere. Cleaning your phone is a highly advised procedure. Apple released a statement in March 2020 encouraging customers to practice good phone hygiene, but they also included a warning that alcohol-based wipes may eventually cause harm to the phones’ oil- and smudge-resistant coatings.

A phone cleaning case that uses UV-C can be a fantastic choice. Given that LEDs produce significantly less heat than mercury-vapor lamps, the majority of the devices in this category are LED-based, which is advantageous. However, many manufacturers in this particular category want to keep their LEDs’ power ratings a secret. The proximity of the LEDs to the phone when in the case makes this nondisclosure more tolerable for phone cases even though a device that displays watts or lumens is desirable.

In light of this, there are three things you should keep in mind while picking and utilizing a UV light sanitizer for your phone. Before disinfecting, switch off your phone first. Second, adhere to the “Generic LED” time in the aforementioned chart if the LED power is not provided. You can safely lower that value if the LED is located less than 1 inch from the phone.

OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR BEST UV PHONE SANITIZER

The same business produces both PhoneSoap and HomeSoap, and as we mentioned above, they don’t appear to disclose lumens or watts. But we have strong reason to think the product is reliable and efficient—many users have tested their gadgets in labs after usage and discovered they were germ-free.

PhoneSoap is designed to work with all smartphones and will charge it while it is being cleaned. Sanitizing takes ten minutes. It comes in a range of colors and is one of the nicer-looking UV sterilizers for phones on the market.

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OUR RUNNER UP RECOMMENDATION

HoMedics is a Michigan-based business with over 30 years of experience in the healthy light industry. Their UV light phone sanitizer is covert, stylish, and compact enough to fit in your purse or other small carry-on. In one minute, the device’s two LED UV lamps will clean both sides of your phone.

HoMedics, a Michigan-based company, has been active in the wellness and healthy lighting industries for more than 30 years. Their UV-Clean phone sanitizer is small and discrete, fitting in your gym bag, backpack, or carry-on. The device’s two germicidal LEDs are positioned to destroy as many germs as possible and are claimed to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.

The Details

• Fits most phone sizes, including larger sizes like the Google Pixel 3
• 2 UV-C Germicidal LEDs at 70 cycles per charge
• Powered by one lithoum ion battery (included)
• Comes in black, red, and purple

If HoMedics would reveal the UV LEDs’ irradiance, they would be our #1 pick for phones (watts or lumens). The Unwinder has asked HoMedics for this information, and we’ll update if and when they do.

Last update on 2023-03-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API