Want to know what does it mean by UL Certified? When you purchase an air purifier, you can find reassurance in seeing logos and certifications on the device’s box or package. However, not everyone knows what’s behind certain logos and certifications.
In this article, we’d like to bring you behind the scenes the UL certification. What is it? And what does it mean?
Key Takeaways
- UL runs safety tests on products that end up inside consumers’ houses.
- When a product is UL listed, not only is it safe for consumers, but it also meets sustainability standards.
- The UL certification may not be mandatory, but it is always better to buy UL-certified products for your safety.
From Where Does UL Certification Comes From?
The UL refers to Underwriter Laboratories, which is a third-party certification company.
There is no general UL approval category, but products can be either UL certified, listed, recognized, classified, or performance verified.
UL certifies products with the intent of making the world safer for consumers. They run safety tests on products that end up inside consumers’ houses.
They continually check products to ensure they meet standards and are constructed properly for the highest level of safety.
For example, UL testing can review whether a device can handle the proper amount of current and whether the wire size is correct.
Other than UL certified you could find another label: for example, you can find something like “UL listed.” What does it mean? 1
What is The Meaning of UL Listed?
The seal for UL-listed products is highly recognizable and features many consumer goods. It is highly recognizable because it’s a UL inside a black circle.
The UL-listed seal goes on stand-alone products. It is usually used to ensure the safety of products that are consumer-ready and go on the market.
To become UL listed, more product testing is involved when compared to the more simple UL certification.
When a product is UL listed, not only it is safe for consumers, but it also meets sustainability standards. 2
The Difference Between UL Certification And Listing
For some UL marks, the term “certification” is used to communicate that the organization has run tests on a prototype that has been provided by the manufacturer and it meets certain standards of safety.
The term certification, however, does not imply that the product is approved for use in all potential applications.
UL listing refers to stand-alone products that have very specific functions and have been tested and recognized safe for a specific category of equipment and application. 3
Is UL Certification Mandatory To Sell Products?
The UL certification may not be mandatory, but most US retailers, for example, won’t sell products that don’t come with such certification.
If you are buying your air purifier from outside the US, you have two options:
- You still ask the seller if the product is UL certified
- You get informed about what is the correspondent agency outside the US and check that the air purifier you are purchasing is certified by them. 4
Conclusion
Certifications are important for air purifiers because if they don’t work properly, they can be harmful.
When you see a label from UL, you know that the product you are purchasing has been tested and is safe. You don’t have to do further research.
FAQ
Can a UL certification expire?
UL certification is valid for three years.
How to check if a product is UL certified?
If it is a household product, then you can check for UL certified mark on the product itself. The mark would start with EII and will have four or five digits written after it.
Does all the applicance have UL mark?
It is not compulsory in the US for the products to have this certification, but buying products having the UL mark is recommended.
Kylie has been studying air purifiers for the last 20 years and is an expert in the field. She tests and reviews different air purifiers, letting people know they are worth buying. Kylie writes blogs about the latest air purifiers, their features, health benefits, and more. When she’s not writing or spending time with her granddaughter, Kylie can be found testing new air purifiers to see how they perform.
ARTICLE SOURCES
The National Planning Cycles is committed to producing high-quality content that follows industry standards. We do this by using primary sources, such as white papers and government data alongside original reporting from reputable publishers that were appropriate for the accuracy of information while still being unbiased. We have an editorial policy that includes verifiable facts with due credit given where applicable.
- https://www.c3controls.com/white-paper/difference-between-ul-recognized-ul-listed/#:~:text=What%20is%20UL%20Certification%20and,for%20both%20workers%20and%20consumers.[↩]
- https://marks.ul.com/about/ul-listing-and-classification-marks/promotion-and-advertising-guidelines/specific-guidelines-and-rules/#:~:text=UL%20Certified%20Mark.-,UL%20Listed%20Mark%20(all%20variations),product%20meets%20specific%2C%20defined%20requirements.[↩]
- https://aerosusa.com/everything-to-know-about-becoming-ul-listed-or-certified/#:~:text=UL%20certification%20is%20essentially%20an,a%20specific%20category%20of%20equipment.[↩]
- https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/10639/is-ul-approval-required-on-all-items-sold-in-the-usa[↩]