U.S. Environment Protection Agency (opens in new tab) (EPA) spokesperson Timothy Carroll confirmed that air purifiers can be an effective tool to improving air quality in the average home: “Portable air cleaners, also known as air purifiers or air sanitizers, are designed to filter the air in a single room or area, and they have the potential to improve the indoor air quality in that space. There are also air cleaners that can filter both particles and gases. The longer the air cleaner runs, the more air it filters.” HEPA air filters are essential when it comes to removing allergens from your home’s air. A HEPA filter can trap pet dander and dust, both of which are common causes of allergies. One way to tell if an air purifier will be effective in your space is to look at its CADR rate (Clean Air Delivery Rate). The higher the CADR rate, the more particles your air purifier will filter. So if you have a home with large rooms, look for an air purifier with the highest CADR rate you can afford. Some air purifiers even allow you to add essential oils, so that the clean air they push back out is scented. Perfect for that luxury touch, and it can boost your wellbeing too. Carroll recommends using your air purifier where you spend the most time, and for most people, that’s the bedroom. The very best purifiers run quietly and efficiently, but some purifiers’ higher settings can be too noisy for bedrooms. Look for a model that is capable of operating on full power with a maximum sound level of around 52 decibels, though we’d recommend a HEPA air purifier with a night mode for a truly restful night’s sleep. All our reviews feature decibel levels from quietest to loudest settings, so you’ll have an idea of what to expect. If you’re looking for other ways to clean up the air inside your home, our guides to the best dehumidifiers (opens in new tab) are ideal if you have condensation and mold. If the air in your home is too dry, check out our guide to the best humidifiers (opens in new tab).
9 best air purifiers to buy right now
1. Levoit Core 400S: Best air purifier overall
The Levoit 400S impressed us in our at-home tests, out-performing much more expensive air purifiers. It captured at least 99.5% of airborne particles in every test, and often absorbed as much as 100%. We’re confident when we say that this air purifier can do the job other purifiers claim to, despite being a mid-range product. Alongside a powerful performance, the Levoit Core 400S is easy and intuitive to use, with a companion app that allows you to select modes, set timers, and schedule your purifier to work where it’s needed most, Or you can simply set it to auto mode and let it do all the heavy lifting for you. We were also impressed by how quietly this air purifier was during operation, especially in its lower settings. At just 37 decibels, it’s barely audible, so it’s ideal for light sleepers and kids’ rooms. Even higher settings are no louder than a normal conversation, so powering up a level during the daytime shouldn’t be a problem either. With a sleek, matte, cylinder design, and a futuristic-looking control panel, the Levoit Core 400S also ticks all the boxes when it comes to presentation. And it’s light enough to move from room to room, when you need to. The Levoit Core 400S could be the perfect option for you, if you’re looking for an effective air purifier that won’t blow the budget. Read our full Levoit Core 400S review (opens in new tab).
2. Rabbit Air MinusA2: Best air purifier for allergy sufferers
Editor’s note: This product is in the process of being tested. The Rabbit Air MinusA2 is one of the best air purifiers you can buy, with great performance and plenty of smart features. That isn’t surprising: Rabbit Air is one of the leading companies in the air purifying industry. But it is impressive. Firstly, it’s the most efficient air purifier we looked at: it only uses 62 watts while running, so it won’t affect your electricity bill too much. It also has a unique aesthetic that makes it more attractive than the competition. This air purifier is suitable for rooms up to 300 square feet, and comes with a six-stage air filtration system, making it particularly great for allergy and asthma sufferers. The Rabbit Air MinusA2 also has a built-in air quality sensor, which means this unit works automatically and informs you when the filters need to be replaced. You can mount this air purifier on the wall, which is unique among the products we reviewed. Furthermore, Rabbit Air lets you choose from a variety of artwork for the front panel, effectively turning the unit into a decoration that doesn’t detract from your home’s décor. At nearly $600, it’s more expensive, but the Rabbit Air MinusA2 is easily one of the best air purifiers out there. Read our full Rabbit Air MinusA2 review (opens in new tab).
3. Honeywell HPA300: Best value air purifier
Editor’s note: This product is in the process of being tested. When it comes to value for money, we consider the Honeywell HPA300 to be one of the best. Despite retailing for less than many rival systems, the HPA300 delivered an impressive Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) in our tests. The Honeywell HPA300 is also effective in rooms up to 465 square feet, circulating the air once every 12 minutes (which is five times every hour). It was the second most powerful air cleaner we tested. As you would expect, this air purifier’s lower price does mean that it isn’t as feature-packed as other units. (For example, it doesn’t have an auto mode, shut-off timer or remote control.) However, if you want good core functionality and a generous five-year warranty at a very competitive price, then the Honeywell HPA300 is one of the best air purifiers out there. Read our full Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier review (opens in new tab)
4. Dyson Purifier Cool: Best smart air purifier
The Dyson Purifier Cool is probably the most stylish air purifier available. Its unusual bladeless hoop design marks it out as a talking point in any room, while its peerless functionality provides all the data you’ll ever need on your indoor air quality. The purifier also doubles up as a fan in hotter weather, although this isn’t as powerful as some users would like. Users can activate, schedule and monitor their purifier via the Dyson app, allowing them to set fan speed, timers and check data on air quality, whether they’re home or away. Besides 10 settings, users can choose from auto mode, which senses air particles and adjusts the purifier’s settings accordingly, or night mode, setting the purifier to quietly purr while you have a good night’s rest. A built-in sleep timer allows you to turn off the purifier completely, whenever you want. Performance-wise, our at-home tests found the Dyson Purifier Cool could work harder given its expensive price tag. However, users are positive about performance, with many allergy-sufferers saying it improved their symptoms in just a short period of use. Although the Dyson Purifier Cool’s cost may be too high to suit everyone’s budget, its stylish, sleek design and smart functionality make it a good choice for a contemporary, connected home. Read our full Dyson Purifier Cool review (opens in new tab).
5. Blueair Blue Pure 211+: Best air purifier for large rooms
The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ is a well-designed air purifier, made for large rooms, with great purification performance. It’s 3 stage filter system doesn’t include a True HEPA filter, which is quickly becoming the standard for air purifiers, but it does include its own particle filter that uses HEPASilent technology to combine mechanical and electrostatic filtration, still capturing minute particles. Combined with 360-degree air intake and its powerful motor, the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ is an air purifier that performs brilliantly and has the CADR ratings to back it up. It’s a relatively expensive system, which means its lack of air quality sensor and auto mode is disappointing, but it’s still a great air purifier that shouldn’t be overlooked. Read our full Blueair Blue Pure 211+ review (opens in new tab).
6. Winix HR900: Best air purifier for pet owners
Editor’s note: This product is in the process of being tested. We think the Winix HR900 is the best air purifier for pet owners. Larger particles, such as pet hair and dander, tend to be a particular problem when you share your home with pets. Most air purifiers tackle these particles with a pre-filter, which also helps protect the more delicate inner filters, but the Winix HR900 has two pre-filters including an Ultimate Pet Pre-filter for an extra layer of protection against pet-related dust and dirt. Its color-coded system of lights offers real-time feedback on your air quality at a glance and in auto mode it will automatically adjust the fan speed, ramping up when poor air quality is detected and dropping down to save energy when air quality is good. Read our full Winix HR900 review (opens in new tab).
7. Molekule Air: Best air purifier for style
Editor’s note: This product is in the process of being tested. The Molekule Air is slightly different from the other models we’ve reviewed for two reasons. The first is it doesn’t look like an air purifier at all. Instead, you’ll benefit from a sleek cylindrical design and a leather handle. Secondly, this air purifier doesn’t have a HEPA filter, but instead has a PECO filter which aims to capture allergens but also destroy them too. The most expensive in our guide, the Molekule Air is by far from a budget option but it is the only one that can destroy allergens as well as collecting them. On its lowest setting, this air purifier is nice and quiet, however, on full power, it’s a little noisy. What is good about the Molekule Air, however, is that you can control it via an app and it has a night mode too. Read our full Molekule Air review (opens in new tab).
8. Coway AP1512HH: Best air purifier for travel use
Editor’s note: This product is in the process of being tested. The Coway AP1512HH is an excellent all-round air purifier, delivering fresh, clean air, while remaining portable – and it’s competitively priced too. It has an effective four-stage filtration process, with a washable pre-filter for large particles, and a carbon filter that catches odors. There’s also a HEPA filter to suck in tiny particles like cigarette smoke and pollen, while the final fourth stage is an optional ionizer. The Coway AP1512HH is quiet, producing just 58dB of sound. It comes with an auto mode that automatically detects the quality of the surrounding air and operates accordingly, plus it boasts an Energy Star certification, meaning it’s energy-efficient. The AP1512HH also comes with a decent (if not generous) three-year warranty and weighs just 15 pounds, making it highly portable.. This combination of effective purification, portability and energy efficiency, along with a very affordable price, makes the Coway AP1512HH one of the best air purifiers you can buy – whatever your reason for wanting one. Read our full Coway AP1512HH review (opens in new tab).
9. Whirlpool Whispure: Best air purifier for filtering pollutants
Editor’s note: This product is in the process of being tested. If you’re looking for a filtration powerhouse capable of handling even large rooms with ease, the Whirlpool Whispure AP51030K is one of the best air purifiers you can buy. (And, when we say large, we mean large: the AP51030K can handle rooms up to 490 square feet in size.) The Whispure’s Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) is the highest of any air purifier we’ve tested here at TopTenReviews, meaning that it removes smoke, dust, pollen and more from indoor air with ease. If air quality is the sole aspect you’re interested, we’d strongly recommend this model. It isn’t light, weighing in at 20 pounds – so it’s less portable than the other options on this list. But if you think that means lots of noise, think again. As we discovered, the WAP51030K only produces 55 decibels (dB) of noise on its highest setting. It’s an excellent choice of air purifier. Read our full Whirlpool Whispure AP51030K review (opens in new tab).
10. KOIOS EPI810: Best desktop air purifier
One of the lightest and most compact air purifiers on the market, the KOIOS EP1810 sits comfortably on a desktop or shelf, and is ideal if you’re looking for an air purifier you can take with you on vacation or business trips. Its one-click button control makes the KOIOS EP1810 the simplest air purifier to operate. But the lack of features offered by other air purifiers, such as being able to view performance on an LED display or connected app, means that you’re never sure how well it’s working. Being unable to turn the purifier on and off via an app, or schedule when it’s on, means that you run the risk of using it when you don’t need to, which can cost more in electricity bills. On the plus side, the bonus night light makes it easy to find in darkened rooms. It can even double up as a night light for a child’s bedroom or nursery. And operating from a mains socket or a USB cable, it’s easy to plug in and go, straight out of the box. When it comes to performance though, the KOIOS EP1810 leaves something to be desired. This air purifier lacks the power we’d expect from a True HEPA filter, and even its lowest setting may be too noisy for some. If you’re looking for an air purifier with more features and functionality, or one that silently purrs away quietly while you get on with life, you may need to shell out more cash and buy a more expensive air purifier. Read our full KOIOS EPI810 review (opens in new tab).
The cheapest prices on the best air purifiers
How we tested the best air purifiers
Editor’s note: We are currently in the process of testing every single product included in this buying guide. The products that are not yet tested are indicated in the buying guide and in the individual reviews for transparency. In order to find the best air purifiers out there, we conducted a meticulous and replicable testing process. Each air purifier was subjected to the same tests, and as much as possible, in the same conditions. We tested the air purifier’s purifying performance first in “normal” conditions (a single, mid-sized room in a house with no pets) and measured how it performed with a particle counter measuring particles as small as 0.3 microns. We took air quality readings at the start, then at the 15-minute and 30-minute marks while running the machine on its lowest setting. Then, we ran the air purifier again for 30 minutes on its highest setting, and measured the air quality by the end of that period. We reiterated those tests after burning matches and incense cones, to see how the machines would fare in high-particle count environments, simulating high pollution or pollen count. We compared the performance achieved with the claims made by each purifier brand, and revealed our findings in the “Performance” section of each review.
Choosing the best air purifier for you
The most important thing to consider when you’re purchasing a home air purifier, is what you want it to tackle. The very best air purifiers can remove harmful particles, absorb odors, and even provide extra features, such as night lights or cooling fans. But even expensive models sometimes struggle to remove particles that cause allergens, such as pollen, dust, pet dander, and particles emitted by household chemicals. For example, if you have pets in your home, but some members of your household suffer from allergies to pet dander, make sure you find an air purifier that’s good at removing these particles. If you have hay fever, you’ll want an air purifier that’s great at trapping pollen. A quick look through the product specifications and reviews will usually tell you whether your air purifier does the job you want it to do. Think about the layout of your home too. If you have large rooms, you’ll need an air purifier that can tackle more square feet. If you have an open-plan kitchen-diner apartment, then your air purifier should be able to neutralize cooking odors and absorb harmful smoke particles. Will you want to move the air purifier from room to room? Then you’ll need a device that’s light enough to lift and move about. Finally, consider how much you want to spend. To get a high quality product, you should be ideally looking to spend a couple hundred dollars on an air purifier if you can. But that doesn’t mean cheaper models can’t do the job just as effectively, or that more expensive models always do a better job than their affordable counterparts. Consider what you want your air purifier to do and what you can spend, do the research, have a look at as many air purifiers as you can, and decide on the right model for your home. Our guide includes all the information you need to make the right decision.
What the experts say
Experts agree that air purifiers can be an effective way to improve air quality in your home. Timothy Carroll, from the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (opens in new tab) (EPA), says that most air purifiers have the potential to improve your home’s air. However, he’s quick to point out that no air purifier will eliminate all of the air pollutants in a home, and most air purifiers are designed to tackle just one single room or area. It’s possible to increase the effectiveness of your air purifier by taking a few simple steps, says Carroll. These include reducing or removing the sources of indoor air pollutants, and ventilating where possible with clean outdoor air. On the question of whether air purifiers can help to reduce the symptoms of an allergy, Carroll agrees that air purifiers can be one weapon in your armory. “Multiple studies with portable air cleaners that use a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter have found improvements in one or more allergy and/or asthma symptoms.” But, he adds, “studies do not always show major improvements, and they do not show improvements in all symptoms.” So it’s vital to remove the source of the allergen as well as using an air purifier. Carroll also points out that many allergens, such as large dust mite allergens, tend to settle out of the air quickly and accumulate on surfaces. So many may never reach your air purifier in the first place. And although air purifiers can help remove particles caused by mold, and help to reduce musty odors, Carroll says “they will not resolve a mold problem. To solve a mold problem, it is necessary to get rid of the source of the moisture and clean up the mold."
