The best air purifiers to fight off dust, virus and allergens year-round
Essential tools for conquering allergy season and more.
Essential tools for conquering allergy season and more.
Essential tools for conquering allergy season and more.
Viewing this on a mobile device? Click here for the best viewing experience.
If you live in a large city, have pets, or struggle with allergies, there's a good chance that you could use an air purifier. use filters and a fan to capture pollutants and push clean air back into your home, allowing you to breathe easier â and better.
With the market brimming with options, we spent the past few weeks researching and evaluating air purifiers to determine the best models worth buying.
To put together our list, we only considered products with an onboard HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. According to , chief technologist and director of engineering at the Good Housekeeping Institute, this is a must-have feature in an air purifier. âHEPA filters can capture variously sized particles within their multilayered netting,â Rothman says, which means that they can remove âultra fine airborne particles like dust, dander, pollen, and mold.
The Best Air Purifiers
- Best Overall:
- Runner Up:
- Best Budget:
- Best for Small Rooms:
- Best Against Bacteria and Viruses:
- Most Discreet:
- Most Elegant:
- Largest Capacity:
What to Consider
Itâs important to think about the size of your space when shopping for an air purifier. A device thatâs too small wonât be able to perform what itâs been designed to do in a bigger room. A productsâ design and footprint matters, too. An air purifier will instantly become an essential fixture in the room, so itâs important to have an understated design and seamlessly blend in with your decor.
Additional features like app-enabled controls can also help you make a buying decision. Some of the product categoryâs finest offerings will even allow you to monitor the real-time air quality in your home while away.
Because air purifiers use filters to work properly, how often you need to replace the filters should be considered, too. Affordable air purifiers might actually be more expensive in the long run if their filters need to be replaced more frequently. Filters in high-quality products can typically last for months before needing a change.
How We Chose
We only considered products with an onboard HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. According to , chief technologist and director of engineering of the Good Housekeeping Institute, it is a must-have feature in an air purifier. âHEPA filters can capture variously sized particles within their multilayered netting,â Rothman says, which means that they can remove âultra-fine airborne particles like dust, dander, pollen, and mold.â
In addition to a True HEPA filter, Rothman also recommends paying attention to the (clean-air delivery rate) and looking for an , both of which will help you choose an effective and safe air purifier for your home.
About COVID-19
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, air purifiers became even more popular. While such products will vastly improve the air quality in your home or office, it is important to note that they do not completely protect against the spread of COVID-19. that âby itself, a portable air cleaner is not enough to protect people from COVID-19.â
However, adding an air purifier to your daily routine can help lower the risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure. A noted that âwhen used properly, air purifiers can reduce contaminants in your air.â
With the above in mind, please be aware that, even though some air purifiers can reduce some airborne bacteria and viruses, they havenât been tested and proven to work against COVID-19. There are products that can capture ultra-fine particles that are about the size of a coronavirus (), but this doesnât guarantee that you are fully protected.
Read on below to find the best air purifier for you needs and budget.