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. Such appliances use filters and a fan to capture pollutants and push clean air back into your home, allowing you to breathe easier — and better.
With the market brimming with options, we are continuously 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 Rachel Rothman, chief technologist and director of engineering at the Good Housekeeping Institute, this is a must-have feature in an air purifier. “HEPA filters can capture variously sized particles within their multilayered netting,” Rothman says, which means that they can remove “ultra fine airborne particles like dust, dander, pollen, and mold.”
It’s important to think about the size of your space when shopping for an air purifier. A device that’s too small won’t be able to perform as well in a bigger room. A product's design and footprint matter, too: An air purifier will instantly become an essential fixture in the room, so it’s important to have an understated design that'll seamlessly blend in with your decor.
Controls
Additional features like app-enabled controls and compatibility with virtual assistants can also help you make a buying decision. Some of the product category’s finest offerings will even let you to monitor the real-time air quality in your home while away.
Filter Replacements
Because air purifiers use filters to work properly, how often you need to replace the filters should be considered. Affordable air purifiers might actually be more expensive in the long run if their filters need to be replaced more frequently. On the other hand, filters in high-quality products can typically last for months before needing a change.
About COVID-19
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, air purifiers have become even more popular. While these products will vastly improve the air quality in your home or office, it's important to note that they do not completely protect against the spread of COVID-19. EPA has emphasized that “by itself, a portable air cleaner is not enough to protect people from COVID-19.”
However, adding an air purifier to your daily routine can help lower the risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure. A report by the Mayo Clinic Health system noted that “when used properly, air purifiers can reduce contaminants in your air.” Citing a number of studies, a senior scientist from the University of Cincinnati also observed that “air purifiers with HEPA filters can be used as very effective means to decontaminate the air above and beyond what many HVAC systems may offer.”
With the above in mind, please be aware that, even though some air purifiers can reduce some airborne bacteria and viruses, they haven’t been tested and proven to work against COVID-19. There are products that can capture ultra fine particles that are about the same size as a coronavirus (0.12 microns), but this doesn’t guarantee that you are fully protected.
Read on below to find the best air purifier for you needs and budget.
The Airmega 250S smart air purifier by Coway — one of the leading brands in this space — is the best for most consumers, offering a rock-solid amalgam of elegant design with intuitive controls, a reliable and sophisticated filtration setup, and the capacity to cover a large space, all at an agreeable price. The device’s swappable HEPA filter can last up to a year between changes, so its upkeep is reasonable, too.
The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto HEPA air purifier is a solid alternative to the AirMega 250S. It offers a robust, three-stage filtration setup with excellent performance and an impressively quiet operation. However, our similarly priced top pick by Coway has more up-to-date smart controls, as well as the ability to filtrate the air in larger spaces.
Other key features of the product include an easy-to-use auto mote, a discreet air quality indicator, and a handy cable compartment. Available in several colors, the washable pre-filter of the Blue Pure 211+ Auto is reasonably priced and easy to replace.
Priced just a tad above $100, the GermGuardian AC4300 is the best option for budget-conscious buyers. Its HEPA filter can capture 99.97% of all dust and allergens in the room. The product can also remove unpleasant odors, thanks to a built-in charcoal filter. Rather impressively and unlike its similarly priced rivals, it packs a UV-C light, allowing it to remove viruses and other airborne germs.
Available in black or white, this air purifier is suitable for small- and medium-sized rooms up to 153 square feet in size, and its filter can last for up to 8 months between replacements. The essential accessory is just as reasonably priced as the device it’s designed for.
Class-leading protection against bacteria and viruses
A feature-packed set of intuitive controls
Elegant design and compact footprint
Expensive
Key Specs
Covers up to: 930 square feet
Smart controls: Yes
Other: Protects against bacteria and viruses
The Blueair HealthProtect 7470i smart air purifier sets itself apart from its rivals with a next-level filtration setup that's capable of fighting off not only dust, pollen, allergens, mold, and odors, but also bacteria and viruses. Dubbed GermShield, the device’s antimicrobial tech kills 99% of the germs caught by its filter, including the COVID 19-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The energy-efficient product has a sleek tower design, a control panel with a color display and air-quality indicator, and a quiet operation. You can control it via a feature-packed mobile app, as well as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands. Larger-capacity HealthProtect variants are also available.
Coway’s Airmega 150 is our favorite option for small spaces. It has a compact and understated design, plus an excellent four-stage filtration system, which includes an HEPA filter, a deodorization filter for eliminating odors, and a washable pre-filter for larger airborne particles.
The product includes a light indicator, which changes color depending on the room’s air quality. Coway offers the Airmega 150 in three colors — dove white, sage green, and peony pink.
The Blueair DustMagnet 5240i smart air purifier doubles as a side table, so it's as discreet as such an appliance can be. The product also features a compact footprint and fabric cover, so it can easily blend in with just about any decor. A version with white polycarbonate housing and a lower price tag is also available.
Blueair has equipped the DustMagnet products with a powerful filtration system, which captures airborne particles like an actual magnet. It's also effective against gas and odors.
Like the Blueair HealthProtect we mentioned, the DustMagnet has app controls and support for Alexa and Google Assistant commands.
In terms of sheer capacity, the Coway Airmega 400S is in a league of its own. This air purifier is the best option for large homes and offices. Its robust three-stage filtration system is capable of removing up to 99.99% of ultra fine airborne particles and odors by pulling air from its sides.
We like the product’s color LED ring light that showcases the room’s air quality. The device’s control panel (located on top), in addition to buttons for operating it, includes filter indicators. The Wi-Fi-equipped Airmega 400S also has app-enabled controls and compatibility with Amazon Alexa voice commands.
Stefan VazharovSenior Technology EditorStefan is the senior technology editor for BestProducts.com, where he’s been covering the tech industry and testing the latest gadgets since 2015; He previously covered tech products for GSMArena.com and his work can also be found on Popular Mechanics.
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