Since so many of us have started to work from home more regularly, these appliances have soared in popularity. After all — they make the environment a more pleasant one to breathe, and can help those who suffer from allergies as well as asthma. Air purifiers come in all shapes and sizes and there’s a vast range of prices to reflect premium brands and added features. But, how can you tell which will actually make a difference to your air? To help you out, we’ve tested a selection of the most popular air purifiers to see which actually deliver in both performance and design. We considered everything from noise to energy consumption, and even sent several air purifiers out to a lab to assess the efficiency of their air filtration. We’ve got a recommendation to suit every situation, whether you’re shopping on a budget or want all of the bells and whistles. These are the best air purifiers.
The quick list
Already know what type of air purifier you’re looking for? Here’s a quick list of our winners for every category, so you can jump right into the reviews. This can save you some time if you already know that you need a compact design, or one which will offer smart capabilities. If you’re not sure what you want, scroll on to see our list in full.
The full list: Best air purifiers
What you need to know: The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto is a medium-sized air purifier which would suit rooms up to 550 sq ft. It features an upright cuboid design, with a plastic upper section and a skirt fitted around the base, which acts as a pre-filter and comes in several colors. A HEPASilent filter is included, which uses both a carbon and particle layer. There are three fan speeds on offer as well as an auto function, plus a night mode is included for dimming the lights. The best air purifier overall The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto takes the top spot in our list because it scored best in terms of CADR (Clean air delivery rate), while still offering minimal energy consumption. Read more below The best value for a large room The Honeywell HPA300 is the one to get if you’re shopping on a budget, but need an air purifier which can handle a large space. While it’s not exactly pretty, it will get the job done. Read more below The best smart air purifier The LCD screen on the BlueAir HealthProtect 7470i breaks down the current conditions of the air to great detail, including humidity and temperature, and it can be controlled via its app. Read more below Most energy-efficient air purifier Small and compact in stature, the Coway Airmega 1512HH comes with a useful eco setting which will keep energy costs low. It provides a decent CADR as well. Read more below The best air purifier for technology buffs The Winix 5500-2 stands out for featuring “Plasmawave” technology. It creates Hydroxyls to tackle any unwelcome airborne particles. Plus, it comes with a useful remote control to change settings from afar. Read more below The best value for small spaces The Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto would suit rooms up to 190 sq ft. It’s simple to set up and great value for money considering the CADR performance. Read more below Design: This model provides enough settings to cover basic necessities. The three fan speeds offer a decent range, and the auto function means it’s able to self-adjust the speed to suit the quality of the air. As a consequence, this air purifier will only use as much energy as required. The night mode is a useful function, but we did find the power more lackluster than we would have expected on this setting. Performance: This air purifier scored best for its CADR; achieving 353, 347, and 380 respectively for smoke, dust and pollen. That means it will make quick work of all sizes of airborne particles. It also means it can handle a decent room size of 550 sq ft — making it more than adequate for a large bedroom or living room. It scored average marks for noise produced, as it was fairly quiet on its lowest setting (35.6db), but on the noisier end of the spectrum at its loudest (60.8db). It was reasonable in terms of electricity consumption as well, using only 0.159 kWh over the course of 24 hours on auto mode. By comparison, the Levoit Core 300 required 0.7 kWh over the same period. Ease of use: This air purifier is very easy to use with one button to cycle through every setting — although the air quality indicator light is less than obvious with a blue light meaning good, and red meaning bad, and orange somewhere in between. Changing the filters couldn’t be more simple either, just remove the top of the device via the buttons on each side. Value for money: At around $300, this air purifier isn’t the cheapest, but it’s also not the most expensive. The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH by comparison is $200, while the Blueair HealthProtect 7470i will set you back over $450. Replacement filters are $70 though, which is pricey. Read the full review: Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto
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The best value for a large room
What you need to know The Honeywell HPA300 is a bulky beast of a device that offers strong performance considering its reasonable price. It’s a large oval air purifier with slats all around, measuring 22.3 x 20.0 x 10.8 inches. It’s also pretty heavy at 17 pounds, so this is the kind of air purifier you won’t want to move around once you set it down. It suits rooms up to 465 square feet, making it ideal for larger spaces. Design: Its settings are admittedly limited, offering four different fan speeds (including a turbo mode), as well as a timer for two, four or eight hours. There’s also the option to dim the device for night time operation. Indicators are included to check the three HEPA filters and activated carbon pre-filter within. However, there’s no auto mode, which is a shame.. Performance: A truly powerful device, the HPA300 scored second to the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ auto on the CADR test. With an average CADR score of 300, 320 and 300, it performed slightly better on dust versus pollen and smoke and would suit rooms of up to 465 sq ft.. However, that performance comes at a price, because it consumed more energy than any other air purifier we tested, at 1.002 kWh over 24 hours, and it was on the noisier end of the spectrum, producing 59.6 dB on its loudest setting. The Blueair HealthProtect 7470i produced just 48dB on its highest fan speed by comparison. Ease of use: Air purifiers don’t get much easier to use, with a touch-based control panel and a quick reference guide to remind you of the basics. However, setting up this air purifier at first and replacing the HEPA filters when required is admittedly fiddly. We found fitting the front cover back in place to be awkward. Value for money: Ultimately, at $150, this air purifier is a good value for the money up front, and the replacement filters are also a good price at $40. However, it’s worth keeping the cost of energy in mind to run this machine to get that amazing performance. You could end up paying back for it over time with regular use. Read the full review: Honeywell HPA300
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The best smart air purifier
What you need to know The Blueair HealthProtect 7470i offers a very modern and sleek design, with a white casing measuring 27.2 x 11.8 x 11.8 inches. It’s the heaviest air purifier we’ve tested, weighing 27.6 pounds — so it’s not the one for you if you’re after something portable, despite the built-in wheels to help with this. It comes with an abundance of features, including smart connectivity, which allows you to monitor and control it via your phone, and would suit rooms of up to 418 sq ft. Design: This air purifier comes with three default fan speeds, although the app will give you access to more, as well as an auto and night mode. It’s got an LCD screen on top of the device that gives you up-to-date information on what it’s sensing including the local temperature, filter lifetime remaining, and the relative humidity of the room. Plus, with two lights on the front — one representing gas pollutants and the other for larger particles — this air purifier has the clearest indicator of air quality we’ve seen. It comes with a unique HEPASilent Ultrafilter as well as a “GermShield” mode that claims to activate when it’s in a “germ-prone environment”. Performance: With a CADR of 270, 275 and 280 across smoke, dust and pollen, this air purifier is a strong performer which will suit rooms of up to 418 sq ft. It would perhaps suit those who struggle with pollen allergies the most due to its excelled performance in this field. Even though it is the quietest of the bunch at just 48dB on its highest setting, it’s also worth mentioning that it tends to use more energy than other devices at 0.241 kWh in 24 hours, so all that data comes at a cost. The app does improve the overall performance though in terms of better accessibility and additional settings — one feature solely possible through its app is the capability to dim all the lights while keeping the fan at a particular setting. Ease of use: This air purifier offers more information than most, so the monitor on top will take some getting used to. However, it’s fairly intuitive to operate, and the filter is easy to change. The app itself is also very simple to use and every feature is conveniently located on one page. Its quick to navigate and deduce the current conditions of the room across different PM sizes. Value for money: This is no doubt an expensive air purifier — at over $750 MSRP, it’s more than twice the price of our current winner. And the replacement filters aren’t exactly cheap either at $90. However, it is a very good air purifier, which provides more information than you can get from most. Value for money depends on how much you value that information. Read the full review: Blueair HealthProtect 7470i
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Most energy efficient air purifier
What you need to know The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH offers a smaller footprint than those listed so far, measuring 16.8 x 18.3 x 9.6 inches. Don’t mistake this for meaning it’s more portable though, as it still weighs 12.3 pounds — this isn’t easy to lug around despite the included handle. While compact, it will suit rooms of up to 384 sq ft. Design: There are five different fan speed options to choose from, including useful auto and eco modes. While auto mode allows it to automatically adjust its fan speed depending on the current quality of air, eco mode will switch it to standby if it senses no change in the conditions of the air for a period of time. There’s also a specialized Ionizer option on top, which will disperse negative ions to improve the quality of the air it filters. In addition, there’s a timer for one, four and eight hours, and an indicator to change the carbon and HEPA filters. Lastly, an indicator light shows the current quality of the air. There’s no night mode, but you can dim the lights by holding down the Ionizer button. Performance: It achieved a CADR of 247.5, 232.3, 241.3, with a similar performance across smoke, dust and pollen. While this is a little lower than those mentioned above, it’s worth accounting for the size difference, which is why this air purifier features so high on the list. It was also top of the class for energy consumption, requiring just 0.082 kWh over 24 hours. Taking account of the eco setting as well, air purifiers won’t get much greener. Where it falls down however is noise — it produced 36.8dB on the lowest setting and 58.3dB on its highest, which is pretty surprising considering the size. Ease of use: It’s very straightforward to set up and operate, with the buttons on the control panel clearly labeled and responsive. It’s compact enough to hide it out of sight when required as well. Value for money: The air purifier itself will set you back $170 up front, which isn’t bad. Running it will be equally cheap with a very low energy consumption. However, the replacement filters do cost $40 a pop, and will need changing every six months to a year. So this is worth bearing in mind. Read the full review: Coway Airmega AP-1512HH
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Best air purifier for technology buffs
What you need to know The Winix 5500-2 likely won’t win any beauty contests with its appearance, measuring 23.6 x 15 x 8.2 inches with a black plain casing and vents scored across its front. However, it’s still a strong performer, achieving a decent CADR across the board and featuring a design which is very accessible. Plus, if you love unusual tech, the “Plasmawave” technology is sure to raise a few eyebrows. It suits rooms up to 360 sqft. ✅ You want unique technology: This air purifier features “Plasmawave” technology. The premise behind this is that it creates hydroxyls that easily attach to other molecules to neutralize the air faster. ✅ You want washable filters: Both the pre-filter and carbon filter layers on this model are washable, which means you can extend the lifespan, however the HEPA filter layer is not, so you will still need to buy replacements when necessary. ❌ You want an attractive air purifier: The design for the Winix 5500-2 is rather large and plain, with a plastic finish. It will not be in keeping with those who care about aesthetics. ❌ You care about background noise: This air purifier gets rather loud on its highest fan speed, measuring 59.8dB in our tests. It’s not so bad on its lowest setting, but the added noise when it’s working at its hardest may not suit some. Design: The Winix 5500-2 comes with several settings, including an auto setting, a night mode and four fan speeds as well as an air quality indicator. There’s also a timer with one, four or eight hour options. The air quality indicator shines blue for good, amber for fair and red for poor, and when the auto function is selected it will adjust its fan speed accordingly. The remote control lets you adjust the fan speed from afar, however you can’t select the Plasmawave function, timer or night mode. This air purifier comes with a pre-filter and carbon filter layer, both of which are washable, and a HEPA filter. It’s worth flagging that it’s quite a heavy design, weighing 15 pounds, so you won’t want to move it often. Performance: In terms of CADR, this air purifier scored 232, 243 and 246 for smoke, dust and pollen. This puts it amongst some of the top performers in our test, especially for pollen. It was also the runner up for energy consumption, requiring only 0.105 kWh over 24 hours — so it won’t cost an arm and a leg to run. Noise was admittedly a little hit and miss; it was fairly quiet on its lowest setting at 35.3dB, however it reached 59.8dB at maximum, which was second only to the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto at 60.8dB. In terms of the Plasmawave technology, we didn’t notice any specific change to the air purifier when it was activated. But, with such high CADRs, it does question its necessity. Ease of use: This air purifier is very straightforward to use, made all the easier by the useful remote control. We didn’t even have to refer to the manual during testing. The filters just snap into place when they require replacing as well. Value for money: The air purifier itself comes with an MSRP of $249, but you can often find it on sale for $159. This makes it reasonably priced, especially if you get it on sale. Running it is pretty cheap too because of the low energy consumption. However, with replacement filters costing $80, it could cost more in the long run. Read the full review: Winnix 5500-2
The best value for small spaces
What you need to know The Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto offers a small and effective design, measuring 16.7 x 7.9 x 7.9 inches while suiting rooms up to 190 sq ft. It has a neat and pleasing appearance — looking somewhat like a large battery with a fitted pre-filter skirt and a single button on top. There’s a range of pre-filter colors available, including pink, blue and green, so this could easily suit a kid’s bedroom. Design: While it has one button to control everything, this air purifier still has plenty of settings. There are three fan speeds, the lowest of which acts as a night mode and a separate auto setting. There’s a light on the front to indicate the quality of the air and the button on top also acts as a filter replacement indicator. The only thing that’s really missing is a timer, but otherwise you have everything you need. Inside, you will find a HEPASilent and carbon filter to deodorize. Performance: The performance may not seem strong with CADRs of 123, 107 and 96 across smoke, dust and pollen. However, low CADRs do not necessarily equate to a poor product, they just mean it won’t suit larger spaces. So, as long as the room is no more than 190 sq ft, you can expect a premium performance. We also found this air purifier to be quiet in operation (51.6 dB at max) and energy efficient (consuming 0.154 kWh over 24 hours), so what’s not to like? Ease of use: With one button to control everything, ease of use couldn’t be more obvious. Although you will have to cycle through if you miss a setting. The filters are easy to switch out as well. Value for money: This air purifier costs just $139, which makes it pretty great value — although keep in mind it is only designed to manage a small space. Filters cost $20 as well, so upkeep is pretty minimal. Read the full review: Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto
How we tested the best air purifiers
How we tested the best air purifiers
In order to come up with our list of the best air purifiers, we first researched a number of models on other reviews sites and online retailers to identify some of the more popular models. We then narrowed our list down to 10 air purifiers that we decided to test for this roundup. Testing involved two steps: Lab tests and in-home tests. Laboratory testing We compared the CADR of each air purifier to get an accurate representation of the performance. If a CADR rating was not supplied by the manufacturer, we sent it off to a lab to get our own rating — we used SGS IBR Laboratories for this test. The lab calculated the CADR for each pollutant by using the AHAM AC-1 testing method. This involves sealing the air purifier into a dedicated test chamber and then administering tobacco smoke, dust or pollen particulate into the atmosphere at a controlled rate. Each particle test would be conducted two times — once with the air purifier switched on and once where it’s powered off. The natural decay rate from external elements, such as gravity, can then be accounted for and subtracted from the air purifier’s performance to give a final accurate reading. Electronic particle-counting devices are used to monitor the condition of the air quality, breaking down what sizes of particles remain in the atmosphere, as well as how frequent they are. Smoke, dust and pollen all represent alternate particle sizes and can help assess where the air purifier may excel or struggle. Smoke represents the smaller particles, accounting for 0.09-1.0 microns, while dust sits in the middle, from 0.5-3.0 microns. And pollen has a larger particle size of 0.5-11.0 microns. The room size recommendation is based on the smoke readings from the CADR test. According to AHAM Verifide (opens in new tab): ‘The Room Size in square feet is calculated based on the removal of at least 80 percent of smoke particles in a steady-state room environment, assuming one air change per hour with complete mixing in the room.’ This is a widely recognized testing protocol for air purifiers, and one of the few ways with which you can compare performance. For those brands that already provided a CADR, we checked they had the certificate to prove it. That way, we made sure each device got the same treatment. It should be noted that though a device may have a low CADR score, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad air purifier. But, this does mean it will struggle in larger rooms. In-home testing We then conducted a home test separately to compare the design and ease of use of each air purifier in a real world environment. For energy, we hooked up each device to an electricity usage monitor and ran it for a full 24 hours. To figure out the noise output, we used a decibel meter and ran the purifiers at a set distance of three feet away on both the lowest and highest possible fan settings. We also took an ambient room reading to make sure that the fan noise was not being overpowered by the outside world. We considered all kinds of factors as part of these in-house tests, from the length of the cord to the plug, to whether the model oscillates. The overall set up and the clarity of the manuals was taken into account as well. With all of this, we were able to create a scoring system to summarize the overall experience. Once all these scores were totted up, we got the average ratings that you see above.
Why are there no Dyson air purifiers in our list?
We tested the Dyson Pure Cool TP01 air purifier to the same standard as those above, and unfortunately it did not deliver a comparable standard of performance. Our lab tests revealed a CADR of 71.7 for smoke, 68.5 for dust and 72.8 for pollen. These were the lowest CADR scores of all of the air purifiers we tested, with only IKEA’s FÖRNUFTIG air purifier coming close. In accordance with these ratings, the Dyson Pure Cool TP01 is recommended for room sizes up to 111 square feet, which is minimal and impractical for most homes. It’s certainly appealing for its unique appearance and modern design, plus it offers some useful features such as a separate remote control and 10 fan speeds. However, considering its price of $399, we were expecting more in terms of features. There’s no auto setting, which most air purifiers offer nowadays. This allows the air purifier to adjust its fan speed in accordance with the current condition of the air. Without it, you need to adjust the speed manually and potentially waste more energy than necessary. There’s also no smart connectivity or night mode, which is a big disappointment — you need to upgrade to the TP02 model ($499.99) to get all of the above. The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto costs less by comparison, and comes with an auto as well as a night mode. As a result, the Dyson Pure Cool TP01 didn’t make the cut, and missed featuring in our best air purifiers list. It’s a great-looking fan, but we wouldn’t recommend it as an air purifier based on the CADR results. In response to this result, Dyson issued the following statement: “CADR is a measurement of how fast a purifier can clean the air in a small, controlled chamber that has one sensor and a fan to circulate the air. Dyson feels that assessing purification performance by the CADR test alone can sometimes be misleading to consumers because the numerical result is unrepresentative of performance in a real-world environment. Our philosophy is that to truly purify a whole room properly a purifier needs to automatically sense pollutants, capture them effectively, and project clean air to every corner of a large room, representative of real homes. We champion testing that evaluates all three aspects of purification performance rather than focusing solely on speed. Dyson engineers spent years developing such a test (that we call the POLAR test) that more accurately represents a real home to assess how well purifiers clean the entire room. Based on the POLAR test, Dyson Purifiers are rated ‘Excellent’ as are some others available on the market. An air purifier achieves an ‘Excellent’ rating in the POLAR test if it can reduce PM2.5 particle concentration below 12 μg/m3. This is based on the US EPA’s 2012 annual PM2.5 exposure standard.”
CADR Results
Air purifier sales and deals
Want to invest in a new air purifier? Check out our air purifier sales and deals page first to grab a bargain. Some of our favorite brands have made an appearance, so it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Is an air purifier actually worth it?
While air purifiers are designed to neutralize and sanitize air pollution, its performance and worth depends on the model you own. Not all air purifiers are suited to remove every allergen, so it’s important to check the product description for a clean air delivery rate (CADR). The higher the CADR, the most effective it is of trapping airborne particles. Similarly, air purifiers with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter is a good indicator of having a high CADR. In any case, air purifiers are much more effective than houseplants when it comes to cleaning your air. If you find an air purifier with a proven performance in terms of CADR and its suited to the allergens you want removing, you’ve got the best chance of it making a difference to your home environment. However, if you want to see the actual impact your air purifier is making, you can always opt for a model which displays live data, either on the air purifier or on your phone, such as the Blueair HealthProtect 7470i.
What exactly do air purifiers do?
If you want to know how do air purifiers work, essentially each utilizes a powerful fan that sucks in air to go through one or more filters (HEPA). These filters trap and neutralize particles and pollutants as air passes over them before the air is recirculated. Some air purifiers also have ultraviolet filters and use light to destroy smaller molecules such as mold and bacteria. If you want to go above and beyond, also check out our tips for reducing allergens in your home.
How to choose the best air purifier
How to choose the best air purifier for you
If you’re buying an air purifier, there are several factors to consider. First, you want one which is simple to operate, with enough fan speeds to suit your needs. You also need one which will suit you space and work effectively — take a look at the suggested room size and CADR figures for guidance. Generally speaking, the higher the CADR, the better, although it may not be necessary if you’re purifying a small room. It’s also useful if your air purifier can display the live quality of the air, and adjust automatically to it — that way you don’t have to keep changing the settings yourself. Night modes are handy as well if you intend to use the appliance as you sleep. CADR ratings The effectiveness of an air purifier can be measured by the CADR (Clean air delivery rate). This number reveals its performance depending on a particular room size. The higher the number, the better it is at clearing airborne particles and the more effective it is at cleaning a larger space too. The numbers translate to how many cubic feet of air the purifier can clean per minute. The standard goal is to clean a full room’s worth of air in 15 minutes. So, for instance, a 300-square-foot room would need an air purifier with a CADR of 200 or so, assuming ceilings were 10 feet high and any doors and windows were closed. Some air purifiers come with different CADRs for smoke, pollen and dust, so you can see which it is most effective for. Not every purifier is tested using the CADR rating system, but real-life reviews can give you a sense of a device’s effectiveness if a rating isn’t available. Here are the minimum CADR ratings the Environmental Protection Agency recommends by room size: Filter types In general, you’ll want to look for a purifier that uses a true high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Government agencies and professional groups, including the EPA and the American Lung Association, recommend True HEPA filters as the standard for air purification. These filters trap 99.97% of particles that are at least 0.3 microns in size. Some devices have HEPA-type filters, which work similarly but aren’t held to the same performance standards. The IQAir HealthPro Plus uses a HyperHEPA filter, which is believed to capture even smaller particles than a True HEPA filter. Your purifier will likely also come with a pre-filter (some you can clean, some you have to toss after a few months) that catches the big stuff like pet fur and human hair before it reaches the main filter. Some devices have additional filters, like carbon or charcoal filters, that trap the petroleum-based gases known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Carbon filters also act as natural deodorizers, which makes them suited for the kitchen, too. Noise levels Air-purifier noise levels range from nearly silent to steady humming, like an AC unit. Depending on the fan speed you’re using and where you’re placing your purifier, you may prefer a quieter device. Many of us aren’t aware of the added costs when running an air purifier. Firstly, you should consider the cost of replacement filters, then there’s the energy needed to power the appliance on a regular basis. In terms of the filter replacement, some models are fitted with filters which can last for years, but can be very expensive to replace. Whereas others can be cheaper, but a replacement is needed much more often. To calculate the actual cost, you need to balance out the frequency of changing the filter with the cost per filter. OneLife’s new air purifier never needs its filter replaced if you really want to save! You should also take energy consumption into account. Some of the best air purifiers in our list are Energy Star Certified and these generally will save money in the long term. Bear in mind that different speeds and settings will affect how much energy it uses though. If an air purifier is designed to reach a large room and it uses a powerful fan to do so, it is likely to consume more energy than a smaller model, although efficiency can vary. One setting worth looking out for is an ‘Eco mode’ — this should save on energy use and makes the product more sustainable in operation. Extra features Some features are more nice-to-have extras than absolute requirements. In general, pricier purifiers come with more features, such as filter indicator lights, dimmable lights and programmable timers. Only one of the devices we recommend (the Winix 5500-2) comes with a remote control, but we’re not convinced that this adds a lot of value to the machine.
Do air purifiers help with Covid?
Although there haven’t been any specific air purifiers tested against the Covid-19 virus, the CDC recommends most top-rated air purifiers have efficient filters capable of capturing particles similar to coronavirus, and “can help prevent virus particles from accumulating in the air in your home”.
Should I get a smart air purifier?
Some modern air purifiers, such as the Blueair Health Protect 7470i, can be connected to the Wi-Fi and linked to an app on your smartphone. In doing this, you can control the air purifier remotely, including changing the fan speed or setting a schedule. For some air purifiers, the app will also breakdown the quality of the air and let you monitor it more precisely. This can give you a much better understanding of what’s in your air and you can see the effect the air purifier is having on it too. Using the Dyson air purifier app for instance, you can see the different levels of particulate matter as well as any volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen dioxide. This is usually displayed in a chart form so you can see where there’s been an increase in any air impurities. This can be a useful feature to have, particularly if you want to better understand your air and want to source where your allergies are coming from. It’s also nice to see the evidence that the air purifier is making a difference. Some apps will even display what the air is like outside as well, so you know not to leave when the pollen count is high or the general air quality is low.
