The 10 Best Air Purifiers, According to Our Lab Tests

Table Of Content

• EdenDirect 5-Speed White True HEPA Air Purifier (Covers: 4555-sq ft)
• Best Air Purifier for Pet Owners
• Understanding Whole House Air Purifiers - Units vs Coverage
• Molekule: Some of the worst air purifiers we’ve ever tested
• Best Whole House Air Purifier: Our Top Picks
• Levoit Core P350 Pet Care True HEPA Purifier
• How to check your air quality
• Q&A: Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) System Filters and Furnace Filters

When planning for the installation of a whole-house air purification system, homeowners will want to account for additional costs and considerations that go beyond the initial purchase price of the unit. While not all of the following factors may be necessary, understanding how they influence air purifier prices can help homeowners avoid costly surprises. A whole-house air purifier can be configured to fit different homes and personal needs. With the average American spending 90% of their time indoors, it’s no wonder that the EPA calls indoor air pollution one of the top five environmental risks to public health. Portables can also be noisy because it takes a lot of wind to push air through such a fine filter.

EdenDirect 5-Speed White True HEPA Air Purifier (Covers: 4555-sq ft)

And it’s a tall, garish device that won’t blend into any decor outside of an Alien set. It’s sharp-looking, with a clean rectangular form and a muted, matte finish available in several colors. But at its typical price of $190, it’s too pricey for a machine made for spaces no larger than a bedroom.

Best Air Purifier for Pet Owners

Dan DiClerico has extensively tested and written about air purifiers for over 20 years. He has also spearheaded numerous investigative reports on the topic of indoor air quality, working closely with outside experts from government, industry and the home services spaces. In her former role as chief technologist and director of engineering at the Institute, Rachel helped develop the test protocol for this category. With regard to indoor air quality, she is a leading advocate for the adoption of rigorous industry standards. Rachel has also tested dozens of air purifiers in recent years at her home on Long Island, NY. For example, the much-hyped, sleek-looking IKEA Förnuftig can only capture 99.5% of smaller airborne particles.

Understanding Whole House Air Purifiers - Units vs Coverage

Through our air purifier testing, we've found that sometimes extra features can diminish the appeal of the product. However, we found the Bionaire BAP0041UVWH True HEPA 360-degree Air Purifier offered the perfect balance of effective air purification and thoughtful onboard features. While this air purifier was one of the louder models during our latest round of testing (when on its highest setting), it was very effective at reducing PM 2.5 and TVOC in our testing room. While we had a hard time discerning if the air purifier was even working on its silent (lowest) setting—props to the quiet operation—it did a great job of purifying the air in our testing room. We only noticed minimal lingering scents, but the haze from our incense had completely cleared. This model’s performance was also just as powerful, if not more on its highest level.

Molekule: Some of the worst air purifiers we’ve ever tested

If neither of those is a deal breaker for you, the Dyson Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde won’t disappoint when it comes to optimizing your home’s indoor air quality. While we loved the design and durability of the Levoit Core P350 Pet Care True HEPA Purifier, we weren't as impressed by its other features, and there was no app integration. Additionally, it was not as quick to remove dust, pet dander, airborne contaminants, and smoke.

Best Whole House Air Purifier: Our Top Picks

I appreciate it most whenever we cook, and the fumes and smoke fill up the living room (since our kitchen is windowless and relatively unventilated). Each time, the Sans blinks and signals an upward motion, telling us where the air impurities were. It has a HEPA 13 medical grade filter, which is said to remove 99.97% of air bacteria. It’s particularly amazing in winter, when the last thing you want to do is keep the windows open for the freezing cold air to clear everything out. Some companies try selling you additional extended warranty while some try to take your contact details for this.

This company just bioengineered a plant-bacteria combo to clean air better than an air purifier - TechRadar

This company just bioengineered a plant-bacteria combo to clean air better than an air purifier.

Posted: Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:00:21 GMT [source]

Levoit Core P350 Pet Care True HEPA Purifier

As a general guideline, you need to go for a model whose coverage is a bit larger than your home’s real size to make sure you are making the most out of it. If you’re looking for a model with very wide coverage, we recommend you to choose the AIRMEGA 400. The only real issue with this otherwise wonderful machine is that it can get somewhat noisy, at least when compared to other purifiers. While its maximum dB level of 49 is not terribly loud on its own, it is more than double the amount of many other models. This helps to keep the device running as smoothly as possible since you won’t ever overuse a filter as long as you are paying attention to this easy to see indicator.

We also like that you have the option to use it with Wi-Fi to change settings and monitor it right from your phone. Plus, it features a mood light function, which turns the lights up or down depending on how much light is in the room. Not only did it remove contaminants from the air, but it also effectively removed odors within the testing time, leaving our area smelling fresher than before. On its highest setting, the noise is tolerable, and you can easily talk over it—although it might be too distracting to watch TV with it on. But, if you want to run it at night there is a whisper setting where it quietly cleans the air at a 30dB level, so it won’t disturb you while you sleep. Just remember, using an air purifier through the night will require more energy consumption, so this will increase the running costs.

Q&A: Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) System Filters and Furnace Filters

As is the case with the best fans and air conditioners, some air purifiers are quieter than others, producing more noise as their levels go up. Many product descriptions note, in decibels (dB), the sound produced by the purifier, and we've listed those in every product's key specifications so you can clearly see what kind of noise you're in for. While this model may seem intimidating with its number of filters and smart capabilities, like remote monitoring, we found it’s actually very easy to use. We appreciate that the protective plastic cover labels each of the indicator lights on the unit, so you’re familiar with the settings before removing the packaging. The filter cover panel also has a list of each of the filters on the inside with the order that they go in, so you never have to wonder which filter nests in the other. The Rabbit Air A3 Ultra Quiet Air Purifier ups the ante even more with a low decibel level (think, whisper-quiet) on all settings and an even larger coverage area than its predecessor.

If you want to monitor the air quality levels in your home or keep tabs on filter life, look for an air purifier that can be paired with an app. If you’re easily overstimulated by loud noises, consider an air purifier that has different modes so you can adjust the speed of the internal fan. Next, we evaluated the design of each air purifier, based on the build quality, aesthetics, design features, and footprint. We then used a decibel meter to record the noise levels of each air purifier on its highest and lowest setting and took note of how noisy it sounded to them, too.

In that test, we learned we had to run the machines on high to maintain meaningful purification. Both models achieved this, cutting the particulates by half or more in 50 minutes. Most air purifiers arrive with the filters installed—but they are also sealed in plastic wrappers. The HEPA filters should have an arrow or other marking to indicate the correct orientation.

To reduce the potential for additional costs, homeowners will want to make sure the path leading to their HVAC system is free of obstructions, including furniture and stored items. If you notice that filters appear heavily soiled when you replace them, you should consider changing them more frequently. Nature fills us with joy, and this project intends to allow this concept to propagate within urban environments. By creating stackable pots and frames that come together in a versatile system, El Idrissi hopes it will encourage users to grow almost anything within the urban areas and gardens they have access to.

On average, adding an electrical outlet costs between $150 and $350, with the final number depending on how difficult the installation is and whether any other electrical work is needed. Homeowners will want to consider this potential cost when budgeting for a whole-house air purifier. Ozone generators that are sold as air cleaners intentionally produce the gas ozone. No federal government agency has approved these devices for use in occupied spaces.

The model line comes in five different sizes that target rooms ranging from small (75 square feet) to extra large (500 square feet). Our previous pick (now out of stock) fell in the middle with a 465 square feet maximum coverage area. This large-sized model claims to clean the air as often as five times an hour and remove up to 99.97% of airborne particles, including viruses. While this rate is good for capturing allergens, it's not the smallest capture rate we've seen in our testing. "Note that there are no widely used performance rating systems for portable air cleaners or filters designed to remove gasses," says Tim Carroll, EPA spokesperson. "Activated carbon filters can be effective [for removing gasses], provided that there is a large amount of material used in the filter."