The Best Air Purifiers

Germ Guardian True HEPA Filter Air Purifier

Stink be gone

With a HEPA filter and an optional UV-C light, the air in your home will be fresh and clean.

Best Overall

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If you’re dealing with allergies, a quality air purifier can help eliminate one of the main culprits: environmental allergens. This unit can capture up to 99.97% of dust and allergens and can be used in rooms up to 167 square feet. It features a HEPA filter and a charcoal filter, and it also touts UV-C light technology that helps reduce odors, reduce airborne bacteria, and capture particles as small as .3 microns. It has even been independently tested to remove tobacco smoke from the air. The fan’s lowest speed setting (of which there are three) runs on ultra-quiet mode, which is perfect for when you’re trying to sleep.

Pros:

• Removes most allergens from the air
• Captures particles as small as .3 microns
• Energy efficient

Cons:

• Higher speed fan settings are not ultra-quiet

Winix 5300-2 Air Purifier

No guesswork

This air purifier monitors the air in your home and can turn on automatically when the air quality drops.

Best Features

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The air quality sensors on this air purifier are so helpful. You don’t have to worry about remembering to turn it on and off if you leave it in auto mode. There are also manual settings, so you can control when it runs. When you activate sleep mode, the unit senses the amount of light in the room. When it’s time for sleep, the fan speed lowers and the indicator lights all dim. This way, you aren’t disturbed by the lights or motor sound. This unit has a three-stage air purification process. There’s a carbon filter to help remove odors, a True HEPA filter to capture allergens down to .3 microns, and the company’s proprietary PlasmaWave technology that can break down pollutants at a molecular level without emitting ozone.

Pros:

• Filters up to 360 square feet
• Auto and Sleep Mode features
• Four-speed fan

Cons:

• No remote control included

Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier

Large and in charge

This air purifier works great in larger rooms to take care of the whole family.

Best For Large Spaces

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If you’re looking for a quiet air purifier with a little bit of style, this one is for you. This unit’s washable pre-filter is exposed on the outside housing of the unit, creating a decorative touch. With a special polypropylene filter, this unit runs more quietly than most other purifiers. Since it only uses 60 watts when running on high, we consider it very energy efficient. And most importantly, it works well. It draws in air from all sides and traps pollutants down to 2.5 microns. Additionally, there is a ring of carbon inside the filter that helps eliminate odors. A convenient indicator light lets you know when it’s time to change the filter.

Pros:

• Colorful, washable pre-filter
• Very quiet
• Covers a large space

Cons:

• Replacement filters are expensive

Hamilton Beach TrueAir Air Purifier

Bright horizons

You can position this air purifier horizontally or vertically to best fit into your space.

Best Value

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You don’t have to spend a fortune to have cleaner air in your home. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, this is one of the best there is. The HEPA-grade filter is permanent, so you won’t need to spend additional money buying replacement filters; instead, you simply vacuum it clean when it’s dirty. It captures particles as small as 3 microns, including dust, dander, mold, and smoke. There’s a 3-speed fan so you can control the air cleaning speed, too.  You can also use this air filter either horizontally or vertically, making it a versatile option. It’s very compact and doesn’t take up much space, but it still purifies the air in rooms up to 160 square feet.

Pros:

• Budget-friendly
• No replacement filters needed
• Compact

Cons:

• HEPA-grade filter instead of a true HEPA filter

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a true HEPA filter?

HEPA is an abbreviation that stands for high-efficiency particulate air. A true HEPA filter is powerful, capturing 99.97% of air particles. And while HEPA-type filters trap almost as many (99%), the size of particles caught is the biggest difference between the two. True HEPA filters can eliminate much smaller particles than HEPA-type filters. True HEPA filters can capture particles that are down to 0.3 microns. HEPA-type filters can only capture particles that are 2 microns or larger. If you have a medical need for purified air, the True HEPA filter will likely be what your doctor recommends.

How do air purifiers work?

Air purifiers have two main components: fans and filters. The fan sucks in the air from the room and forces it through the filter. Most units have multiple speeds on the fan. The faster the fan is blowing, the more quickly you can purify the air in a room. The fan also pushes clean air back into the room. As the air is getting cleaned, the filter is working. Filters are usually made of paper, fiber, or cloth that traps the particles and allows the clean air to flow through. You will usually need to replace the filters to ensure your unit keeps working. That’s because all of those particles from your home build up on the filter over time.