We Tested 44 Air Purifiers Over 2 Months — These 13 Were the Best

The first thing I noticed when testing air purifiers was how hard it was to find one that didn’t have a large footprint and was still effective. Some of the smaller air purifiers out there didn’t offer strong results, while others that were highly effective took up a lot of space and were designed to purify well over 1,000 sq ft.

The Dr. Mercola True HEPA Air Purifier is the perfect mix of small space–friendly and incredibly effective. It uses a four-stage purification process to capture and cleanse contaminants. It can capture contaminants as small as 0.3 microns, helping ensure that not a spot of dust or pollen is missed.

I didn’t tell my husband I was testing out an air purifier. Instead, I set it up, turned it on, and relaxed for a few minutes while it worked. My husband walked in and said: “The air feels really clean. What’s happening?” That alone was impressive.

However, his follow-up question was wondering what that loud noise was, which brings me to this machine’s greatest drawback: the noise. The noise isn’t louder than a vacuum, and it certainly wasn’t disruptive enough to interrupt my son’s nap or make my cats scurry away. But it was loud enough that I could consistently notice it. Another issue is that the instructions clearly state not to place this unit on the floor while running it. The instructions also say not to have it within 1 foot (ft) of a wall. This led me to get creative in finding a space for it. All said, I was pleased with the results, leading me to overlook these issues.

Most air purifiers aren’t the most attractive machines. They’re often large and industrial-looking, with hard beige plastic and grey accents, making them a dead giveaway for a household appliance. Add in a loud noise while the filtration process is happening, and you might as well be running a chunky grey vacuum.

The Bloom Air Purifier from Dupray is the perfect antidote to this issue. This sleek and slim air purifier was created with aesthetics in mind, making it our pick for the best-designed air purifier.

It has a small footprint, making it great for a variety of spaces. It is 13 inches (in) wide and about 19 in tall; although if you add a plant, it could reach over 3 ft. This convenient size means you can easily tuck it into a corner. It looks great, too: Even without the tabletop or planter added, it still isn’t an eyesore. You can even add a tabletop, so it can double as an accent table. It doesn’t come with a plant, but the company recommends spathiphyllum, monstera, zamioculcas, and anthurium as excellent options.

Cleaning up to 1,517 sq ft within an hour, this air purifier packs serious power. “This purifier is just a room over from our litter box … and I found it to really make the whole room generally just smell better,” said Everyday Health editorial director Simone Scully. Scully also appreciated the wide range of colors, ensuring it could fit right in with any decor style. Heads up: Scully found this purifier difficult to set up and noticed it was rather heavy when used as a planter. Those quirks aside, we can’t get over this purifier’s brilliant design. 

The Honeywell Allergen Plus HEPA Air Purifier received a rave review from writer Caitlin Beale, RDN. This air purifier can clean up to 1,700 sq ft within one hour. It also has a light that signals when it’s time to change the filter and has a built-in air-quality monitor. Beale especially liked the quiet clean setting for its ultra-quiet operation and the fact that it is optimized to capture small particles.

This purifier is light and easy to move, with a built-in handle that makes transporting it very convenient. This is key. Some purifiers can be rather heavy and bulky, making them a pain to move, even just into the next room.

When Beale used the purifier, she was struck by how less stuffy the room felt. “[I] noticed a lot of pet hair gathering at the bottom, showing that it was working hard to clean,” she said. This note makes us confident that the purifier is perfect for those whose allergies are triggered by pet dander.

Keep in mind that the brand recommends changing filters at least three times a year, and no extra filters are included with the purifier. This can add up to be a bit costly. Yet, this isn’t unique to this purifier. “That seems to be in line with most filters,” Beale said. It also isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing. But it is petite enough to tuck into an unassuming spot in your home, so you can count on it likely going unnoticed. 

A home can trap nasty odors, from litter box stenches to the scent of cooked fish and every unsavory aroma in between. To get rid of odors, it’s key to have a strong air purifier to cleanse the air. But bad odors aren’t the only concern here. An air purifier can be another way to support your health. A recent study suggests that air purifiers can help trap particles linked with the coronavirus. Plus, these devices can kill the stale, stuffy smell a home can take on when someone is holed up in there while sick.

Lasko’s GermGuardian 4-in-1 HEPA Air Purifier uses a UV-C light to kill pesky germs. It can clean the air in a room of up to 743 sq ft in an hour, and it’s excellent for odor reduction. Plus, it costs under $100. These are the reasons we’ve nominated it as the best air purifier for odors.

Something we are never too keen on is when an air purifier is hard to use. This one is easy to set up and comes with a built-in air-quality monitor. Health writer SaVanna Shoemaker, RDN, liked the plug-and-play quality of this one. “This is a very straightforward air purifier. You just plug it in and turn it on,” she said. She was impressed with how effective the purifier is: “The air felt cleaner, and it really helped to pull lingering odors out of the air, too.”

While it does have an air-quality monitor built in, it doesn’t have a numerical rating, so don’t expect super-precise readings. The machine does get a bit louder when the air quality is poor; while this may be annoying, you may also appreciate that you have proof the purifier is working hard to clean your air.

There’s nothing worse than sneezing and coughing due to allergies in your own home. Whether it’s pet dander, a pile-up of dust, or particles tied to the turn of the seasons, you can use an air purifier to help clean the air so you can enjoy your space again. The Blueair Classic Pro CP7i was independently tested and certified by the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification Program, making it our top pick as the best air purifier for allergies.

Having personally tested this purifier, I can assure you that it is a luxury product. Its design is sleek, and it has an app that lets you operate it from afar. It is extremely quiet and has one of the highest purification cycles I’ve ever heard of, cleaning 1,400 sq ft in just half an hour. I have two cats and a home that tends to get dusty. While I don’t have any known allergies, I can get congested and sneeze pretty easily due to the irritants in our air. I ran this purifier and noticed a significant difference within just 30 minutes. The air felt crisp, I wasn’t sneezing at all, and I even noticed that my son didn’t sneeze for the rest of the day.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t a light machine. While it has wheels so you can transport it without major hassle, it does take up a significant amount of space. It’s also a splurge, coming in at nearly $700 on the Blueair website. But I was so impressed by the machine’s effectiveness and ability to purify the air quickly that I’d say it’s well worth the cost. 

When using an air purifier, you likely want it to be rather inconspicuous. A loud machine can be a pain to have in the family room, lest it interrupt movie night. And it can be a nonstarter for nurseries, since babies are famously sensitive sleepers.

We were interested in finding an air purifier with a small footprint that was extremely quiet. The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty is a petite machine that is nearly silent, has a built-in air-quality monitor, and truly cleans the air. This is why we’ve named it the quietest air purifier out there.

Writer Marisa Olsen was quick to sing this machine’s praises. “I began at the lowest setting, Auto 1, and you can barely hear it,” she said. She noted that if you use it on setting three, which is best reserved for times of high air pollution, like when cooking, the noise kicks up to that of a quiet air conditioner. This is all to say that even at its loudest, this purifier is still rather quiet.

We like that this machine has a special filter specifically designed to minimize odors, too. This purifier weighs 12.3 pounds (lbs), so it’s on the lighter side. While it has a handle tucked into the machine for carrying, the handle is awkwardly placed, so it doesn’t make moving the purifier from room to room much easier. The machine does have quite a few parts, so just know that when it’s time to clean and change filters, you’ll have to navigate that. “Overall, all parts seem manageable,” Olsen says, confident it wouldn’t be much of an issue.

Having clean air shouldn’t be a luxury, yet many air purifiers we found were well over $200. The ones under $200 often have poor warranties or don’t deliver the best results. The Coway Airmega 100 with true HEPA filter comes in at $80, has a small footprint, is extremely easy to set up, comes with a three-year warranty, and presents clear evidence that it is getting the job done. That’s why it won our vote for the best value air purifier.

While this purifier wasn’t whisper quiet as advertised, the hum of it working away wasn’t an issue. “I also noticed there is way less dust in my room since having the purifier going constantly during testing,” Swanson said, noting it was clear that this purifier was pulling its weight. Plus, its small footprint and light weight (under 8 lbs) make it easy to move from room to room.

However, Swanson was disheartened to learn that there is no indicator of the filter needing to be changed quickly. “It means that one day, the replace-filter light is going to go off, and it will be a surprise,” she said. Still, its value can’t be beat. “For this price, you do get a unit that works really well.” We’ll take it.

The Blueair 2-in-1 Purify + Humidify machine offers quiet air purification while a mist-free humidifier nixes any dryness in the air. It isn’t hard on the eyes thanks to its sleek, clean, white design, and it has a small footprint, so you can easily tuck it away in the kids’ bedroom.

Olsen especially enjoyed this purifier’s app functions. “I’m a huge fan of the app; you can change and control settings, and I appreciate all of the data,” she said. She especially liked being able to see the humidity, particle level, and the air quality indicator. Plus, you can create a custom daily schedule in the app. “This is ideal for families or when adults are not frequently home,” she said. For example, you can have the humidifier set to run throughout the day so the air is cool and clean by the time the kids are picked up from school.

But all of these extra features don’t come without some extra legwork. “There seem to be a lot of components to maintain and clean,” Olsen said. It took about 10 minutes to set up, which isn’t a ton of time in the grand scheme of things, but it can feel like an eternity when you’re up against the limited time that comes with parenthood. It also weighs about 14 lbs, so it isn’t a light load. Luckily, there are handles that make it easy to transport.

If you’re investing in an air purifier, you’re likely looking for just one to get the job done. After all, purchasing multiple units can be costly. But if you live in a large home (we’re talking over 2,000 sq ft), you might be stumped on how to find a purifier powerful enough to take on all of that space.

This is where the Alen BreatheSmart 75i comes in. This mighty purifier cleans up to 2,800 sq ft within an hour, and it’s certified by the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification Program. It’s marketed as an ideal unit for large open-concept spaces, such as a large kitchen or an expansive dining room. Swanson was pleased with the effects this purifier had on her home, noting its effectiveness in a room with high ceilings. This is why it has nabbed our pick for the best air purifier for large spaces.

Swanson tested this out in her living room, an open-concept, 1,400 sq ft space with 20-ft ceilings. She noticed that the smells of food and pet dander disappeared when using this. Plus, she had less dust when this purifier was running, which is no easy task with that large of a space.

The biggest thing to watch out for is the noise. “We were watching a movie at the time and all of a sudden, it went into ‘high’ mode,” Swanson said. The noise was so disruptive, they couldn’t hear the television. After that, she moved the purifier to a different room where the jump in noise level wouldn’t be as troublesome. This is also a rather large machine, but you can use different panels, like wood paneling, to customize it to match your aesthetic. We love this as a solution and, quirks aside, are confident it's the best option for large spaces. 

Smart air purifiers can be handy, but sometimes they can just be too complicated. The benefit is having an app that lets you control your purifier from afar and provides important information, like the remaining life of your filter and air quality. Unfortunately, some smart air-purifier apps can have a lengthy setup process or a headache-inducing design.

The Levoit Core 600S-P is the perfect middle ground for a smart air purifier. It offers the ease and convenience of a smart purifier with an easy app, but can be used sans app if you’re not up for the tech challenge. This is why it won our vote for the best smart air purifier.

Shoemaker was quick to praise the app integration. “I like how it presents your air quality information so nicely and that you can control it using the app, set timers, etc.,” she said. But she also appreciated that the app isn’t required. This is a key benefit. An app relies on WiFi, a basic level of technological literacy, and the motivation to troubleshoot tech issues from time to time. For these reasons, it isn’t for everyone.

While the optional use of the app expands accessibility, the actual buttons on the machine are rather difficult to see. “It may not be the easiest for older people or people with vision problems because it is hard to tell what each button does, and they can be hard to see,” Shoemaker said. She also shared that filter replacements cost about $60 each, but some were able to find compatible dupes online, which keeps costs down significantly. All in all, she was impressed by the machine’s sleek design and noted that the app runs smoothly, especially compared to its competitors. 

There are plenty of air purifiers that clean the air and provide some intel on your home’s air quality. However, that information can leave much to be desired. While it’s good to know when air quality is improving and seeing proof of that improvement, it can be frustrating not to know what specific pollutants are in the air.

The Dyson Humidify + Cool PH2 De-NOx purifier is a unique find. It cleans the air, humidifies it, tracks your home’s air quality over time, and identifies the main pollutants in the air. That’s why it wins our vote as the best air purifier for real-time air quality tracking.

Scully had a chance to try this unit out and was impressed with its effectiveness. She placed it in her home near her cat’s litter boxes and noticed a difference. “It would kick up after my cats would use the litter box … and while I was dusting,” she said. “I put it in my kitchen between the kitchen, bathroom, and utility room (and where we have our cat litter boxes), and it does seem to cut down on smell.”

Scully also loved that the Dyson identified the dominant pollutants in the air, providing useful insights into her home’s air quality. (The top pollutant in Scully’s home ended up being formaldehyde.) She also appreciated how quiet it was and found the app to be extremely useful.

But at nearly $1,000, this is a pricey option. Plus, Scully noted that it isn’t the most attractive appliance. “It’s very big and industrial,” she said. Still, if having a multi-functional air purifier is important to you, then this may be worth the splurge. 

Air purifiers can be a real eyesore. While there may be places to tuck them away in common living areas, they can ruin the aesthetic in smaller spaces like the bedroom. This air purifier from Windmill is design-forward, lightweight, and has a reasonable footprint, making it an excellent match for bedrooms.

Style aside, this purifier remains focused on effectiveness as well. It cleans up to 1,950 sq ft per hour, which is suitable for even a large bedroom. We also love that it has an auto mode that adjusts the air purifier settings according to the air quality.

An issue to consider is its noise level. “It’s pretty quiet when low, but gets louder than what you’d expect for something that claims to be ‘whisper quiet,’” Scully said. Also, the only way to check your air quality is through the app. However, Scully, who has allergies, did feel that the Windmill made a difference: “I do think that I noticed less odors and honestly, had fewer issues with allergies. I understand why it says it’s allergist recommended — that seems to be true.”

Some may choose to hang plants in their home to enjoy the cleansing properties of greenery. Or you could opt to get this air filter. According to the company, the Briiv 2 Air Filter is the equivalent of having 3,043 houseplants in your home. Using green moss, coconut fiber, and activated charcoal derived from discarded walnut husks to pull odors and harmful particles from the air, this is the freshest take on air purification we’ve ever seen.

Thanks to the inclusion of all of these natural elements, you can expect a noticeable difference in air quality. Scully enthused that “it looks and smells really good, and I do think it does help overall.” While it is unique and quite gorgeous, it’s on the pricey side. And although there is an app, it lacks instructions on how to connect it to the purifier. But if you’re in the market for a unique splurge and can overlook the app issue, then this could be the product for you.