Investing in an air purifier is a great idea, but the range of air purifiers is absolutely immense. Which are the best air purifiers? In this article, we’ll address that question. We’ll also outline what kind of things you should look out for in an air purifier, and what kind of things to avoid. This is all to help you choose the best air purifier for your home.
The benefits of air purifiers
Air purifiers have a large number of benefits. The best thing about them is obviously that they clean the air. But what does this mean? How is air dirty? The fact is, the air in our homes can be up to 100 times more toxic than the air outdoors! This is due to many things. Having pets at home increases the amount of dander and hair floating around the air. As humans, we shed skin cells which combine with dirt and other things to form dust. Build-ups of dust are particularly common in bedroom areas.
And with dust come dust mites. These critters don’t bite, but they can cause rashes and skin irritations. Their waste can also become airborne and if we breathe it in, it can cause respiratory issues and irritations. Further, those of us who live in cities have to deal with even more toxic pollution coming in through our doors and windows. Viruses and bacteria spread quickly in families because everyone is breathing the same air.
All in all, the air in our homes often gets very contaminated. This is where air purifiers come in. The best air purifiers can suck in all these allergens and contaminants, and some even eliminate them altogether! This rids your air of dust, pollen, bacteria and dust mite waste. The best air purifiers also eliminate odours, getting rid of cooking and smoke smells. Air purifiers can reduce the symptoms of allergies, asthma and hayfever because they trap all the particles that trigger these conditions. By clearing the air, they can also improve sleep quality. An air purifier by itself won’t protect you from viruses and infections, but they can definitely help you on this journey by keeping the air clean and ventilated.
What to look for and what to avoid
The best air purifiers should all have HEPA filters; these filters trap the highest amount of pollutants in the air. The best purifiers combine these filters with pre-filters and other layers of protection to trap a high quantity of particles of all different sizes. Something to avoid as much as possible is negative ion air purifiers or ozone air purifiers. Negative ion air purifiers produce ozone as a byproduct, and this is a lung irritant. Even small amounts of ozone can have very harmful effects on the respiratory system. If you have asthma or any other underlying breathing problems, stay well away from anything emitting ozone. The best air purifiers clean the air without releasing harmful gases into your home. Hence, none of the air purifiers we’ve reviewed are negative ion purifiers.
Best air purifier overall
General information
The overall best air purifier we’ve reviewed is the Alen BreatheSmart Classic P1000 air purifier. This removes allergens, mould, pollen, dust, pet odours, smoke, VOCs and other chemicals from the air. It has an extremely large cover area; it cleans around 102 square metres every 30 mins. The BreatheSmart classic has a HEPA silver carbon filter with a four-stage filtration system. This means it captures 99.97% of contaminants and allergens in the air. Its large coverage area makes it perfect for open-plan living spaces. The high-quality HEPA filter is long-lasting. This, coupled with Alen’s antimicrobial treatment kills bacteria and stops fungi and mould from spreading. Alen’s non-toxic odour-removing technology destroys unpleasant smells at a molecular level.
The BreatheSmart classic P1000 is also very quiet, allowing you to sleep with it on. Its display lighting darkens completely at the touch of a finger so you can sleep peacefully. Its sensor has three colour rings, indicating the level of pollution/contamination in the air. It automatically adjusts its speed depending on how dirty or clean the air is, thus, saving you money. There are four speeds; the 1st one is the gentlest and the quietest, and the fourth one is the loudest and most intense. The speeds can be adjusted manually if desired. Its filters last around 10-12 months, and the air purifier has a cord length of 1.75cm. This means it can be easily placed anywhere in the home. The air purifier’s power consumption can be from 0.6 to 75 watts.
Special features
One of the reasons this air purifier was chosen as overall best is due to its WhisperMax technology. This makes it incredibly quiet for an air purifier, which is especially important when you’re trying to sleep. The fan produces a pink noise rather than a white noise. Pink noise is a common signal in biological processes and systems. It’s a sonic hue/colour noise which is deeper than white noise. Rain or rustling leaves are pink noise sounds. Some evidence suggests it can calm brain waves and promote sleep-though more research needs to be done in this area.
Looking to cover a lot of square footage? Not a problem with the Alen BreatheSmart Classic Large Room Air Purifier. This air purifier cleans up to about 1,100 square feet every 30 minutes without making a lot of noise.
Forbes
Pros
- Really effective at removing dander from pets.
- Effective at relieving asthma symptoms.
- Simple to use. All the units are very easy to put together, the lights are easy to understand and the instructions are clear.
- Light enough to move from room to room.
- Has a long power lead-almost 2 metres.
- Incredibly quiet; you can sleep with it on since it gives off a soothing noise.
- Uses pink noise instead of white noise, which is a frequency shown to help you sleep up to 25% better than normal.
- Reduces allergy symptoms, including pet allergies.
- The auto feature means the air purifier adjusts itself.
- It has physical buttons, not touch-sensitive ones, so it is easy to use and feel at night.
Cons
- The air quality isn’t shown in numbers or percentages.
- Noisy when at full speed but quiet on lower settings.
- Large air purifier.
- The LED light display is quite bright.
Key takeaways
The Alen BreatheSmart Classic is a tremendous air purifier. It emits a soothing pink noise on all its settings, making it very quiet and suitable to sleep with. It effectively cleans the air with is HEPA silver filter and four-stage filtration process. It’s 100% ozone free. A minor problem is the fact that the air quality isn’t shown in terms of percentages. The lights change from red to blue, indicating a very contaminated room or a clean room respectively.
Best runner-up air purifier
General information
The Philips Expert series 3000i air purifier gains second place as the best runner-up air purifier. It has high grade integrated filter systems which remove harmful particles from the air. The HEPA and active carbon filters help remove 99.9% of ultrafine airborne particles. These include dust, bacteria, allergens, gases and viruses. It also reduces bad odours. Night mode settings include an automatic ambient light so your sleep won’t be disrupted. The Expert Series 3000i has 360-degree airflow circulation which allows fast air purification in large spaces of around 104 square metres. That means this air purifier can clear the air in a room of 20 square metres in less than 8 minutes.
The design is minimalistic, and the top half has a fabric layer. It measures 64.5 x 39 x 29 cm. The filter is an all in one system. This means that the pre-filter, HEPA and carbon filter are all combined into one, making it super easy to replace. The filters have a lifetime of up to 36 months. The filter doesn’t need to be replaced often, but it does need regular cleaning. This is easily done; take out the filter, and with a dustpan and brush, brush off all the dust and fluff. Then pop it back in. The air purifier blows cool air from the top and is most powerful on turbo setting.
Special features
This Philips Expert series air purifier has many special features. One is that it can be controlled and monitored from anywhere by using the Air Matters app. It can also be linked to Alexa for added voice control over your air purifier. This air purifier uses intelligent purification. Therefore, the high-grade air quality sensor monitors and reacts to the air in real-time. You don’t have to touch it yourself to control it if you don’t wish to.
Another special feature is its ultra-quiet operation in sleep mode. In sleep mode, the air purifier’s lights dim and it works in almost silence(34 dB). This has been certified by Quietmark, ensuring you get a good nights rest. Further, the digital display shows what your indoor air quality is like. However, you can also see what your indoor air quality is like by connecting to the Philips Clean home+ app. This app can also be used to control the purifier wherever you are.
Pros
- The quiet mode for sleeping is extremely quiet – as low as 34 dB.
- The filters have a long lifetime-up to 36 months.
- The digital display shows air quality in colours and percentages.
- The air purifier connects to Alexa and can be voice-controlled.
- The air purifier can also be monitored and adjusted using the Clean Home+ app.
- A nice breeze is created when the purifier is set on turbo mode.
- It has a sleek design that makes it look good in any room-very aesthetic.
- The on-display touch-screen buttons turn off when the digital display is off. This means the purifier blends in well with the room.
- Cylindrical design means it doesn’t take up too much room.
- Combines HEPA, carbon activated filter and pre-filter so you don’t have to buy multiple filters like with other air purifiers.
Cons
- Can be loud when on turbo mode.
- The air purifier is not as powerful when put on quiet mode.
- Quite large and tall; not ideal for transporting from room to room.
Key takeaways
Some things to consider about this best runner-up air purifier are as follows. This air purifier combines all its filters which saves you a lot of money in the long run. Further, its filter can last up to 3 years which again, saves you money in the long term. It automatically adjusts to the pollution levels in the room so you don’t have to touch it. It can connect to Alexa and to an app that lets you adjust settings and monitor the air quality of the room in real-time. The Philips Expert series also has a quiet mode which is more silent than the Alen BreatheSmart Classic. However, it is a bit cumbersome to transpaort from room to room.
Best air purifier for rooms up to 74 metres squared
General information
The Alen BreatheSmart 45i with Smart Sensor is the best for large rooms of up to 74 metres squared. Alen technology has honed the skill of coverage. This air purifier is smaller than the first Alen air purifier we reviewed, but it comes with a set of different features. Firstly, it’s available in 7 different colours, including white and espresso (as seen above). This greatly increases its adaptability to any room in the house. You can choose an aesthetic that suits you.
The air purifier has a medical-grade H13 HEPA filtering system layer. This removes 99.99% of bacteria, airborne particles larger than 0.1 microns, and aerosolised viruses. This True HEPA filter lasts 3-5 months longer than standard filters. The air purifier cleans air very fast; 800 Sq Ft (74 squared metres) is cleaned every 30 minutes. It’s also portable and lightweight, weighing under 15 lbs and measuring 25 x 15 x 8.5 in.
This Alen BreatheSmart 45i air purifier is best suited at removing dander, allergens, pet fur, dust and odours from the air. All 45i filters have an antimicrobial compound in them that helps eliminate bacteria, fungi, mould and germs. The air purifier also comes with a B4 Pure filter, which is a standard filter that helps get rid of things that trigger asthma and allergies. It also has 5 colours that represent air quality. Blue means excellent, green means good, orange means fair, red means poor, and purple means there is a high level of particles in the air.
Special features
This air purifier also has been validated by SleepScore. Like its cousin the Alen BreatheSmart Classic, it uses pink noise to help with sleep quality and is incredibly quiet. Further, SleepScore labs even reported that their participants had improved sleep quality, felt better rested in the morning, and had reduced allergy symptoms. The light dimmer feature allows you to dim the lighting by 50% so it can be used as a nightlight. It can also be turned off altogether.
The Alen BreatheSmart 45i has been scientifically proven to improve sleep, as it cleans the air of mould, odours and allergens, allowing users to breathe better and sleep more deeply.
SmarterTravel
Pros
- Has 5 colours to represent air quality in more detail.
- Very silent.
- Emits soothing pink noise which helps improve sleep quality.
- Lights can be completely switched off for nighttime usage (many air purifiers don’t come with that option).
- Lights can also be dimmed for ambient lighting.
- Has a True HEPA filter that removes dust, allergens, bacteria, mould spores and fungi.
Cons
- Could be improved by having the air quality measured in numbers/percentages rather than colours. This would allow you to know exactly how clean or dirty the air is in your home.
Key takeaways
This air purifier is ideal for large rooms up to 74 metres squared in size. It has a True HEPA filter; this is a really high quality, efficient filter making the air purifier very effective. Its smart air quality sensor comes in 5 different colours, helping you see just how polluted the air is. However, air quality is only represented by colours and not percentages.
Best 2 in 1 : air purifier and humidifier
General information
This Phillips series 3000i 2-in-1 purifier and humidifier is one of the best combos. It includes a pre-filter, a carbon filter and a HEPA filter. This removes 99.9% of particles as small as 0.003 microns. The air purifier is heavy, weighing about 8.5 kg, but this is due to its added humidifying function. The humidifier and purifier work together in one machine to protect you against harmful gases, allergens, discomfort from dry air, as well as bacteria and viruses. Philips’ AreaSense technology is extremely effective in sensing even small changes in indoor air quality. The air purifier constantly monitors the air in your home and automatically adjusts the fan speed without you having to touch a button.
The machine has 2 usages. You can use the purifier only mode, or, with the touch of a button you can use the purifier and humidifier. It also has a digital display that shows the risk level of any indoor allergens. This is measured on a scale from 1 to 12. The air purifier comes with 3 auto modes; basic pollution mode (general), extra-sensitive allergen mode (allergen) and sleep mode.
Special features
The humidification is created with NanoCloud technology. This uses a hygienic a natural evaporation system which releases up to 600 ml/h. Philips’ laboratory test confirms that its NanoCloud technology spreads 99% fewer bacteria than some top ultrasonic humidifiers. It also protects against white dust or wet spots that are common with many humidifiers. It also has 3 levels of humidification; 40%, 50%, or 60%. You can choose any one of these as your target humidity level, and the humidifier will automatically turn on or off to reach and maintain this humidity level.
Sleep mode comes with lowered display lights and the fan switches to its lowest speed. This keeps it quieter so you can sleep with the air purifier on. The air purifier can also be monitored with the Philips Air Matters app. This allows you to control your indoor air quality wherever you are. You can set a schedule, check the filter status or change the fan speed all from your phone.
Pros
- Easy to unbox and put together-no fiddly parts.
- It can function without WiFi.
- The carbon filter effectively removes smells, especially from cooking.
- Has immense purification power.
- Coated in plastic, making it easily wipeable and very easy to clean.
- Sleep mode is sufficiently quiet-almost undetectable.
- Humidifies effectively.
Cons
- There are some difficulties connecting to the app.
- The filters are expensive to replace.
- Could do with wheels to make it easier to transport from room to room.
Key takeaways
The best thing about this air purifier is that it’s also a humidifier. If you suffer from a dry throat, especially at night, this air purifier could solve your problems. It also eliminates odours and removes harmful particles from the air, including bacteria and viruses like the flu. This air purifier in itself isn’t enough to protect you against getting sick, but it can certainly help.
Best air purifier for mould spores
Each of the air purifiers listed protects against mould spores and indeed trap them. However, the Leitz TruSens Z-3000 is the by far the best on this page when it comes to mould spores. This is because it has a UV-C lamp as well a HEPA air purifier filter. This UV-C lamp emits a UV ray inside the air purifier which kills mould spores, bacteria and viruses-not just trapping them. The air purifier covers up to 70 squared metres. It also has a separate carbon and HEPA filter replacement. TruSens includes a remote sensor pod which isn’t part of the air purifier. The touch controls on the digital display are intuitive and easy to use. It has four manual fan speeds, a timer mode, a nighttime mode and filter replacement indicators.
Numerical values and colour codes show air quality. The air purifier’s design means it’s suitable for large rooms and it effectively removes particles that cause allergies like hayfever. It effectively removes dust, pet dander, mould spores, VOCs, airborne bacteria and viruses, and smoke. The pre-filter is washable and captures larger particles and things like pet hairs. Also, the carbon filter traps odours and smoke and the HEPA filter captures 99.97% of pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. UV rays from the lamp destroy bacteria, mould, and viruses that can build-up on the filters.
Special features
A key special feature is a UV-C lamp that kills any bacteria (including mould spores) that are trapped in the filtering systems. This not only removed mould spores from the air but eliminates them altogether. Another special feature is the separate sensor pod that comes with it. This pod monitors air quality in the room and feeds back to the air purifier itself.
Pros
- The touch controls are very simple to use and intuitive
- It comes with a timer mode which has 4 settings; 2,4,8 and 12-hour settings.
- The air purifier has a handle, making it easy to carry and transport.
- It has a night mode setting where the lights are dimmed.
- the filters are relatively cheap.
- The UV lamp kills mould, bacteria and viruses trapped inside the filters.
- The power consumption is relatively low (under 10 Watts in silent mode with no lights).
- Air is sucked in all around the filter due to its cylindrical design.
- Really good at eliminating smells.
Cons
- Quite noisy on turbo mode.
- Not a lot of technical data in the user manual.
Key takeaways
The main takeaway is that this air purifier has a UV-C lamp that essentially sterilises the filters by killing bacteria. This makes this air purifier the best at combating mould spores that could be floating around your home. Another point is that this air purifier doesn’t connect to an app, but it does have a sensor pod to monitor air quality. This sensor pod is separate from the air purifier itself. Like all the air purifiers reviewed on this page, the TruSens Z-3000 has a certified HEPA filter inside it.
