You already know it’s important to regularly clean your home, but there’s one part beyond the surface that’s often looked over: the air. Using an air purifier can help make sure the air you breathe in is cleaner, but not all air purifiers are created equal.
That’s why the lab experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute dug deep into the research in order to find the best air purifiers on the market. We vetted these air purifiers by evaluating their controls and interfaces for ease of use, in addition to reviewing specifications and test documentations and selecting from brands we know and trust.
These are the best air purifiers to buy in 2021:
- Best Overall Air Purifier: Air Purifier, True HEPA Air Purifier
- Best Value Air Purifier: Blue Pure 411 Air Purifier
- Best Smart Air Purifier: Dyson Pure Cool Air Purifier and Tower Fan
- Best HEPA Air Purifier for Allergies: DAIKIN – MC55 Air Purifier| Patent Streamer Technology
- Best Air Purifier for Large Rooms: Honeywell HPA200 HEPA Air Purifier Large Room (310 sq. ft), Black
- Best Air Purifier for Extra-Large Rooms: Stadler Form Roger Air purifier, One Size, White
- Reviewer Favorite Air Purifier: Coway Mighty Air Purifier
- Best Hybrid Air Purifier and Heater: Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Air Purifier
- Best Air Purifier for Odor Removal: Austin Air HealthMate Standard Air Purifier
- Best Air Purifier for Baby Nurseries: Fridababy 3-in-1 Air Purifier
Do air purifiers really work?
In short, yes. In order to clean the air, these appliances use filters and fans to remove particles and circulate the purified air back into the room. They can improve air quality and actually help you breathe easier. For this reason, people suffering from allergies or asthma might find air purifiers with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters helpful, because they help remove fine particles and common allergens from the air they breathe in.
But while air purifiers work well when it comes to removing particles like dust, smoke, and pollen, their ability to remove gases (like those from cleaning products and paint) is limited. One important thing to note: The effectiveness of air purifiers in real-world situations likely won’t mimic those of controlled conditions in a lab. That means it can be difficult to measure how effective an air purifier actually is.
1
BEST OVERALL AIR PURIFIER
Portable Rechargeable Air Purifier GXZ-AP01
amazon.com
AED 237.90
- Clean room could up to 30㎡. Equipped with belt installed freely and type-c charging cable.
- True HEPA filter, effectively filter large dust particles, hair, smoke, mold, odor, and remove 99.97% of airborne contaminants as small as 0.3 microns.
- Equipped with intelligent environment detection chip, the LED light would reflect the air quality.
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Light and Portable
- Great value
- Fast Delivery
2
BEST VALUE AIR PURIFIER
Blue Pure 411 Air Purifier
BLUEAIR
amazon.com
AED 547.44
We found that this air purifier from Blueair is best for removing various particles, including dust and smoke, from the air. Its three-part filtration system (one each for fabric, particles, and carbon particles) claims to clear up to 99% of common airborne pollutants. It’s designed to cover up to 540 square feet, which is the ideal size for a family room, master bedroom, or large office. The best part? You’ll barely notice it working since it’s so quiet.
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Great value
- Ideal for small spaces
3
BEST SMART AIR PURIFIER
Pure Cool Air Purifier and Tower Fan
DYSON
amazon.com
AED 1,950.00
Using a HEPA filter, this Dyson air purifier claims to clear up to 99.97% of airborne pollutants, odors, and toxins while adding tons of family-friendly extras: Unlike other fans, it has no accessible blades, so it’s safer for small hands. There’s also a nighttime mode and a sleep timer as part of its 10 speed settings. You can use the Dyson app to deliver real-time air quality reports that also includes temperature and humidity.
WHY WE LOVE IT
- No accessible blades, so it’s kid-friendly
- Equipped with sleep timer
- Syncs with app for real-time air quality reports
4
BEST HEPA AIR PURIFIER FOR ALLERGIES
True HEPA Allergen Remover Air Purifier
DAIKIN
amazon.com
AED 1,785.00
- Streamer Technology can inactivate different type of viruses (14 kinds), Bacteria (11 kinds), pollen (16 kinds), Molds, Allergens & hazardous gases
- Triple detection sensor to identify dust, PM2.5 and odor and react accordingly. Wide powerful suction from 3 different directions.
- 3 level filtration System: Long life Electrostatic HEPA Filter with high performance of 10 years. It removes 99% of particles between 0.1μm and 2.5μm in size. Odor Filter for neutralizing odor and Pre-Filter for large dust particles
5
BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR LARGE ROOMS
Honeywell HPA200 HEPA Air Purifier
HONEYWELL
amazon.com
AED 2,743.61
This unit is a real workhorse. The newer design is lighter and smaller, yet designed for even larger spaces (up to 500 square feet). This new design also makes it easy to tell — even from the other side of the room — if the air quality is compromised. Our pros have been testing this model and have noticed improvements to air quality.
WHY WE LOVE IT
- HEPA-certified
- Treats up to 500 square feet
- Intuitive, sleek design
6
BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR EXTRA LARGE ROOMS
Stadler Form Roger Air purifier, One Size, White
STADLER FORM
amazon.com
AED 1,870.00
- German made Dual Filter HEPA filter with carbon weave for superior odor and gas removal performance
- Color changing visual air quality indicator shows red, amber or blue to easily show the current air quality (and it looks awesome)
- Flat control panel illuminates when adjusting Roger’s settings and then disappears after adjustment to avoid light pollution (again, it looks awesome)
7
REVIEWER FAVORITE AIR PURIFIER
Mighty Air Purifier
COWAY
amazon.com
AED 1,764.02
With an average 4.7-star rating across over more than 10,000 reviews, Amazon customers clearly love this air purifier. Similar to Coway’s Airmega, this model also has an LED light that constantly indicates how clean or dirty the air is. It’s built to purify the air in up to 361 square feet, and there are even various fan speeds, timers, and modes to choose from (like an eco mode that claims to automatically save energy when it doesn’t detect air pollution for 30 minutes).
WHY WE LOVE IT
- LED display indicates air quality
- Energy-saving mode
8
BEST HYBRID AIR PURIFIER AND HEATER
Pure Hot + Cool Air Purifier
DYSON
amazon.com
AED 2,725.00
This triple-duty machine is a heater, fan, and an air purifier all in one. It features all the same air purifying features as Dyson’s Pure Cool model, but it also includes a heater to keep your family warm all winter. It syncs with Amazon Alexa through your Echo device and can also deliver real-time air quality reports through the Dyson app.
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Versatile, with heating and fan features
- Syncs with Alexa
9
BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR ODOR REMOVAL
LEVOIT Air Purifier for Home
LEVOIT
amazon.com
AED 449.99
- Designed in California. The UVC Light and Anion that other Brands adopt to purify air could produce a kind of air pollutant-Ozone, which is especially harmful for the children, Asthma sufferers and pets. Levoit air purifiers never use these for 100% Ozone free
- Advanced 3-Stage Filtration System: The Pre-Filter, True HEPA Filter, and High-Efficiency Activated Carbon Filter capture allergens, pet hair, dander, smoke, mold, odor and large dust particles, in addition to removing 99. 97% of airborne contaminants as small as 0. 3 microns
10
BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR BABY NURSERIES
3-in-1 Air Purifier
FRIDABABY
amazon.com
AED 483.94
Fridababy, a company known for ingenious solutions to everyday parenting problems recently introduced a small-room air purifier. It’s designed for a small nursery, a room of about 14 square meter. It’s on our list because not only is it meant to help filter out dust mites and the like, but it also has a built-in sound machine and nightlight. We’re all about finding space-saving, multi-purpose products, particularly for our littles! While we have yet to review company testing data on the air purity claims, we found the sound machine and nightly aspects easy to use and the filter easy to replace.
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Three-in-one device
- Includes white noise or ocean wave sounds
