Welcome to the future, where clean air is a luxury. Thanks to pandemics and wildfires, air purifiers have become the gotta-have-it home appliance. Buildings let in a lot of particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and vaporous chemicals. Indoor plastics, furniture, paint, and flooring off-gas noxious fumes, too.
Since your home might be your workplace, playground, meditation studio, dine-in restaurant, and movie theater, you want to ensure that the air you’re breathing for most of the day is clean. These are our best air purifiers—from the top-of-the-line IQ Air Atem X ($1,400) to the lower-priced, popular Coway Airmega Mighty ($230) and everything in between.
Trends in air purifier design favor both the cylindrical tower models along with boxier designs, washable fabric covers, and dual-purpose air purifiers that not only clean the air but also work as electric dustpans, humidifiers, night-lights, sunrise alarms, and tables.
For more home tips, take a peek at our other guides, including the Best Space Heaters, Best Robot Vacuums, Best Cordless Vacuums, and Best Mesh Wi-Fi Routers.
Updated March 2026: We’ve added the Alen BreatheSmart, Blueair Classic Pro, Sharp FPF30UH, Brondell Horizon, and Blueair PetAir Pro as new picks, moved some previously tested purifiers down to honorable mentions, and removed some models that have been discontinued. We’ve also ensured up-to-date links and prices.
The more air purifiers I test, the more I think they should be viewed as a lifetime investment. If you have the means, the Atem X truly is the best investment when it comes to a HEPA filter. Aside from its sleek design, there’s an option for a 10-year warranty (with registration and filter subscription), which means you’ll have access to parts and repairs for a decade. It’s quiet and has custom settings, a built-in sensor, and a dashboard phone app, and it can be set flush against a wall. I use the term “air purifier math” to consider how many air purifiers you might burn through in the next decade. One, two, maybe three? This is why the Atem X is a wise investment, even at its big-ticket price. The one drawback is that the Atem X doesn’t have a carbon filter to remove gases.
It took only a few minutes to unbox the Coway Airmega 450. The 30-inch cylinder tower is just under 25 pounds. Its easy-to-maneuver wheels and hidden handle made this unit glide across my wooden floors. With its quiet air cleaning abilities, capturing particulate matter, odors, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the Airmega 450 might be my favorite air purifier from Coway to date. The 450 is able to quietly (not at the highest and thus noisiest setting) clean the air in an average-sized room—around 300 to 400 square feet—at the recommended five times an hour. And while Coway boasts that it can clean the air of a 3,285-square-foot room, the fine print notes that it can do that once an hour and at its loudest setting (nearly 60 decibels). What I’ve learned reviewing air purifiers is that the largest room size that can be cleaned in an hour still needs to be divided by five to get the recommended number of exchanges. Once you have that number, reduce it again to account for the fact that you don’t want your air purifier running at its highest setting.
The Airmega 450 is not Wi-Fi compatible, though if you’re like me and set your purifiers to auto mode, that might not be a negative. The 450’s built-in air quality sensor illuminates the large circular indicator light on the top of the tower. I wish Coway adopted the standard air quality index color code. I like knowing my indoor air quality with a quick glance at its indicator light, but it’s confusing that the light glows blue for good, green for moderate (green is good on the AQI color code), yellow for unhealthy, and red for very unhealthy. As a cat owner, I appreciate the model’s control-panel lock, as my cats tend to turn off other tower purifiers by sitting on the unit. It also has a timer and filter replacement button. Lastly, the 450 has an energy efficient Eco Mode: When no pollution is detected for 10 minutes, it will automatically stop airflow to save energy. And while I recommend the 450, I had the same difficulty reading the numbers on the control panel in bright light as I had with Coway’s Aimega ProX, and at a cost of $500, I wish the warranty were longer than a year.
The Mighty from air purifier stalwarts Coway might have the best bang for your buck when it comes to air purifiers. At under $200, the Mighty can clean a 361-square-foot room, exchanging the air the recommended 4.8 times per hour. Note that this is based on running the Mighty at its highest and loudest setting at 53 decibels. And, as I’ve written before, you most likely won’t want that kind of white noise 24/7, so I suggest fitting the Mighty in a room around 200 square feet or smaller to run it at a quieter setting while still benefiting from a high air exchange rate. It has an on/off button for the ionizer and a timer activation/deactivation feature that will power off after 1, 4, or 8 hours, along with Eco Mode that turns off the fan if no air pollution is detected for 30 minutes.
The Mighty has a built-in air sensor and air quality light that shines blue for clean air, dark purple for polluted air, and red for highly polluted. This is Coway’s color system, and I found it confusing as the colors don’t line up with the US air quality index standards of green for good, red for unhealthy, and purple for very unhealthy. It is the air sensor that enables the Mighty to automatically adjust its fan speed. At just under a foot and a half tall and 12 pounds, the box-like Mighty feels lighter than that with its easy-to-grab back handle. I pulled off the front cover to reveal the Mighty’s three filters: a HEPA, a deodorizing filter, and the prefilter. The Mighty also needs to sit about 8 inches from the wall or furniture. And while I liked the simple design of the Mighty, its glossy white plastic finish attracts pet hair in that clingy, staticlike way. It isn’t compatible with Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa, nor does it have a remote or app. Still, for the price, the Mighty is an excellent air purifier for small rooms.
Brondell’s Horizon is a slim, under-2-foot, 11-pound air purifier that cleans the air of a small room with four layers of air-cleaning power. It has a prefilter, a HEPA to capture small particulates, activated carbon to remove and trap volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and neutralize odors, and a cold catalyst to filter out lingering gases like formaldehyde, benzene, and ammonia. That lower price reduces the number of features. There’s no app, nor is there an internal air sensor, but there is something refreshing about this all-business, sleek, white air purifier that has one of the easiest-to-read control panels, a real handle, three speeds, and a timer for one, two, and four hours, as well as an inefficient but quiet sleep mode.
Like so many of the smaller-size air purifiers I’ve tested, the Brondell is loud at its highest setting; my consumer Toptes RA-5018 sound level meter hit 80 decibels. That’s around the same level as a busy restaurant or a police siren. The Horizon is not unique in its noise range. It costs money to go quiet. The Brondell runs less than $200, though it’s worth mentioning that spending over $200 on a purifier, like Coway’s popular Airmega Mighty (above), gets you a quieter clean. If you need light lifting in a small room and an aesthetically pleasing design, the Brondell Horizon is an easy choice for the money.
Burtran’s new Nano-Oxy purifier stands out in a crowded market for its ability to generate negative oxygen ions, which have been shown to have a positive effect on sleep quality. Housed in a simple, industrial-style metal body, the unit promises not only cleaner air but a fresher, “forestlike” indoor atmosphere by releasing 2,000 to 5,000 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter. The company says this can boost energy, reduce stress, and support better sleep, all without producing ozone or radiation.
It is important to note that some negative-ion devices have triggered warnings from regulators over potential radiation risks. Nano-Oxy is certified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as an approved air-cleaning device, meaning it has not been shown to emit harmful ozone levels. To confirm, we tested it with a consumer Geiger counter, which also showed only normal background readings.
Beyond ionization, the purifier uses a HEPA 14 filter—denser than the more common HEPA 13—claiming to capture 99.995 percent of particles as small as 0.1 micron. It also includes an activated carbon filter for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and a prefilter for larger debris. Despite concerns that higher-density filters can restrict airflow, we found the Nano-Oxy maintained strong output and is rated to clean a 270-square-foot room five times per hour. Replacement filters cost about $100.
Weighing 17.5 pounds with side handles, the unit is portable and relatively compact. It’s also impressively quiet for its class, measuring in the 40- to 50-decibel range even at higher speeds. Sleep mode reduces noise further, though at the expense of cleaning power.
The control panel includes PM2.5, VOC, and negative ion indicators, though the lighting and color system can be confusing and hard to read at an angle. Priced around $400 with a two-year warranty, the Nano-Oxy earns high marks for performance and innovation, particularly for users curious about the potential sleep benefits of negative oxygen ions. —Reviews Team
The Dyson HushJet uses new electrostatic filter technology to extend filter life up to five years, and for under $300, this app-compatible air purifier might be the air purifier of the future.
The HushJet has an almost Dune sandworm-like spout that projects clean air straight up. At a 1 ½ feet, the 7-pound cylinder can capture and clean the air in a small, under-200-square-foot-sized room. I put the HushJet on the nightstand next to my bed in my small bedroom. And while it’s called the HushJet, at its highest fan setting, it was registering upper 80s and low 90 decibels on my consumer Toptes RA-5018 sound level meter. Unlike Dyson’s other air purifiers, the HushJet doesn’t use a HEPA—it’s an electrostatic filter. Dyson’s air purifiers usually show up on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) list of CARB-certified air purifiers. For an air purifier to receive CARB certification means that the purifier meets standards of electronic and ozone safety. As of this writing, the HushJet Purifier Compact HJ10 is not on the list, though the list is constantly being updated.
At under 9 pounds and 18 inches tall, this Sharp is the no-frills air cleaner that does the job without any of the extra features of app-enabled models, but it also comes at a much cheaper price. At $129, the Sharp would be ideal for a small bedroom, nursery, or home office.
I have a love-hate relationship with tabletop models; they’re small, inexpensive, and easy to move, but they are inefficient at cleaning average 200-square-foot rooms. While the Sharp can exchange the air in a 140-square-foot room five times an hour, it doesn’t have an internal sensor like Coway’s Airmega 50, which is almost half the price. Though the Airmega 50 is designed for a small 100-square-foot room, it doesn’t have the glitz and glamour of the app-enabled Dyson Hushjet (above), which can clean a room twice the size of the Sharp but also costs three times as much. When it comes to table-top air purifiers, there are trade-offs. For a very basic model, the Sharp’s simple white design had it disappear in the room. It has three fan speeds, including sleep, low, medium, and an express clean that runs at full capacity for 60 minutes. It also has the must-have “replace filter” light. If you’re in the market for an air filter for a small space on a budget, and you don’t need auto mode, then the Sharp FPF30UH is a smart buy.
If you’re in the market for a large-room air purifier that is especially quiet with bespoke finish options like oak, brushed stainless, and white, then Alen’s BreatheSmart 75i might be for you. It is Alen’s largest and most powerful air purifier. With a clean air delivery rate (CADR) of 375, the BreatheSmart 75i can achieve the recommended five air exchanges per hour—things brings you to 560 square feet. The EPA’s Guide for Air Cleaners for the Home estimates that an air purifier with a CADR of 390 (slightly higher than the BreatheSmart 75i) can effectively clean a 600 square-foot room. The CADR numbers are based on rooms with 8-foot ceilings.
The BreatheSmart 75i is quiet; one of the quietest large air purifiers I’ve tested. It’s similar to the Atem X in both size and noise but nearly half the price at under $800. The BreatheSmart 75i forever warranty is contingent on proof that you used only Alen air filters and not off-brand dupes. The BreathSmart 75i has a filter indicator light that goes from green to yellow to red, giving a nice heads-up for when the filter needs to be replaced, and Alen makes three grades of filters: from medical-grade HEPA, those according filters that are regulated, to a HEPA filter plus an activated carbon filter to capture VOCs, and a supercharged carbon filter to aid with serious odors. The model comes with a basic HEPA, but one can upgrade from the essential to advance and ultimate versions.
Alen’s essential HEPA filter sells for $99. There are options for the Fresh for $129 that include the carbon activated filter, or the Odor filter that includes more odor absorbing activated carbon, for $139. You can save on filters by subscribing to Alen’s filter service.
From the images on Alen’s website, I thought the BreatheSmart 75i was slim and the front facade was about 5 inches thick—turns out the actual appliance is nearly a foot thick. However, this may not be an issue if you’re using it in a large room. Alen’s app was easy to pair with the purifier and has a comprehensive dashboard that includes readings for PM 2.5, VOCs, CO2, temperature, and humidity. The app can also turn into a remote, and there are scheduling options as well. BreatheSmart 75i’s large, circular, easy-to-see indicator light glows blue for excellent, green for good, orange for fair, red for poor, and purple for very poor. I placed the BreatheSmart 75i in my dining room and noticed it quickly adjusts with a higher fan speed when the light turns orange, red, and purple. Another much-appreciated feature on the nearly 30-pound BreatheSmart 75i is its handle and back wheels, though you need to lean the purifier back to move it hand-truck-style.
The Mini Restful is part of Blueair’s Sleep Collection, and is also the smallest—or close to the smallest—air purifier I’ve tested. Blueair claims that the Mini Restful can effectively clean the air at the CDC-recommended five air changes an hour in a 140-square-foot space, but that would be at its highest setting. My consumer Toptes RA-5018 sound level meter registered 60 dB—around the sound of a conversation. No one is sleeping with that noise. Instead, the Mini Restful is quiet on its lower setting. At that setting, however, the Mini Restful could complete the recommended air exchanges in the space the size of one of those sleeper pods found at capsule hotels.
As for the sunrise alarm, it was easy to program through Blueair’s app. The Mini Restful has nine sounds to choose from, like Midnight Rain, Happy Rise, and Mantra Breeze. I set the alarm to the sound of Nordic Flow, a blend of light harp strings and birds chirping. The alarm is designed to begin the subtle sunrise light anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes before the selected wake-up alarm time. I set the alarm to 5 am and was woken up by the light at 4:45 am. I may just be more sensitive to light, but I needed to move the Mini Restful to my hallway, where it successfully woke me up to the pleasant sounds of Nordic Flow.
IQAir released its latest air purifier, the Atem Earth, in early September. It’s a departure from the brand’s plastic-encased air purifiers and is the first wood exterior model WIRED has tested. IQAir claims that the 2-foot-tall cylindrical Atem Earth uses five times less plastic than conventional air purifiers. The Atem is encased in sustainably sourced, naturally finished beech wood. It comes with a thick faux leather handle that makes moving the 17-pound purifier easy to do. Like other purifiers by IQAir, it pairs with IQAir’s comprehensive air quality app, which also works as the device’s remote. IQAir’s app continues to be the best we’ve tested. Other new features included the AQI (Air Quality Index) indicator light rings on the control panel that show both indoor and outdoor air. IQAir uses the US AQI standard color scale (though there is an option to switch to the Chinese AQI scale): green for good, yellow for moderate, orange for unhealthy for sensitive groups, red for unhealthy, purple for very unhealthy, and blinking purple for hazardous. The built-in indoor PM 2.5 sensor adjusts the fan speed when on smart mode. The outdoor air AQI can be set to a local monitor or your own AQI Outdoor Air Monitor.
The Atem Earth pulls air into its vortex through the air inlet located around the lower part of its body—the reason the wooden exterior has latticelike cutout vents. The proprietary HyperHEPA filter captures PM 2.5, while the activated carbon filter removes VOCs (volatile organic compounds), odors, and vapors from the air. The wood exterior changed the entire vibe of the purifier, and I hope this is the beginning of the trend away from plastic. The beech wood enabled the Atem Earth to blend into the room. Clean air is blown out through the air outlet atop the purifier through vents that encircle the control panel. It has a filter indicator light and a panel lock, which is especially useful for cat owners. One drawback is seeing the indicator lights on the flat top surface. If I wasn’t angled above the purifier, I couldn’t see the lights. The other issue, and I’ve had this with other IQAir models, is that they can be loud at their highest fan speed. My consumer decibel reader was reading over 80 decibels when the Atem Earth was at its highest fan speed.
The thousand-dollar price tag is steep, but like all IQAir air purifiers, this is a long-term investment, and the fact that this model is environmentally friendly makes it worth considering. The combination of a 10-year warranty coupled with a 25-year replacement and repairability guarantee means you’re buying an air purifier that will last a quarter of a century. I’ve replaced the control panel on another IQAir air purifier and it was easy to do. I also like the real-time filter life expectancy meter on the app. WIRED has tested half a dozen IQAir air purifiers, and it’s been our experience that IQAir filters last a long time before changing.
The AirDoctor 5500i is the latest purifier from the AirDoctor line and the second tower model I’ve used. I’ve used IQAir’s standard GC MultiGas model for years. Because of their power, tower models tend to be loud at their highest settings, so I was pleasantly surprised by the 5500i’s quiet hum. It captures both fine particulates—like mold spores—with its HEPA filters, and gases with its dual-action/carbon volatile organic compound (VOC) trap filters. The 5500i can exchange the air four times an hour in a 1,000-square-foot space, around the size of my New York apartment. And the purifier has an alert to let me know when it is time to change the filter.
It’s the quietest and largest AirDoctor air purifier yet. It has a built-in sensor that has kept up with my cooking, turning its air quality indicator light red and automatically adjusting the fan speed to the highest setting. This also happens when construction in my building goes into overdrive. Yet it is quieter than the smaller AirDoctor 2000, the same model that once woke me up in the middle of the night. The 5500i caps at 50 decibels, quieter than a household refrigerator. It weighs 33 pounds, and I needed help getting the shipping box up the three flights of stairs to my apartment. Moving it around my apartment only took a slight nudge of the hand, as it has hidden casters that let it glide easily on my hardwood floor. It connects to the AirDoctor app and can be controlled remotely. And with AirDoctor’s thousand-dollar price tag, the disappointing one-year warranty seems short for the investment. While IQAir’s GC Multigas costs $350 more than the 5500i, it offers a 10-year warranty option. As much as I liked AirDoctor’s performance, I might buy the more expensive and comparable IQAir model for the warranty alone. Air purifiers are long-term investments.
The Rabbit Air is a sleek, disappears-in-a-room air purifier that punches above its weight. Its low price makes it one of the better investments, especially with its five-year warranty. It has both a HEPA filter to trap common allergens like dust and pollen, plus that dangerous invisible PM 2.5, like in wildfire smoke. It’s also got an activated charcoal carbon filter to capture VOCs and odors. It also has a negative ion generator that basically gives air molecules a static charge, making them easier to capture.
The BioGS 2.0 is able to clean 550 square feet at two air exchanges per hour and 275 square feet at four air exchanges per hour. I could clean my entire 1,000-square-foot apartment with two Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0s, and as the air purifiers are under $400 each, they’re some of the more affordable options on the market. The Rabbit’s built-in sensors adjust fan speeds, and the unit’s control panel illuminates in low-light settings. It also has a remote. I was disappointed that the BioGS 2.0 isn’t compatible with the Rabbit Air app, nor can it work with Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant like other Rabbit Air models. Still, because of its cost, quiet operation, ability, and style, this is one of my favorite air purifiers.
Blueair makes a larger room 3-in-1 air purifier and a small room 3-in-1. I gave Blueair’s small-room model a test drive in my 200-square-foot bedroom. At a little under 2 feet tall, the 3-in-1 has more features than you usually find in an air purifier. It oscillates and has a built-in heating and cooling function. Blueair’s app is easy to use and I preferred controlling the purifier via the app rather than the actual control panel. The panel did not always illuminate when pressed, making pushing the buttons difficult. There are also more options on the app, like controlling the oscillation speed and angle. Blueair uses both mechanical—as in HEPA filtration—and electrostatic technology to capture pollutants in the air. Its CARB certification is listed as electronic, unlike HEPA-only air purifiers that are listed as mechanical.
The Blueair also has an air quality index indicator light that responds to the purifier’s built-in sensor to measure PM 2.5. The easy-to-miss sliver of light glows blue for excellent, green for good, yellow for moderate, orange for polluted, and red for very polluted. It has a control panel lock and filter change indicator light. I also appreciate the cloth handle that makes moving the Blueair easy. For its small size, I found the Blueair 3-in-1 to be louder than expected at full fan. And while Blueair says it’s 53 decibels at its highest setting, my non-calibrated consumer Tadeto decibel reader had it at 85 dB at full fan. I mention this because usually, my decibel reader is within 10 points of the manufacturer’s decibel numbers.
I’ve been using the IQAir GC for the past five years and was excited to give the newer air-sensor and app-enabled IQAir CG XE model a test run. In the past I’ve used my GC tower in the space between my kitchen and dining room, turning it on the highest setting whenever I used my gas stove. Both the GC and CG XE clean the air of volatile organic compounds and PM 2.5, those invisible particles that can enter the bloodstream and cause health issues. And like the Atem X, the GC Series XE comes with its own certificate of performance and a 10-year warranty. The Swiss-made air purifier is a tower model that needs to be at least a foot away from any wall. And while it’s heavy at 55 pounds, the casters let me roll it around my house. I also appreciate that the air sensor’s indicator light is in accordance with US AQI colors. And the built-in sensor and IQAir app make the CG XE easy to use. I used to have to manually control the fan speed on my older GC, but in auto setting, the CG XE knows what to do. I also find IQAir app to have one of the most intuitive user experiences I’ve tested.
And like the Atem X, these Swiss-made air units are top of the line for a reason, but the 10-year warranty makes IQAir’s purifiers a wise investment. And unlike the Atem X, the CG XE can also capture toxic gases and vapors. It is also one of the largest models I’ve tested, and at its highest setting it can clean 275 cubic feet per minute, or CFM. On auto mode, the fan speeds adjust. It can clean the air of a large space with multiple air exchanges in an hour. I’ve been using the CG XE in the main room of an A-frame cabin with double-height ceilings (around 3,000 cubic feet) for the past two months, and it has kept my indoor air quality healthy. But with great power comes great noise. At its highest setting, the CG XE runs at a loud 68 decibels—that’s just 2 decibels shy of the sound of a consumer vacuum cleaner, though it’s quiet at its lower settings. At $1,400, this workhorse isn’t cheap, but it’s an investment that’s built to last.
This is the second Rabbit air purifier I’ve tested, and again I am impressed by its quiet fan. Even on its highest Turbo setting, it’s quieter than other units I’ve tested at their maximum. And like the Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0 above, it doesn’t stand out as an unsightly appliance. Add to that the A3’s easy-to-remove customizable magnetic front panel and it goes from air purifier to aesthetically pleasing statement piece. If you decide to use the included wall mount hardware, the A3 can be the art your home gallery needed. I tested the A3 with the soon-to-be-released iconic Hello Kitty panel. There’s also Peanuts, along with other images like Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave and van Gogh’s Starry Night, to name a few.
There’s a lot going for the A3; it has an easy-to-use control panel and RabbitAir app, air quality indicator, filter indicator light, ion generator that can be turned on and off, adjustable auto mode that can be set from low to high sensitivity, 24/7 support, and a five-year warranty. But all of this comes with a higher price tag at just under $800. The 3A also has a mood light setting. When I first turned on the MinusA3, I didn’t know why my air was going from bad to good within a minute until I realized it was a mood light feature for aesthetics. The light beams come from the top of the A3 panel. And while the cycling mood light is adjustable through the app, it was confusing. My first thought when any air purifier beams out purple: My indoor air is very unhealthy. The light sensor is easy enough to turn off, but I wish there were a light setting that could be synced up with the air quality indicator. Also, the control panel or interface at the top turns off when you’re not touching it, and as I have yet to remember which button does what, it creates an extra step for the user.
As I mentioned, it’s quiet—an almost inaudible 22 decibels at its whisper setting. Another unique element of the 3A is the customizable filters. I was sent the new anniversary-issued, green tea-infused filter, but there’s also a toxin absorber, germ defense, odor remover, and one for pet dander. These are in addition to the prefilter, the medium filter, the activated carbon filter, and HEPA filter. And while there is yet to be any research or scientific studies to back up the benefits and efficacy of a green tea-infused filter, I’d like to think that the same health benefits one gets from drinking green tea could somehow transfer to breathing through a green tea filter. The RabbitAir 3A Ultra Quiet Air Purifier is a luxury, both in looks and in function. The Artist Series can do four air exchanges in a 515 square-foot room, so consider using the 3A in a room about 250 square feet to run it at a lower and quieter setting. It reminds me of the ultra-modern Atem X (above) from IQAir, a high-end model that looks as good as it works. I could see the 3A with Snoopy panel hanging in a child’s room, blending into the interior.
Blueair’s Classic Pro, designed for large rooms, delivers many of the features that have made Blueair a longtime favorite of mine. Unlike Blueair’s cylindrical models, the Classic Pro is more of a square, 2 by 1.5-foot suitcase shape with a handle and back wheels to make moving the steel-covered, 32-pound appliance easier than lifting it. It pairs easily with the Blueair app and has an internal air sensor along with an air quality indicator light that glows blue for excellent, green for good, yellow for moderate, orange for unhealthy, and red for hazardous. It also displays PM values. The Classic Pro uses HINS Pure light technology, or High-Intensity Narrow-Spectrum light, which is used and studied in hospital settings as bactericide. Blueair claims that “this light, part of the visible spectrum, is adept at inactivating up to 91 percent of bacteria that accumulate on filters. This process, known as photodynamic inactivation, targets specific compounds within bacterial cells, leading to their destruction.”
For its medium-range price point, I like the HINS technology. While I can’t measure if the Blueair’s Classic Pro is better with HINS vs. HEPA alone, it didn’t stave off my usual number of winter colds. Still, as indoor air purifiers evolve, there are going to be more features beyond HEPA, and technology that can kill germs is a feature I want in my home. On top of the HINS light technology, the Classic Pro employs triple fans and HEPASilent filter that captures both particles and odors using both electrostatic and mechanical technology. In short, the Pro has three systems to capture and neutralize airborne pollutants. I found the indicator light, display, and control panel all difficult to read, depending on the light. The Classic Pro was also quiet, even at its highest fan speed; it didn’t go above 65 decibels on my consumer Toptes RA-5018 sound level meter. Other highlights are the child lock and the in-app filter life expectancy tracker. Replacement filters run $100 for Blueair’s basic particle filter and $150 for its dual particle and activated carbon filter; they are cheaper when bought with the Blueair subscription. If you’re looking for a large room air purifier and already love the Blueair air purifying multiverse, then the Classic Pro is the perfect addition to your lineup, and at $700 with a warranty up to five years with registration, it is also a wise investment.
BlueAir PetAir Pro for $500: As the owner of two cats, I really wanted to love Blueair’s PetAir Pro, a new addition to the growing market of pet-pitched air purifiers. The PetAir promises a unique pet-owner experience. It has a Pet Mode that senses when the pet is on the purifier, which quiets the fan speed and actual air cleaning capacity. It also has a pull-out prefilter that collects pet hair, an H13 HEPA, and a carbon activated filter to capture VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and odors. There’s even a storage space for toys. There are several things to consider regarding the PetAir. At less than 10 inches high, it sits at the ground level. If you’re looking for a pet-specific air purifier, then the fan/airflow placement might be ideal, and it can also effectively clean the air with the recommended five air exchanges per hour in a 260 square-foot-room. I prefer taller models, as they seem to react more quickly to air pollutants higher in the room like those created by cooking. Room placement is one of the reasons that diminutive air purifiers are often referred to as “tabletop” models, as they can get closer to breathing space. As for my two testers, I could not get either cat to lay on the bed, and my 30-pound dog was over PetAir’s weight limit of 25 pounds. I put catnip on the PetAir, then wondered if I had just created more particle pollution. I also physically put my cats on the purifier, hoping they would use it properly. They didn’t, but I did collect cat hair in the prefilter. For the money, I wish the PetAir had a built-in heated pet bed, as I am sure my cats would have used it for warmth. As any pet owner knows, pets do not always enjoy or use products designed for them.
Airthings Renew for $300: I wasn’t expecting to like the unassuming minimalist Renew from Airthings as much as I did. Its gray box design is so understated, quiet, and powerful that it was easy to plug it in and forget about it. The Renew is also the first purifier I’ve tested that gives the user three placement options: it can stand up with the air output facing up and sideways, and the entire box can lie on the floor. The Airthings app not only shows data graph style, but it also is a remote to adjust the purifier settings, including setting the panel lock, handy for cat owners. The control panel and the indicator light are barely there, and it’s not easy to see the tiny light letting me know my indoor air quality. At first, I thought the main drawback was size. The Renew is made for a bedroom, home office, or nursery. If you place it in a larger room, it’s going to have to run at its highest setting. The main drawback that I noticed after several months of use was the exterior prefilter. It did its job capturing pollutants, but I wasn’t able to clean it. Unlike Blueair’s fabric exterior prefilters, which are machine washable, I was unable to effectively clean the Renew fabric cover, even with my vacuum.
Coway Airmega ProX for $999: The Coway Airmega ProX is the monolith your high-ceilinged home needs. If you’re living in an A-frame, double-height ceiling loft, or any home with a ceiling higher than 8 feet, the Coway Aimega ProX is for you. The ProX gives off a TARS robot from Interstellar meets giant stereo speaker vibe. It’s blend-into-the-room-mocha beige and can clean the air four times per hour in a 1,000-square-foot space when running at its highest setting. And even at its highest and therefore loudest setting, it hovers around 50 decibels, slightly louder than the sound of falling rain—making it one of the quieter large tower air purifiers I’ve tested. It also has a control panel lock that is a plus for parents and cat owners alike. However, even though the 50-pound ProX has hidden handles and built-in lockable wheels, it really is just too heavy for the home consumer.
Coway Airmega 400S for $650: Coway has yet to make a bad air purifier, and the Airmega 400S is another banger from the air purifier innovators. The 400S checks all the boxes when it comes to features. It has a reliable auto mode that adjusts the fan speed according to the air quality using its built-in air quality sensor. It also has a timer to schedule one, four, or eight hours of running time. And while it has a serviceable app, its built-in air sensor and auto-adjust fan keep me from having to micromanage settings. The question is, can this air purifier do the job without me pushing buttons or checking the indoor air quality, and do it quietly? With the Airmega 400S, the answer is yes. I just wish its 15 x 23 x 15-inch dimensions didn’t make it so hard to place in a room.
Air Doctor AD4000 Air Purifier for $799: As I went to pair Air Doctor’s newest air purifier, the AD4000, I realized that there was no WiFi button on the control panel. At 15 pounds and nearly $800, the AD4000 should be Wi-Fi compatible, especially since it has an internal air quality sensor. Users should have the option to view indoor air quality on the Air Doctor app dashboard. And while the AD4000 is made for larger spaces, if one wanted to achieve the four air exchanges per hour the AD4000 supposedly can do, then it would have its fan at the highest setting. My consumer sound level meter registered 100 dB at full blast. It sounded to me like a hair dryer on a low setting. For context, the CDC’s recommendation for noise levels for workers is that they are not exposed to 100 dB for over 15 minutes. It’s for that reason that all air purifiers need to be in a space where they can run the fan at the lowest setting. The AD4000 would do well in a 200- to 300-square-foot room. Lastly, when I unboxed the AD4000, the sticker with instructions to take the filters out of their plastic bags pulled off the control panel when I went to remove it.
Airdog X5 for $649: The Airdog X5 is the first washable filter air purifier I’ve tested. And while it doesn’t use a HEPA, it is California Air Resources Board certified. CARB lists it as electronic filtration instead of a HEPA filter; that would be listed as mechanical. As I’ve written before, if an air purifier isn’t CARB-certified, don’t buy it. I tested the Airdog in a large room. I even received the limited-edition pet plate. That is exactly what it sounds like—a plate that fits over the Airdog meant for a cat to perch on. Neither of my cats took to it. The Airdog has a responsive built-in sensor that was in sync with my other air quality monitors. And its electronic air filters, by way of their patented TPA technology, charge particles and then capture them. The best way I can describe it: Imagine that the PM 2.5 are mosquitoes and the Airdog is like an old-time mosquito zapper. It works a little like that, and if the filter gets dirty enough, it will make zap sounds.
Briiv 2 Pro Air Filter for $374: There are big claims in Briiv’s 2 Pro Air Filter’s small package. At 2.5 pounds, the Briiv 2 Pro Air Filter is the smallest air purifier I’ve tested, though it’s far from the cheapest. The company claims that one Briiv equals the oddly specific 3,043 houseplants, and that it uses AI-powered air quality sensors. I don’t usually review units that are not CARB-certified (California Air Resources Board), but I was intrigued by the Briiv. That said, the actual space the Briiv 2 Pro can clean is extremely small. I entered the dimensions of my dining room into the Briiv’s website room calculator, and at 20 feet long by 11 feet wide with 9-foot ceilings, the room calculator summed up that I would need two Briivs to effectively clean my dining room. The calculator seems to contradict Briiv’s claim that the Briiv 2 will effectively improve the air quality in a 794-square-foot living space in just 11 minutes. I currently have the Briiv 2 in my kitchen, and the first time its indicator light went red due to my cooking, I couldn’t get the fan to activate. I ended up turning it to full blast through Briiv’s somewhat clunky app. I played around with the app, and since then, my Briiv’s fan auto-adjusts to bad air without needing my help. It also looks very cool.
Mila Air 3 Critter Cuddler for $399: Mila makes seven bespoke filters that are designed specifically for moms-to-be, allergy sufferers, pet owners, etc. Add Mila’s built-in sensor and easy-to-use app dashboard, along with its wooden-legged modern box design, and the Mila is an immediate favorite. The more I cover air purifiers, the more go big to go quiet comes to mind. Smaller models tend to run loud on their highest settings. The Mila was not as quiet as I hoped. At full blast, the Mila hit 70 decibels on my consumer decibel reader. And at a CADR rating of 447 m3/hr, the Mila would do nicely in the average American 200-square-foot bedroom. You could run the Mila at its highest setting for CDC’s recommended five air exchanges an hour in a 400-square-foot room, but that is quite noisy. I ran the Mila in my sons’ 200-square-foot bedroom, and its auto setting adjusted correctly to the room’s air quality. And while Mila gets its outdoor AQI (air quality index) from PurpleAir, it couldn’t seem to find my PurpleAir outdoor monitor.
Dreo Air Purifier Tower Fan for $330: This Dreo offers 99.97 percent HEPA filtration and an air quality sensor. It also has control capability through a remote, the Dreo app, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa. Best of all, the fan and purifier can operate independently of each other, in case you have need for just one or the other or are looking to save on filter life (replacements run around $40). The 12-month warranty isn’t the greatest, but the device has been trouble free for nearly two years in our long-term tests. if you’re in the market for a fan and purifier in one, this model is definitely worth a look. —Kat Merck
Eye-Vac Air for $249: I was more than curious to test out the Eye-Vac Air with its 2-in-1 air purifier and touchless vacuum. Eye-Vac Air’s air purifier has two sets of HEPA and activated carbon filters pulling in air from both sides of the purifier. Its filter placement makes it possible to place the Eye-Vac flush against the wall, especially useful in kitchen settings. The air filter is capable of cleaning the air effectively, achieving five air exchanges per hour in a 120-square-foot space. While Eye Vac has a large, easy-to-read control panel, there are only two options for both the air purifier and the vacuum: manual or automatic. There are indicator lights for both when the bagless vacuum canister is full and when the air purifier filters need replacing. The air purifier also has three fan speeds, but there are no color-coded indicator lights that correspond to air quality. Instead, there are three blue bars that correspond with the purifier’s three fan settings.
SwitchBot Air for $200: I was excited to try this air purifier/side table hybrid complete with a mood light and phone charger. At first I wanted to place it next to my bed, but as I read the fine print, I saw the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table needs 12 inches of clearance on three sides. Air purifiers, especially cylindrical air purifiers, need unobstructed airflow. The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table allows for one side to be 1 inch away from a wall, but not curtains. Those kinds of placement restrictions keep the side table from being a side table. If you don’t mind a small table that can stand against the wall, then the air purifier table might work for a small entryway or bathroom. It has both a HEPA filter for PM 2.5 and an activated carbon filter to remove odor and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). And while the SwitchBot table can exchange the air in a 260-square-foot room five times an hour, that would be at its highest, loudest setting. The ideal size for the SwitchBot would be more like a 100-square-foot space, such as a mud room, entryway, or bathroom.
Windmill Air Purifier for $399: I like the Scandinavian look of this bamboo purifier, and it’s more furniture-esque than other purifiers. Still, with the blue model, the nicks in the veneer show up as white. It’s possible the bamboo finish might wear better. I really like this brand and reviewed its desk fan and air conditioner, the latter of which pairs with the Windmill Air app, and I’m equally happy using the app with its air purifier. The Windmill has an internal sensor and indicator light: green for good, yellow for moderate, pink for bad, and red for unhealthy. And while the Boost setting is the loudest, it is still relatively quiet at its lower setting. I prefer to run it on the auto-adjusting Eco mode.
Coway Airmega 50 for $80: A mini-me to the brand’s Airmega 100, the Airmega 50 (see our full review) has many of the features of Coway’s larger and more expensive models and is the cheapest Coway air purifier yet. The Airmega 50 was surprisingly effective for an air purifier the size of a roll of paper towels. The built-in sensor triggers both auto mode and the air quality indicator light, which gives the user instant information with nightlight vibes. One issue I have with all Coway air purifiers is the fact the custom color air quality indicator lights are different from the US air quality index’s six color-coded categories. Instead of green signalling good air, Coway’s green means air quality is moderate. See how it’s confusing. Blue, which is not on the US AQI color scale, means good.
Puroair 240 HEPA Air Purifier for $159: At under 9 inches tall, the Puroair 240 is tiny. And like so many of the smaller tabletop models, it’s also loud. It might be effective in a small space, say a room about 100 to 150 square feet. And like most of the units we review at WIRED, it’s California Air Resources Board Certified or CARB-certified. I found its filter size too small to effectively clean an average-sized room. And while I still review smaller air purifiers, there are larger and quieter models on the market for relatively the same cost that have greater air exchanges in a larger-sized room. The Puroair’s indicator light is adjusted by the 240’s internal sensor and is green for acceptable, yellow for moderate, and red for poor air quality. At times, I found the thin sliver of the indicator’s light difficult to see. The 240 has auto or manual mode, a timer, child lock, and filter replacement light. It also has a three-stage filter, including the tightly woven HEPA 14, activated carbon, and prefilter. Lastly, the 240’s black plastic attracted a noticeable amount of fingerprints.
Dyson Purifier Cool Gen 1 for $430: This is one of four Dyson purifiers I’ve tested over the years, and I continue to have a love/hate relationship with them. I admire the design and built-in air quality sensor, but there always seems to be something I don’t like with each model. Sometimes I’m not able to get a replacement remote, as Dyson moves on to new models at breakneck speed, and I’ve never really used the magnetic spot atop the filter to rest the remote. This time I was surprised that the Cool Gen1 wasn’t Dyson app compatible. I had to use the remote to adjust the fan speed. On the plus side, I do like the way the fan works, but this isn’t an oscillating fan in the traditional sense. Instead, the Cool Gen 1 TP10 has air blowing out of the sides of the long upright oval, and it shifts direction, aiming the cool air back and forth in a room.
Blueair Blue Signature for $450: This new purifier is designed to double as a side table, and there are accessories such as a chrome ring base, a wooden leg base, and six different color sleeves to match the purifier to fit the room. Without the bases, I found the 15-inch height to be too low for a functional side table. I didn’t test-drive the wooden leg base, but it might make it the right height for a side table. I found the barely there control panel difficult to navigate. And the PM 2.5 count showed only when I waved my hand over the panel. It has an indicator light that shines from its side. When it first arrived, the light moved back and forth like a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica and it took time to adjust the light to a static setting. Aside from that, the Signature works with Blueair’s easy-to-use app. Pet hair did collect on the cloth outer sleeve, but after I machine-washed and dried it, it looked good as new.
Coway Airmega 250 for $399: The Airmega 250 has a decently large footprint, but it’s rated to clean a 930-square-foot room twice an hour. That’s why I put it smack dab in the middle of the first floor of my home to clean the air in my kitchen and living room. Every time we cook, the smart air purifier mode automatically detects unhealthy particles in the air and ratchets up the fan’s power. It also recently did this when I had someone patch some drywall in my mudroom. (This mode works with the help of a PM10 and PM2.5 particle sensor.) The fan at its highest setting isn’t that loud—I measured it at 60 decibels standing right in front of it. There’s a Sleep mode if you want it silent. You get the usual controls, like timer functionality and replacement indicators for the filter. Speaking of, the Airmega 250 uses a true HEPA filter that needs to be replaced once every six to 12 months. This, combined with the washable prefilter that you should be keeping clean every two weeks and the activated carbon filter, allows the air purifier to remove 99.999 percent of ultrafine particles down to 0.01 microns, or so Coway says. It’s super easy to remove these filters to clean and swap them out. The whole system is roughly 21 pounds, so you can move it around fairly easily. Coway offers a three-year warranty. The Coway Airmega 250S is the same model but with Wi-Fi functionality, so you can control it via an app and see more details. The last thing I need is another app, but maybe you don’t mind. —Julian Chokkattu
Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max for $399: Standing at just under 2 feet tall, the NeverChange Max can be placed as close as 3 inches from a wall, making it a good fit for crowded spaces. It also has an air exchange of nearly five times per hour in a 216-foot space. The Max has a HEPA filter to capture fine particles in the air along with an activated carbon filter to trap odors and gases, as well as Shark’s own “Odor Neutralizer Technology”—a small cartridge that’s filled with an Ocean Breeze “fragrance pod.” It looked like solid perfume, but the scent reminded me more of an interstate service area than the beach. When I moved the Max next to my cats’ litter box and turned it on to the highest setting, it rid the room of any cat odor in less than a minute. It works. The Max touts that its owner can save $300 in filter costs in the first five years, as Shark’s filter lasts 10 times longer than some other filters. Reading the fine print, this is only true when the Max is used in 300-square-foot room. I’ve written about bespoke air scores in air monitors, and I have the same issue here with Shark’s air quality grades. The Max doesn’t have smart features, nor does it have an app or remote control. And at nearly $300, the Max only has a two-year warranty. Still, because of its easy setup, low maintenance, ability to operate so close to the wall, and possibly useful odor neutralizer technology, it’s perfect for a dorm room.
Shark NeverChange Air Purifier for $250: A lot of what was true for the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max is true for the line’s smaller NeverChange. It has an air exchange of nearly five times per hour in a 130-square-foot space. And while I couldn’t find a seal from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, or AHAM, on the NeverChange, it meets the standards for measuring the clean air delivery rate, or CADR, for a room that size, like a bathroom or laundry room. And it’s in those rooms that cat owners often tuck away their odor-causing litter boxes. And like the Max, the NeverChange uses a HEPA filter to capture fine particles along with an activated carbon filter to trap odors and gases. I tested the matte black finish that didn’t collect pet hair and was impervious to fingerprints. The NeverChange also has “Odor Neutralizer Technology,” a small cartridge that is filled with a “fragrance pod.” Like the Max, NeverChange touts the same cost savings in only replacing the filter every five years. In the fine print, those savings are only true when the NeverChange is used in 135-square-foot room, again the size of a large bathroom or laundry room. Still, because of its small size, its ability to operate so close to the wall, and the possibility of useful odor-neutralizer technology, I would recommend it to all my fellow cat ladies and cat gentlemen.
Oransi AirMend True Carbon for $350: While other AirMend models are made for HEPA filters, the True Carbon doesn’t have a HEPA. Instead, it has a 3-pound activated carbon filter. There’s a remote but no internal sensor, so raising the fan speed is a manual operation. It took a few tries using the remote, as there is a small lag time as the fan adjusts to different speeds. I appreciated the magnetic remote holder on the top of the purifier. It’s quiet on most settings and has an easy-to-miss minimalist design, blending into most spaces. The True Carbon is for those that need serious odor removal. I placed the True Carbon next to my two cats’ heavily trafficked litter box and within half hour it eliminated the smell. I knew it was working when my son couldn’t detect an odor. I could see the True Carbon being an essential appliance for smoker households, kitchens that retain smells, or cat owners. It’s surprisingly effective, but this is for VOCs and odors. The True Carbon is HEPA-less—it cannot capture fine particulates from the air. What you gain with a supersized activated carbon filter, you lose in standard air purifying ability such as removing PM2.5. That might be fine for your needs. Oransi also makes a wall mount and handy travel bag sold separately.
PurOxygen P500i for $170: This machine cleans the air of a smaller-than-average-sized room, and its easy-to-read display, app compatibility, side handles, and unique all-in-one filter make it easy to like. I usually stay away from small-room air purifiers due to their loud noise and less-than-ideal air-cleaning power. And while at its highest setting, the P500i reaches up to 50 decibels, it operates quietly at lower speeds and can effectively clean the air in a home office or a room smaller than 200 square feet. The purOxygen utilizes a combined filter that has a prefilter that can be un-velcroed and hand washed, an activated carbon, a HEPA 13, along with a cold catalyst filter. A cold catalyst, also known as low temperature catalyst filtration, can cause a chemical reaction that can break down gases, like VOCs, and convert them to less harmful substances. And while the P5001 is California Air Resources Board or CARB-vertified as a mechanical air purifier, the EPA does not recommend catalysts due to their limited effectiveness.
Coway Airmega IconS for $649: Coway continues to make some of the prettier air purifiers, as you might have noticed in this guide, and that continues with the Airmega IconS. It looks like an end table, and so I keep it right next to my couch. The star of the show is the Qi wireless charging pad, so when I sit down, I just plop my phone right on the machine to let it recharge. Any phone with wireless charging support should work, though you may need to take your phone case off. Like all Coways, it’s powerful—it cleans the air in spaces up to 649 square feet—easy to control, and simple to clean. This version is Wi-Fi enabled and voice-controlled. —Medea Giordano
Dreame Air Pursue PM20 for $700: This purifier promised to redefine air quality management, “with innovative human tracking capabilities and precision detection systems, delivering personalized air purification that adapts to every need.” The Pursue reminded me of the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde BP04 in shape, but the Pursue is designed to follow human movement, directing clean air in the user’s direction. The Pursue that WIRED tested worked well at first, but stopped pursuing early on. While this could have been user error, no amount of clicking the remote put it back into Pursue mode.
Mila Air Mini for $229: This was unfortunately too petite to effectively clean the rooms used for testing without running it on its loudest setting.
Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Compact Pro for $175: The latest addition to Shark’s NeverChange family had the same issue as the Mila Air Mini, above.
Ikea Starkvind for $200: Ikea’s Starkvind hit the American market in 2021. It’s stylish and relatively inexpensive and has the option to add on a carbon filter for gases such as benzene. It can be purchased either on its own or built into a wooden side table, but it’s worth noting that the Starkind took me an hour to assemble. While it is CARB-certified, meaning it passed the rigorous standards of the California Air Resources Board, it does not have a HEPA filter. Thinking I had an early version made for media, I went to my local Ikea. I bought a Förnuftig, and its manual listed the filter as HEPA. It’s not. We reached out to the company; at the time of publication, Ikea said it was still routing the question to the appropriate team. The question remains: If you’re buying an air purifier, why not buy a HEPA?
Morento Air Purifier for $67: This CARB-certified model caught our attention earlier this year for its value. With a CADR of 200 cubic feet per minute, the Morento is not only more powerful than most others at its price point, it’s got all the features of higher-end models, including a PM2.5 sensor and ring-light indicator, plus smart capability through the Havaworks app. During the testing period, however, the fan never increased speed to compensate for higher PM2.5 levels, even when I burned incense in the room to raise the level into the 500s. This persisted despite the machine being set to auto mode both in the app and on the machine itself, plus my cleaning the sensor and resetting the unit by unplugging it. Regardless, even if this feature had been working properly, the Morento gives a strangely wide margin for acceptable PM2.5 levels—the ring light indicator continued to glow green (“good”) up to 75 PM 2.5, which is 15 times more than the World Health Organization–recommended level of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. —Kat Merck
How does a busy shopper find the right size purifier for a room they want to clean? The US Centers for Disease Control recommends that one should aim for five air exchanges per hour, in a metric known as the ACH. When looking at an air purifier, look at the cubic feet per minute in airflow at the lowest setting. When measuring the cubic footage of your room, you need the area of the room times the height. Imagine a one-foot cube of styrofoam. How many cubes could you fit into a room?
Anyone shopping for an air purifier also needs to look for two acronyms and terms. First, look for CARB certification, which means that that unit passed the rigorous standards of the California Air Resources Board. Next, check the filter type. Below, we break down the differences. Also, don’t forget to unwrap your filter! There’s a special kind of horror that comes with realizing you’ve been running your air purifier with a plastic-wrapped HEPA filter.
HEPA Filters: This is a high-efficiency particulate air filter that can remove at least 99.97 percent of dust, mold, pollen, bacteria, and airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. It’s a great option for those who suffer from allergies or respiratory issues, since it can help to clear out airborne particles that can trigger symptoms—like sneezing, sore throat, difficulty breathing, coughing, and more. It’s worth noting, however, that HEPA filters don’t remove volatile organic compounds from the air the way activated carbon filters do. But these are typically paired with carbon filters.
Activated Carbon: Activated carbon filters (also known as activated charcoal) are highly effective because they are very porous and have a large surface area—allowing the filters to absorb gas pollutants, odors, and VOCs. They’re best for removing fumes, smoke, and chemicals from the air. But these filters have to be replaced more often depending on the environment. For example, if there’s a wildfire in your area and the air purifier is working more intensely than usual, it’s important to replace a saturated filter to avoid toxic gases from being released back into the air.
Washable Air Filters: A few of the options we’ve listed in this guide come with washable prefilters in addition to a HEPA and/or activated carbon filter—which is what you’ll typically find. These are the most cost-effective since you don’t have to buy new ones each time you need to replace a filter. Simply remove it, scrub it with soap and water, and let it dry.
UV-C Sanitizer Filters: Ultraviolet filters use UV light to kill viruses, parasites, mold spores, and bacteria. They can’t remove airborne particles, VOCs, or gas pollutants, so they’re only fully effective when combined with a HEPA filter. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, UV lights without proper lamp coatings have the potential to emit ozone. We recommend checking this list from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers for models that have been shown to emit little to no ozone.
Many large states and cities are required to report the local outdoor Air Quality Index, which was established by the EPA and measures the concentrations of major air pollutants, like ground ozone and carbon monoxide, that are regulated by the Clean Air Act. We like AirCare (iOS, Android), but your state or county may have even more localized apps.
To check if your indoor air quality stacks up, consumer monitors like the Temtop M10 ($90) and Airthings View Plus ($300) also measure carbon dioxide, temperature, and humidity, in addition to pollutants and particulate matter. The M10 measures formaldehyde too, a noxious chemical that off-gases from common household items, such as particleboard furniture and some foam mattresses. Need more information? Check out our complete guide to checking your air quality.
I haven’t lived without air purifiers since I started covering air quality back in 2019. I test them for a minimum of four weeks each in either my 130-plus-year-old Brooklyn apartment or a cabin in Maine. I use a gas stove for cooking and have two cats and a dog. I do not have central air nor an HVAC with MERV filters. There is no over-stove exhaust fan to remove fumes to the outside, and I use a decibel meter to test noise level on high, and an air quality monitor to indicate how well and how fast each unit is working to clean the air.
We look at popular models from all brands—both new and long established—and at all price points, taking into consideration features, size, effectiveness, and consumer popularity. Samples are often provided by the companies themselves with the understanding that editorial coverage is not guaranteed. WIRED does earn affiliate revenue from purchases, but this does not factor into our editorial decisions.
A handful of top picks are kept around for longer-term testing, evaluation against new picks, and for use in testing auxiliary products like food dehydrators and the Plantaform indoor smart garden, but all others are donated to local organizations, including NYC public schools.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.