Looking for the best air purifier to enhance and clean the air in your home? Is that cat dander thicker than you thought? With more in-home time, air purifiers are getting more visibility. We thought we would help filter your search by getting you acquainted with the best options available. 

Whether your need for the best air purifier is for allergies, the best air purifiers for pets or you simply like the idea of clean air, advanced technology, and filter designs are giving users air they can appreciate and breathe easy in. Air filters will pick up all of the allergens, dust, and debris that vacuums and sweeping tend to kick up, as well as dander from pets and more.

Updated high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, disposable fiberglass, and reusable activated carbon filters are just a couple of options that these new air purifiers are offering. Let’s take a look at what they are made of, how they work, and get cozy with which technology is best for refashioning the air in your home.

What is an Air Purifier?

Air Purifiers are devices that improve indoor air quality by removing contaminants from the air. These air-cleaning devices come in different styles and sizes and benefit those suffering from allergies, VOC sensitivities, and much more. 

Additionally, they come in two different styles—passive and active. 

Passive air purifying technology uses filters such as HEPA or Ultraviolet irradiation to permanently remove all particles and dust from the air. 

Active air purifying technology or ionizing air purifiers release negative ions in the air. These electro-static charged particles then attract and stick to positively charged air particles, weighing them down, leaving the air cleaner and bacteria-free.

Do Air Purifiers Work?

Here we take a look at both active and passive air purifiers to see how each one works. Whether one or the other works better depends on use and preference. Knowing how they work can help narrow down which style is best for you.  

Passive Air Purifiers

This type of air purifier customarily comes in box styles with a motorized fan and a filter. Filters come in different designs using textiles, paper, metal, or glass. Air is then drawn through the filter with the motorized fan. The filter then catches unwanted particles from the air ultimately letting the clean air pass through. These particles can be bacterias, smoke, mold, pollen, and many other substances. The passive products are usually one of the best air purifiers for smoke. They make it easy to clean up the air that has dander.

Depending on which type of passive air filter you use determines how clean the air comes out. The factors to consider when purchasing the best air filters are the size of the space and what types of pollutants you want to protect yourself from. 

Here are the most common types you’ll find in the best home air purifiers. There are a few more styles but they are for industrial and HVAC units. Today, we want to focus on the best options for your home. 

Fiberglass Air Filters – These are disposable and affordable but have a lower filtration rating. 

Electrostatic Air Filters – These are like dust magnets that attach to airborne particles and prevent them from taking up space in your home and lungs. These air filters come in washable styles as well and are commonly used as pre-filters. 

HEPA Filters – These are your allergy blocking filters and are tested to block up to 99.9% of indoor contaminates. HEPA filters are also recommended by the US Department of Energy. They are made of fiberglass or plastic and most carry some sort of activated carbon in them. The HEPA filter is a great option for removing airborne viruses. They are reusable and may even help clean the air of viruses.

UV Filters – These are your bacteria slayers. Ultraviolet filters are not recommended for the dusty stuff but for the icky “make you sick” stuff. These fight off bacteria and microorganisms that can potentially make you sick.

Activated carbon filters – These filters are usually used in line with other filters, like the ones above. They clean the air of nanoparticles and help eliminate odors. Moreover, activated carbon placed in line with other filters can eliminate larger particles, extending the life of the more expensive filters beneath. 

Active Air Purifiers or Ionizers

Ionizers are active air purifiers that use an electric charge to emit negative ions, which attach to positively charged particles, eliminating or neutralizing them. Positive ions carry free-radicals, dust, pollen, and other pollutants. 

Some of the best passive air purifiers double up with an ionizer to create the most effective filtration available. However, alone, they are more focused on energizing an area and cleaning it of bacteria. Some users even use them to harmonize areas exposed to EMF radiation.

Negative ions also emit from the Earth and are said to ground and balance energies in people, places, and things. They are also said to:

• Improve concentration
• Eliminate joint pain
• Improve sleep 

Best Air Purifiers for Your Home

Below are some of the best Air purifiers we could find. These range from one room to whole house purification and carry some of the most advanced air filtration available for your home.

Coway AP-1512HH Mighty Air

We are comfortable calling the Coway AP-1512HH Mighty a beast. The 4-stage filtration system has a 361 sq.ft. cleaning range. The Mighty is able to clean 99.97% of all contaminants in that amount of space, covering 98% in just 30 minutes; that’s impressive. 

Furthermore, the 4-stage filtration comes with pre-filtration, a deodorizing filter, a HEPA filter, and a Vital Ion System that pre-ionizes. This bipolar ionizer works as a pre-pre-filter, extending the life of the pre-filter. 

Moreover, this layering eliminates particles as small as 0.3 microns and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Pulling the air through is a 3-stage fan that has an automatic air optimization control setting. If the product doesn’t detect contaminants within a 30 minute period, it enters into ECO mode to save energy. 

Coways’s compact filtration is built to protect itself and you. The pre-filter protects the other filters by catching larger bits that can potentially clog the HEPA filters. The Mighty is small and sleek at just under 12 lbs. This product has a small handle for easy carry from one room to another. It has a 18x10x17-inch frame that tapers to create a smaller visual space. 

To add to its efficiency, Coway can be set to power off after one, four, or eight hours. Other notable features are its LED real-time indoor air quality sensor and the filter indicator. This shows you when the pre-filter or HEPA filter needs cleaning or replacing. Add a super low 77W of power consumption and super low noise range, and you will see why Coway Mighty stands up to its name.

As a side note, some people have experienced fan failure and noise. One source explains it’s common for uninformed users to not unwrap the filters before they use the purifier. Make sure you take the filters out and check them first before you plug it in and walk away. 

Blueair Blue Pure 211+

The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ air purifier produces four air changes per hour and can cover up to 655 sq.ft. This makes it ideal for open-floor-plan homes with high ceilings. What does that mean? That means in just 30 minutes it can clean a room  99% of harmful particles from a room that large.

Blueair Pure 211+ comes with two washable pre-filters that you can wash or vacuum, although the suggest washing it occasionally;y for best results. The other two layers of filtration are an activated carbon mesh filter and an “almost HEPA” that is made from the same stuff—polypropylene—and can clean up to 99% of 0.1-micron particles from the air. This includes dust mites, mold, pollen, and smoke. This product is one of the best air purifiers for mold. It has been proven to help pick up mold particles and makes breathing easier.

Unfortunately, the carbon mesh filter isn’t as powerful as granular filters. However, it serves the purpose of eliminating VOCs, chemicals, smog, and odors and can keep up since it is certified to filter 5x an hour up to 540 sq.ft. This product adds an electrostatic charge to particles so when they run through the second time. The particles stick to the filter, which is why both high and medium are virtually equal at cleaning the air.

It isn’t as quiet as the Coway and it is significantly larger, but it only pulls at 30 – 61 watts, which is rated by Energy Star for low consumption. It isn’t an eyesore and offers a simple and sleek one-button design. This controls the power and the fan level form 1-3. And don’t be turned off by the fact it’s not carrying HEPA filters because it is AHAM certified. It also has a LED light to let you know it;’s time for a cleaning.

Alen BreatheSmart FLEX

Flex is its name and this noteworthy air purifier is affordable, customizable, and achieves more in its energy and space savings than most air filtration systems 5x it’s size, making it our most flexible option. It is 2x as fast and can clean up to 700 sq.ft. every half hour.

It only consumes about 50watts of energy on turbo and is said to cost about $0.50 a month to run—that’s pretty cheap. Furthermore, the H13 true HEPA filtration allows more time between cleanings and up to 99.97% air purification at 0.3 microns, leaving your air smoke, bacteria, and mold-free. This is also one of the best air purifiers for smoke. Making the air you breathe in fresh and clean.

Take that HEPA and put it in with 0.66lbs of activated carbon and you get a smell-free zone. This addition cleans the atmosphere of VOCs, chemicals, and other harmful airborne bacteria that create an odor. This makes the Alen BreatheSmart a nice air purifier for the kitchen. 

Looking for the best air purifier for your bedroom? Alen Breathesmart is Sleep Score validated too. Not only does it “HEPA” those allergens that stuff up your nose at night, but it also sends out its coveted Whisper Max technology. This takes the sound of the machine and turns it into a frequency that aids sleep—adios white noise. This lower tone emits on all four fan settings. 

That flexibility we mentioned is what makes Alen Breathesmart Flex stand out. It comes in 14 different colors and texture designs while offering four different HEPA filter options. Hepa-Pure for standard purification; Hepa-Fresh, helping with odors from cooking, smoke, or VOCs; Hepa-Silver for antimicrobial purification that uses silver-ion threads to prevent mold, and HEPA-Odor Cell that uses Alen’s specially formulated Molecular Conversion Powder. That filter is designed to remove odor molecules.

Blueair Blue Pure 411+

The 411 on this Blueair Blue Pure is it is made for personal space in mind. Created to clean smaller rooms, it only covers up to 161 sq.ft. But 5x an hour and that is what it’s designed for. This product comes with a 3 stage washable pre-filter in 6 different colors.

Another great thing is the placement of the pre-filter on the outside for easier cleaning. The particle filter is the same polypropylene material used in the 211+. This purifier uses its own HEPASilent technology, which is as efficient to the True HEPA filters and uses less energy. This also offers the lowest level of noise with 46db, just under what library levels.

Completing the trifecta is an activated carbon filter, which is in the particle filter. And if you are looking for a budget-friendly choice, you’ll find its 10watts of pull equate to about $7 annually. If you aren’t happy, their customer service reputation is as good as their filters. However, what it is offering for under a hundred bucks, you’ll definitely be happy with your purchase.

Winix 5500-2

Winix is the winner of affordable giants. Their PlasmaWave technology paired with an advanced odor control carbon filter keeps you odor-free. A true HEPA backs these up, so you also get a bacteria, virus, and allergen-free space for better breathing.

It comes with 5 buttons set on the front of a sleek black plastic cover. This makes it easier to change the settings. This product also offers a sleep mode. Winix 5500-2 senses ambient light then adjusts fan speeds and dims the LED indicator accordingly.

Additionally, you’ll get a 4x hourly air swap in any room up to 360sq.ft. This involves smart meters and air quality indicators that let you know how well your air is stacking up. What makes this purifier smart is its ability to self adjust its fan according to air quality. This product can also cut it off and wait for the air to be filtered.

Final Thought

The air we breathe is made of many different tiny particles that we cannot see with the naked eye. But, we can feel with our lungs. With the state of the world due to the COVID-19, making sure we are breathing safe is more important than ever. Think of the best air purifier as a face mask for your home. 

There are plenty of designs and price ranges to choose from. Some are designed for pet hair and dander. Others are better for seasonal allergies and VOC sensitivity. Even better, the best air purifiers clean your air and your space, offering air purification you can feel good breathing in. After reviewing the products available, StuffedAbode has made shopping easier. The best air purifiers have already been reviewed, for you.