The Best Air Purifiers

A healthy home starts with healthy air. If you’re concerned the air in your home is unclean, air purifiers are now considered household staples that can improve your Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), by reducing airborne allergens such as pollen and mold, reducing particulates from smoke or smog, and capturing particles containing bacteria, viruses and some harmful VOCs, which pass through their filters.

For people wondering what the air quality is like where they are, look no further than this source – a real-time account of air quality in your city. Alarmingly though, indoor air is often between two and five times as polluted as outdoor air – it can even be as much as 100 times worse. How does this happen? Outdoor air pollutants find their way indoors and become trapped without proper ventilation. Air purifiers work by cleansing the air inside by using an internal filter and fan to pull in unwanted particles from the air in a specific room, and the purified air is then circulated back into the space. This filtration process repeats several times an hour, continually boosting indoor air quality.

Choose your air purifier carefully however, since the marketplace is choc-full of options that aren’t up to scratch. An ideal air purifier does its job by cleaning the air in any room. It is outfitted with a HEPA filter, is quiet, discreet, easy on the eyes, and it should be robust and affordable so that it wouldn’t be out of the question to have several around the home for different spaces, where the air quality is below par. The following is a list of some top-notch models, as recommended by the WLLW team.

The HealthPro Plus: IQ Air

The HealthPro Plus is a medical-grade air purifier for medium to large rooms. This is IQAir's most popular purifier, and was chosen for use in Hong Kong’s hospitals during the Covid-19 epidemic (although it has been used in hospitals for over a decade). WLLW’s founder, Lisa, acquired one specifically to help with her son’s allergies and asthma. In Lisa’s words, “It has worked wonders and while it may be a bit larger in terms of unit size, it is a powerhouse purifier. You can feel the difference in the air.”

Airmega Mighty: Coway

It’s hard to go wrong with this air purifier. The New York Times’ product testing division, Wirecutter has named it the best in the field for nine years in a row. The Coway Airmega Mighty (like all true-HEPA purifiers) is exceptionally effective at capturing pollen, dust, smoke from wildfires, and airborne viruses and bacteria. Another reason to love this model is that its square, low-profile form takes up significantly less visual space than tower designs.

BioGS 2.0 Ultra Quiet: Rabbit Air

Another great option, more suited for small to midsize rooms. It has a fantastic HEPA filter as well, and a Carbon filter with pellets providing greater absorption of gases around the home. It’s also got a simplistic, relatively svelte design. Stylish, user-friendly, and good at its job? It’s a win-win.

MinusA2 Ultra Quiet: Rabbit Air

This is a streamlined little model that can be mounted to a wall that you don’t see very often. Like the others that make this list, it has a HEPA filter. An Activated Carbon filter reduces odors and a custom filter option allows you to tailor the system to your specific environmental needs. This unit is also reasonably energy efficient.

Alen® HEPA Air Purifier: Alen® BreatheSmart 75i

This is a highly energy-efficient and powerful air purifier. It works in larger rooms, capable of cleaning up to 1,300 square feet two times an hour. It has also been finely-tuned to operate at whisper-quiet levels. From a visual standpoint, it comes in a range of neutral color options, so it shouldn’t look out of place in most rooms.

Atem Car Air Purifier

If you ever notice when driving that you’re coughing or clearing your throat more than normal, it could be poor air quality within your car that's to blame. That’s where this gadget comes in, providing in-cabin gas and odor elimination as well as eliminating other types of pollutants that cause allergies. There’s an app for Android and IOS that works with the Atem device. It allows you to adjust settings, including the power level of the fan. It also provides information regarding the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle and an indication of the filter life and when it needs to be changed.

LG PuriCare™ Mini Air Purifier: LG USA

This is a perfect option for on-the-go travelling when you’re staying at a friend’s house, hotel, or an airbnb. It’s about the size of a water bottle, is cost-efficient, and has been endorsed by the British Allergy Foundation. As far as air purifiers go, this is fantastic for its portability as it comes with a leather carrying strap.

What is the difference between an air purifier and filter?

People sometimes use these terms interchangeably, but there are certain differences. Both devices remove impurities, but while an air cleaner filters the air, an air purifier sanitizes it, removing particles including: Pet dander. Dust and dust mites, pollen, and smoke. An air purification system works in a single room, while an air cleaner is often a whole home solution.

Disclaimer: This list features items from various companies. WLLW does not receive any payment for recommendations. Opinions are based purely on independent research, testing and personal experience.