Which Air Purifiers Really Work? Allergists and Testers Say These Are the Best

If you’re constantly coughing, sneezing, or dealing with allergies, finding the best air purifier for your home can help. Air purifiers are designed to remove contaminants like dust, mold, smoke, and odors to improve indoor air quality—and research shows they can be highly effective. They use filters and a fan to then push the clean air back into your home, allowing you to breathe easier and better.

For shopping tips and advice on deciding whether you really need one, we spoke with Denna Zebda, MD, assistant professor in the department of otorhinolaryngology with UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann, and Julie Wendt, MD, allergist and immunologist at Relieve Allergy. Browse their recs below.

Our top picks

1. Medify MA-40 Air Purifier
2. Bionaire Air Purifier
3. Clorox Air Purifier
4. Levoit Core 400S Air Purifier
5. Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link Purifier Heater Fan HP02
6. Coway Airmega 400(G) Smart Air Purifier
7. Honeywell HPA030 HEPA Tower Air Purifier
8. Alen 75i Air Purifier
9. Blueair Blue 211+ Auto HEPA Air Purifier
10. GermGuardian 3-in-1 True HEPA Filter Air Purifier
11. Blueair Protect 7470i Air Purifier

Do you need an air purifier?

Not necessarily: Dr. Zebda says an air purifier can be particularly helpful for people with dust allergies and asthma. Own a pet that you’re allergic to? An air purifier can also cut down on pet dander, hair, and odor that may be causing your reactions, she adds.

They can even be effective at removing smoke and pollution: One 2023 study found that air purifiers with a HEPA filter can eliminate 50% to 80% of particles in the air, even in highly polluted areas. Another proved that HEPA filters can clear up to 74% of indoor smoke particles caused by outdoor smoky conditions.

Note: Air purifiers are designed to pick up contaminants in the air (not on surfaces), so they can’t keep your home entirely dust-free. Something else to keep in mind—Dr. Wendt explains that “some [air purifiers] are loud, messy, and can get expensive,” since their filters will need to be replaced every so often (and some may be discontinued in between maintenance sessions).

What to look for in an air purifier

Will an air purifier protect against COVID?

Maybe—but more research is needed. Some studies have shown that your risk of a COVID-19 infection goes down in a well-ventilated room. This includes a room with an air purifier in it, although variables like how well your purifier works and what size area it’s designed to cover can also affect your risk.

Shop the best air purifiers

We’ve got plenty of expert-recommended and SELF staffer-approved options below.

Medify MA-40 Air Purifier

Pros

• Impressive filtration rate
• Works for large spaces
• Quiet
• Lightweight

Cons

• No “smart” features
• Filters have to be replaced every six months

This device wins points from Dr. Dasgupta for its high CADR of 406 cubic feet per minute (CFM). Because it has a high-capacity HEPA filter (which Dr. Dasgupta says is a must for removing fine smoke particles), Medify claims this purifier can capture even smaller pollutants than traditional HEPA filters can. A child lock, timer, sleep mode, adjustable fan speed, filter replacement indicator, and lifetime warranty make it a great all-around pick—and, at around $200, it’s not too pricey either.

Bionaire Air Purifier

Pros

• Has six filtration methods
• Quiet
• Lightweight

Cons

• Produces a small amount of ozone when using UV light
• Only works for tiny spaces

This eight-pound purifier has both of the certifications that Dr. Dasgupta looks for: Energy Star and Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), which he says “ensure efficiency and reliability.” It also has six layers of filtration, including a HEPA filter and a carbon filter—a combo that Dr. Dasgupta says is great for fighting wildfire smoke, since it eliminates the particles and the odors they may have.

“I use this purifier in my bedroom, and it’s definitely helped cut down on dust and pet dander,” says one SELF writer. “It’s so quiet that I don’t notice it at all.” This purifier does have an ionizing UV light mode for killing airborne viruses (just note that it creates some ozone).

Clorox Air Purifier

Pros

• Works well for large spaces
• Hands-free auto mode
• Displays air quality two different ways

Cons

• Unclear if UV light is ozone-free
• Heavy

This SELF 2024 Healthy Home Award-winner uses a HEPA filter and can cover up to 2,200 square feet of space. “I like that its auto mode responds to changes in the air automatically, so it’ll kick on and get to work when something suddenly changes (it really doesn’t like when I make grilled cheese),” says Christa Sgobba, SELF’s director of food and fitness. “I also like that you can easily tell what your air quality is by the color of the light, which is helpful if you’re too far away to read the number on the digital display.”

Levoit Core 400S Air Purifier

Pros

• HEPA and carbon filter combo
• Quiet
• Can be app- or voice-controlled with Amazon Alexa

Cons

• CADR of 260 CFM could be higher

An ideal air purifier for your bedroom, the Levoit Core 400S operates at a super quiet 24 decibels, which is about as loud as a whisper. But it’s still pretty powerful: Using a three-stage filtration system (including HEPA), it captures tiny pollutants in rooms up to 1,980 square feet. The Levoit app allows you to monitor real-time air quality, view filter life, and set schedules—you can even control the purifier using your voice.

Blueair Blue 211+ Auto HEPA Air Purifier

Pros

• Quiet
• LED light indicates air quality
• Multiple filtration methods
• Works quickly

Cons

• Filters need to be replaced more often

Using a three-part filtration system (a washable prefilter, a HEPA-level particle filter, and a carbon filter), the Blueair Blue 211+ Auto Air Purifier is very quiet and can filter areas up to 2,640 square feet in an hour or less. It easily removes an array of particles from the air, including smoke, dust, and pet dander. You’ll need to swap new filters in twice a year—something our commerce director, who owns this purifier, says is easy to do in minutes—but we like that it has an auto mode and can indicate your air quality using an LED light, like some of our other top picks do. “In addition to its auto setting and multiple fan speeds, the Blueair has a ‘night’ mode that turns off its lights so as not to disturb your sleep,” our editor says.

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link Purifier Heater Fan HP02

Pros

• Comes with tons of extra features
• Can be app- or remote-controlled
• Lightweight
• Oscillates

Cons

While it definitely isn’t one of the more affordable options on this list, the Dyson HP02 is highly effective. It has a strong HEPA filter that can clear up to 99.7% of all airborne pollutants, including smoke from wildfires. A long list of unique additional features makes it well worth the extra investment—it can heat and cool your air, run extra-quietly at night, and you can operate it from anywhere using the included remote or the Dyson app. You can also get real-time reports on air quality, humidity levels, and temperature.

Coway Airmega 400(G) Smart Air Purifier

Pros

• Three levels of filtration
• Works well in large spaces
• Has an auto mode
• Pretty quiet

Cons

With an impressive capacity of up to 3,120 square feet, Coway’s air purifier is ideal for large homes or workspaces. It has a three-stage filtration system (including a HEPA filter) that the brand claims can remove up to 99.99% of ultra-fine airborne particles and odors, as well as an LED light that indicates air quality. Even better, it’s pretty quiet (at its loudest it’s 50 decibels, about the same as your refrigerator running), and the filter only needs to be changed once a year.

Honeywell HPA030 HEPA Tower Air Purifier

Pros

• Multiple filtration methods
• Budget-friendly
• Compact

Cons

• Won’t work for larger spaces
• Carbon filters need to be replaced more often

For smaller rooms of up to 200 square feet, the Honeywell Tower Air Purifier is super compact, yet efficient. In addition to a HEPA filtration system, which captures dust and allergens, it has an activated carbon pre-filter to help reduce odors. The filters, however, aren’t as durable as those in some other models on this list—you’ll need to swap them out every few months.

Alen 75i Air Purifier

Pros

• Great for large spaces
• Long-lasting filters
• High CADR

Cons

• Very pricey
• Large and heavy

Alen claims the heavy-duty 75i has a filtration rate of 99.99% for any particle that’s above 0.1 microns, thanks to its HEPA filter, high CADR of 350 CFM, and auto-adjust feature, which speeds up the fan based on air quality readings. It can also cover up to 2,600 square feet. This purifier uses a B7 filter that can last over a year before you need to change it—you can choose from the Pure style (designed to capture allergens like dust and mold), the Fresh style (designed to trap allergens and common household odors), or the Odor style (designed to filter out allergens, pet dander, and stronger odors).

Although it’s fairly pricey and heavy, we think it’s worth the investment for large, busy households.

GermGuardian 3-in-1 True HEPA Filter Air Purifier

Pros

• Budget-friendly
• Multiple filtration methods
• UV light helps clear odors and airborne viruses

Cons

If you’re on a budget, GermGuardian’s air purifier delivers stellar air protection without too many extra tech-heavy features. It has a true HEPA filter that can capture up to 99.7% of all allergens and dust particles in a room. An added charcoal filter and UV-C light can also remove unpleasant odors and some airborne viruses.

Blueair Protect 7470i Air Purifier

Pros

• Works well for large spaces
• Can be voice-controlled
• Quiet and works quickly
• Five layers of filtration

Cons

Covering up to 2,000 square feet in under an hour, Blueair’s 7470i air purifier can be controlled via its feature-packed app or Amazon Alexa. It has five layers of filtration that the brand claims can remove 99.97% of particles in the air, plus a setting in the app that allows you to create and set custom schedules.

Can’t remember when you last replaced the filter? No worries—the app keeps track and will let you know when it’s time for an upgrade.

Additional reporting contributed by Nikhita Mahtani

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