The 8 Best Air Purifiers to Help You Breathe Easy

Whether you suffer from seasonal allergies, need to clear your home’s air of smoke and odors, or just want to ensure that you aren’t inhaling unnecessary pollutants, an air purifier is a great investment. An effective air purifier can remove a significant amount of these particulates from your home—some up to 99.97%—and give you the confidence that the air you’re breathing is as close to pure as you’re probably going to get. These machines come in a range of sizes, and usually feature a digital readout so you can monitor exactly how effectively they’re operating.

What to Consider

To ensure that your purifier is working as effectively and efficiently as possible, make sure that it uses a reliable filter system. Look for models that feature a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. These are designed to allow for air to pass through them relatively easily, while a highly dense filter system captures pollutants and particles in this air, some as small as .3 microns.

It’s worth noting that one of the models we included, the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ does not technically have a HEPA filter, but instead uses an electrostatic filtration system to remove particulates. Despite the fact that it uses a different filter, tests from Wirecutter and Consumer Reports promote its effectiveness as comparable to HEPA models.

To make sure you’re getting an accurate idea of the future costs of your air purifier, make note of how frequently the filters need to be replaced, as well as how much these replacements cost. Some models that have a higher initial cost will actually end up being more affordable in the long run than cheaper models that need more frequent filter replacements.

If you’re planning on your air purifier being a permanent fixture in your home, pay close attention to its appearance and style. It might be worth paying a bit extra for a unit that will match your home decor, or one that has a variety of colors to pick from. To make your purifier disappear into the background of your room even more, look for one that features a manual display shutoff, which will temporarily disable any bright LED displays.