17 Best Air Purifiers (2024): Coway, AirDoctor, IQAir

How does the busy consumer find the right size cleaner for the room they want to clean? The US Centers for Disease Control recommends that a person should aim for five breaths per hour, in a metric known as ACH. When looking at an air cleaner, look for cubic feet per minute of air flow on the lowest setting. When measuring the cubic footage of your room, you need the area of ​​the room times the height. Consider a one-foot cube of styrofoam. How many cubes can fit in the room?

Anyone shopping for an air purifier should look for two acronyms and names. First, look for CARB certification, which means the air purifier has passed the strict standards of the California Air Resources Board. Next, check the filter type. Below, we break down the differences. Also, don’t forget to unplug your filter! There’s a special kind of panic that comes with realizing you’ve been running your air purifier with a plastic-wrapped HEPA filter.

HEPA filters: This is a highly effective 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 problems, because it can help remove airborne particles that can cause symptoms—such as sneezing, sore throat, shortness of breath, coughing, and more. It’s worth noting, however, that HEPA filters do not remove volatile organic compounds from the air the way carbon filters do. But these are often paired with carbon filters.

Activated carbon: Activated carbon (also known as activated charcoal) filters work best because they are very porous and have a large surface area—allowing the filters to absorb gas contaminants, odors, and VOCs. It is best to remove smoke, fumes, and chemicals from the air. But these filters should be changed frequently depending on the environment. For example, if there is a wildfire in your area and the air purifier is working more than usual, it is important to replace the full filter to prevent toxic gases from re-entering the air.

Washable Air Filters: A few of the air purifiers we’ve listed in this guide come with washable filters in addition to a HEPA and/or activated carbon filter—which is usually what you’ll find. This is very cost effective as you don’t have to buy new ones every time you need to replace the 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 bacteria, parasites, mold spores, and viruses. They cannot remove airborne particles, VOCs, or gaseous pollutants, so they are only fully effective when combined with a HEPA filter. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, UV lamps without proper lighting have the potential to deplete ozone. We recommend checking out this list from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers for air purifiers that have been shown to emit less ozone.