Compare Our Picks

Recommended With Reservations

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

BlueAir PetAir Pro for $500: As the owner of two cats, I really wanted to love Blueair’s PetAir Pro, a new addition to the growing market of pet-pitched air purifiers. The PetAir promises a unique pet-owner experience. It has a Pet Mode that senses when the pet is on the purifier, which quiets the fan speed and actual air cleaning capacity. It also has a pull-out prefilter that collects pet hair, an H13 HEPA, and a carbon activated filter to capture VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and odors. There’s even a storage space for toys. There are several things to consider regarding the PetAir. At less than 10 inches high, it sits at the ground level. If you’re looking for a pet-specific air purifier, then the fan/airflow placement might be ideal, and it can also effectively clean the air with the recommended five air exchanges per hour in a 260 square-foot-room. I prefer taller models, as they seem to react more quickly to air pollutants higher in the room like those created by cooking. Room placement is one of the reasons that diminutive air purifiers are often referred to as “tabletop” models, as they can get closer to breathing space. As for my two testers, I could not get either cat to lay on the bed, and my 30-pound dog was over PetAir’s weight limit of 25 pounds. I put catnip on the PetAir, then wondered if I had just created more particle pollution. I also physically put my cats on the purifier, hoping they would use it properly. They didn’t, but I did collect cat hair in the prefilter. For the money, I wish the PetAir had a built-in heated pet bed, as I am sure my cats would have used it for warmth. As any pet owner knows, pets do not always enjoy or use products designed for them.

Others We Tested

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

Airthings Renew for $300: I wasn’t expecting to like the unassuming minimalist Renew from Airthings as much as I did. Its gray box design is so understated, quiet, and powerful that it was easy to plug it in and forget about it. The Renew is also the first purifier I’ve tested that gives the user three placement options: it can stand up with the air output facing up and sideways, and the entire box can lie on the floor. The Airthings app not only shows data graph style, but it also is a remote to adjust the purifier settings, including setting the panel lock, handy for cat owners. The control panel and the indicator light are barely there, and it’s not easy to see the tiny light letting me know my indoor air quality. At first, I thought the main drawback was size. The Renew is made for a bedroom, home office, or nursery. If you place it in a larger room, it’s going to have to run at its highest setting. The main drawback that I noticed after several months of use was the exterior prefilter. It did its job capturing pollutants, but I wasn’t able to clean it. Unlike Blueair’s fabric exterior prefilters, which are machine washable, I was unable to effectively clean the Renew fabric cover, even with my vacuum.

Coway Airmega ProX for $999: The Coway Airmega ProX is the monolith your high-ceilinged home needs. If you’re living in an A-frame, double-height ceiling loft, or any home with a ceiling higher than 8 feet, the Coway Aimega ProX is for you. The ProX gives off a TARS robot from Interstellar meets giant stereo speaker vibe. It’s blend-into-the-room-mocha beige and can clean the air four times per hour in a 1,000-square-foot space when running at its highest setting. And even at its highest and therefore loudest setting, it hovers around 50 decibels, slightly louder than the sound of falling rain—making it one of the quieter large tower air purifiers I’ve tested. It also has a control panel lock that is a plus for parents and cat owners alike. However, even though the 50-pound ProX has hidden handles and built-in lockable wheels, it really is just too heavy for the home consumer.

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

Coway Airmega 400S for $650: Coway has yet to make a bad air purifier, and the Airmega 400S is another banger from the air purifier innovators. The 400S checks all the boxes when it comes to features. It has a reliable auto mode that adjusts the fan speed according to the air quality using its built-in air quality sensor. It also has a timer to schedule one, four, or eight hours of running time. And while it has a serviceable app, its built-in air sensor and auto-adjust fan keep me from having to micromanage settings. The question is, can this air purifier do the job without me pushing buttons or checking the indoor air quality, and do it quietly? With the Airmega 400S, the answer is yes. I just wish its 15 x 23 x 15-inch dimensions didn’t make it so hard to place in a room.

Air Doctor AD4000 Air Purifier for $799: As I went to pair Air Doctor’s newest air purifier, the AD4000, I realized that there was no WiFi button on the control panel. At 15 pounds and nearly $800, the AD4000 should be Wi-Fi compatible, especially since it has an internal air quality sensor. Users should have the option to view indoor air quality on the Air Doctor app dashboard. And while the AD4000 is made for larger spaces, if one wanted to achieve the four air exchanges per hour the AD4000 supposedly can do, then it would have its fan at the highest setting. My consumer sound level meter registered 100 dB at full blast. It sounded to me like a hair dryer on a low setting. For context, the CDC’s recommendation for noise levels for workers is that they are not exposed to 100 dB for over 15 minutes. It’s for that reason that all air purifiers need to be in a space where they can run the fan at the lowest setting. The AD4000 would do well in a 200- to 300-square-foot room. Lastly, when I unboxed the AD4000, the sticker with instructions to take the filters out of their plastic bags pulled off the control panel when I went to remove it.

Airdog X5 for $649: The Airdog X5 is the first washable filter air purifier I’ve tested. And while it doesn’t use a HEPA, it is California Air Resources Board certified. CARB lists it as electronic filtration instead of a HEPA filter; that would be listed as mechanical. As I’ve written before, if an air purifier isn’t CARB-certified, don’t buy it. I tested the Airdog in a large room. I even received the limited-edition pet plate. That is exactly what it sounds like—a plate that fits over the Airdog meant for a cat to perch on. Neither of my cats took to it. The Airdog has a responsive built-in sensor that was in sync with my other air quality monitors. And its electronic air filters, by way of their patented TPA technology, charge particles and then capture them. The best way I can describe it: Imagine that the PM 2.5 are mosquitoes and the Airdog is like an old-time mosquito zapper. It works a little like that, and if the filter gets dirty enough, it will make zap sounds.

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

Briiv 2 Pro Air Filter for $374: There are big claims in Briiv’s 2 Pro Air Filter’s small package. At 2.5 pounds, the Briiv 2 Pro Air Filter is the smallest air purifier I’ve tested, though it’s far from the cheapest. The company claims that one Briiv equals the oddly specific 3,043 houseplants, and that it uses AI-powered air quality sensors. I don’t usually review units that are not CARB-certified (California Air Resources Board), but I was intrigued by the Briiv. That said, the actual space the Briiv 2 Pro can clean is extremely small. I entered the dimensions of my dining room into the Briiv’s website room calculator, and at 20 feet long by 11 feet wide with 9-foot ceilings, the room calculator summed up that I would need two Briivs to effectively clean my dining room. The calculator seems to contradict Briiv’s claim that the Briiv 2 will effectively improve the air quality in a 794-square-foot living space in just 11 minutes. I currently have the Briiv 2 in my kitchen, and the first time its indicator light went red due to my cooking, I couldn’t get the fan to activate. I ended up turning it to full blast through Briiv’s somewhat clunky app. I played around with the app, and since then, my Briiv’s fan auto-adjusts to bad air without needing my help. It also looks very cool.

Mila Air 3 Critter Cuddler for $399: Mila makes seven bespoke filters that are designed specifically for moms-to-be, allergy sufferers, pet owners, etc. Add Mila’s built-in sensor and easy-to-use app dashboard, along with its wooden-legged modern box design, and the Mila is an immediate favorite. The more I cover air purifiers, the more go big to go quiet comes to mind. Smaller models tend to run loud on their highest settings. The Mila was not as quiet as I hoped. At full blast, the Mila hit 70 decibels on my consumer decibel reader. And at a CADR rating of 447 m3/hr, the Mila would do nicely in the average American 200-square-foot bedroom. You could run the Mila at its highest setting for CDC’s recommended five air exchanges an hour in a 400-square-foot room, but that is quite noisy. I ran the Mila in my sons’ 200-square-foot bedroom, and its auto setting adjusted correctly to the room’s air quality. And while Mila gets its outdoor AQI (air quality index) from PurpleAir, it couldn’t seem to find my PurpleAir outdoor monitor.

Photograph: Kat Merck

Dreo Air Purifier Tower Fan for $330: This Dreo offers 99.97 percent HEPA filtration and an air quality sensor. It also has control capability through a remote, the Dreo app, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa. Best of all, the fan and purifier can operate independently of each other, in case you have need for just one or the other or are looking to save on filter life (replacements run around $40). The 12-month warranty isn’t the greatest, but the device has been trouble free for nearly two years in our long-term tests. if you’re in the market for a fan and purifier in one, this model is definitely worth a look. —Kat Merck

Eye-Vac Air for $249: I was more than curious to test out the Eye-Vac Air with its 2-in-1 air purifier and touchless vacuum. Eye-Vac Air’s air purifier has two sets of HEPA and activated carbon filters pulling in air from both sides of the purifier. Its filter placement makes it possible to place the Eye-Vac flush against the wall, especially useful in kitchen settings. The air filter is capable of cleaning the air effectively, achieving five air exchanges per hour in a 120-square-foot space. While Eye Vac has a large, easy-to-read control panel, there are only two options for both the air purifier and the vacuum: manual or automatic. There are indicator lights for both when the bagless vacuum canister is full and when the air purifier filters need replacing. The air purifier also has three fan speeds, but there are no color-coded indicator lights that correspond to air quality. Instead, there are three blue bars that correspond with the purifier’s three fan settings.

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

SwitchBot Air for $200: I was excited to try this air purifier/side table hybrid complete with a mood light and phone charger. At first I wanted to place it next to my bed, but as I read the fine print, I saw the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table needs 12 inches of clearance on three sides. Air purifiers, especially cylindrical air purifiers, need unobstructed airflow. The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table allows for one side to be 1 inch away from a wall, but not curtains. Those kinds of placement restrictions keep the side table from being a side table. If you don’t mind a small table that can stand against the wall, then the air purifier table might work for a small entryway or bathroom. It has both a HEPA filter for PM 2.5 and an activated carbon filter to remove odor and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). And while the SwitchBot table can exchange the air in a 260-square-foot room five times an hour, that would be at its highest, loudest setting. The ideal size for the SwitchBot would be more like a 100-square-foot space, such as a mud room, entryway, or bathroom.

Windmill Air Purifier for $399: I like the Scandinavian look of this bamboo purifier, and it’s more furniture-esque than other purifiers. Still, with the blue model, the nicks in the veneer show up as white. It’s possible the bamboo finish might wear better. I really like this brand and reviewed its desk fan and air conditioner, the latter of which pairs with the Windmill Air app, and I’m equally happy using the app with its air purifier. The Windmill has an internal sensor and indicator light: green for good, yellow for moderate, pink for bad, and red for unhealthy. And while the Boost setting is the loudest, it is still relatively quiet at its lower setting. I prefer to run it on the auto-adjusting Eco mode.

Coway Airmega 50 for $80: A mini-me to the brand’s Airmega 100, the Airmega 50 (see our full review) has many of the features of Coway’s larger and more expensive models and is the cheapest Coway air purifier yet. The Airmega 50 was surprisingly effective for an air purifier the size of a roll of paper towels. The built-in sensor triggers both auto mode and the air quality indicator light, which gives the user instant information with nightlight vibes. One issue I have with all Coway air purifiers is the fact the custom color air quality indicator lights are different from the US air quality index’s six color-coded categories. Instead of green signalling good air, Coway’s green means air quality is moderate. See how it’s confusing. Blue, which is not on the US AQI color scale, means good.

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

Puroair 240 HEPA Air Purifier for $159: At under 9 inches tall, the Puroair 240 is tiny. And like so many of the smaller tabletop models, it’s also loud. It might be effective in a small space, say a room about 100 to 150 square feet. And like most of the units we review at WIRED, it’s California Air Resources Board Certified or CARB-certified. I found its filter size too small to effectively clean an average-sized room. And while I still review smaller air purifiers, there are larger and quieter models on the market for relatively the same cost that have greater air exchanges in a larger-sized room. The Puroair’s indicator light is adjusted by the 240’s internal sensor and is green for acceptable, yellow for moderate, and red for poor air quality. At times, I found the thin sliver of the indicator’s light difficult to see. The 240 has auto or manual mode, a timer, child lock, and filter replacement light. It also has a three-stage filter, including the tightly woven HEPA 14, activated carbon, and prefilter. Lastly, the 240’s black plastic attracted a noticeable amount of fingerprints.

Dyson Purifier Cool Gen 1 for $430: This is one of four Dyson purifiers I’ve tested over the years, and I continue to have a love/hate relationship with them. I admire the design and built-in air quality sensor, but there always seems to be something I don’t like with each model. Sometimes I’m not able to get a replacement remote, as Dyson moves on to new models at breakneck speed, and I’ve never really used the magnetic spot atop the filter to rest the remote. This time I was surprised that the Cool Gen1 wasn’t Dyson app compatible. I had to use the remote to adjust the fan speed. On the plus side, I do like the way the fan works, but this isn’t an oscillating fan in the traditional sense. Instead, the Cool Gen 1 TP10 has air blowing out of the sides of the long upright oval, and it shifts direction, aiming the cool air back and forth in a room.

Blueair Blue Signature for $450: This new purifier is designed to double as a side table, and there are accessories such as a chrome ring base, a wooden leg base, and six different color sleeves to match the purifier to fit the room. Without the bases, I found the 15-inch height to be too low for a functional side table. I didn’t test-drive the wooden leg base, but it might make it the right height for a side table. I found the barely there control panel difficult to navigate. And the PM 2.5 count showed only when I waved my hand over the panel. It has an indicator light that shines from its side. When it first arrived, the light moved back and forth like a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica and it took time to adjust the light to a static setting. Aside from that, the Signature works with Blueair’s easy-to-use app. Pet hair did collect on the cloth outer sleeve, but after I machine-washed and dried it, it looked good as new.

Coway Airmega 250 for $399: The Airmega 250 has a decently large footprint, but it’s rated to clean a 930-square-foot room twice an hour. That’s why I put it smack dab in the middle of the first floor of my home to clean the air in my kitchen and living room. Every time we cook, the smart air purifier mode automatically detects unhealthy particles in the air and ratchets up the fan’s power. It also recently did this when I had someone patch some drywall in my mudroom. (This mode works with the help of a PM10 and PM2.5 particle sensor.) The fan at its highest setting isn’t that loud—I measured it at 60 decibels standing right in front of it. There’s a Sleep mode if you want it silent. You get the usual controls, like timer functionality and replacement indicators for the filter. Speaking of, the Airmega 250 uses a true HEPA filter that needs to be replaced once every six to 12 months. This, combined with the washable prefilter that you should be keeping clean every two weeks and the activated carbon filter, allows the air purifier to remove 99.999 percent of ultrafine particles down to 0.01 microns, or so Coway says. It’s super easy to remove these filters to clean and swap them out. The whole system is roughly 21 pounds, so you can move it around fairly easily. Coway offers a three-year warranty. The Coway Airmega 250S is the same model but with Wi-Fi functionality, so you can control it via an app and see more details. The last thing I need is another app, but maybe you don’t mind. —Julian Chokkattu

Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max for $399: Standing at just under 2 feet tall, the NeverChange Max can be placed as close as 3 inches from a wall, making it a good fit for crowded spaces. It also has an air exchange of nearly five times per hour in a 216-foot space. The Max has a HEPA filter to capture fine particles in the air along with an activated carbon filter to trap odors and gases, as well as Shark’s own “Odor Neutralizer Technology”—a small cartridge that’s filled with an Ocean Breeze “fragrance pod.” It looked like solid perfume, but the scent reminded me more of an interstate service area than the beach. When I moved the Max next to my cats’ litter box and turned it on to the highest setting, it rid the room of any cat odor in less than a minute. It works. The Max touts that its owner can save $300 in filter costs in the first five years, as Shark’s filter lasts 10 times longer than some other filters. Reading the fine print, this is only true when the Max is used in 300-square-foot room. I’ve written about bespoke air scores in air monitors, and I have the same issue here with Shark’s air quality grades. The Max doesn’t have smart features, nor does it have an app or remote control. And at nearly $300, the Max only has a two-year warranty. Still, because of its easy setup, low maintenance, ability to operate so close to the wall, and possibly useful odor neutralizer technology, it’s perfect for a dorm room.

Shark NeverChange Air Purifier for $250: A lot of what was true for the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max is true for the line’s smaller NeverChange. It has an air exchange of nearly five times per hour in a 130-square-foot space. And while I couldn’t find a seal from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, or AHAM, on the NeverChange, it meets the standards for measuring the clean air delivery rate, or CADR, for a room that size, like a bathroom or laundry room. And it’s in those rooms that cat owners often tuck away their odor-causing litter boxes. And like the Max, the NeverChange uses a HEPA filter to capture fine particles along with an activated carbon filter to trap odors and gases. I tested the matte black finish that didn’t collect pet hair and was impervious to fingerprints. The NeverChange also has “Odor Neutralizer Technology,” a small cartridge that is filled with a “fragrance pod.” Like the Max, NeverChange touts the same cost savings in only replacing the filter every five years. In the fine print, those savings are only true when the NeverChange is used in 135-square-foot room, again the size of a large bathroom or laundry room. Still, because of its small size, its ability to operate so close to the wall, and the possibility of useful odor-neutralizer technology, I would recommend it to all my fellow cat ladies and cat gentlemen.

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

Oransi AirMend True Carbon for $350: While other AirMend models are made for HEPA filters, the True Carbon doesn’t have a HEPA. Instead, it has a 3-pound activated carbon filter. There’s a remote but no internal sensor, so raising the fan speed is a manual operation. It took a few tries using the remote, as there is a small lag time as the fan adjusts to different speeds. I appreciated the magnetic remote holder on the top of the purifier. It’s quiet on most settings and has an easy-to-miss minimalist design, blending into most spaces. The True Carbon is for those that need serious odor removal. I placed the True Carbon next to my two cats’ heavily trafficked litter box and within half hour it eliminated the smell. I knew it was working when my son couldn’t detect an odor. I could see the True Carbon being an essential appliance for smoker households, kitchens that retain smells, or cat owners. It’s surprisingly effective, but this is for VOCs and odors. The True Carbon is HEPA-less—it cannot capture fine particulates from the air. What you gain with a supersized activated carbon filter, you lose in standard air purifying ability such as removing PM2.5. That might be fine for your needs. Oransi also makes a wall mount and handy travel bag sold separately.

PurOxygen P500i for $170: This machine cleans the air of a smaller-than-average-sized room, and its easy-to-read display, app compatibility, side handles, and unique all-in-one filter make it easy to like. I usually stay away from small-room air purifiers due to their loud noise and less-than-ideal air-cleaning power. And while at its highest setting, the P500i reaches up to 50 decibels, it operates quietly at lower speeds and can effectively clean the air in a home office or a room smaller than 200 square feet. The purOxygen utilizes a combined filter that has a prefilter that can be un-velcroed and hand washed, an activated carbon, a HEPA 13, along with a cold catalyst filter. A cold catalyst, also known as low temperature catalyst filtration, can cause a chemical reaction that can break down gases, like VOCs, and convert them to less harmful substances. And while the P5001 is California Air Resources Board or CARB-vertified as a mechanical air purifier, the EPA does not recommend catalysts due to their limited effectiveness.

Coway Airmega IconS for $649: Coway continues to make some of the prettier air purifiers, as you might have noticed in this guide, and that continues with the Airmega IconS. It looks like an end table, and so I keep it right next to my couch. The star of the show is the Qi wireless charging pad, so when I sit down, I just plop my phone right on the machine to let it recharge. Any phone with wireless charging support should work, though you may need to take your phone case off. Like all Coways, it’s powerful—it cleans the air in spaces up to 649 square feet—easy to control, and simple to clean. This version is Wi-Fi enabled and voice-controlled. —Medea Giordano

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

Dreame Air Pursue PM20 for $700: This purifier promised to redefine air quality management, “with innovative human tracking capabilities and precision detection systems, delivering personalized air purification that adapts to every need.” The Pursue reminded me of the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde BP04 in shape, but the Pursue is designed to follow human movement, directing clean air in the user’s direction. The Pursue that WIRED tested worked well at first, but stopped pursuing early on. While this could have been user error, no amount of clicking the remote put it back into Pursue mode.

Mila Air Mini for $229: This was unfortunately too petite to effectively clean the rooms used for testing without running it on its loudest setting.

Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Compact Pro for $175: The latest addition to Shark’s NeverChange family had the same issue as the Mila Air Mini, above.

Not Recommended

Ikea Starkvind for $200: Ikea’s Starkvind hit the American market in 2021. It’s stylish and relatively inexpensive and has the option to add on a carbon filter for gases such as benzene. It can be purchased either on its own or built into a wooden side table, but it’s worth noting that the Starkind took me an hour to assemble. While it is CARB-certified, meaning it passed the rigorous standards of the California Air Resources Board, it does not have a HEPA filter. Thinking I had an early version made for media, I went to my local Ikea. I bought a Förnuftig, and its manual listed the filter as HEPA. It’s not. We reached out to the company; at the time of publication, Ikea said it was still routing the question to the appropriate team. The question remains: If you’re buying an air purifier, why not buy a HEPA?

Morento Air Purifier for $67: This CARB-certified model caught our attention earlier this year for its value. With a CADR of 200 cubic feet per minute, the Morento is not only more powerful than most others at its price point, it’s got all the features of higher-end models, including a PM2.5 sensor and ring-light indicator, plus smart capability through the Havaworks app. During the testing period, however, the fan never increased speed to compensate for higher PM2.5 levels, even when I burned incense in the room to raise the level into the 500s. This persisted despite the machine being set to auto mode both in the app and on the machine itself, plus my cleaning the sensor and resetting the unit by unplugging it. Regardless, even if this feature had been working properly, the Morento gives a strangely wide margin for acceptable PM2.5 levels—the ring light indicator continued to glow green (“good”) up to 75 PM 2.5, which is 15 times more than the World Health Organization–recommended level of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. —Kat Merck

FAQs

Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.