The 5 best air purifiers we tested to improve your home's air quality

Five air purifiers arranged on the floor side by side that were used for testing in the best air purifiers in 2023.
We tested more than 30 models to find the best and most effective air purifiers. James Brains/Insider

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Sneeze attacks, a runny nose, itchy eyes. These are just some symptoms those of us sensitive to irritants and allergens must put up with when mold, dust, chemical emissions, and dander are in the air. When thoroughly cleaning your home and keeping your windows don't get the job done, the best air purifiers can help remove allergy triggers and leave you breathing easily.

I interviewed three experts and tested over 30 units to find the best air purifiers. Our top pick is the Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier; it removed the most pollutants and allergens in our tests and operated quietly. For a budget option, consider the Lasko LP300 HEPA Tower Air Purifier. It costs $100 less and has low filter replacement costs, though it isn't designed to handle medium-to-large rooms.

Learn more about how Insider Reviews tests and researches home products.

Our top picks for air purifiers

Best overall: Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier - See at Amazon
If you need a powerful air purifier for a medium-to-large room, the Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier is your best option.

Best budget: Lasko LP300 HEPA Tower Air Purifier - See at Amazon
If you're on a budget and want to clean the air in a smaller room, the Lasko LP300 HEPA Tower Air Purifier has good purifying capabilities and low upfront and filter costs.

Best for odors: Blueair DustMagnet 5410i Tabletop Air Purifier - See at Amazon
In addition to a HEPA filter, the Blueair DustMagnet 5410i Tabletop Air Purifier features an activated carbon filter that helps remove odors caused by smoke, pets, cooking, and more.

Best quiet: Blueair HealthProtect 7470i Smart Air Purifier - See at Amazon
The Blueair HealthProtect 7470i Smart Air Purifier balances performance with quiet operation and is ideal for techies, with its data-rich app, easy scheduling, and smart-home compatibility.

Best for small rooms: Levoit 300S Air Purifier - See at Amazon
The Levoit 300S Air Purifier does an outstanding job removing VOCs from small rooms and features a user-friendly app.

Best overall: Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier

The Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier displayed on a white table.
The Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier took home top honors in our testing for its impressive VOC removal. James Brains/Insider

Pros: Operates quietly, widely available filters, performed the best in our air purifying tests, low upfront cost, Energy Star-certified, easy to set up and maintain

Cons: High energy consumption, no auto mode

The Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier had the best combined performance in our particulate matter and volatile organic compound (VOC) testing. By the end of the testing period, the VOC levels were among the best. It removed more than 99% of the particulate matter in just over an hour.

These results suggest the HPA300 is outstanding for people sensitive to irritants, including allergy sufferers, though the AAFA doesn't certify it.

The purifier doesn't get that loud, remaining quieter than a normal conversation, even on high. It's no louder than ambient sound on low.

You remove the packaging and plug in the Honeywell HPA300 to set it up. Use a dry cloth to wipe the unit down quarterly to maintain it. The filter indicator light will turn on about once a year to let you know it's time to replace the widely available true HEPA filters.

The HPA300 is Energy Star-certified. However, on high fan speed, it was one of the biggest energy users we tested, and it lacks an auto mode to adjust the fan based on the air quality.

If you are looking for an eco-friendly alternative, consider the Honeywell HPA3300. It performed just as well as the HPA300 and was once our top pick, but we removed it since it's frequently out of stock.

Read our full Honeywell HPA300 review.

Best budget: Lasko LP300 HEPA Tower Air Purifier

The Lasko LP300 HEPA Tower displayed near a white wall.
The Lasko LP300 HEPA Tower Air Purifier is one of the cheapest air purifiers we tested but is as effective as units twice its price. James Brains/Insider

Pros: Did a good job of removing VOCs* and particulate matter in our tests, low filter replacement costs, easy to maintain and transport

Cons: No auto mode, high power use, not suitable for larger rooms

The Lasko LP300 HEPA Tower Air Purifier is $65 cheaper than any other unit tested; has the lowest filter replacement cost; and, at under 10 pounds, doesn't feel like a heavy-duty appliance. 

We found it performed just as well as models that cost three or four times as much. The Lasko air purifier removed airborne dust and debris quickly. With 30 minutes to spare in the testing period, our air quality monitor registered no particulate matter. Though its performance wasn't as impressive with VOCs, it did a good job keeping the levels in a safe range.

Setup was straightforward and took about five minutes. The light weight makes the Lasko easy to move around so you can take it with you from room to room, which you may need to do since its low CADR makes it better suited for small rooms. If you need more oomph, consider the LP450, which is only $16 more and covers twice as much space.

The Lasko was one of the few units we tested that was louder than ambient sound levels even when on low. At 45.6 dB on low, it was a little bit louder than a typical library. On high, it was only 51.6 dB.

The biggest negative with this model is that it uses a lot of power. This is likely due to it not having an auto mode that adjusts with the air quality, which is another negative.

Best for odors: Blueair DustMagnet 5410i Tabletop Air Purifier

The Blueair DustMagnet 5410i Tabletop displayed with a book on it next to a bed.
The Blueair DustMagnet 5410i Tabletop Air Purifier uses active carbon in addition to HEPA filters to purify the air and remove odors. James Brains/Insider

Pros: Features an activated carbon filter that removes odors, one of the best at removing dust particles, quiet operation, auto mode, minimal power use, affordable filters, small tabletop works as a nightstand, app connectivity

Cons: So-so VOC removal, might be too bulky for easy portability

If you want your air purifier to be able to remove mild odors, you'll need a model that has filters with activated carbon. Of the models we tested, the Blueair DustMagnet 5410i was the only one with activated carbon, and it was also one of the top performers.

To test its odor removal, I let a contractor borrow it as he was renovating a fire-damaged house. While the purifier didn't completely remove the smoky odor, he noted that it made working in the home a little more bearable.

In our tests, the DustMagnet removed 99% of particulate matter within an hour and all of it within two hours. It did this while operating quietly (about as loud as light traffic) and using minimal electricity compared to the other units we tested. Unfortunately, it didn't do as well clearing out VOCs, finishing in the middle of the pack.

The DustMagnet was effortless to set up and is relatively lightweight, though its bulky size makes it awkward to move around. The small tabletop above the fan doubles as a nightstand.

The app (available for iOS and Android) has several useful features, including real-time air quality readings, air quality history, remote control, and scheduling. It also tracks the filter life. Filters are affordable and available on the Blueair site (with a discount for subscribing.)

Best quiet: Blueair HealthProtect 7470i Smart Air Purifier

The Blueair HealthProtect 7470i Smart displayed near a white wall.
If you're planning on using an air purifier in your bedroom, the Blueair HealthProtect 7470i Smart Air Purifier is the quietest you can buy. James Brains/Insider

Pros: Among the best at reducing VOCs and particulate matter from the air, affordable and widely available filters, quiet operation, easy to clean, powerful enough for medium-size rooms, useful and data-rich app, voice control

Cons: Heavy, lacks handles, app doesn't connect easily and sometimes lags

The Blueair HealthProtect 7470i Smart Air Purifier is the quietest and most high-tech model we tested. On high speed, it's about as loud as a quiet office. On low, the 7470i is no louder than ambient sound.

The Blueair HealthProtect 7470i features a digital color touch screen that allows you to operate the appliance and track the temperature, humidity, and air quality for VOCs and three different particle sizes.

The Blueair app (iOS and Android) puts the data and functions at your fingertips wherever you are, including the ability to set a schedule. It's also compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. I found the app worked well for the most part, though there were times when the data readouts took up to an hour to refresh. Also, connecting to the app upon initial setup took a few tries, which added 10 minutes to the process.

The HealthProtect 7470i has a HEPA-type filter (see our FAQ for how this differs from a true HEPA filter) that looks like a partially open book and features an RFID chip that tracks the filter life. The filters are comparatively affordable and can be ordered in the app or through major retailers, including Amazon. Other than replacing the filter, the only other maintenance is occasionally vacuuming or washing the two prefilters.

In the air-quality tests, the Blueair purifier performed well. It had one of the lowest VOC readings after the two-hour testing period, and it removed 99% of the particulate matter. The power consumption was about average among the units I tested, which is impressive considering the midrange CADR. 

I found the Blueair HealthProtect 7470i is a little too unwieldy to easily move from room to room. At 27.2 pounds and without good handles, this is a purifier you'll want to keep in one spot.

Best for small rooms: Levoit 300S Air Purifier

The Levoit 300S Air Purifier displayed near a white wall.
The small but mighty Levoit 300S Air Purifier is great for small bedrooms or home offices. James Brains/Insider

Pros: Excellent at removing VOCs, good at removing particulate matter, low energy consumption, app control and air quality monitoring, operates quietly on low speed, affordable and widely available filters

Cons: Average noisiness on high speed, not suitable for larger rooms

The Levoit 300S Air Purifier is an excellent option for bedrooms and other small rooms because it has three layers of filtration. The pre-filter captures larger debris, including hair and pet dander; the true HEPA filter collects smaller airborne particles; and the carbon filter helps reduce VOCs and odors in the air.

The carbon filter's performance was evident in our testing as the Levoit 300S was among the best at removing VOCs. The purifier also did well with particulate matter, removing virtually all (99.2%) of it from the air during the testing period.

The setup was a snap. I had the unit up and running in under 5 minutes and connected to the VeSync app (available for iOS and Android) in another five. The Levoit 300S is the most affordable WiFi-connected air purifier I've tested, and the smart functions work well. I could easily monitor and schedule it from anywhere, and the air quality readings were almost identical to the readings on our testing monitor.

The Levoit 300S is Energy Star-certified and has an auto mode that adjusts the fan speed based on the air quality. It proved to be one of the lowest energy consumers we tested.

Maintenance is minimal: vacuum the pre-filter once or twice a month and replace the filter every 6 to 8 months when the indicator light turns on. Filters are affordable and widely available.

The noise level on high fan speed was average, a little louder than in a quiet office. But, at low speed, it's no louder than ambient noise. 

Other air purifiers we tested

Several air purifiers shown from above.
A sampling of the air purifiers we've tested for this guide over the years. James Brains/Insider

Over the last year, I've tested 30 air purifiers, and there are several that we almost included in our guide that are still worth considering:

Additional air purifiers we recommend

Air purifiers under $250

Instant Air Purifier 300: The makers of the wildly popular Instant Pot have ventured out of the kitchen for the first time with this unit, and it's a great reasonably priced solution. It was one of the top removers of VOCs, didn't use much power, and was easy to clean and maintain. Yet it was one of the worst at removing particulate matter, and it operates loudly. 

Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty: We like this purifier because it adjusts the fan speed based on the air quality, which led to low power usage. However, in our tests, it was noisy, did poorly removing VOCs, and was just average at removing particulate matter. The Airmega Mighty has four stages of filtration: pre-filter, deodorization, true HEPA, and "vital ion" ionization. We don't recommend using the ionization function (see why in the FAQ). Fortunately, you can manually turn it off. 

Brondell Horizon O2+: For how affordable this Brondell air purifier is, it did an outstanding job, and I'd recommend it if our top budget pick isn't available. It was one of the top removers of particulate matter in our tests and was easy to maintain and clean. The biggest negative is that it doesn't have an auto mode that adjusts the fan speed based on air quality. This would have been nice since it consumes a lot of power.

Air purifiers under $450

Coway Airmega 250: This is the best air purifier I've tested from Coway. The 250 was one of the best removers of particulate matter. It also used minimal electricity in our tests, thanks to the fan that adjusts based on the air quality. However, it didn't beat any of the models in the above categories, and it didn't perform well at removing VOCs from the air.

Mila: Mila is an affordable smart air purifier that has a variety of filter options (only available on the company's website) depending on what air quality issue you want to address. I tested the heavy-duty Overreactor, which is a hospital-grade H14 HEPA filter, and the Basic Breather. The Overreactor was in the middle of the pack in our air purifying tests. The Basic Breather was outstanding at removing particulate matter. But both operated loudly, and there wasn't anything else that made them stand out.

Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto: This is the updated version of the Blueair Blue Pure 211+, the top pick in our previous version of this guide. The main addition is an auto mode, which adjusts the filtering speed and intensity based on the air quality. We found it did a good job of filtering the air while using minimal electricity, but it was loud, and filters are expensive and only available on the Blueair website.

Air purifiers over $450

Alen Breathesmart 45i: This Alen air purifier relies on a medical-grade H13 true HEPA filter, which did an outstanding job of removing particulate matter from our test room. This model is also easy to set up, transport, and maintain.  However, filter replacement will set you back about $140 per year, and it didn't do well reducing VOCs in the air. 

Coway Airmega 400S: Our previous pick for the best smart air purifier, the Coway Airmega 400S is an attractive unit that barely makes any sound and adjusts the fan speed based on the air's pollution level, which lends itself to low energy use. It lost its title due to its average performance in our purifying tests and its smart features aren't as fancy as our new smart pick.

RabbitAir MinusA2: If we had a "most visually appealing" category, this model would win. We weren't particularly impressed with how well it did cleaning the air. However, it was easy to set up and maintain. Plus, the filter replacement costs are reasonable.

Alen BreatheSmart Classic Air Purifier: We don't recommend ionizing air purifiers for most people (read why here). That being said, this model allows you to toggle the ionizer on and off and offers HEPA filtration when the ionizer is not in use. The purifier is also certified ozone-safe by the California Air Resource Board. In our air quality test, the Alen BreatheSmart Classic was the fastest to remove the particulate matter. However, it came in below average at reducing VOCs and used a lot of electricity to operate. 

Which air purifiers we don't recommend

PhoneSoap AirSoap: The biggest reason the AirSoap isn't in our guide is because it relies on ionization to clean the air, and there is no way to turn it off. The benefits of ionization are questionable, and there's a risk of negative health issues due to the low levels of ozone the AirSoap produces. However, it did well in our air purifying tests, operates quietly, doesn't have filter replacement costs, and is easy to set up and transport.

Aura Air Mini: Like the AirSoap above, the Aura Air Mini relies on ionization to clean the air. It's unique in that it is only three inches deep and wide and 4.5 inches high. It runs for up to six hours on a single charge. It's designed to be used in small spaces, but we're not sure of the use cases. You wouldn't want to use it in public and potentially expose vulnerable individuals to ozone. And in your car, you already have a filtration system.

Dyson HP09: The HP09 is a new model from one of the top names in the industry, and it does an outstanding job of heating and cooling rooms up to 800 square feet in size. The only problem is it was one of the worst performers in our air purifying tests.

Honeywell Insight HPA5300B: I like the looks of this air purifier, and it's easy to maintain and has widely-available filters. However, it used a lot of electricity and is loud on high speed. Plus, its performance in the air purifying tests was unimpressive.

IQAir Atem: We were hoping this would be a good compact option, but it performed poorly in the air purifying tests and has high upfront and filter costs. 

BetterAir Biotica800: The Biotica800 releases a probiotic mist for 30 seconds every 70 minutes. It runs quietly during those 30 seconds, and its electricity use was too low for our smart plug to register anything. However, if it does anything to clean the air, our air quality monitor didn't notice.

EnviroKlenz Air System Plus: This is the heaviest and least visually appealing purifier we tested. It's designed to take a beating and is used by the US Navy. However, it had the highest VOC reading at the end. It doesn't have an auto mode, used the most electricity, and has the highest filter costs of the bunch.

How we test air purifiers

A hand holding a phone that shows the air quality in a room while testing.
We use an air quality monitor to measure the effectiveness of every air purifier we test. James Brains/Insider

I've been reviewing heating, cooling, and air-quality devices for the past three years. For this guide, I personally tested 30 air purifiers for at least one week each and consulted with Ravi Pandey, MD, an internal medicine specialist on staff at several South Florida hospitals; Junfeng Zhang, PhD, professor of global and environmental health at Duke University; and Bryan Buckley, the brand manager for One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning.

Based on my research and interviews with experts, the most important features to consider when shopping for an air purifier are its ability to remove irritants from the air, long-term costs, and ease of use.

Here are the main ways we test each model:

Purifying: I burned incense in a 200-square-foot room with the windows and doors closed and used an air-quality monitor to take measurements of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter in the air every 15 minutes. After the incense burned for 15 minutes, I turned on the air purifier's auto mode, which adjusts the fan speed based on the air quality. If it didn't have an auto mode, I used the highest setting. I looked at both the percentage removed and the amount of VOCs and particulate matter left after two hours. For context, all of the recommended room sizes in our guide are calculated assuming an eight-foot ceiling and four air changes per hour (ACPH).

Setup: I timed how long it took me to set up the air purifier from the moment I opened the box until the unit was running. This includes connecting to an app when applicable. I made note of any unusual or confusing steps. Most models only required removing the packaging and plugging in the unit. This generally took five minutes or less.

Portability: I moved the air purifiers around my house making note of how easy they are to carry. If a model weighed more than 20 pounds or is hard to move in a tangible way, it lost points. Most units were easy to move and featured handles.

Long-term costs: Electricity and filter replacement are the biggest long-term costs. These can often outpace the upfront costs. I looked at how much a year's supply of filters costs and if they're widely available and not just on the manufacturer's website, which can make it hard to price shop. I also used a smart plug to measure the power consumption of each unit over the course of 24 hours under normal circumstances on the same setting I used for the purifying tests.

Noise: An air purifier's operation should not get in the way of hearing the TV, sleeping, or having a conversation. To test this, I used a sound meter to measure the air purifiers on their highest and lowest settings from four feet away. On low, most units were indistinguishable from ambient noise. 

Maintenance: I cleaned each air purifier per the manufacturers' recommendations and noted how easy each model was to clean. I also noted whether there were indicators to let me know when to clean or replace the filter.

Air purifier FAQs

The interior of an air purifier shows several filters.
In this photo, you can see an air purifier's HEPA filters, which do the bulk of the heavy lifting when it comes to cleaning the air. James Brains/Insider

Why do I need an air purifier? 

An air purifier does what its name implies, cleaning odors, pollen, pet dander, and more from indoor air. According to the EPA, units with HEPA filters can improve symptoms of COPD and asthma sufferers and effectively remove ash and smoke particles.


What do air purifiers remove from the air?

The type of filter a purifier has determines what pollutants it can remove. HEPA filters are popular because they can remove smoke, pollen, bacteria, pet dander, dust, mold, and other particulate matter of 0.3 to 10 microns. Activated carbon filters can remove VOCs and other gases.


What does HEPA mean?

HEPA is an acronym for "high-efficiency particulate air." The EPA defines a true HEPA filter as a filter that captures at least 99.97% of airborne particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter. This includes bacteria, dust, pollen, and mold.


Are all your picks true HEPA filters?

No, but we give preference to true HEPA filter air purifiers in our picks. The exception is the Blueair 7470i, which has a HEPA-type filter that performed just as well, if not better, than most true HEPA models.


What's the difference between true HEPA and HEPA-type filters?

True HEPA filters capture 99.97% of airborne particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter. According to the EPA, true HEPA filters can more easily catch particles larger or smaller than 0.3 microns. There's no standard for HEPA-type filters.


Can an air purifier prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus?

According to the EPA, air cleaners are not enough to protect against coronavirus. Yet, an air purifier can help protect you and your household when used with best practice recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Can HEPA or H13 purifiers capture viruses, including the coronavirus?

Ravi Pandey, MD, a specialist in internal medicine in Florida, said HEPA air purifiers wouldn't eliminate the coronavirus. Still, they help, especially when used with mask-wearing, hand washing, and social distancing.


What can you do to get the most out of your air purifier?

Bryan Buckley, the brand manager for One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, suggested always keeping your air purifier running in one spot. He added that you need continuous air purification to clean the air and maintain good air quality levels.


Where do you put an air purifier? 

Air purifiers are best in high-traffic areas, such as your kitchen, living room, or bedroom. A purifier is also excellent at removing smoke from cooking. Buckley said you should position the unit to blow clean air where people gather and close your windows during use.


How often do you change the filter?

It varies. Manufacturer guidelines range from every 3 to 24 months. We list the replacement schedule for the models in our guide. Follow the schedule in your air purifier's user manual for optimal efficiency and performance.


Can plants help clean indoor air?

Probably not. The Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology published a study in 2019 showing that indoor vegetation did not remove air pollutants.


How can you keep your air clean if you don't have an air purifier?

You can clean the air without a purifier by cleaning regularly, ventilating with fans, and storing chemicals outside of your house. Junfeng Zhang, PhD, professor of global and environmental health at Duke University, recommended wearing N95 masks in polluted areas.


Are air purifiers worth it?

If you cannot take steps to improve your indoor air quality by other means or the pollutants still seem to stick around, an air purifier is an intelligent choice. Even the worst air purifiers we tested improved indoor air quality.


Are ionizing air purifiers safe?

Ionizers can generate ozone, a lung irritant. Enesta Jones, an EPA spokesperson, said even low amounts of ozone could cause shortness of breath, chest pain, throat irritation, and coughing. Because of this, we don't recommend any ionizing air purifiers.


Can air purifiers help with wildfire smoke?

Yes. Zhang recommended air purifiers with HEPA filters to improve indoor air quality in areas affected by wildfires. Air purifiers will be most effective if you keep windows and doors closed. Also, have purifiers in each room rather than moving one from room to room.

Air purifier glossary

In this guide, we throw around a lot of terms you may not be familiar with. Here are a few definitions of terms and acronyms that are commonly used when talking about air purifiers:

CADR: Clean air delivery rate. Typically measured in cubic feet per minute or cubic meters per hour, the CADR tells you how much air an air purifier can clean.

cfm: Cubic feet per minute. This is the most common unit of measurement used to express how much air an air purifier can clean.

HEPA: High-efficiency particulate air. True HEPA or HEPA-type filters are generally considered to be the gold-standard in the industry. For more details, see our FAQ section.

VOCs: Volatile organic compounds. These compounds have low water solubility and high vapor pressure. They are commonly produced in the manufacturing of refrigerants, pharmaceuticals, and paints and are often found in paints, craft materials, adhesives, markers, furniture, pesticides, cleaning supplies, and more.

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