The Best Air Purifiers for Your Baby's Nursery

The Coway Airmega is a powerful air purifier that uses a four-stage filtration system to deodorize the air and eliminate contaminants — and it’s impressively quiet. It can cover large rooms up to 361 square feet, but keep in mind that this drops down slightly depending on particular particles. For instance, if you’re concerned about dust, the Coway Airmega is good for rooms up to 246 square feet and up to 240 for pollen. Still, it’s an impressive range for a machine of its size (it measures 18 inches tall and 17 inches wide) and will likely be fitting for most rooms in your home, especially the nursery.

As far as sound goes, the Airmega is comparatively quiet, with the lowest decibel coming in at the same volume as a whisper, while the highest is no louder than that of a refrigerator running. Numerous reviewers attested to the surprising quiet of this machine on the first two settings, with one person noting that level one is so quiet, they thought it was turned off. Some users noted that the third level is noisy, but it’s unlikely you’ll need to use it at this speed for extended periods of time.

It’s pretty user-friendly, too. It has an air quality sensor that tells you how clean (or dirty) your air is and adjusts automatically. Robin Hilmantel, Senior Director of Editorial Strategy & Growth at What to Expect, says that is one of her favorite features. 

“The thing we like most about it is that you can tell it really works to detect issues with air quality,” she says, adding that she has one in each of her kids’ rooms. “If, for example, I've just cooked something in my cast iron skillet downstairs, the air purifier will start going off upstairs to clean the air in my son's room.” 

There is also an indicator notifying you to change the filter; a timer that you can set for one, four or eight hours; and a three-step fan speed to manage noise levels. You can also turn the light from the buttons on top when it’s time to sleep.

Reviewers particularly liked that it’s ready to use right out of the box, and it looks quite stylish in your home. Robin and other parents note that it has a fairly large footprint, but it’s worth it for how well it works. 

Keep in mind that although there is an ionizing feature available in the system, we do not recommend using it. 

Coverage area: 361 square feet

Weight: 12.3 pounds

Dimensions: 16.8 x 18.3 x 9.6 inches

This product was made for babies and designed with little ones’ needs in mind. Vornadobaby’s air purifier features a “sleepy time” setting that turns on a soft night light. The two higher speeds also double as white noise, which is a plus for babies who prefer to sleep with a sound machine. Parents raved about the Vornadobaby for acting as an all-in-one sleep machine, noting that even though the sound is pretty loud on the highest setting, it didn’t bother their babies.

Aside from being a great sleep aid, the Vornadobaby air purifier does a great job at keeping baby’s room free from debris. The device’s True HEPA filter removes more than 99 percent of airborne contaminants and allergens up to 6.3 times per hour. The coverage is small though, so it won’t be able to deliver the same performance in rooms larger than 125 square feet. 

Parents appreciate the small size of this model, they could put it just about anywhere in the nursery. And parents who want to save money will be happy to hear that the prefilter is permanent and washable: you won’t have to buy a replacement filter as frequently as with competitors. 

Coverage area: 125 square feet

Weight: 8.05 pounds

Dimensions: 15.2 x 9.4 x 12.75 inches

The Winix air purifier is a compact, but powerful model that costs less than $100. Covering rooms up to 230 square feet, Winix’s device includes a washable pre-filter designed to catch particles and help prolong the length of the HEPA filter inside. It also uses an activated carbon filter that can also reduce odors — something parents say actually works! 

The device also auto-adjusts to the air quality in the room, so you don’t have to worry about turning it up if you’re cooking or down afterwards. And, you can rest-assured knowing that an indicator will pop up when it’s time to switch out your filter. Reviewers noted that the Winix is quite noisy, but that might not be a problem for helping your baby fall asleep. 

One user called this air purifier a “power punch for small spaces,” and said it worked particularly well in closed or not-well-ventilated areas. Another reviewer shared that its small size makes it easy to move from room to room, as needed.

Coverage area: 230 square feet

Weight: 11.5 pounds

Dimensions: 9.5 x 9.5 x 14.6 inches

At under $100, the Levoit air purifier lacks some of the bells and whistles of others on the market. But that doesn’t take away from its effectiveness. 

With a three-stage filtration system, parents say the Levoit does exactly what they need it to do: clear odors and debris, and make it easier to breathe. They also appreciate that it’s easy to use. There are four key buttons to control essential features: power, night light, fan speed, and check filter. You can also quiet it down, thanks to the Sleep Mode functionality. 

Although it falls on the low end of area coverage — up to 129 square feet — it’s still large enough for most bedrooms. And, because it’s so compact, it won’t take up much room in a small space.

Coverage area: 129 square feet

Weight: 6 pounds

Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.9 x 12.6 inches