No matter where you live, the best air purifier for you is one that is tailored to your specific clean-air need. I lived in Los Angeles and San Francisco for almost a decade, including during some of the most severe wildfires the region has seen in recent years. Beneath an eerily yellow sky with smoky, stagnant air, I donned an N95 mask as a bartender—long before the pandemic made masking the norm. Needless to say, I'm no stranger to bad air and can appreciate the value of a good air purifier.
Now I live in New York City, where the threat of wildfires ravaging large swaths of land is less imminent, but contaminants from cars and buses, cigarette smoke, and building and industrial emissions are ever present. Not to mention the volatile East Coast weather that's known to host newsworthy pollen spikes, and more recently, wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada. Plus, I live in a tiny apartment with a gas stove and no hood vent (yikes!), and I also have two very furry cats and a roommate who is allergic to them. So, while my focus may be less on outside air quality, I wage a daily battle fighting pet dander and microscopic allergens in my home.
We tested each purifier throughout our real homes and in a sealed tent with smoke pellets. We measured visual smoke clearance, time to return to healthy air-quality readings, noise levels, room coverage, app performance, and filter design. The budget Coway Airmega Mighty2 ($270) is the best choice for most people, and the IQAir Atem X ($1,400) is our premium pick if you prioritize design and long-term repairability over price. I'm continuously testing new models to stay up-to-date with the best air purifier for every budget, room size, and pollutant.
Check out our other guides to keeping your home's air quality in tip-top shape, including the Best Multiuse Air Purifiers, Best Fans, Best Air Quality Monitors, Best Space Heaters, Best Cordless Vacuums, Best Humidifiers, Best Dehumidifiers, and Best Window ACs.
Updated September 2026: I've added the Dreame Air Purifier FP10 and Coway Airmega Halo, removed some picks, and ensured up-to-date links and prices throughout.
How Do I Test Air Purifiers?
I have started a uniform testing method for every air purifier I test, measuring each unit’s efficacy by using a sealed tent and smoke pellets to see how quickly each air purifier clears the pellet smoke and returns the air to healthy quality when on auto mode. I measure first visually, using a timer to measure how long it takes to clear the smoke by eye. Then I measure how long it takes for the air quality to return to healthy, using both my air quality monitor and the connected app or display on the air purifier machine. I then add up the time and am able to compare models with concrete data. I also use a decibel meter on my phone to calculate noise levels during sleep and auto modes, as well as at its highest setting, since air purifiers can be egregiously loud on their most powerful setting.
So for each model, I take into account how long it took on auto-adjustment settings for the air to visually clear the smoke bomb, and then use the app or machine to calculate how long it takes to measure back at healthy levels. I also use each for nearly a month, moving around my house to test in different locations: when cooking on my unventilated gas stove, under my living room window that draws in a lot of building and exhaust fumes, and outside my cat's litter box, measuring if and when the air purifier auto-engages and how long it takes to get back to clean air quality.
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The Coway Airmega Mighty2 is the updated edition of our former pick for best affordable purifier, the Airmega Mighty (below). It's best for most homes and a great choice for anyone who wants a quiet, compact, reliable, and relatively affordable air purifier that needs minimal intervention. You just won't get some extras, like a connected app or remote.
This edition has an overall bigger air-purifying system, with a prefilter to catch larger particles, a carbon filter to capture odors, and a HEPA filter to trap microscopic airborne pollutants. The latter two filters are combined into one piece that only needs to be replaced once a year—double the time of a typical air purifier filter. The Mighty2 can clean the air of up to 1,800 square feet in one hour (based on one air exchange per hour), and for smaller spaces, 900 square feet in 30 minutes (so, either one or two exchanges per hour, depending on room size).
It has the brand's signature circular opening and three slits on the sides for optimum air circulation. This model also has real-time AQI detection and a MegaScan laser to evaluate a full spectrum of particles, including PM1.0, 2.5, and 10, meaning it can catch particles of microscopic virus size all the way up to pet fur.
The Mighty2 has manual and auto modes, both with changing fan speeds, a sleep function, and smart settings. One of my favorite smart settings is the Mighty2's ability to intelligently adjust fan speed based on air quality so that I didn't manually have to adjust. I also liked that if the machine detects no light in the room for three minutes, it'll enter into sleep mode to conserve power and stay quiet. The touchscreen control panel features timer settings from one to 12 hours, and it displays filter life and cleaning reminders on the top display.
When I tested this purifier in a smoke-filled tent, it was super-quiet, even on auto mode, only reaching about 70 decibels on the highest fan setting. It cleared smoke and restored healthy air quality in around four minutes.
The more air purifiers I test, the more I think they should be viewed as a lifetime investment. I use the term “air purifier math” to consider how many air purifiers you might burn through in the next decade. One, two, maybe three? The solution to this equation shows the Atem X to be a wise investment, even at its big-ticket price. It truly is the best HEPA filter, and if you have the means, it's a worthy buy.
The sleek purifier may not last a literal lifetime, but it does come with the option for a 10-year warranty (with registration and filter subscription), which grants you access to parts and repairs for a decade. It’s quiet and has custom settings, a built-in sensor, and a dashboard phone app, and it can be set flush against a wall. The one drawback is that the Atem X doesn’t have a carbon filter to remove gases. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
This is a 30-inch cylinder tower weighing in at just under 25 pounds, with easy-to-maneuver wheels and hidden handle that allowed it to glide across my wooden floors. With its quiet air-cleaning abilities, capturing particulate matter, odors, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the Airmega 450 might be my favorite air purifier from Coway to date. The 450 is able to quietly (not at the highest and thus noisiest setting) clean the air in a 300- to 400-square-foot room at the five times an hour that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends.
The Airmega 450 is not Wi-Fi compatible, though if you’re like me and set your purifiers to auto mode, that might not be a problem. The 450’s built-in air-quality sensor illuminates the large circular indicator light on the top of the tower. I wish Coway adopted the standard air quality index (AQI) color code. I like knowing my indoor air quality with a quick glance at its indicator light, but it’s confusing that the light glows blue for good, green for moderate (green is good on the AQI color code), yellow for unhealthy, and red for very unhealthy. As a cat owner, I appreciate the model’s control-panel lock, as my cats tend to turn off other tower purifiers by sitting on the unit. It also has a timer and filter replacement button. The 450 also has an energy-efficient eco mode: When it detects no pollution for 10 minutes, it automatically stops airflow to save energy. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
This affordable air purifier punched way above its class compared to models of similar prices. I particularly loved the connected app, which made it super easy to adjust settings while away, like fan speed and modes, and the ability to check filter life. The app sends notifications when air quality is bad, along with updates when it reaches clean levels again. Another in-app feature is the ability to see indoor air quality levels historically by day and week and to look back at fan speeds, which allows you to track patterns. Through the app, you can also adjust setting schedules, like enabling sleep or pet modes at certain times, as well as automatic timers. The app connects to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control.
I found the device itself intuitive to use: The top is a touchscreen with controls for sleep mode, fan speed, timers, brightness, and a child lock. The circle light on top shines in different colors to signal air quality: blue for very good, green for good, orange for moderate, and red for bad. (Do note that this system differs from the US AQI standards of green for good, red for unhealthy, and purple for very unhealthy.)
It has a three-stage filtration system: a washable prefilter, an activated carbon filter, and an inner HEPA-grade filter. The design also has a U-shaped inlet to help better trap airborne pet fur. It also has a pet mode that automatically engages a higher fan speed, alternating between high and low modes for energy efficiency and to help suck in more large and small particles, like pet hair and pet dander, respectively.
I tested its efficacy by using a sealed tent and smoke pellets to see how quickly it could clear the pellet smoke (and return the air to healthy quality) when on auto mode. It took roughly 30 seconds for the smoke to visually clear, three minutes for the sensor to reflect a change from bad to moderate, and another 45 seconds to reach good quality. I also tested it in my bedroom. According to my air quality monitor, my bedroom was 18.1 PM2.5 before testing, and the auto setting got it down to 16.3 PM2.5. The highest manual setting it got down to 15.8 PM2.5. The ambient noise in my home is about 40 to 45 decibels, and when the purifier was on auto mode, it was whisper quiet, and staying within that noise range, meaning the purifier didn't add much if any noise on auto mode. The highest setting came in around 75 decibels, which is similar to the noise of a dishwasher running.
If you want an intuitive connected app to monitor air and control the purifier while you're away, or you have pets and want a device specifically designed to tackle pet dander and fur, I highly recommend this affordable model.
At less than $200, the Mighty can clean a 361-square-foot room at the recommended 4.8 air exchanges per hour. Note that this is based on running the Mighty at its highest and loudest setting at 53 decibels. It has an on/off button for the ionizer and a timer activation/deactivation feature that powers off after one, four, or eight hours, along with an eco mode that turns off the fan if it detects no air pollution for 30 minutes. The Mighty has a built-in air quality light and air sensor that enables the machine to automatically adjust its fan speed. At just under a foot and a half tall and 12 pounds, the box-like Mighty feels even lighter when you hold it, thanks to its easy-to-grab back handle. I pulled off the front cover to reveal the Mighty’s three filters: a HEPA, a deodorizing filter, and the prefilter. It isn’t compatible with Google Home or Amazon's Alexa, nor does it have a remote or app. Still, for the price, the Mighty is an excellent air purifier for small rooms. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
IQAir purifiers have been a favorite of ours for years of testing, in large part because of their large inner filtration system. This Swiss-made baddie is massive—but don’t fear, it is a tower-style that rolls on wheels and has a top handle for easier moving. It has a touchscreen panel on top for manual control and an incredible connected app, where you can adjust modes, speeds, and display brightness. On the app, you can view current and historical air quality by AQI and PM 2.5 measurements. Plus, you can monitor filter life levels, see today’s exposure, and explore the map of air quality around the world through the app. Even at the highest manual speed, the volume only reached 65 decibels, about 10 less than average when testing. It purified the air so well that when measured with my monitor, the PM 2.5 hovered at around 2, the lowest I had seen so far during testing.
The massive medical-grade interior filter has three elements: a HyperHEPA filter to remove more than 99.5 percent of all airborne particles, including ultra-fine particles, then a MultiGas granular activated carbon filter for gases and odors and a PreMax F8 filter for pre-filtration of coarse and fine particulate matter. The purifier can purify up to 1,125 square feet in an hour. During testing, I set off a smoke bomb in a sealed tent and measured how long it took on auto-adjustment settings for the air to visually clear and the app to read back to healthy levels. The air purifier never even let the air get too smoky—where smoke typically shrouds and covers the purifier for a few minutes as the purifier works to clear the air, the IQAir purifier never even let the pollutants cloud the tent. After the smoke bomb, the AQI and PM 2.5 levels were marked as “hazardous,” but within three minutes the levels were back to “good,” with an AQI of 22, and a PM 2.5 reading of 4, which is still really low for typical New York air quality standards. This beaut is expensive, but it's an incredibly effective whole-house air purifier you can rely on.
Brondell’s Horizon is a slim, under-2-foot, 11-pound air purifier that cleans the air of a small room with four layers of air-cleaning power. It has a prefilter, a HEPA to capture small particulates, activated carbon to remove and trap volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and neutralize odors, and a cold catalyst to filter out lingering gases like formaldehyde, benzene, and ammonia. That lower price reduces the number of features. There’s no app, nor is there an internal air sensor, but there is something refreshing about this all-business, sleek, white air purifier that has one of the easiest-to-read control panels; a handle; three speeds; a timer for one, two, and four hours; and an inefficient but quiet sleep mode.
Like so many of the smaller air purifiers I’ve tested, the Brondell is loud at its highest setting; my consumer Toptes RA-5018 sound level meter hit 80 decibels. That’s around the same level as a busy restaurant or a police siren. Even so, if you need light lifting in a small room and an aesthetically pleasing design, the Brondell Horizon is an easy choice for the money. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
Specifically made for pet owners to combat allergens, this cylindrical machine is quite large, at almost 20 pounds and over 2 feet tall. It doubles as a cat perch, although my two cats were never interested in sitting on it. It has an attractive ring of low lights that can be turned off, but rather than a pet bed, I liked using it as a bedside table because of the flat, circular top with the included low light ring acting as a night light.
It sucks up air from the 360-degree inlets in the bottom and top, and it has no grille, enabling more air circulation to better capture floating pet fur or hair, dust, and odor. It also has a rolling brush that works in tandem with the filter, discarding fur and hair in a special 0.12 gallon hair collection chamber that's easily to remove—rather than needing to wipe or vacuum off trapped hair on the filter. The four-layered filter is specially made to combat odors from pets, and it includes HEPA and activated carbon filters for odors. It has an included sensor to measure PM2.5, total volatile organic compounds, temperature, and humidity levels, which can be monitored on the air purifier's app, where you can also adjust settings and monitor filter life. It's also compatible with Google and Alexa.
During testing, it took over two minutes for smoke to visually clear, and another five minutes for my air quality monitor to read at healthy levels again. This was one of the longest times I'd tested, but the purifier was efficient and there were no lingering odors. My decibel reader also measured 72 decibels on high rather than the manufacturer's 62 decibels. The buttons on the touchscreen panel weren't always responsive and hard to read, so I'd recommend using the app for controls.
AirDoctor (5500i)
The AirDoctor 5500i is the second tower model I’ve used. (I’ve used IQAir’s standard GC MultiGas XE model for years.) Because of their power, tower models tend to be loud at their highest settings, so I was pleasantly surprised by the 5500i’s quiet hum. It captures both fine particulates—like mold spores—with its HEPA filters, and gases with its dual-action/carbon volatile organic compound (VOC) trap filters. The 5500i can exchange the air four times an hour in a 1,000-square-foot space, around the size of my New York apartment. And the purifier has an alert to let me know when it is time to change the filter.
It's the quietest and largest AirDoctor air purifier yet. It has a built-in sensor that has kept up with my cooking, turning its air quality indicator light red and automatically adjusting the fan speed to the highest setting. This also happens when construction in my building goes into overdrive. Yet it is quieter than the smaller AirDoctor 2000, the same model that once woke me up in the middle of the night. The 5500i caps at 50 decibels, quieter than a household refrigerator. It weighs 33 pounds, and moving it around my apartment only took a slight nudge of the hand, as it has hidden casters that let it glide easily on my hardwood floor. It connects to the AirDoctor app, which allows for controlling remotely. And with AirDoctor’s hefty price tag, the disappointing one-year warranty seems short for the investment. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
The Rabbit Air is a sleek, disappears-in-a-room air purifier that punches above its weight thanks to its low price and five-year warranty. It has both a HEPA filter to trap common allergens like dust and pollen, plus that dangerous invisible PM 2.5, which can occur in wildfire smoke. It's also got an activated charcoal carbon filter to capture VOCs and odors and a negative ion generator that basically gives air molecules a static charge, making them easier to capture.
The BioGS 2.0 is able to clean 550 square feet at two air exchanges per hour and 275 square feet at four air exchanges per hour. I could clean my entire 1,000-square-foot apartment with two Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0s, and as the air purifiers are under $400 each, they're some of the more affordable options on the market. The Rabbit's built-in sensors adjust fan speeds, and the unit’s control panel illuminates in low-light settings. It also has a remote. I was disappointed that the BioGS 2.0 isn’t compatible with the Rabbit Air app, nor can it work with Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant like other Rabbit Air models. Still, because of its cost, quiet operation, ability, and style, this is one of my favorite air purifiers. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
The Levoit Vital 200S-P Air Purifier cleared smoke and got the air back to a healthy level in four minutes and 15 seconds.
The Coway Airmega Mighty2 cleared smoke and got the air back to a healthy level in four minutes and 10 seconds.
The IQAir HealthPro Plus XE never even allowed the smoke pellet pollutants to visually cloud the tent. The AQI and PM 2.5 levels were marked as “hazardous,” but within three minutes the levels were back to “good.”
The Shark BreatheClear Max didn’t auto-adjust to the pollutants like others tested, and smoke didn’t visually clear. I had to restart the purifier and it took almost five hours for the monitor to read that it was at a healthy level again.
Shark BreatheClear Max for $360: Launched in April (we've previously tested the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier and Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max), this purifier offers intelligent purification that automatically adjusts fan speed in response to the air around it, scanning the air 3,600 times per hour. The filter lasts up to a whopping six years, and it can clean up to 1,650 square feet in an hour. This model has an updated LCD screen that has tons of information about the air around you, including metrics with graphics about air insights; historical graphs on air quality, temperature, and humidity; and pollutant information, including measurements for PM 2.5 and 10, and VOCs. To be honest, though, this air purifier slightly annoyed me. The bottom never seemed to screw in right and often fell out, and the fan auto-detected seemingly any and every potential pollutant on auto mode—something as innocuous as my cat walking by would launch it into its highest level, at about 75 decibels. When I conducted a test with smoke pellets in a sealed tent, the purifier didn’t auto-adjust to the pollutants; I had to manually enter and hit the button to engage it. Then the air quality was at zero percent on the screen for 15 minutes, the smoke didn’t visually clear, and it seemed as if it wasn’t actually purifying. When I went to check on what was happening, I accidentally restarted the purifier and it took almost five hours for the monitor to read that it was at a healthy level again.
Coway Airmega Halo for $230: This is the newest release in Coway's Airmega line: an affordable, lightweight air purifier that aims to deliver whole-room air purification at an accessible price point. It's a lightweight 9.7 pounds and doesn't have Wi-Fi capabilities, an app, or a remote. Inside, there's a cylindrical IEST-certified HEPA three-stage filter and a MegaScan Particle Sensor, which continuously monitors the air in real time to detect smoke, fine dust, and allergens down to PM2.5. As I do with all WIRED-tested air purifiers, I measured the Airmega Halo's efficacy by using a sealed tent and smoke pellets to see how quickly each air purifier clears the pellet smoke and returns the air to healthy quality when on auto mode. After one minute and 45 seconds, the air was no longer clouded and the light shone blue for a healthy level. However, in independent testing with an air quality monitor, I found that it took nearly six minutes for the air to truly return to normal levels again—an alarming, almost-four-minute discrepancy. Still, if you're looking for a purifier for a baby's room or are an especially light sleeper, this purifier offers a Night Sensor feature that could be helpful.
IQAir CG MultiGas XE
IQAir GC MultiGas XE for $1,600: This Swiss-made unit is a heavy tower model (55 pounds), but it has wheels for easier rolling, and at its highest setting, it can clean 275 cubic feet per minute (CFM). I appreciate that the air sensor’s indicator light is in accordance with US AQI colors. And the built-in sensor and IQAir app make it easy to use—in fact, the app provides one of the most intuitive user experiences of all I’ve tested. It can also capture toxic gases and vapors, and on auto mode, the fan speeds auto-adjust. It can clean the air of a large space with multiple air exchanges in an hour. I’ve been using it in the main room of an A-frame cabin with double-height ceilings (around 3,000 cubic feet) for the past two months, and it has kept my indoor air quality healthy. But with great power comes great noise. At its highest setting, the CG MultiGas XE runs at a loud 68 decibels—that's just 2 decibels shy of the sound of a consumer vacuum cleaner, though it’s quiet at its lower settings. At $1,600, this workhorse isn’t cheap, but it’s an investment that’s built to last. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
Airthings Renew
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 multiple 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 functions as a remote that can adjust the purifier settings, including setting the panel lock, which is 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, even with my vacuum. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
Coway Airmega ProX for $905: The Coway Airmega ProX is a monolith any high-ceilinged home needs. Specifically, if you’re living in an A-frame, double-height ceiling loft, or any home with a ceiling higher than 8 feet, this model is for you. It gives off the vibe of a TARS robot from Interstellar crossed with a giant stereo speaker. It has a nice blend-into-the-room-mocha beige aesthetic 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. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
Coway Airmega 400S
Coway Airmega 400S for $646: Coway's 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. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
AirDoctor AD4000 Air Purifier for $429: AirDoctor makes sturdy and reliable purifiers, but as I went to pair the AD4000, I realized it had no Wi-Fi 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 AirDoctor app dashboard. And while the AD4000 is made for larger spaces, if one wanted to achieve the four air exchanges per hour that the AD4000 supposedly can do, then it would have its fan at the highest setting. My consumer sound level meter registered 100 decibels 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 decibels for more than 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 (or reasonably quiet) setting. The AD4000 would do well in a 200- to 300-square-foot room, where it could run on a lower setting. Also, be careful when unboxing: When I was setting up 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. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
Airdog X5 for $549: 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, it's likely not worth buying. I tested the Airdog in a large room, and it even came with a 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 is to 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. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
Windmill Air Purifier for $299: I like the Scandinavian look of this bamboo purifier, and it’s more furniture-esque than other models. 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. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
Coway Airmega 50 for $80: A mini version of the brand's Airmega 100, the Airmega 50 (see the full review) has many of the features of Coway’s larger and more expensive models and is notably affordable. 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 AQI's six color-coded categories. Instead of green signaling 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.
Puroair 240 HEPA Air Purifier for $160: At less than 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. It's also 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. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
Coway Airmega 250 for $380: 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 I 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
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 who need serious odor removal. I placed the True Carbon next to my two cats’ heavily used litter box, and within half hour the purifier 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. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
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 uses a combined filter that has a prefilter that can be un-Velcroed and hand-washed, an activated carbon, a HEPA 13, and 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 CARB-certified as a mechanical air purifier, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not recommend catalysts due to their limited effectiveness. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
How to Shop for an Air Purifier
How does a busy shopper find the right size purifier for a room they want to clean? The CDC recommends that one should aim for five air exchanges per hour, in a metric known as the ACH. When looking at an air purifier, look at the cubic feet per minute in airflow at the lowest setting. When measuring the cubic footage of your room, you need the area of the room times the height. Imagine a one-foot cube of styrofoam: How many cubes could you fit into a room?
Anyone shopping for an air purifier also needs to look for two acronyms and terms. First, look for CARB certification, which means that that unit passed the rigorous standards of the California Air Resources Board. Next, check the filter type (broken down below). Also, don’t forget to unwrap your filter! There’s a special kind of horror that comes with realizing you’ve been running your air purifier with a plastic-wrapped HEPA filter.
HEPA Filters: This is a high-efficiency particulate 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 issues, since it can help to clear out airborne particles that can trigger symptoms—like sneezing, sore throat, difficulty breathing, coughing, and more. It's worth noting, however, that HEPA filters don't remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air the way activated carbon filters do. But these are typically paired with carbon filters.
Activated Carbon: Activated carbon filters (also known as activated charcoal) are highly effective because they are very porous and have a large surface area—allowing the filters to absorb gas pollutants, odors, and VOCs. They’re best for removing fumes, smoke, and chemicals from the air. But these filters have to be replaced more often depending on the environment. For example, if there’s a wildfire in your area and the air purifier is working more intensely than usual, it’s important to replace a saturated filter to avoid toxic gases from being released back into the air.
Washable Air Filters: A few of the options I've listed in this guide come with washable prefilters in addition to a HEPA and/or activated carbon filter—which is what you'll typically find. These are the most cost-effective since you don't have to buy new ones each time you need to replace a 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 viruses, parasites, mold spores, and bacteria. They can't remove airborne particles, VOCs, or gas pollutants, so they're only fully effective when combined with a HEPA filter. According to the EPA, UV lights without proper lamp coatings have the potential to emit ozone. I recommend checking this list from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers for models that have been shown to emit little to no ozone. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
How to Check Your Air Quality
Many large states and cities are required to report the local outdoor air quality index (AQI), which was established by the EPA and measures the concentrations of major air pollutants, like ground ozone and carbon monoxide, that are regulated by the Clean Air Act. We like AirCare (iOS, Android), but your state or county may have even more localized apps.
To check if your indoor air quality stacks up, consumer monitors like the Airthings View Plus ($330) also measure carbon dioxide, temperature, and humidity, in addition to pollutants and particulate matter (PM) of various size, including the notably health-compromising PM 2.5. Need more information? Check out our complete guide to checking your air quality. —Lisa Wood Shapiro
How Does WIRED Select Air Purifiers to Review?
We look at popular models from all brands—both new and long established—and at all price points, taking into consideration features, size, effectiveness, and consumer popularity. Companies themselves often provide samples with the understanding that editorial coverage is not guaranteed. WIRED does earn affiliate revenue from purchases, but this does not factor into our editorial decisions.
What Do I Do With Air Purifiers After Testing?
A handful of top picks are kept around for longer-term testing, evaluation against new picks, and for use in testing auxiliary products like food dehydrators and the Plantaform indoor smart garden, but all others are donated locally, including to organizations like NYC public schools.
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Source: Wired
