2025 Best HEPA Air Purifiers–Smoke, Dust, Pollen, & Microbes

What is the best HEPA air purifier in 2025 to clean up airborne contaminants such as smoke, dust, pollen, & microbes? Do you also need a system to handle indoor air quality issues like ultrafine particles and allergens in large rooms? Mamavation investigates the air purifier industry, looking at how they handle airborne particles in indoor spaces. From battling wildfire smoke to capturing microbes, fire retardants, ultrafine particles, and allergens like dust mites, your family needs a robust system to keep air ventilated and safe. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like (1) best & worst cookware, (2) best & worst organic mattresses, and (3) safest cooking oils tested for toxic phthalates. Now, join us as we look into your indoor air quality and what makes the best air purifier.

This post was medically fact-checked by Rebecca Elizabeth Sherrick Harks, RN, BSN. This post also contains affiliate links. 

HEPA or HEPA-Like Air Purifiers–Health Benefits of Removing Airborne Particles like Smoke, Dust, Pollen, Microbes, VOCs, & Ultrafine Particles from Indoor Air

Air purification is important for a myriad of reasons, but mostly it has to do with your long-term health. Let’s face it, you spend most of your day inside. As buildings have become more energy-efficient, on the flip side, they also hold inside those contaminants and prevent them from escaping.

Here are some reasons why you may want to consider a HEPA or HEPA-like air filtration machine.

• It’s estimated that air quality inside the home is 2-5x more polluted than outside (on the conservative side)
• An estimated 9 million people die every year from symptoms of air pollution, which is more than people dying from wars, obesity, smoking, and malnutrition combined
• Air pollution can also rob your child of opportunity in life because it’s linked to brain alterations and cognitive impairments like autism, increased mental illness, and low achievement in school. It’s also linked to asthma.
• The World Health Organization studied air quality around the world and declared 92% of the world is breathing dangerous amounts of pollutants

Experts Say Air Quality Impacts Your Immune System and Ability to Fight Off an Infectious Disease

The air we breathe inside our homes can be filled with hormone-disrupting chemicals. The problem with hormone-disrupting chemicals is that they damage your overall health and immune system. According to Linda S. Birnbaum, who had been a previous Director of the National Institutes of Health, says,

“Endocrine-disrupting chemicals masquerade as hormones.

These insidious contaminants increase the diseases that cause the underlying conditions that result in susceptibility to COVID-19.”

She later goes on to say, “common immune system diseases that weaken your defenses to bacterial and viral infections include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, and Chron’s disease.

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 23.5 million Americans (about 7 percent of the population) suffer from one or more autoimmune diseases, and 25 million people have asthma.

The U.S. ranks 43rd out of 183 countries for deaths due to lung disease.”

Flame Retardants & Ultrafine Particles Are Commonly Found Inside Indoor Air

A handful of flame retardant chemicals including polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and chlorinated flame retardants (CFR) have been linked to dangerous health effects like endocrine disruption, decreased fertility, immune suppression, altered sexual development, cancer, delayed brain development, lower IQ, and behavioral problems in humans.

The dangers of flame retardants are so obvious that in November 2010, 145 scientists issued a joint statement documenting the health hazards of brominated and chlorinated flame retardant chemicals.

After the highly hazardous nature of brominated flame retardants was discovered, the government began to regulate and restrict their use, and introduced measures to eliminate the most toxic PBDEs in a phase-out process starting in 2005.

As a result, manufacturers began using alternative organophosphate flame retardants (OPFR) to meet flammability standards instead.

It appears, though, that OPFRs are similarly toxic in nature with confirmed negative health effects, including endocrine disruption, decreased fertility, and thyroid function.

Because these ultrafine particles are attracted to dust, removing dust in the air can benefit your family’s health. Thus, a good air purifier can help you reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors. 

Flame Retardants in American Televisions Recently Banned in Europe Are Common Today & Warrant HEPA Air Filtration

In a study commissioned by Safer Chemicals Healthy Families and Toxic-Free Future, six leading televisions had several hormone-disrupting chemicals, some of which were banned in several states, inside the plastic casings of the televisions. These were the halogenated and phosphorus flame retardant chemicals found inside televisions:

• TTBP-TAZ
• 2,4,6-TBP
• DBDPE
• Deca-BDE
• BAPP
• TPhP

Studies show that these chemicals migrate out of electronics and attach themselves to household dust. Therefore, American families need to be more vigilant in cleaning their indoor air from toxic dust particles. Here are some more top-level details of what they found.

• Three TVs contained organohalogen flame retardants. All Best Buy Insignia TVs contained the banned flame retardants deca-BDE, outlawed in five states, including at its purchase location in Washington State; one TV contained deca-BDE at levels above Washington’s enforcement limit.
• Three Toshiba (Hisense) Fire TVs, produced in partnership with Amazon, contained hazardous organohalogen flame retardants, including one closely related to the banned deca-BDE.
• The television contained flame retardants at percentage levels by weight in the plastic, meaning the chemicals make up a significant portion of the product. These chemicals can migrate out of televisions and get into indoor air, household dust, and make their way into bodies, posing risks to families and pets.

This is why we highly recommend having a good air purifier next to the electrical equipment inside your home, like televisions and computers. 

Solutions To Problems of Indoor Air Pollution

SOLUTION #1–CLEAN MORE–Study Reveals Cleaning House and Hands Reduces Flame Retardant Exposure

In the new study published by the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, scientists researched the exposure to 7 different flame retardants and discovered a clear reduction of exposure to these chemicals achieved through routine increased cleaning inside the home.

In fact, detectable exposure to toxic flame retardants was reduced by half in as little as 1-2 weeks through routine house cleaning and handwashing!

Dusting with a damp cloth, wet mopping, and vacuuming are recommended specifically by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after assessing and confirming the distinct risks of flame retardant exposure.

With such dramatic results in just a few days, imagine the amount of toxic chemicals you could avoid in a year!

It’s still very important to continue seeking out flame retardant-free products because flame retardant chemicals were still found at detectable levels even after increased cleaning and handwashing.

Products made of certain materials like wool are not required to contain added flame retardants because the wool itself meets standards of flammability.

And as usual, we need to raise our voices and demand clear labeling requirements while also encouraging manufacturers to develop safer alternatives to toxic flame retardants when their use is required by law.

SOLUTION #2: Get a Good HEPA or HEPA-Like Air Purifier That Cleans Viruses & Ultrafine Particles

Another solution to your problem is getting a good HEPA or HEPA-Like air purifier for your home with proper fan speed. Air purifiers use fans to suck air into a filter before it’s purified and released at the other end. They’re effective in removing odors and large particulates from the air. Here’s what they have the ability to reduce inside your home:

• Particulates–large particles with fire retardants attached and ultra-fine particles
• Bioaerosols–living matter like mold, viruses, bacteria & endospores
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)–especially from freeways & burning fossil fuels which can seep into your room’s air

Now for more on each type of contaminant, their health impacts, and what you can do about them.

Large Particles & UltraFine Particles Are Important to Filter Out of Indoor Air

Particles & ultra-fine particles are problematic to your lungs and heart. Particulate matter is a complex mixture of solid and/or liquid particles suspended in the air generated through gas-burning automobiles & freeways, cooking with high heat on a gas stove, burning of fossil fuels & candles, use of fireplaces & unvented space heaters, & cigarette smoking.

Once inhaled, particles can affect the heart and lungs and in some cases cause serious health effects, such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

1. 1. • Children and older adults may be at greater risk of PM exposure.
      • Fire retardant chemicals off-gassing from media equipment like televisions attach themselves to large particles
      • A study by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) demonstrates an association between long-term exposure to ultrafine particle air pollution and death from heart disease.
      • Ultrafine air pollution particles are tiny – about 0.1 micron in diameter or roughly one-thousandth the width of a human hair.
      • Need filtration of 0.1 microns and below.

Bioaerosols like Virus, Mold, Bacteria & Endospores Can Bring Serious Health Problems

Viruses, mold, bacteria, & endospores. These air pollutants can have a major impact on your health triggering allergic reactions, asthma, transmitting disease, or causing complex health problems. Filter disposal is an issue here. These problems are hardest to solve in large rooms, so it’s important to get large-room air purifiers. Also, please remember to dispose of filters carefully.

• • WARNING: Air pollutant droplets can live on air filters and become re-released into the air even if they are captured initially.
  • In order to capture viruses, the filtration ability needs to be 0.007 microns or lower.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Are Linked to Cancer & Central Nervous System Damage

Volatile organic compounds are gases that are emitted into the air from products, processes, and building materials.

They can react with other gases and form other air pollutants after they are in the air.

VOCs come from paint, paint strippers, varnishes, finishes, caulk, sealant, adhesives, flooring, carpet, furniture made from particleboard, cleaners & disinfectants, pesticides, air fresheners, perfume, gasoline, office printers & copiers, glues & permanent markers.

Breathing VOCs can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, can cause difficulty breathing and nausea, and can damage the central nervous system as well as other organs.  Some VOCs can cause cancer.

• Many air cleaners fall short here. High-efficiency air cleaners like True Hepa or above already have air cleaning limitations due to the amount of air they can quietly deliver in a space. Adding another layer of VOC mitigation capable enough to deliver long term VOC removal efficacy creates even more pressure drop limiting the overall effectiveness of the air cleaner.
• For environments with higher than average levels of VOC’s, the recommended course of action is fresh air ventilation. Diluting the inside air with fresh filtered air from the outside is always the best way to limit VOC’s in any environment.
• Depending on your climate one will want to choose an Energy recovery ventilator (ERV) or a Heat recovery ventilator (HRV)
• Need filtration ability below 0.03 microns for things like formaldehyde

Please note that the more VOCs you have in your home, the harder your air purifier will need to work. Therefore, if you have a higher amount in your home coming from off-gassing furniture, you may need to replace the filter on your air purifier more often. This is not the fault of air purifier, rather, it just means your home requires more carbon to do all that capturing.

Basic Rules of Air Purification

Rule #1: How much air am I moving?

This means you have to be honest about how big the room is you are putting this machine in. If the room is between 500-1000 square feet then a small machine will simply not help you at all. That’s because you want that machine to move 100% of that air at least 2-4x per hour.

Smaller machines don’t have the ability to do that.

Placement of Air Purifier: Mamavation recommends you place your air purifier next to the television and other electrical equipment for two reasons:

1. Your highest emitter of fire retardants will be your electrical equipment so having the machine right there will ensure it picks up most of what comes in that room and
2. Let’s be honest, that’s where you are spending most of your time.

So ask yourself how big this room is. If it’s larger than 500 square feet, you’ll need a more robust machine.

Buying machines that are not strong enough for this area is just a waste of money. If you have enough to purchase for bedrooms as well, smaller machines may do fine.

Rule #2: At what level of efficiency am I moving this air?

Is the machine working hard enough to reach maximum particle capacity?

So ask yourself how big this room is. If it’s larger than 500 square feet, you’ll need a more robust machine because lots of machines are only made for small spaces.

Again, buying machines that are not strong enough for this area is just a waste of money. If you have enough to purchase for bedrooms as well, smaller machines may do fine.

Portable air cleaners are only going to treat the air that can get to and through the machine. That’s why ensuring you have a machine that is sized properly for the room is critical to system relief for your family. Portable are truly removing what they say they are from the space, which are also sized properly for the intended environment are still the most effective air cleaning solution on the marketplace.

You want the machine recycling the air within that space at least 4x per hour. Stronger machines may do it up to 5x an hour or more but that shouldn’t come at a cost of lower particle efficiency. The stronger the machine, the bigger difference in relief with someone with allergies would experience.

BUYER BEWARE–many manufacturers claim huge square foot coverage as a trick to show more perceived value. We actually noticed a few saying they treated 2000 square feet or more. After reviewing, we noticed that the air change rate at 2000 cfm was less than 1x per hour–meaning that machine would have no significant impact at all in the space of 2000 square feet and it would have had to be run on the highest noise setting to achieve the 0.8 times per hour rating.

Rule #3: At what noise level am I moving this air?

How noisy is the machine when it’s doing its job?

This is a practical question for home use.

The reason this is important is because if it’s too noisy, you won’t use it on an efficient level.

It’s as simple as that.

You may want a machine that has an automatic setting that turns up to high when needed and then back down to low when the particles in the air are taken care of.

WARNING: Most Air Purifiers Don’t Kill Viruses

When it comes to killing viruses, most air purifiers will not do. In fact, most of your standard HEPA air purifiers won’t help because they weren’t created to kill viruses.

• 1 Micron = 1000 NanoMeters

Most powerful air purifiers capture particles as small as 0.1 microns or larger, and some only capture about 0.3 microns or larger. That’s good enough to capture mold, pollen, and pet dander, but not viruses. This is why they claim to be effective for 99% of things, but not all of it.

• Viruses = between 0.004 to 0.1 microns in size
• Coronavirus = between 0.14 microns to 0.06 microns

Viruses are about 100x smaller than bacteria, typically between 0.004 to 0.1 microns in size. So if you are looking for virus protection in your home, a model that meets the HEPA standard may not be what you want in the long run. You’ll need more.

So, therefore, in order to have a system that is robust enough to handle viruses as small as this, you really need something that gets down to the sub-micron level below .3 microns in size.

What about brands that claim to filter smaller particles than 0.3 micron? Well, when we asked them, only a few would show us independent 3rd party particle efficiency testing, so we weren’t impressed.

• Watch out for spread of viruses and bacteria on the filter

Some air filters could be doing more harm than good when it comes to viral capture because they could be collecting viruses and bacteria in the filter–allowing them to grow and multiply. If these filters aren’t changed timely, the fan in the air purifier could begin to recirculate the virus or bacteria back into the space. 

Also during replacement intervals, you may unknowingly contaminate your home with viruses and bacteria.

The ironic part is if you get a filter that meets the HEPA standard and want maximum coverage, you have to change that filter more frequently than they say because it gets clogged up.

Types of Air Purifiers

There are so many types of air purifiers on the market. Several air purifiers combine many different features in one, like HEPA and Carbon filters. In order to understand which is best for your family, it’s vital to go over all your options.

1. HEPA Air Filters

Pros: HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. Originally developed in support of cleanrooms for atomic energy development, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created HEPA as a specification for suppliers of filtration products based on particle removal effectiveness (e.g., 99.97% at 0.3 microns and above). Today, these same standards meet the Department of Energy requirements for the removal of about 99% of the particulates from the air. These air particulates have to be at least 0.3 microns or larger to capture. If you are wanting to remove mold spores, flame retardants, dust pollen, bacteria or pet dander, this may be a good option.

Cons: Filters that meet the HEPA standard may not be able to trap gases, fumes or other chemicals and odors. It also has problems capturing viruses and are more likely to allow them to multiply on the filter or pass through. But the worst part is the more it works, the less effective it becomes because the particulates clog up the filters. To get 100% maximum efficiency you’ll have to change the filters more frequently, and will need to be turned to the highest power for the duration of the filter. And finally, be very careful when handling the filter because viruses and bacteria can be present.

2. Activated Carbon

Pros: Activated carbon is also known as activated charcoal. The charcoal binds with certain toxins and pulls them out of the air. It’s very effective at absorbing gases and fumes like formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, and other such VOCs from the air. It’s also very effective in removing odors from the air. Most of the time, this type of technology is combined with HEPA machines to make the filter more efficient.

Cons: Activated carbon doesn’t have the ability to remove particles or germs from the air inside your home. In order to do this, you’ll need some sort of combo machine. We wouldn’t recommend just a stand-alone activated carbon machine.

3. PECO (Photo ElectroChemical Oxidation)

Pros: PECO works when light shines on a specially designed nanoparticle-coated filter. This action of light on the surface of the filter creates a reaction that oxidizes pollutants in the air. Large machines are approved for hospitals wanting to clean the air from viruses. People who have experienced mold damage recommend this type of air filtration technology after the cleanup.

Cons: Most machines sold for home use are allegedly not strong enough to clean air of the size of the room they are in. Lots of lawsuits around this technology and the marketing claims they made. Until this all shakes out, we’d recommend some precaution.

4. ULPA (Ultra Low Particle Air)

Pros: More efficient than HEPA filters because it’s like a double HEPA tightly woven together

Cons: Performance of machine is reduced after one hour of use and over the life of the filter, can be very noisy

5. UV Filters aka Ultra-Violet Filters

Pros: UV filters have the ability to kill bacteria and viruses. These filters kill bacteria and viruses using UV lights.

Cons: UV filters do not have the ability to filter out large particles like a HEPA or gases and chemicals like formaldehyde like an activated carbon filter does. We also elaborated as to why U.V. is an outdated technology for residential use. We have not found one residential U.V. air cleaning system that is looking at the metrics correctly to effectively kill microbes in the air.

6. Ionic Filters

Pros: Instead of relying on fans to move air through filters, ionic filters release a steady stream of negatively charged ions that electrify dust & dander. The particles become negatively charged and are then attracted to the positively charged collection plate inside the machine.

Cons: They don’t really do a good job at all. Sometimes the air particles become attracted to the walls, table tops , and TV screens and stick. They also do not absorb formaldehyde or other VOCs. But what I find most troublesome is the idea that when you introduce ozone into your home, it can interact with the VOCs in the air and create smog.

7. Ozone Filters

Pros: O3 is a gas that is released into the environment and is highly effective at killing odors and microorganisms. However, it is only effective at high levels and one should never run an ozone generator in an occupied space.

Cons: Limited use as disinfection has only been proven at high outputs. Ozone generators should never be used as general air cleaning devices and should only be used for cleaning devices and should only be used for disinfecting and odor elimination in unoccupied spaces. Air Purifiers with high ozone will not be able to sell in the State of California.

Certifications & Partnerships & Tests to Look For

There are several certifications, partnerships and testing that help you understand which brands are worth your hard-earned money.

Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)

The Association of Home Appliances Manufacturers (AHAM) created the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) testing standard as a way to evaluate air purifiers. This system has pros and cons.

• Pros: Basic standard test that looks at solid particles like smoke, dust & pollen
• Cons: Only measures solid particles and misses all gasses, ultrafine particles, and viruses.

The Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification (AAFA)

We also saw some brands certified with the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification Program with the AAFA was one that popped up as well.

• Pros: Products likely good at reducing allergens in the air
• Cons: Lacks details on how the air purifiers are evaluated or the standards they have.

Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV)

Air purifiers can also receive a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV), which is the scale designed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to rate the effectiveness of air filters.

• Pros: Gives you basic guidelines on the minimum starting efficiency of an HVAC filter
• Cons: Reporting is only measured to MERV 16 which is 95% efficient and doesn’t take into consideration the smallest most dangerous lung penetrating ultrafine particles. Also, MERV doesn’t take into consideration lifetime efficiency rating value. Synthetic materials which originally can have a very high MERV rating can see a substantial reduction in efficiency as the filter loses charge.

Particle Efficiency Testing (Not a Certification, but a Test)

One last thing that is technically not a certification. Particle efficiency testing is what you can ask brands for. This test is important to determine that the machine is filtering the amount and size of particles that it claims to be filtering. Most brands will not offer this information to you.

• Pros: It tells you how strong the machine is in capturing ultrafine particles and viruses
• Cons: Most brands do not offer these results to customers, especially from an independent 3rd party laboratory, but they may tell you what they scored.

Air Purifier Funny Business — Tricks to Look Out For

As we were evaluating the air purifier industry, we noticed some tricks that certain companies were utilizing to make consumers believe they were better than they actually were.

• Instead of reporting CADR as “cubic feet per minute” they were reporting it as “cubic meters per hour” which gave about 45% more credit than they deserved.
• Brands were using marketing crediting their air purifier for 1 room exchange per hour instead of 4 room exchanges per hour. You want at least 4x an hour.
• Brands were not disclosing how many lbs. of carbon were inside their filter, which means you cannot do the calculation to see if it’s enough to effectively capture VOCs.
• Brands are using mesh carbon instead of granular carbon. Mesh carbon is basically “spray-on” foam material carbon that isn’t as effective in capturing VOCs and other particulates. This gives them the ability to say they are using carbon, but it’s not the good kind.
• Brands were using less than 0.01 lbs. of carbon daily, which is about what you want for the appropriate coverage.
• Some brands were marketing longer times when you needed to change the filter, which meant that at the end of the life of that filter, the air purifier would be far less efficient in purifying your air. For those systems, you may want to change the filter more often.

Where Should You Place Your Air Purifier In Your Home

You want to place your air purifier next to the area in your home with the most electrical equipment like your television. That’s because it’s the spot in your home with most of the fire retardants that will be found. Fire retardants are placed inside the plastic in media equipment and over time, they are released into the air and attach themselves to household dust.

We also recommend this area because it’s a high traffic area and that’s the place where you spend your time. But it’s also important to remember that this area of your home may be larger so will likely also need a large unit to work that can cover between anywhere 400 to 1000 square feet depending on the size of that room.

It’s not really possible for one unit to cover your entire home unless you get a special unit for the entire home.  Air purifiers can not suck air from down the hall and in other rooms. So we recommend getting one unit for the main room, and others for bedrooms if you can afford it.

Mamavation’s Investigation on Best & Worst Air Purifiers for Viruses, Fire Retardants, Ultrafine Particles & Allergens

It took us a couple of years to update this investigation for 2025. Many priorities have changed since we originally published an air purifier investigation in 2020. We are now interested in different types of machines for different purposes. Thus, this investigation has been divided into two different groups in the favored category:

1. Air purifier systems that can handle smaller particles, such as VOCs, viruses, & ultrafine particles.
2. Air purifier systems that can handle larger particles, such as from pet dander, dust, pollen, & mold.

Please make sure the model you purchase is designed to cover the square footage of the room you will put it in.

Not Our Favorite Air Purifier Brands

These were not our favorite brands. There are several things that may be wrong here such as not having a strong enough system to handle ultra-fine particulates, having legal trouble, bad reviews, consumer reporting of poor clean air delivery rate (CADR), bad business reputation, etc. Brands here had a low CADR (CFM) score of less than 120, they had no confirmed HEPA filter, or no real carbon filter. Mesh filters are less efficient at handling smaller particles like bacteria and viruses and need to be cleaned more often. All systems with cheaper mesh filters OR don’t have a HEPA have gone here.

• Air Pura C600 (no HEPA)
• Airdog X5 (no HEPA)
• Alen T500 Pure + Black (mesh)
• Alen Breathesmart Flex (mesh)
• Alen BreatheSmart 45i Pure + Oak (mesh)
• Black+Decker BAPT02 (mesh)
• Blueair 121 (mesh)
• Blueair Blue Pure 411 Air Purifier (mesh)
• Blueair Blue Pure 511 (mesh)
• Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max (mesh)
• Clean Force H13 (mesh)
• Clean Force Mega 1000 (mesh)
• Coway Airmega Aim (mesh)
• Coway Airmega 100 (mesh)
• Coway AP-1512HH Mighty (mesh)
• Coway AP-1512HH (mesh)
• Coway Airmega 200 M (mesh)
• Dyson TP01 Pure Cool Link Air Purifier (mesh)
• Dyson TP04 Pure Cool Air Purifier (mesh)
• Dyson Big + Quiet – BP04 (mesh)
• Dyson HP07 (mesh)
• Dyson TP01 Pure Cool Link Air Purifier (mesh)
• GermGuardian CDAP4500BCA (mesh)
• Germ Guardian AC 4825 3-in-1 Air Purifier (mesh)
• GermGuardian AC4825E (mesh)
• GermGuardian AC3000W (mesh)
• GermGuardian AC151 (mesh)
• GermGuardian AC9200WCA (mesh)
• GermGuardian AC5900WCA (mesh)
• GermGuardian AC5109W (mesh)
• GermGuardian AC9600W (mesh)
• GermGuardian AC085 (mesh)
• GermGuardian AC4100 (mesh)
• Honeywell HPA080B Insight (mesh)
• Honeywell True HEPA Bluetooth Smart Air Purifier with Allergen Remover (mesh)
• Honeywell HFD230B (mesh)
• Honeywell InSight HPA5100B (low CADR)
• Honeywell HPA830W Designer Series (mesh)
• Honeywell HPA180B Insight (mesh)
• Honeywell AirGenius 5 HFD-320 (mesh)
• Honeywell Air Genius 4 HFD310 (mesh)
• Honeywell HPA250B (mesh)
• Honeywell HPA5200B (mesh)
• Honeywell 50250 Air Purifier (mesh)
• Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier (mesh)
• Honeywell AirGenius 5 HFD-320 Air Purifier (mesh)
• Ikea FORNUFTIG (mesh)
• Ikea STARKVIND (mesh)
• Intellipure Whole House Ultrafine Cleaner (not HEPA)
• Lasko FF305 (not HEPA)
• Lasko HF11200 (not HEPA)
• Lasko LP200 (mesh)
• Levoit LV-H132 (mesh)
• Molekule Air Mini+ MN2PH-US (mesh)
• Molekule Air Pro (mesh)
• Molekule Mini Air (mesh)
• PuraClenz Photon (mesh)
• Puro Air PuroAir 240 HEPA 14 (no carbon)
• Toshiba CAF-W36USW (mesh)
• Toshiba CAF-Z45US(W) (mesh)
• Toshiba CAF-Z85US(W) (mesh)
• Vornado AC550-WHT (mesh)
• Winix 5300-2 (mesh)
• Winix C535 (mesh)
• Winix AM90 Wi-Fi Air Purifier (mesh)
• Winix T810 (mesh)
• Winix 9800 (mesh)

Better Air Purifier Brands

These brands are light-years ahead of the last category. Each one has a CADR score above 120 and they are all made from granular carbon instead of mesh carbon. Granular carbon is more expensive and also better at handling smaller particles efficiently. They are a decent machine for the size room they claim to cover. However, they came up short in some areas like one of the following: Some companies had a lower CADR score but above 120, the units were too small for a family room, legal troubles we asked about were ignored, or perhaps they just didn’t have a high enough particle efficiency score to move up in ranks.

• Airthings Renew 
• Alen Breathesmart 75I True HEPA Air Filter
• AllerAir Airmedic Pro 5 Ultra
• Amaircare 3000 (Can’t sell in California and we are unsure why)
• Black+Decker BAPUV150
• Black+Decker BAPUV350
• Blueair Protect 7470i
• Coway Airmega 300
• Coway Airmega 400S
• Fellowes AeraMax DX95
• Fellowes AeraMax SV
• Honeywell InSight HPA5300B
• (won’t respond to questions abt. prior lawsuit with NYC School district)
• Intellipure Compact (won’t respond to questions abt. prior lawsuit with NYC school district)
• Levoit Core 300 (Not HEPA, however uses granular carbon and has 143 CADR)
• Levoit Pet Care Core P350-RAC (Not HEPA, however uses granular carbon and has 140 CADR)
• Levoit Core 400S(Not HEPA, however uses granular carbon and has 231 CADR)
• Levoit Vital 200S(Not HEPA, however, uses granular carbon and has 242 CADR)
• Levoit LV-H133(Not HEPA, however uses granular carbon and has 284 CADR)
• Levoit LV-H134 (Not HEPA, however uses granular carbon and has 317 CADR)
• Levoit EverestAir LAP-EL551S-SLV (Not HEPA, however uses granular carbon and has 354 CADR)
• Levoit PlasmaPro 600S (Not HEPA)
• PuraClenz Core
• Winix 5500-2

Best Air Purifier Brands

These brands are our favorite. We’ve divided our recommendations into two categories: (1)Concerns with smaller particles (VOCs, viruses, & ultra fine particles) & (2) Concerns with larger particles (pet dander, dust, pollen, & mold).

Our criteria to make the “best” category were the following:

• Must have a higher CADR score or at least a higher particle efficiency
• Must be true HEPA or HEPA plus technology
• Must be using granular carbon, and not cheap mesh carbon
• Have the ability to sell in California, meaning they have low ozone
• Must also be recommended by other reputable review organizations

Concern with Smaller Particles (VOCs, Viruses, & Ultra Fine Particles):

The size of your particles is going to determine your needs. When you focus on the smaller particles, you are looking for systems that can handle the following: offgassing from furniture, cleaning supplies, viruses, VOCs, mycotoxins down to 0.5 microns, air pollution from freeways, farms, or wildfire smoke, cooking with high heat on a gas stove, etc. This is highly recommended if you live in a city close to a freeway or busy roads. The best systems are typically not cheap. You’ll find some systems are recommended in both categories.

Here are the systems we recommend for those situations, broken down with pricing details:

• Air Doctor 3500 (This link will get you at least $280 off a system!)
  • Cost of Unit: $659 ($379 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Filter Cost: $162.99 (2 6-month VOC Filters & 1 12-month HEPA filter)
  • Filter Life in Months: 6 months VOC Filters, 12 months for HEPA filter
  • Lbs of carbon in filter: 1.5
  • Carbon Type: Granular
  • Lbs of carbon per month: 0.25 
  • Particle Efficiency: as small as 0.003 microns
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $162.99 ($146.69 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Filter Cost After Five Years: $814.95 ($733.45 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $1,473.95 ($1,112.45 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • CADR: 340
• Air Doctor 5500 (This link will save you at least $400 on a system!)
  • Cost of unit: $999 (or $599 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Filter Life in Months: 6 months VOC Filter, 12 months for HEPA filter
  • Filter Cost: $335.75 (4 6-month VOC Filters & 2 12-month HEPA filters)
  • Lbs of carbon in filter: 3
  • Carbon Type: Granular
  • Lbs. of carbon per month: 0.25
  • Particle Efficiency: as small as 0.003 microns
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $335.75 ($302.18 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Filter Cost after Five Years: $1,678.75 ($1,510.90 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $2,677.75 ($2,109.90 with Mamavation’s discount)
  •  CADR: 556
• Air Oasis iAdapt Air 2.0
  • Cost of Unit: $1099.00
  • Filter Life in Months: 15
  • Filter Cost: $220
  • Lbs of carbon in filter: 1.27
  • Carbon type: Granular
  • Particle Efficiency: 0.05 microns
  • Lbs of carbon per month: 0.08
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $183.20
  • Filter Cost After Five Years: $916
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $2,015
• IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier
  • Cost of Unit: $1,199.99
  • Filter Life in Months: 12
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $462 estimation
  • Filter Cost After Five Years: $2,000 estimation
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $3,199.99
  • CADR: 259
  • Particle Efficiency: 0.003 microns
• IQ Air GC Multi-Gas Air Purifier
  • Cost of Unit: $1,599
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $462 estimation
  • Filter Cost After Five Years: $2,310 estimation
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $3,909.99 
  • Particle Efficiency: 0.003 microns  
  • Filter Life in Months: 30
  • Lbs of carbon in filter: 12
  • Carbon type: Granular
  • Lbs of carbon per month: 0.40

   

Concern with Larger Particles (Pet Dander, Dust, Pollen, & Mold) 

These systems have a true HEPA filter that makes larger particles easier to handle, making them perfect for dust, pollen, pet dander, mold, fire retardant, or phthalate dust from electronics, etc. These systems would also be fine for larger particle VOCs, but they would be less likely to handle something like formaldehyde off-gassing from furniture or viruses. We have a few systems marked with a * that may or may not be powerful enough for VOCs, but have been recommended as hybrid systems specifically for mold. We’ve included them, but remember, if you find mold in your home, be sure to contact a professional immediately for advice. No air purifier is strong enough to remove all mold. You’ll need to remove the mold first, and then you can rely on an air purifier. However, please note that any of these systems (including the ones focused on smaller particles) would be fine for mold after a clean-up because they have a true HEPA.

• Air Doctor 3500 (This link will save you at least $280 on a system!)
  • Cost of Unit: $659 ($379 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Filter Cost: $162.99 (2 6-month VOC Filters & 1 12-month HEPA filter)
  • Filter Life in Months: 6 months VOC Filters, 12 months for HEPA filter
  • Lbs of carbon in filter: 1.5
  • Carbon Type: Granular
  • Lbs of carbon per month: 0.25 
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $162.99 ($146.69 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Filter Cost After Five Years: $814.95 ($733.45 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Particle Efficiency: as small as 0.003 microns
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $1,473.95 ($1,112.45 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • CADR: 340
  • Area of HEPA filter (sq. ft.): 30.16
• Air Doctor 5500 (This link will save you at least $400 on a system!)
  • Cost of unit: $999 (or $599 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Filter Life in Months: 6 months VOC Filter, 12 months for HEPA filter
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $335.75 ($302.18 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Filter Cost after Five Years: $1,678.75 ($1,510.90 with Mamavation’s discount)
  • Particle Efficiency: as small as 0.003 microns
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $2,677.75 ($2,109.90 with Mamavation’s discount) 
  • CADR: 556
• Air Oasis iAdapt Air 2.0
  • Cost of Unit: $1,099
  • Filter Life in Months: 15
  • Filter Cost: $229
  • Filter Cost after One Year: $183.20
  • Filter Cost after Five Years: $916
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $2,015
  • Particle Efficiency: 0.05 Microns
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $2,015
  • CADR: 706 
• AllerAir Airmedic Pro 5 Ultra
  • Cost of Unit: $1,450.00
  • Filter Life in Months: 24
  • Filter Cost: $266.98
  • Lbs of carbon in filter: 26
  • Carbon type: Granular
  • Lbs of carbon per month: 1.08
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $133.49
  • Filter Cost After Five Years: $667.45
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $2,117.45
  • Particle Efficiency: 0.1 microns
  • CADR: 400
• Austin Air Healthmate Plus Air Purifier
  • Cost of Unit: $855
  • Filter Life in Months: 60
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $81
  • Filter Cost After Five Years: $405
  • Particle Efficiency: 0.1 microns 
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $1,260
  • CADR: 400
  • Area of HEPA filter (sq. ft.): 60
  • This unit is really popular among people with MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities)
• IQAir GC Multigas XE Air Purifier
  • Cost of Unit: $1,599.99
  • Filter Life in Months: 12
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $462 estimation
  • Filter Cost After Five Years: $2,000 estimation
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $3,599.99 
  • Particle Efficiency: 0.003 microns
  • CADR: 300
  • This unit is really popular among people with MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities
• IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier
  • Cost of Unit: $1,199.99
  • Filter Life in Months: 12
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $462 estimation
  • Filter Cost After Five Years: $2,000 estimation
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $3,199.99
  • CADR: 259
  • Particle Efficiency: 0.003 microns
• *Molekule Air Pro (PCO Technology Hybrid for Mold Recommendation only)
  • Cost of Unit: $1,014.99
  • Filter Life in Months: 6
  • Filter Cost: $174.99
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $349.98
  • Filter Cost After Five Years: $1,749.90
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $2,764.89
  • CADR: 142 (lower CADR)
  • Please note that this brand has been sued for false advertising; however, users like the technology specifically for mold.
• *Vorando PCO 575 (PCO Technology Hybrid for Mold Recommendation only)
  • Cost of Unit: $399
  • Filter Life in Months:  6
  • Filter Cost: $109.96 (2 HEPA, 2 Carbon filters)
  • Filter Cost After One Year: $109.96
  • Filter Cost After Five Years: $549.80
  • Total Cost After Five Years: $948.80
  • CADR: 156 (lower CADR)
  • The most affordable option is this brand. Sometimes the 575 sells out, and the 375 is only available. Make sure you pay attention to which one you select.