Invest in one ahead of allergy season.
Air purifiers are the unsung heroes of a healthy home. Think of them as a vacuum for your air that runs continuously: You might not realize you need one until you get one, and then you can’t imagine living without it. And while they’re especially helpful for those with allergies (and allergy season is right around the corner), the truth is that anyone can benefit from one. Air purifiers help remove impurities and irritants such as invisible dust, pollen, pet dander, germs and bacteria, mold spores, and even lingering odors, helping keep your home clean and the air easy to breathe.
A quality air purifier should include a HEPA filter (high-efficiency particulate air), which is designed to trap 99.97 percent of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. And when looking for certified air purifiers, Will Vizuete, PhD, an air pollution expert from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, recommends checking the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which has evaluated and certified indoor air-cleaning devices since 2010.
House Beautiful editors tested some of the most popular air purifiers on the market in our own homes to evaluate their effectiveness. We found options suitable for large spaces, multifunctional devices that heat and cool, ones with customizable filters, and even a few that aren't a design eyesore. One doubles as a stylish side table and another was dubbed the "Mercedes-Benz of air purifiers." Some editors reported relief from allergy symptoms, while others noticed fresher-smelling rooms, especially after cooking. And yes, all of our picks are CARB-certified
Best DealDigital Editor Meghan Shouse uses the Levoit Core 400S-P air purifier in her New York City apartment, and says it helped eliminate a “weird lingering smell” that even candles and a professional cleaning couldn’t get rid of. "I enjoy that it's a very simple device—it cleans the air, tells me when air quality is bad, and fixes it quickly and quietly," she says in her in-depth review.
It's a smart, app-enabled air purifier that allows you to control the device from your phone, shows you the air quality and the number of fine particles in the air (thanks to the laser dust sensor), and send alerts to your phone when it detects low air quality.
It uses a three-stage filtration system to filter out bacteria, mold, smoke, and other particles that only needs to be replaced once a year. Plus, it also has a layer of activated carbon to help reduce household odors. Shouse also appreciates how its relatively quiet, "the fan—even on its highest level—is not at all loud."
READ MORE: Levoit Air Purifier Review: This Device Finally Got Rid of the "Weird Smell" in My New Apartment
| Room area purified | 1,718 sq. ft. |
|---|---|
| Filters | Pre-filter, HEPA filter, high density activated carbon filter |
| Dimensions | 20.5"H x 10.8"W x 10.8"D |
| Weight | 12.79 lbs |
| Color options | 2 |
Windmill's air purifier is probably one of the most design-friendly options on this list, and according to Senior Commerce Editor Marina Liao, it's just as effective as the other ones she's tried. "Since I have had it, my nose has not been as stuffy when I wake up, even though it's allergy season, and I don't get 'dust bumps' on my face (when my skin gets a sudden itchy raised bump from whatever allergen is in the air)," she says in her review.
It has three different filters: the pre-filter (that you can vacuum) filters dust, hair, and other large particles, the activated carbon filter which removes odors, harmful gases, smoke and VOCs, and the medical-grade HEPA filter that helps filter out bacteria, mold, pollen, and other smaller airborne particles. "The setup and app are very easy to use, and when I put my face over the top vent, I can actually feel (smell?) fresh and clean air blowing back out," she says.
READ MORE: Windmill Air Purifier Review: It Is So Powerful, My Room Smells Fresher in Minutes
| Room area purified | 1,950 sq. ft. |
|---|---|
| Filters | Medical-grade H13 HEPA filter, activated carbon filter layer, pre-filter |
| Dimensions | 21.4"H x 19.7"W x 12"D |
| Weight | 21 lbs. |
| Color options | 3 |
Liao has tested several air purifiers and loved a few things about this one: It's easy to set up, the fan is quiet yet powerful, and it's "not overly sensitive to dust." It has an anti-allergen HEPA filter that captures more micro-pollutants than required by HEPA standards—and you don't need to change it for up to five years. Plus, it also comes with an odor neutralizer cartridge that releases a fresh scent.
"When I'm cooking, the Shark air purifier does work harder to capture any smells and particles that might be in the air, but as soon as the stove is off, the air purifier calms down and goes back into quiet mode," she says in her review. "I've noticed that when I air fry salmon now for dinner, the next morning, the air in my kitchen doesn't have that lingering fish smell," she says.
Whether you want to be a more conscious consumer like Liao or simply prefer one less thing to worry about replacing and maintaining, its long-lasting, multi-stage filter is what makes this air purifier worth it.
READ MORE: Shark Air Purifier Review: The NeverChange Air Purifier MAX Quietly Eliminates ALL Odors
Dyson is known for its powerful, effective purifiers, and this model goes a step further with a built-in heater and cooling function—so you won’t need to buy a separate fan or space heater to keep your room at the ideal temperature. It's ideal for those who live in smaller spaces or prefer a multi-functional device. Plus, it's lightweight and portable.
Its fully sealed three-stage HEPA filter can remove cooking and pet odors, allergens like pollen and dander, and harmful gases like nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds commonly found in household cleaners. "I definitely noticed an improvement in my allergy symptoms while also being able to stay comfortable temperature-wise," says tester Hadley Mendelsohn. She also noted that if you don’t want to change the room’s temperature, the neutral mode redirects air through the back, allowing it to continuously purify the air.
The device is app-enabled but also comes with a remote and LCD screen if you prefer to control it analog. The screen also shows you the quality of the air in your space and the size of particles it senses (which is also available in the app too, but in more detail).
READ MORE: HB Obsessed: This Dyson Purifier Made It Easier for Me to Sleep Through the Night
| Room area purified | 109 sq. ft. (76 gallons per second) |
|---|---|
| Filters | Combined HEPA H13 and K-carbon filter |
| Dimensions | 30.1" H x 9.8" D |
| Weight | 12.1 lbs. |
| Color options | 2 |
Air purifiers aren't the most attractive home appliance, but the Mila has a sleek design featuring a perforated white cover that hides all the filtration magic and natural wood legs. It's around the size of an end table, so it's ideal for a larger space or empty corner. What really sets this air purifier apart is that you can customize the filters based on your air quality needs—whether you have pets, cook frequently, deal with allergies, and more.
"Everything—pepper, dust, pollen, and about a million other things—makes me sneeze and cough. I noticed that I hardly have allergy flare-ups since getting and using my Mila nearly a year ago," says Associate Shopping Editor Jessica Cherner. Not only does she appreciate the tailored filter option, she also found the app to be very useful and insightful. "It doesn't just tell you that your home is more polluted than what is considered healthy; it tells you which specific particles, such as VOCs and particulate matter (PM1), are circulating at dangerous levels."
READ MORE:I Tested the Viral Mila Air Purifier for 9 Months and It's Worth Every Penny
The Clorox HEPA Air Purifier utilizes a pre-filter, HEPA filter, and activated carbon to eliminate a range of irritants, including pet hair and dust particles to smaller particles like allergens, viruses and bacteria, mold spores, odors, and VOCs. As powerful as it is, it's also quiet with a Whisper mode that only goes up to 30 dB for a barely-there experience.
"It was such a life-saver when I got pneumonia for three weeks last fall (I live with a roommate and we were both worried I would get her sick, which never happened!)," says Senior Commerce Editor Samantha Jones. "I also have been loving it this spring for helping keep my allergies under control."
Jones also appreciates how it's easy to use, allowing you to control air speed and see how many particles are in the air, thanks to its touchscreen display. Its intuitive color-changing light also displays your overall air quality. The filters (model 12030) should be replaced every six to 12 months, and they're relatively inexpensive compared to other filter replacements.
| Room area purified | 1,000 sq. ft. |
|---|---|
| Filters | Pre-filter, true HEPA filter, activated carbon filter |
| Dimensions | 14.65"H x 8.74"W x 8.74"D |
| Weight | 5.95 lbs |
| Color options | 1 |
Associate Shopping Editor Janae McKenzie tested this air purifier for weeks in her home and was totally impressed. The unit was quiet even on its highest setting, and it comes with an app that explains every change in air quality in real time. “The only reason I know it’s on is I can see the leaves on my roommate’s monstera plant blowing,” McKenzie says. “It eradicates smoke instantly, whether it’s the palo santo sticks in the living room or the cooking from the kitchen down the hall. This thing is the Mercedes-Benz of air purifiers.”
You’ll have to be careful about positioning, however. The angle of airflow is adjustable, but the purifier doesn’t oscillate, so where you point the head of it matters. It’s massive, so it’s great for big spaces like the living room.
READ MORE: I Breathe Easier With This High-Tech Dyson Air Purifier
| Distance of projected purified air | 32 ft |
|---|---|
| Filters | HEPA H13-grade, K-carbon, selective catalytic oxidization filters |
| Dimensions | 32.68"H x 16.34"W x 17.09"D |
| Weight | 26.24 lb |
| Color options | 1 |
Vizuete explains that poor indoor air quality can contribute to issues such as shortness of breath, watery eyes, skin irritation, and worsened asthma symptoms. “Keeping outdoor air pollution outside by keeping your house tight helps with air efficiency, but what you're also doing is keeping any emissions that are occurring in your home, in your home," Vizuete says. He adds that burning items indoors—whether candles, incense, or smoking—can produce pollution similar to a car’s combustion. Cleaning products that release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), vinyl flooring, and certain paints can also off-gas into your home."An air purifier allows you to remove that material from the air, and thus removing it from inside your home. So you both get rid of the outside air and you're taking care of your indoor air.”
Although you can’t actually see an air purifier at work—most of what it captures consists of microscopic particles and invisible gases—many of today’s models make their impact easier to understand. The majority are app-enabled and equipped with sensors that track what’s being filtered in real time, offering a clearer picture of your home’s air quality. Some models even break down pollutants by particle size, while others provide a more comprehensive snapshot, including temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, and more. Vizuete also recommends periodically checking the filter itself to get a sense of what’s being collected.
In some cases, the difference is noticeable without any data at all. Lingering odors from cooking or stale air tend to dissipate quickly once an air purifier is running, leaving your space smelling fresher almost immediately.
First and foremost, make sure it covers the proper square footage. If you’re planning on sticking a compact air purifier in the corner of your sprawling bedroom, it won’t work well because you’re giving it too much ground (or, rather, air) to cover.
Second, remember that you’ll eventually have to replace the filter of your air purifier to keep it in working condition, especially for carbon filters. “Eventually those filters are going to fill up because you're removing stuff from the air and they stop becoming effective, so they need to be replaced regularly,” Vizuete says. Before clicking “purchase,” look at how much it costs to replace filters, and how often you’ll need to do it.
Our editors tested these air purifiers in their own homes, noting a clear difference in their environments over time. Each model was used extensively and fully incorporated into daily routines, with insights shaped by months—sometimes even years—of hands-on experience. From swiftly eliminating smoke and lingering cooking odors to providing longer-term benefits like easier breathing and less irritation during allergy season, these air purifiers proved their value in enhancing everyday living. Plus, we consulted Will Vizuete, PhD, an air pollution and air quality expert, to best understand how air purifiers work and the right features to look for.
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