10 best air purifiers for freeing your home of dust and allergens

If you want an air purifier that ticks almost every box, look no further than the Levoit Core 400S. It was quick at purifying the air in our home, and unbelievably quiet and smart, thanks to the handy VeSync app and Alexa and Apple Home integration.

The perfect gadget for medium to large rooms, the 400S is a sleek-looking 350-degree air purifier with moulded handles and a modern LED display that told us how dirty the air was, by using different colours. The neat little automatic mode let us leave the purifier on, cleaning the air without intervention. It speeds up when it detects particulate and slows down when the air is clean. Even on the highest speed setting, it was still extremely quiet, and when we had it on sleep mode, we could barely hear it at all. The Levoit Core 400S features an H13 HEPA filter that picks up particles as small as 0.3 microns in size, chugging on whenever we were cooking and the room got smoky. It even notched up when our dog walked into the room.

There are other air purifiers on this list that can pick up microns that are even smaller than 0.3 microns, but they cost more than double, and we found the Levoit just as effective, making our home feel fresher just a few minutes after turning it on. We also loved the smart functionality – it was great being able to set up scenes in the VeSync app, turn on the air purifier before we even entered our home, and use Alexa to turn it on when we were too lazy to get to the unit. Best of all? It’s very affordable for the sheer value it delivers. Although the replacement filters can get a bit pricey, you shouldn’t need to replace them too frequently. Overall, the Levoit Core 400S is an air purifying marvel.

If you’re stuck at a desk all day, this is a great way to stop that stale office air. Small enough to sit right by your computer, it features a temperature and humidity display and a touch panel control with three speed settings. The HEPA and activated carbon filter provide up to 99.97 per cent purification, and our tester with severe hay fever felt she really noticed an improvement when using this. There’s also a filter replacement alert light, so you won’t need to keep track of when it’s time to switch.

A handy sleep mode means the purifier can continue to operate quietly without disturbing anyone, and there’s an optional night light if preferred, so it’s a good choice for smaller bedrooms once the workday is over. Or you could save time and just work under the duvet in the first place.

Coway is a big name in the States but it hasn’t made as big an impact here in the UK. The brand should definitely be on your radar, though, because the Airmega Mighty is one of the best air purifiers we’ve tested. It doesn’t scream “look at me” but rather blends into the background.

Unlike most air purifiers, it’s square-shaped and looks a bit like a subwoofer. The rear-facing fan, which gives it less height and more portability, is a really good design choice. It barely makes a sound, making it one of the quietest models we’ve tested. Air also blows upwards instead of forwards, which is said to help circulate the purified air, and it did it all in a snap, too, with a CADR rating of 240.

It’s easy to use, thanks to the simple fan speed buttons and timer buttons, with a light indicator telling you how good the air quality is – when it’s good, it’s really good. We particularly liked the eco mode, seeing the fan power off if the air quality is stable for 10 minutes, and ratchet back up after 30 minutes or when it detects a change in air quality. Smart mode adjusts the fan level automatically, based on the air quality in the room.

While, technically, you shouldn’t be able to use it with the Coway app (there’s a separate wifi model available), we were actually able to connect it and control the purifier from our phone. The filter can capture large particles for pet hair, the carbon filter captures smaller particles and pollutants, and the HEPA tackles bacteria, dust, pollen and mould. It’s very good, and extremely well-priced for a device that works for large rooms.

Speedy, smart and stylish, this air purifier is an excellent addition to any home, especially if you suffer from allergies. It has both a HEPA and active carbon filter to zap everything from dust to pet dander, and captures 99.97 per cent of ultra-fine particles as small as 0.003 microns. It’s fast, too, cleaning 20m² in just six minutes and even has a special allergy sleep mode that kicks in at night to zap allergenic dust, while still keeping the sound level low. All this and it’s extremely energy efficient, running at a maximum of 55W power, the equivalent of one standard light bulb.

Both the machine’s screen and the app make it easy to keep track of exactly how the purifier is improving air quality. We particularly liked the colour ring that shows real-time air quality at a glance from the other side of the room and that we could use the app to turn on the machine even outside the house. There are four manual speed modes and an automatic setting, although, we found the turbo mode a little too noisy when watching TV in the same room. Most impressively, Philips says the filter only needs changing once every three years – a huge improvement on comparable machines – which would represent a sizeable saving in the long term. We’re seriously impressed.

Read the full Philips expert series 3000i review

If you’re going to keep an air purifier in the corner of a room permanently, you might as well choose one that looks the part. In modern glossy white and silver, this was by far the most stylish model we tested, and we loved that it functioned as a fan as well, to really earn its floor space.

The machine has an advanced filtration system that captures gases and 99.95 per cent of particles as small as 0.1 microns, including VOCs. The layer of activated carbon also removes odours, so it’s perfect for leaving in the kitchen to zap cooking smells, while an integrated sensor means it will turn on automatically whenever air quality is reduced.

It comes with a glass-fibre HEPA H13 filter, but this purifier goes one better – the entire machine meets the same standard, so it seals away everything it sucks inside while the activated carbon absorbs gases and VOCs. Air multiplier technology then projects purified air throughout the room, and we could feel the difference after using it in a freshly painted bedroom.

We also loved the real-time LCD report on our air quality. Displaying on the front of the machine, this report enabled us to keep tabs on exactly how clean the air was – surprisingly, this meant we didn’t miss having the app connectivity some other models offer. You won’t even need to worry about losing the remote when not in use, as it sticks magnetically to the top of the fan. Now that really is a smart machine.

Read the full Dyson purifier hot + cool formaldehyde review

Call us shallow, but we were immediately smitten by this air purifier’s contemporary grey good looks, which made us less inclined to tuck it out of sight, compared with some of the other air purifiers. We also liked the two fabric handles, which meant we could easily carry it to different rooms, rather than installing one purifier in the kitchen and a second in the bedroom (although, this is recommended for maximum efficiency).

This model is extremely easy to set up and operate, too. PureSense responsive technology continually measures air quality and adjusts the air purification, so you don’t need to do a thing. There’s also an auto-sleep feature, a light and odour sensor and a filter indicator that means you can see if it needs changing. Cleverly, the filter can also be configured to suit your personal and seasonal needs – for instance, if pollen levels are high in spring. Each filter’s smart tag will then keep track of its usage for hands-on control over exactly how the air purifier works. It’s easy to adjust preferences and check air quality on the excellent app, too. A thumbs up all-around, if you have the cash.

We’re in love with this Dyson air-purifying fan. The name might be ridiculously long, but it looks modern and sleek, does a heck of a lot of stuff, and is incredibly smart.

The Dyson Purifier humidify + cool... oh, forget it; Dyson’s latest air purifier is a three-in-one machine. It’s an air purifier, humidifier and fan, all in one. Because it has a solid-state formaldehyde sensor, it can also remove the odourless gas from your room – which the app kept telling us was the biggest pollutant in our home. It’s super quiet, too, and has a night mode, which sees the LED screen dim when you’re trying to get to sleep.

It also features a full HEPA filtration system, with Dyson saying that it traps H1N1 viruses and 99.95 per cent of particles as small as 0.1 microns, such as allergens, bacteria, pollen and mould spores. We felt less congested on particularly hay fever-prone days with this machine whirring in the background, and we liked that we could use it as a humidifier, too. It’s easy to control with either the remote or the app, which provided a lot of detail on our indoor air quality. The only negatives? The price (it’s a horrifyingly expensive machine) and the heft – it weighs more than 8kg.

If you don’t want a huge machine in your house but still need an appliance with considerable purifying muscle, this MeacoClean machine is an excellent option. The curved, white appliance sits unobtrusively in the corner and is so quiet when in use it could easily be used in a child’s room while they’re sleeping. The night mode even switches off all lighting on the machine, and there’s an ingenious child lock, so you’ll have no worries when leaving it to do its thing.

Air cleaning capabilities are top-notch, too. It has a handy display that indicates the air quality from afar, using different coloured lights, an automatic setting for easy operation and an H11 HEPA filter to remove more than 95 per cent of damaging particles from the air. There’s also the option of upgrading to an H13 HEPA filter, to increase cleaning to a whopping 99.97 per cent of particles, if preferred. If you want a little more control, the accompanying app is straightforward and oddly fascinating, enabling you to check the air quality, set timers and even see the pollen level in your home, compared with outside. A great buy.

This small, sleek purifier is so whisper-quiet on its lowest setting, we had to check it was definitely switched on. Suitable for rooms up to 7m³, it has a USB connection rather than a plug, so, it would be handy next to a computer or even in a car. It’s extremely simple to set up, and enters automatic mode as soon as it’s plugged in, adjusting fan speed automatically to suit the air quality. This can also be adjusted manually.

The filtering process includes four-stage air disinfection, with a silver ion coating to destroy micro-organisms and activated carbon to tackle smells and gases. Depending on usage, it’s recommended the filter is changed about every three to six months. We loved how portable and light it was, at just 400g, though, we remain sceptical of its claim the filter “inactivates 99 per cent of Covid-19 viruses”. If you want to improve the air even when you’re driving, we still think it’s a good bet.

This glossy white machine looks more like a mini radiator than an air purifier, so, it fits in well in most kitchens. It was also one of the most effective models we tested for zapping odours, and left our kitchen smelling surprisingly fresh even after cooking a curry and a fish dish.

It removes allergens, mould and bacteria, cleaning the air and circulating it through the room after multi-stage filtration, including a carbon layer, together capturing 99.97 per cent of pollutants and allergens at 0.3 microns. Auto mode adjusts the fan speed automatically to suit the air quality, while built-in sensors track changes in the air in real time. The digital display reports the percentage of clean air, the time left to clean and the particle amount, so you can be confident the air is as clean as it can be. The screen also shows the time remaining until the filter needs replacing, and this will typically last between six and 12 months, with no washing required in between.

There’s no app with this machine, but it can be controlled by a remote, although, we would’ve loved somewhere to store this, to prevent us losing it.