Best Air Purifiers – Our Top 5 Picks

It’s a great time to be alive, but the air quality is questionable. If you don’t already have an air purifier at home, now is the time to buy one. It’s great to have one in every room where you spend a lot of time, but start with a central space. If you’re pressed for time, our list of picks is below, and we go into a lot more detail further down the page to help you pick the one that’s right for you.

  1. BLUEAIR Blue Pure 411 Auto
  2. Coway Mighty AirMega Purifier 
  3. BLUEAIR Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier 
  4. Mila The Basic Breather Smart Air Purifier
  5. Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks for your support!

You want guidance to know which air purifier that will do what you need for the price you want. We’ve done the research so you don’t have to. If you really want to get into the nitty gritty, let’s shout-out the EPA; their Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home is a brilliant resource if you want to snap on your nerd glasses and go deep into air purifier country. 

Do I really need an air purifier?

Californians are inhaling particulate matter with almost every breath. Even if you don’t live in a state that’s engulfed in fire and smoke for large chunks of the year, you are probably aware of the air quality if you’re reading this. If you remember what it was like to breathe free, you deserve an air purifier. 

Even the most uneventful day indoors is full of barriers to unobstructed breathing:

  • You cook something healthy and tasty in your air fryer. There’s smoke. 
  • You light incense sticks or aromatic candles for mood enhancement. More smoke. (You smell the loveliness, but you’re breathing in the smoke as well.)
  • You open the windows to let the breeze come in. Along comes the dirt and dust from the street. 
  • Your fur buddy sits on the same sofa as you. And sheds fur.

Even with fastidious cleaning, dusting, and vacuuming, your house will always be sending more dust, dirt, allergens, and pollutants your way. Take the EPA’s advice and help yourself out with an air purifier!

Even if you don’t live in an area prone to wildfires, you could be affected by smoke from other areas. Canada’s frequent wildfires affect US air quality on a regular basis:

Top 5 Air Purifiers [Plus 2 Bonus Picks!]

Here are our top 5 picks for best Air Purifiers (plus 2), ranked from least to most expensive.

1. BLUEAIR Blue Pure 411 Auto

Price: Under $150

What we liked:

  • One of the most affordable options available in the market. 
  • 912 square feet coverage makes it suitable for bedrooms, studies, and compact office spaces.
  • Looks cute when sitting in the corner of the room. Plus it’s silent. 
  • It comes without a handle, but you are unlikely to need it as the lightweight model is easy to carry around. 
  • Comes with simple controls and 3 basic settings. 
  • Features the HEPASilent™ technology which is a patent of the BLUEAIR brand. 
  • Low energy usage of about 1.5-10W, which won’t cause a noticeable change in your monthly bills. 

For those living in decent-sized rooms on tighter budgets, the BLUEAIR Blue Pure 411 Auto is the perfect counterpart to the Blue Pure 211+. Plus it is cute – sorry, had to say it again! Though it doesn’t come with frill features like an app or remote or automatic adjustments, it does the job perfectly well. Plus, if you like dozing off to white noise, the highest fan setting will ensure you get that as well.

The verdict: Clean air is priceless, but BLUEAIR Blue Pure 411 Auto brings it to you at a humble price tag under $150. No reason to say no to that.

Download the BLUEAIR Blue Pure 411 Auto user manual.

2. Coway Mighty AirMega Purifier

Price: Under $250

What we liked:

  • Consumes only 77W of power, ensuring your utility bill doesn’t skyrocket.
  • Comes with a 3 year warranty.
  • Features a GreenHEPA™ filter, which removes 99.97% of harmful particles, claims Coway. 
  • Lightweight and can be easily moved around. 
  • Suitable for a 361 square feet area making it ideal for homes with large-sized rooms and bigger office spaces. 

You’re not likely to hear it working. But on the highest speed setting, it does get a little hard to ignore. Almost to the point of being distracting. It also falls a little short on the smart connectivity features which are a top priority for smart buyers.

The verdict: What the Coway ‘Mighty’ might lack in looks, sound, and connectivity, it more than makes up with its performance.

Download the Coway Mighty AirMega Purifier user manual.

3. BLUEAIR Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier

Price: Under $350

What we liked:

  • Can purify up to 600 square feet, which makes it perfect for large office spaces, halls, or commercial spaces. 
  • Energy-star certified to ensure power bills stay within limits.
  • Works effectively for removing lingering odors from tobacco, cooking, and pets along with getting rid of harmful particles in the air. 
  • HEPASilent™ filtration combines electrostatic and mechanical filtration for a powerful yet noiseless performance. 
  • 360-degree air intake which means it can be placed anywhere and it would still provide all-around purification.

Coming with some cool eco-credentials and a powerful noise-free performance, Blue Pure 211+ is ideal if you’d spend $300+. Though some are definitely put off by its bulky frame and less-than-appealing look. Plus, it is hard to move around. Another downside is that the company recommends filter replacement every 6 months.

The verdict: If pure air inside and low ecological impact are what you care about, Blue Pure 211+ is perfect. But if you want your air purifier to sit still and look pretty, give this one a pass.

Download the BLUEAIR Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier user manual.

4. Mila The Basic Breather Smart Air Purifier

Price: Around $400

What we liked:

  • Comes with minimal controls to ensure that you don’t have to push a lot of buttons to get clean air. You can either choose to go manual or sit back and breathe in good air with the automatic mode doing all the deciding.
  • Simple and sleek look that only adds something to the room it is in. 
  • Covering 1,000 square feet of area, it has 7 filter options. So no matter what kind of room it is, Mila will have an ideal setting that you can use. 
  • The only thing more impressive than Mila’s beauty is its mobile app. You can control the smart device with an app for actually seamless control of indoor air quality.
  • You do get some basic stats about the AQI in the room right from the air purifiers dashboard itself. For more details, you’ve got the app.

If you are looking for a simple, sophisticated, smart, and mid-budget air purifier, you have found your ideal pair in Mila The Basic Breather Smart Air Purifier. The only downside? It doesn’t come with wider smart home connectivity. So while it sure is smart, it definitely needs to push harder to be super smart.

The verdict: Mila The Basic Breather Smart Air Purifier is more than just an air cleanser. It is your clean air consultant too. If you want someone else to take charge of the air you breathe in, Mila is a trustworthy choice. 

Download the Mila The Basic Breather Smart Air Purifier user manual.

5. Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09

Price: $700+

What we liked:

  • Blade-less fan and an air purifier packed into one. You can beat the heat and keep pollution at bay with this single stunning device. 
  • Backed by Dyson’s Air Multiplier technology and 350-degree oscillation capability it can serve a 2,850+ cubic feet room with purified air with ease. The technology is a notch upgrade over its predecessors and also filters out formaldehyde which is an odor-less pollutant known to cause cancer due to long-term exposure. 
  • Comes with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, which makes it a ‘cool’ and effective choice for your smart home. 
  • Sleek and classy design, characteristic of Dyson, makes this air purifier and fan an eye-soothing addition to any room.
  • Multiple fan and speed settings, AQI monitor, and more features can be accessed right from the device or your mobile.

The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde (PCF) TP09 is a splurge. But the splurge is worth it as it comes with more features than most other options. It instantly demands attention because it’s pretty and powerful.

The verdict: The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde is a high-end air purifier that has features to match the price tag. If you’ve got the cash, grab this one without second thoughts.

Download the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 user manual.

6. Bonus Option – Frida Baby 3-in-1 Air Purifier

This is a child-friendly air purifier for $60! Frida Baby’s 3-in-1 air purifier ensures peaceful sleep in clean air for your little one. You can pick the nightlight color to ensure an amicable nighttime mood. Its most important feature is that, while keeping the air around your baby clean, it also gives you 2 white noise options to lull the little one to sleep.

Download the Frida Baby 3-in-1 Air Purifier user manual.

7. Bonus Option – Ikea Förnuftig

A budget buy, available at $59.99; Ikea’s Förnuftig is a popular air purifier doing the rounds in the market. It’s a good pick for smaller rooms and adds to their beauty without being a noisemaker. The best part is that it can easily be moved around and even hung on the wall.

Download the Ikea Förnuftig user manual.

About the Authors

It takes a village! We are researching, writing and fact checking as a family. Collaboration is the name of the game, whether we’re running from a zombie horde or finding the best way to turn a complex concept into a deliciously digestible set of bullet points.

Katherine Esperanza is a Los Angeles based writer. When she's not conjuring new queer slice-of-life short stories, she's busy watching the newest films, out at queer shows, supporting queer artists, or just checking out the queer community as a whole.

A former international non-profiteer, small business owner, and co-op'er, Katherine is delighted to help introduce more leftist politics into the disaster preparedness/prepper sphere, which is currently far too right-wing.