These 5 Home Air Purifiers Will Help You Breathe Easier

Indoor air pollution is no joke, with a number of invisible contaminants making their way into your home—or even getting created by mundane household activities. There are plenty of ways to keep the indoor air quality in your home clean (we’ve shared 9 easy tips), but probably the most effective (and efficient) is to use technology to do the hard work for you. We’ve tested some of the latest and greatest home air purifiers on the market so you wouldn’t have to. And while air purifiers tend to be investment pieces, the good news is that we found options at a number of price points.

The Triple Threat

Dyson has yet again created a top-notch cleaning product, but this one isn’t a vacuum. The compact home air purifier (pictured at top) works overtime as an air conditioner and heater. It’s great for single rooms, especially if that room (or the entire home) lacks A/C or heating, and does a great job purifying the air while bringing the room to your ideal temperature. The device connects to an app and comes with a remote, so you can easily adjust whether it’s set to warm or cold and pick your specific temperature or speed. While in use, it’s always purifying and tracking your air quality, but you’ll need to log into the app to see how your indoor air quality rates—we would’ve liked to see some kind of color-coded light display on the device itself to indicate it. However, the connectedness of the device comes with added perks. For one, you can use the remote to set the unit to automatically up the speed if it senses a dip in air quality. Another benefit is that the Dyson connects to smart devices and speakers like Amazon Echo (i.e., Alexa), so you can turn it on and off with a simple voice command.

The Shortcut

Like its competition, LG’s PuriCare is sleek and simple. However, this model wowed us with its efficiency and smart design. The device noticeably cleans the air quickly via three settings, including a turbo mode option, which does the trick in about 30 minutes or less (how’s that for fast-tracking breathability?). A four-light indicator from red to green displays the level of pollution in the air, clearly signaling what setting to choose; for example, deep red means get that turbo mode in action, stat! The unit is also remarkably quiet at its lowest level, which won’t keep you awake on those nights you want to keep the purifier running.

The Style-Setter

Finally, a home air purifier worthy of a decor moment! The modern aesthetic, complete with leather tote strap, puts a contemporary spin on what normally stands out as an eyesore in the home. But the Molekule isn’t just a pretty face. It uniquely doesn’t rely on a traditional HEPA filter, which has been the workhorse of home air purifiers, vacuums, and the like. Instead, it uses a pair of filters, one of which captures large particles such as dust and pet hair, and another that runs on a technology dubbed PECO (Photo Electrochemical Oxidation), acting to break down and eliminate allergy-inducers, from mold to viruses and bacteria. Our editor could feel the difference in breathability with winter-borne allergies taking a toll on her household. Overall, the whole package is a breath of fresh air.

The Budget Superstar

A slim and sleek model that can be adjusted to three fan speeds, this HEPA air purifier claims to remove 99.97% of dust, pollen, smoke, odor, mold spores, and pet dander. After several days of use, we detected a noticeable improvement in breathability and general indoor air quality (not to mention the scary amount of dust the filter collected made it clear that it was doing its job). Its compact size makes it an excellent choice for an apartment or small house, and the slightly discounted two-pack is a bonus for a railroad apartment in which bedrooms are located on opposite ends of the home. One drawback is a default nightlight setting that shines an alarmingly bright blue light, but it can be switched off.

The Uber-Protector

We caught the buzz on Aura Air at CES in January 2019, and got a chance to use it firsthand. This all-in-one smart air purification system both detects contaminants and detoxes the air in your home, acting as an air purifier, air monitor, and carbon monoxide / smoke detector. It has an impressive CV of substances it monitors for, and a robust skill set for disinfecting indoor air (UV LEDs, HEPA filter, carbon layer, and corona discharge system)—all of which are quality air purifier table stakes. What sets this model apart is the elegant connected app that’s a cinch to use and allows you to control and monitor the air in your home from any screen, for added convenience and peace of mind.