As the overall winner of our unbiased research analysis, the AP-1512HH takes No. 1 spot. In Auto (similar to medium; the air does not contain a particle counter to adjust to air conditions, but instead asks you to enter the approximate size of your room, after which the machine chooses a fan speed that Molekule deems appropriate), the air performed worse, reducing particles by 0.3 microns at only 18.0% (ambient) and 26.4% (clean). In Silent, it performed even worse, reducing 0.3 micron particles by 6.5% (ambient) and 7.2% (clean).
And in Dark plus Auto, with its primary PECO purification system turned off and its fan at the equivalent of a medium setting, it reduced them by 21.3% (ambient) and 18.0% (clean). Interestingly, those numbers closely reflect our results in automatic configuration with the PECO system activated, suggesting the possibility that the Molekule Air depends mainly on its physical prefilter, not its patented PECO mechanism, to remove particles. The best air purifier should improve indoor air quality, filter out smoke and particles in the air, and at the same time provide fresh air. While ion filtration technology is not a big advantage, it also doesn't produce significant ozone, as tested by the California EPA.
If you want an air purifier for a medium-sized room, the Coway HEPA air purifier is one of the best air purifiers with one of the most adventurous looks. The Blueair Blue Pure 411 is a simple and straightforward purifier with a smart design and a good investment. You get particulate and carbon filtration (activated carbon filter removes odors, pet dander, airborne allergens, and airborne gaseous contaminants) that will work well in a 160 square foot room, making it the best overall air purifier for small rooms. Some devices, such as the Sharp air purifier, don't even offer as much cleaning power at almost double the price. Okay, if you have the money and want a super-powered air purifier, or if you prefer a purifier to cover your entire house than buy one for each room, the Coway Airmega 400 could be the best air purifier for you.
This thing costs a dime, but you get 1,560 square foot air cleaning coverage. It's also important to note that many of the best air purifier models I tested have been going in and out of stock in recent months, given the demand for such devices during the pandemic and in the midst of wildfires. While that could mean that some of the above options are out of stock, we've decided to keep our recommendations (and the reasons behind them) published, so you can use them and find the best product for you. For these devices, I mainly considered power for price (i.e., the higher the CADR and the lower the price, the better). Secondly, I looked at additional cleaning modes, usefulness of controls, overall design and noise level. The best air purifier looks elegant enough to fit most modern decor, can work as desired with minimal manipulation and can clean air thoroughly and quietly. As you read our guide, you can notice that most of these air purifiers on this list contain something called a high-efficiency particulate absorption (HEPA) filter.
HEPA filters can remove 99.97% of air pollutants 0.3 microns in size making them ideal for removing most indoor air pollutants. For context most dust particles have size around five microns and pollen has huge size 10 to 1000 microns all which HEPA filter is capable of trapping without any problem. Perry points out that most effective air purifiers will remove different types of particles from air but they can never get it 100% “pure”. The idea of an air purifier is that it is designed to remove impurities from your home such as dust odors pet dander smoke bacteria and viruses he says. Indoor air is much higher than outdoor air and goal is for air purifier to neutralize these unpleasant things in your home. It works by having fan that draws air inside house into filters that remove impurities before returning clean air to room. However it is important to note that it is impossible to remove all particles that can live on walls carpets bedding and hard surfaces.
The Levoit 400S performed best in removing airborne particles in our home tests capturing at least 99.5% and up to 100% of particles during testing. The Coway-AP-1512HH air cleaner also benefits from built-in particle sensor. This means you can get an idea of air quality in your home with color coding system on top of device. It will show blue light when air is clean purple to indicate pollution and red for high pollution.