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Apr 13, 2023

6 Best Air Purifiers for Allergies, of 2023 Tested by Experts

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

Clear the air of dust, dander and other sneeze inducers.

Dust mites, animal dander, mold spores, cooking fumes — no matter how clean a home you keep, indoor air pollutants have a way of hanging around. These contaminants are particularly irritating for the millions of Americans who suffer from year-round allergies. While an air purifier on its own won't deliver perfect indoor air quality (IAQ), it can help relieve the worst symptoms. "Air purification is often used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan in the management of respiratory diseases," says Derek Damin, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

That's why air purifiers are on the list of continuously tested products at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Along with steps like regular vacuuming and instating a no-shoes policy to prevent pollen from being tracked indoors, running a high-performing air purifier at home can cut down on the sneezing, sniffles and itchiness that are triggered by allergic reactions.

Our latest air purifier review took our total number of tested models up to 45. For this report, our experts looked for models that are ideal for allergy sufferers, thanks to features like a pre-filter (for capturing airborne dust and pet hair) and true HEPA filtration (to snag smaller particulates, like pollen and dander). When all the, er, dust had settled, these six air purifiers stood out from the pack.

After reviewing our winner's list, read on for more details on how we test air purifiers, as well as expert tips for finding the best model for your home. Be sure to check out other IAQ-friendly buying guides, including our best vacuums for pet hair, top-rated humidifiers and the best dehumidifiers for pulling excess moisture from the air.

To effectively capture all the tiny allergens floating through indoor air, you need an air purifier with serious filtration. In our latest Lab tests, Blueair's newly released 311i+ Max took over the top spot thanks to its advanced multi-level protection against contaminants of all sizes — not just dander and pet hair, but also cooking fumes, dust mites and pollen. "It was exceptionally fast at clearing the air in our test chamber, plus it was among the quietest models, even on its higher fan speeds," says Good Housekeeping Institute Lab Assistant Nikolas Greenwald. For good measure, the device is certified by Quiet Mark, an outside organization that evaluates consumer products for sound.

The 311i+ Max's washable fabric pre-filter that encases the device (available in five colors) snags fur, dust and other large particles. Next, a true HEPA one for smaller particles down to .1 micron, the smallest of all tested air purifiers. That's enough to clear up to 99.97% of pet-generated pollutants across 465 square feet in under 13 minutes. "It's perfect for a family room or studio apartment," says Greenwald, adding that "larger spaces will be better served by one of our more powerful top picks." As for its feature set, our testers were impressed by the 311+Max's connectivity and smart phone app, which lets you monitor your home's air quality remotely. You can also program the air purifier to kick into standby mode when you leave the house and turn on when you're close to returning.

Allergy sufferers often need more than one air purifier to manage air quality throughout multiple rooms in the house: one for the bedroom, one for the home office, etc. If you're on a tight budget, you could buy three or four of these Dreos for the price of a single model from other top brands, without giving up much in the way of performance. The Dreo uses three-stage filtration — a fabric pre-filter, a true HEPA filter and an odor-neutralizing carbon filter. In extensive home testing that took place over several weeks, the Dreo effectively vanquished odors, as well as stale air. Plus, its compact design won't get in the way in smaller spaces.

"It seems to have really freshened up the air in our basement apartment where we have a dog and lots of dust," noted a tester. One caveat: The Dreo was not the most intuitive air purifier in our tests, so non-techies might find it frustrating, at least at first. Some testers quibbled that the interface takes a little getting used to, but in time, most appreciated the bevy of modes, including three fan speeds and separate modes for sleep, turbo and auto, in which the purifier uses onboard sensors to make automatic adjustments based on current air quality conditions in the room.

This air purifier from Honeywell, an established brand in the home comfort space, comes in five different sizes that target rooms ranging from small to extra large. That makes it a good model line for households with multiple allergy sufferers. Each purifier uses a pre-filter and True HEPA filter to snag contaminants down to .3 micron. "That's not the smallest capture rate we've seen in our tests, but it will handle many types of allergens, especially those associated with pets," says Rachel Rothman, chief technologist and executive technical director at the Good Housekeeping Institute.

The mid-sized model shown here claims to clean the air as often as five times an hour and remove up to 99.97% of airborne particles. We also like the relatively low cost of the replacement filter, which you'll appreciate if you need to run more than one air purifier at the same time, or if there's high-level pollution in the home, say from a heavy-shedding dog or cat.

Our experts say this Coway is one of the best air purifiers for allergy sufferers who live in city apartments and other smaller residences. "It challenged the top-ranking BlueAir for performance, though fell short of the winner's circle because of its less-than-average coverage area," says Rothman. (It cleans over 361 square feet versus the 456 square feet of the Blue Pure.) The Airmega's four-stage filtration system includes an activated-carbon layer that's designed to capture odors, including those from pets. Our testers also like the easy-to-clean pre-filter, which captures large particulates before they reach the inner HEPA filters. Indicator lights give the heads up when filters need to be cleaned or replaced.

Want an air purifier that looks as good as it performs? Coway recently launched a limited edition of its 250 series, the Airmega 250 Art, which lets you choose from a trio of decorative front panels by contemporary artist Haily Hills. In preliminary Lab tests, the 250 Art performed similarly to its 200 brand mate and boasts a larger coverage area of 930 square feet.

Got a lot of house and bad allergies? The 751i Air Purifier combines advanced filtration technology with a powerful fan for massive cleaning power across 1,300 square feet. It's the only other model in our roundup (along with the Blue Pure 211) that can capture contaminants down to .1 microns. Not for nothing, t his is also one of the better-looking models to pass through our Labs, with its sleek front panel available in six colors.

The combination of peak performance and high design doesn't come cheap: besides the steep upfront price, filter replacement costs are several times that of other models. One other note: our safety experts point out that the Alen has an optional ionization setting designed to combat even more pollutants. "We don't recommend this feature on any air purifier since it can produce ozone, a lung irritant," Rothman explains. But even without the use of the ionization setting, the Alen should capture plenty of allergens, while looking good in the process.

Though it doesn't come cheap, this Dyson air purifier is loaded with innovations that make it worth the splurge, according to our experts. Credit the machine's unique catalytic filter which combines with True HEPA filtration to vanquish contaminants down to .3 microns. It's also the only model from our tests that claims to vanquish formaldehyde and other VOCs. That might make the Dyson worth the splurge since, as Dr. Damin explains, "some patients are very sensitive to VOCs and require a more sophisticated level of air purification."

The Dyson also has one of the most advanced on-board air monitors we’ve seen on a purifier. For example, it measures the presence of particulate matter (such as dander and pet hair) and relays the data, along with ambient temperature and humidity levels, to a sleek app. "The interface on the app is extremely intuitive and should give users a very clear picture of their home's indoor air quality," says Greenwald.

Costing $80, the Dyson's replacement filter is among the most expensive. The air purifier also takes up a lot of space, standing a full three feet tall. If neither of those factors are deal breakers, the Dyson Humidify + Cool Formaldehyde won't disappoint when it comes to clearing your home's air of a range of allergens.

Air purifiers are continuously tested in the Institute's Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab so that we can keep up with the latest models and innovations. Our product experts start by surveying the current marketplace to identify the best pet-friendly air purifiers that you’re most likely to find at stores and online. We also attend trade shows and industry events, like the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to stay on top of the latest innovations in indoor air quality. Next, we identify brands that have performed the best and proved the most reliable through more than a decade of air purifier testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute. We also consider newer brands with unique features or innovations.

Based on an extensive preliminary review of technical data, including claimed coverage area, type of filtration, and odor-fighting add-ons, our review team selected about a dozen 2023 models for hands-on testing, which took place both in our Lab and homes, the latter allowing us to test how they performed in real-world conditions (i.e. homes covered in pet hair). Controlled Lab tests measured an air purifier's ability to capture specific contaminants, such as smoke and other VOCs (volatile organic compounds). At-home testing checks for general improvement to freshness, as well as overall usability. Our consumer testers measure factors like ease of setup, intuitiveness of controls and how easy it is to locate and replace the filter (or clean it, when applicable). Following the combined 50-plus hours of data review, Lab testing and at-home evaluations, we arrived at our list of six best air purifiers for pets out of more than 45 total reviewed models.

To zero in on the ideal air purifier for your needs, weigh the following factors:

✔️ Coverage area. Manufacturers typically list how much square footage a purifier is designed to cover. You might see multiple areas listed, say one for the coverage provided in one hour and another for the coverage provided in five hours. Our experts recommend using the lower number since you'll likely want a device that delivers quick purification.

✔️ Filtration. Most top-performing air purifiers use mechanical filters with a dense web of fine fibers that trap particles from the air as it is pushed through by a fan.

True HEPA filters use a very fine mesh certified to capture 99.97% of particles measuring at least 0.3 microns (and in some cases down to 0.1 microns) in diameter. Our bottom line advice is that the best cleaning power comes from a true HEPA filter.

"HEPA-like" filters have not been certified to meet that standard. Some air purifiers also have a pre-filter designed to capture dust and other larger particulates. Our experts like this feature.

Other filtration technologies are harder to evaluate, including those that incorporate activated carbon and ultraviolet light. We don't test these technologies specifically, so we can't attest to their efficacy.

Dan DiClerico has tested and written about air purifiers extensively for more than 20 years. He has also spearheaded numerous investigative reports on the topic of indoor air quality, working closely with outside experts from government, industry and the home services space. As Director of Home Improvement & Outdoor at the Good Housekeeping Institute, Dan oversaw the latest round of air purifier testing in our Labs, as well as the continuous in-home, survey-based consumer testing that allows us to evaluate these devices in real-world conditions.

Rachel Rothman also brings extensive hands-on testing of air purifiers, leveraging her training in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics. In her role as Chief Technologist & Director of Engineering at the Institute, Rachel helped develop the test protocol for the category. She leads efforts for the constant evolution of GH's technical and testing protocols, responding both to market drivers and growth opportunities. With regards to indoor air quality, she is a leading advocate for the adoption of rigorous industry standards. Rachel has also tested dozens of air purifiers in recent years at her home on Long Island, NY.

Having written thousands of product reviews and how-to articles on all aspects of home ownership, from routine maintenance to major renovations, Dan (he/him) brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his role as the director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. A one-time roofer and a serial remodeler, Dan can often be found keeping house at his restored Brooklyn brownstone, where he lives with his wife and kids.

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