A quality air purifier makes for a useful addition to any home, keeping house dust, bacteria and other unwanted contamination at bay. And if anyone in your household suffers from hay fever, allergies, asthma or other conditions aggravated by airborne pollutants, ensuring the air in your home is as pure as possible can make a big difference to everyday comfort.
Read on for our pick of the best air purifiers for every budget, including models with special functions including quiet modes perfect for bedrooms and smart app systems for remote control. Plus, we share our expert's top tips for choosing an air purifier. Just keep reading to discover our favourites.
Looking for more? Check out our Buyer's Guides for our top picks!
Best air purifiers: at a glance
- Best for functions: Honeywell AirGenius 5
- Best for ultra-low volume: Blueair Blue 3210
- Best for total purification: PureMate HEPA air purifier
- Best for small spaces: Russell Hobbs RHAP1001G Air Purifier
- Best for smart tech: Philips Series 3000i connected air purifier
- Best for large spaces: Blue Pure 221
- Best portable air purifier: AEG AX51-304WT Air Purifier
- Best affordable air purifier: Beurer compact air purifier LR200-66003
- Best for sweet-smelling air: HoMedics TotalClean 4-in-1 air purifier
The best air purifiers to buy in 2023
Honeywell AirGenius 5
Best for functions
With touch-screen controls and five different speed settings to choose from and a range of functions including a fast odour reduction feature, the Honeywell AirGenius 5 is likely to become a well-used and useful addition to your home. It captures 99.9% of microscopic particles including mould spores, pollen and dust. You can easily clean the filter by rinsing it with water and there is an auto shut-off feature making this a low maintenance purifier.
Blueair Blue 3210
Best for ultra-low noise
Banish dust, pollen and most bacteria and viruses with Blueair’s amazingly quiet four-speed purifier. The compact design can be easily moved around, but it’s best in small bedrooms as it also boasts the Quiet Mark certification due to operating noise as low as 18dB, meaning you can get an uninterrupted night’s sleep.
There are no smart tech capabilities, but its simple one-touch controls can get you up and running in no time. Plus, the washable pre-filters that wrap around the device are available in five different colours, adding a stylish touch.
PureMate HEPA air purifier
Best for total purification
As well as being easy to use and extremely quiet, this air purifier has a HEPA filter - a top-grade filtration device which captures 99.97 per cent of airborne bacteria, household dust, pet dander, mould spores and pollutants, making it a go-to choice for people who suffer with hay fever. Operating as quietly as 20dB, this is also a great option for use in a bedroom or home office where peace and quiet is precious. Plus, it's super simple to maintain thanks to the replacement indicator, which will automatically let you know when you need to change the long-lasting filter.
Russell Hobbs RHAP1001G Air Purifier
Best for small spaces
This air purifier from Russell Hobbs is a top option if you suffer from allergies or asthma as it filters out pollen, dust, smoke and bacteria as small as 0.3 microns. At only 40cm in height, this is a neat and compact design which can easily slot into all sorts of small spaces, such as your home office desk.
We love the LED colour changing display, which lends a touch of fun to what is a quintessentially functional appliance. Shown above in grey, this model is also available in black.
Philips Series 3000i connected air purifier
Best for smart tech
This easy-to-control smart purifier can be monitored and adjusted from your phone or Alexa device using the Air Matters app. The intelligent purification system automatically monitors and purifies the air and the premium HEPA filter is able to remove 99.97 per cent of ultra-fine particles, allergens, gases and bacteria.
Plus, it has the ability to cover large spaces of up to 104 sq. m., and also features a QuietMark-certified low-volume mode for when you don't want to be disturbed.
Blue Pure 221
Best for large spaces
Keep your space fresh 24/7 with the Blue Pure 221 purifier. By drawing in air through its filtration system, the purifier can quietly and efficiently clean a room up to five times every hour, but it's especially great for large open-plan spaces as it can clean 120m² of space every 30 minutes.
If you also want to use the purifier through the night then this model can also be set to a low noise level to ensure that you will enjoy a peaceful slumber.
AEG AX51-304WT Air Purifier
Best portable air purifier
This clever air purifier has the ability to react to your room’s air quality levels and produce an appropriate air purification rate, so it continuously responds to its surroundings to help create a healthy atmosphere. Or if you’d rather keep an eye on things yourself, there is an app which displays the air quality and allows you to set personal preferences.
It works efficiently too as it cleans the air of a 10m² room in just seven minutes, thanks to the 3D fan, four-stage air filtration and 360 degree air intake.
The AEG purifier has a versatile design as you can place it against a wall so it’s out of the way, or you can move it from room to room due to its portable nature.
Beurer compact air purifier with three-layer filtration LR200-66003
Best affordable air purifier
This air purifier has a three-layer filter system that will get rid of dust, pollutants and odours, and it even has a night mode so you can breathe easy while you sleep, too. On top of that, it has an ionic cleaning function to clear the air of smaller particles, which makes it a superb choice for people with allergies.
HoMedics TotalClean 4-in-1 air purifier
Best for sweet-smelling air
Compact in size, we love how this device works hard with its 360-degree HEPA-type filtration system to remove 99 per cent of airborne allergens. It’s an ideal choice for small home offices or bedrooms as, on its slower of its two fan speeds, the noise is kept to a minimum. The control panel on the top of the device is straight forward to navigate, for a quick and easy installation. One brilliant additional feature is the aroma tray – simply add a few drops of your favourite essential oils to diffuse it into your room to help you relax and unwind.
How to choose an air purifier
Victoria Miller, small appliances expert at AO.com, reveals exactly how air purifiers can help in your home and what to look out for when choosing the best air purifier to suit your needs…
'Air purifiers are brilliant for keeping allergies at bay within the home. While restricting particles in the air using a HEPA filtration system, they also release cleaner, cooler air back into the room like a fan.
'Certain models also feature an ioniser, which reduces allergens floating around, making them easier to dust or vacuum away. This is great for removing pollen, dust, mould, pet dander and pollution, which makes it a useful appliance in your home all year round.
'When purchasing an air purifier, look at the size of the room you want the product to reside in and work out how much space you want it to cover. Small models, which are around 30 square metres and below, are suitable for bedrooms; large models are better for big, open-plan spaces.'
How do air purifiers work
Air purifiers work by drawing in air from the room and passing it through a filter. The filter removes pollutants, such as dust, allergens, and smoke, from the air. Some air purifiers also use additional technologies like UV light or ionizers to kill bacteria or remove odours.
Are air purifiers effective?
Air purifiers can be effective in removing pollutants from the air, depending on the type and quality of the filter. HEPA filters are known to be highly effective in removing airborne particles, including allergens and pollutants, from the air.
Do air purifiers remove dust
Yes, air purifiers can remove dust from the air. HEPA filters are particularly effective in removing fine dust particles, which can cause respiratory problems.
Do air purifiers remove smells
Air purifiers with activated carbon filters can remove smells from the air. The carbon filter absorbs odours and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air, leaving the room smelling fresher. Why not check out our roundup of the best essential oil diffusers for more room fragrance options?
Do air purifiers help with allergies
Yes, air purifiers can help with allergies by removing allergens like dust, pollen, and pet dander from the air. HEPA filters are particularly effective in removing these types of airborne allergens.
Do air purifiers help with mould
Air purifiers can help with mould by removing mould spores from the air. HEPA filters can capture the spores, preventing them from spreading and reducing the risk of mould growth. For more help getting rid of mould, check out our roundup of the best dehumidifiers on the market.
Where in the room should I place my air purifier
Ideally, air purifiers should be placed in the room where you spend most of your time, such as the bedroom or living room. They should be placed in a central location to maximize their effectiveness, away from walls or furniture that can block airflow.
Air purifiers provide sweet relief from allergens during the warmer months, and can prevent mould build up in the winter. We love that they can even keep your home smelling better by absorbing odours, and overall we think they're definitely worth a try.
If you're looking for more ways to keep your home smelling fresh, why not check out our roundup of the best scented candles to buy in 2023?
