How do air purifiers work?
Air purifiers use HEPA or activated carbon filters to remove pollutant particles from the air, improving the overall air quality and reducing the health risks associated with poor air quality.
HEPA filters (otherwise known as High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters can capture particles as small as 0.3 microns, while carbon filters can neutralise odours and absorb gases such as smoke or food smells.
Can air purifiers help protect against viruses?
Air purifiers are useful for indoor spaces, especially shared spaces where multiple people gather together. By continuously cleansing and circulating the air, air purifiers can absorb airborne virus particles, including respiratory illnesses such as cold and flu that can be spread by coughing and sneezing. That said, they aren’t the perfect solution, so it's still crucial to practise good hand hygiene and ventilate the room wherever possible.
Related: The best tower fans for practical cooling
How to choose the best air purifier for your home
Here are some things you may want to consider when choosing the right air purifier for your home.
Room size - Air purifiers vary in terms of their maximum coverage, so check the specifications carefully to ensure they are suitable for the room you wish to use them in - especially if it's a large open-plan space.
Design and dimensions - Some air purifiers are large and clinical looking, so check the full dimensions to make sure they won’t be too overbearing or take up too much space in your room. Some air purifiers such as the Blue Air or Dyson have a more modern and aesthetically pleasing design, which may be more appealing or ‘insta worthy’ in a modern home.
Type of filter (and cost of replacement) - The cost of filters can soon add up, so you may want to consider the type of filters your air purifier uses, how often they need replacing and the cost of each replacement - before factoring this into the overall price.
Noise levels (sleep modes) - Not all air purifiers have sleep modes, so it's important to check the noise levels - especially if you’re planning on using it in your bedroom at night. The quietest air purifiers run as low as 15dB, while other factors such as light dimming can be useful to keep the peace while you’re sleeping.
Auto mode - Does the air purifier have an auto mode, or do the settings need to be selected manually? Auto modes are the easiest to use, as they automatically adjust the fan speeds based on their surroundings.
Timer - Does the air purifier have a timer and auto shut off when the time is complete? This can be useful if you want a short air treatment before bed.
Cost - Last but not least, how much are you willing to spend? If you have allergies, skin conditions or other medical symptoms that can be affected by air pollution, you may want to invest in a more costly model that provides greater coverage or enhanced features.
Read next: Our guide to the best quiet fans for keeping your bedroom cool
What’s the best air purifier to buy?
The Levoit Smart HEPA Air Purifier is our pick of the best air purifiers you can buy today. Offering excellent value for money, it has an efficient three-stage HEPA filter, convenient auto mode, a range of timer settings and a quiet sleep mode, making it a great all-rounder for most homes and budgets.
How we chose our recommendations
Recommendations from real Mumsnet users
Many Mumsnetters suffer the effects of poor air pollution, experience the effects of allergies and skin conditions, or simply struggle to keep their home clear of pet dander, pollen or food smells.
First, we sought out the trusted opinions of Mumsnet users, to get their feedback on the air purifiers they rate, recommend and have used in their own homes.
We also looked out for any negative reviews, where Mumsetters highlighted products that they felt were poor quality, overpriced or simply struggled to provide any noticeable benefits.
Expert opinions
Next up, we considered reviews and feedback from trusted industry experts. We want to be confident that the products we recommend are fit for purpose, so we looked out for award-winning products or those that were well regarded in the marketplace, including those recommended by consumer champions such as Which?.
Authentic consumer reviews
Finally, to bring you our definitive list of the best air purifiers on the market, we thoroughly investigated genuine, in-depth customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon, Argos and John Lewis to get wider consumer experiences regarding the products on our shortlist.
About the author
Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help people make confident purchases.
Lucy has recently invested in an air purifier for her daughter, who struggles with congestion and coughing during the night. As such, she has tried and tested experience of using functions such as timers, sleep modes and auto sensors.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust and we spend hours scouring the Mumsnet forums and online bestseller lists to find products that real parents rate.
Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.