How to Find the Best Air Purifier for Your Home

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathing is obviously nonnegotiable for the body, and it’s something we do all the time without really thinking about. Another thing you might not think about often unless you are having respiratory symptoms is what you’re actually breathing in.

Our airways are subject to a lot of potential irritation triggers, including dust, pollen, mold spores, fine particulate matter from air pollution or wildfire smoke, and more. If you’ve noticed irritation for you or another household member, you might be considering adding an air purifier to your home.

Air purifiers help improve indoor air quality. Fans draw air in and send it through a filtration system to trap irritating airborne particles, odors, chemical fumes, and some germs. An air purifier then outputs cleaner air for you and your family to breathe.

“Maintaining high indoor air quality is crucial, especially for those with allergies or respiratory conditions,” says Tony Abate, an HVAC expert and vice president and chief technology officer at AtmosAir Solutions. “Poor air quality can affect your upper airways and also increase the chances of sleep apnea.”

Maybe the buying process seems daunting as you wade through all the features and options. Or maybe the price of one gives you pause. But did you know you might be able to use your health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) to offset the cost of an air purifier if you’re using it to address a specific medical condition? This depends on your plan’s rules, of course, along with other factors.

In this article, we aim to simplify the process of buying the best air purifier for your home. So let’s get to it.

First, let’s start with the step-by-step instructions, and then we will explore each topic in depth below.

• Fit: Measure the square footage of the room where you’ll place your air purifier. You’ll need this information to determine some of the performance metrics.
• Goal: Determine your main goals, such as easing allergy symptoms, mitigating air pollution, or reducing odors. Your goals will help you pinpoint your filtration needs.
• Miscellaneous needs: List any other factors that are important to you, such as noise reduction or no lights.

What is the best air purifier? That will depend on your notes based on the basic factors above. Once you know a bit more about what you’re looking for, you’ll be able to narrow down the best home air purifiers for you. The home air purifier that best fits your needs may be different from one that’s perfect for another household.

The size of the room you plan to place your air purifier in matters for determining some of the performance metrics you will need. This section digs into clean air delivery rate (CADR) and air exchange rate, which is the air changes per hour (ACH).

CADR is the metric, noted in cubic feet per minute, for the speed and efficiency at which an air purifier removes potentially harmful particles. When you’re looking at an air purifier, you might see several CADR numbers based on how fast it removes specific types of particles, such as dust, smoke, and pollen.

To ensure that the CADRs on your air purifier are legit, check for the AHAM Verified mark. AHAM is a third-party certification program from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.

• The two-thirds rule: For fast and effective air purification, you need a CADR that is equal to at least two-thirds of your room’s area. This is why you need to measure the room where your purifier will be stationed. As an example, if you have a 12-foot by 12-foot bedroom, the area is 144 square feet. So you’ll need an air purifier with a CADR of at least 95. You can arrive at this number by multiplying the length of the room times width to get your square footage. Then multiply the square footage by 0.66 for the minimum CADR you need.
• When to aim for a higher CADR: If you have ceilings higher than 8 feet, you may want to consider a CADR that’s higher than just two-thirds of your room’s area. Additionally, if your goal is to account for smoke pollution, you will want an air purifier with a smoke CADR that is equal to your room’s square footage.

ACH is a metric for how many times a room's total air volume is filtered or replaced within one hour. AHAM also verifies this metric for air purifiers.

AHAM recommends that home air purifiers have at least 4.8 ACH for the room’s size. This would mean that about every 12.5 minutes, the air in a room has been completely filtered. If a product carries the AHAM Verified label, that means the product meets the 4.8 ACH requirement for its suggested room size.

Filtration is another topic you’re likely to wrestle with while choosing an air purifier. So let’s unpack the different types and what’s hype.

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters trap 99.97% of air particles of 0.3 microns (PM0.3) and larger. These are the hardest particles to capture, but HEPA filtration does a good job.

Particles that HEPA filters catch:

• Bacteria
• Combustion particles from smoke
• Dust
• Mold spores
• Pet dander
• Pollen
• Viruses (some but not all)

What about “True HEPA"? “‘True HEPA’ is basically a marketing term used by manufacturers to signal that the filter actually meets the real HEPA standard,” Abate says. “It helps distinguish from products labeled ‘HEPA-type’ or ‘HEPA-like’ which do not meet the 99.97% standard.

In other words, you want your filter to be HEPA or True HEPA, but not HEPA-type or HEPA-like.

Carbon is a natural contaminant trapper. Carbon is porous, which means it has a large surface area that contaminants stick to. This sticking is called adsorption.

Carbon filters are best for capturing and eliminating odors from your house, including smoke, chemical fumes, and volatile organic compounds. VOCs are emitted as gasses from items that are solid or liquid in a process called “off-gassing.”

Household culprits of off-gassing:

• Air fresheners
• Cleaning supplies
• Dry-cleaned clothing
• Furniture and cabinets made of pressed wood
• Paint
• Pesticides
• Scented candles

Many air purifiers include both HEPA and carbon filters, and you may wish to have both.

Some terms can get a little tricky, but these are the ones that warrant some extra caution in cutting through the noise.

• HEPA-type, HEPA-like, 99%-HEPA, and HEPA-style: Only HEPA or HEPA True are actual HEPA filters. The other terms mean a product is not truly HEPA.
• Permanent filters: HEPA filters need replacing, so if you come across a product that claims you never have to do this chore, that’s a red flag.
• Ionization or electrostatic: Some products feature negative ion air purification. These can produce ozone, which has negative consequences for health. So you may wish to avoid these options.

The following air purifiers are sold by Truemed Partners. They include some top-rated air purifiers on the market, which may be HSA/FSA-eligible for qualified customers if determined by a doctor to be a necessary medical intervention for a diagnosed condition (like asthma or allergies).

The Sans Air Purifier offers whole home purification up to 1,854 square feet. It comes in four colors to match your aesthetic. It features HEPA and activated carbon filtration. Plus, it’s quiet, lightweight, and portable. And it connects to your Wi-Fi for remote operation.

The Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max is perfect for your living room or other areas where you tend to hang out in your home. It is great for spaces of 439 square feet or less. In this size room, this air purifier’s HEPA filter cleans all the air in the room every 12.5 minutes. This Blueair product also comes with tech features including Wi-Fi operated remote control.

The Molekule Air Mini+ serves as an inconspicuous option for keeping the air in your bedroom, home office, or nursery clean. It’s ideal for rooms of 250 square feet or less. It features HEPA and activated carbon filtration to perform double duty on harmful particles and gasses.

The PuroAir 240 HEPA Air Purifier can come to your rescue if odors plague your house, whether from cooking, pets, or laundry pileups. Its HEPA and activated carbon filtration system cleans 1,000 square feet of space. Stash it in your kitchen, high-traffic pet zone, or home gym to keep your house smelling fresh.

The Wyze Air Purifier is kind on your ears, so it’s great for bedrooms or other areas that you need to maintain a sense of Zen. It operates at 21 decibels, which is equivalent to a small fan or even a whisper. General human breathing is about 10 decibels for comparison. Wyze uses HEPA and carbon for filtration, giving you the best of both worlds for controlling particulate matter and odors.

The Sans Air Purifier Mini is a budget-friendly option that cleans up to 490 square feet. It features HEPA and activated carbon filtration, operates quietly, and goes completely dark with its lights-out mode, making it a great option for your bedroom. Plus, it's easily portable if you want to move it to another space during the day.

As noted above, you might be able to purchase a house air purifier with your HSA or FSA dollars. Air purifiers might be eligible expenses for these health benefit accounts if you’re using the product to address a specific medical condition. If approved by an independent licensed clinician, such conditions might include the following: allergies, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and more.

You might need a letter of medical necessity (LMN). An LMN is a formal document from a licensed healthcare provider that explains why a certain product, treatment, or service is necessary to treat, mitigate, or prevent a medical condition.

Certain health products and services may be eligible for qualified customers with an LMN issued by an independent practitioner when the item is used to address a specific medical condition.

Truemed* specializes in helping you maximize your HSA and other health-related benefits (such as an FSA):

• First, you can check whether a product or service is normally considered a qualifying medical expense or whether you might need an LMN.
• Complete a health intake survey that will be reviewed by an independent licensed clinician.
• Buy the item; either pay directly with your HSA/FSA card at checkout, or pay with a regular credit/debit card and seek HSA/FSA reimbursement afterward.
• The independent licensed practitioner will review your medical history, and if you qualify, will issue an LMN. Truemed itself does not make eligibility determinations.
• Truemed also offers support in the event you get a denial of reimbursement and need to provide substantiation documentation.

*Truemed is for qualified customers. HSA/FSA tax savings vary. Learn more at truemed.com/disclosures