I tested the best air purifiers against dust, odours and smoke – these are the 6 models I’d recommend to cleanse your home of nasties this year
After 1,000s of hours of testing, these air purifiers came out on top for improving indoor air quality
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Do you cook? Burn candles? Spray aerosols? Have pets? Live near a road? Struggle with allergies? Want to live a healthier lifestyle? If you answered 'yes' to any of the above, you'll definitely benefit from an air purifier at home. These year-round appliances remove harmful pollutants from the air, allowing you - and your family - to breathe easier.
But with so many air purifiers and purification features on the market, choosing the right model can be hard. That's where I come in. As Ideal Home's resident Air Quality Expert, I've used our dedicated air purifier testing process to review over 30 models from Blueair, Dyson, Levoit, Shark and more, with the help of my qualified testing team.
We've assessed everything from reaction times and recommended room size to filter performance to find which models will suit which households (and whether the best dehumidifiers might suit you better). I then translated all that jargon into my top 6 models and compiled an easy-to-follow guide to the best air purifiers below.
The quick list
Short on time? This quick list covers the best air purifiers we've tested so far for individual requirements. You'll find more information on each air purifier - and other models that didn't quite make the top 6 - just a scroll away.
Best overall air purifier
As long as you don't have a space over 48m² to filter, we think this is the best air purifier you can buy. Our top recommendation combines first-class performance that filters out 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.1 microns in size (most air purifiers only promise to filter down to 0.3 microns), a relatively affordable price tag, and stylish user-friendly design.
Best budget air purifier
It's difficult to find an air purifier under £100 - especially at its full RRP. But this budget-friendly air purifier will benefit your wallet and your home, and is still capable of covering rooms up to 31m². The HyperCaptive Filtration System will capture everything from pollen to dust, and the 18.4 dB operating level also makes it one of the quietest models we've tested.
Best air purifier for larger rooms
For the most part, air purifiers for larger rooms are large in their own right. But Dyson's new 'desktop' model breaks the mould while also offering impressive air purifying technology. It's suitable for spaces up to 100 m² and has a star-shaped nozzle designed to purify up to 70 litres of air every second. It's an investment, but one that delivered healthy results during testing.
Best air purifier for smaller rooms
If you want an air purifier for smaller living spaces, bedrooms, or offices, the Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 suits spaces up to 27 m². It uses HEPA, activated carbon, pet particle barrier, and Debris Defence washable filters to improve air quality, and you won't need to replace it for a whopping six years. It's also suitable for beginners, as it doesn't rely on an app.
Easiest air purifier to use
If you want an easy-to-use air purifier that gets the job done with minimal fuss, the Levoit Core 300S Air Purifier is our top contender. This smart air purifier is suitable for spaces up to 50m2, and everything is controlled via the very simple VeSync App, which gives you full control and real-time data you might need to assess your home's air quality.
Best air purifier fan + heater
This 3-in-1 appliance will serve as your air purifier, fan and heater. It offers room coverage up to 81m³, and even comes with an oscillation feature to ensure purified air is reaching every corner of your space. The 360 Combi Glass HEPA + Activated Carbon filter, coupled with the handy Auto mode, makes it ideal for everyday use, but it is on the pricier side.
Best air purifiers 2026
Best air purifier overall
The Blueair Blue Max 3250i Air Purifier offers a great mix of responsive performance, stylish design, and a relatively affordable price, making it our top recommendation for the best air purifier overall.
It's designed to filter the air in spaces up to 48 m² and offers a decent CADR (clean air delivery rate) of 239 m³/h. The 3-Stage HEPASilent Filter can also remove 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.1 microns, whereas many air purifiers at this price point only promise removal down to 0.3 microns.
In practice, our tests found that the filter made a difference to how the Blueair Blue Max 3250i Air Purifier performed, with this air purifier being one of the fastest to detect dips in air quality and the quickest to improve air quality levels in a small to medium-sized space. It also performed the best at odour removal, clearing the test kitchen of bacon fumes quicker than any other air purifier we tested.
Most importantly, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i Air Purifier also offers a built-in air quality sensor that makes managing indoor air quality super simple. Simply turn on Auto mode, and the purifier does the hard work for you, switching to standby when air quality is good and automatically kicking into gear when it drops.
The coloured air quality indicator light on the front of the air purifier is a nice user-friendly touch, and although in testing we thought the on-board controls could be a little slicker, the option to connect to Wi-Fi and operate the air purifier via the Smart App, or to connect it to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to use voice-activated commands, will be a great plus point for many users.
However, this is one of the pricier Blueair air purifiers. If you're on a budget and live in a smaller space, the Blueair Blue 511i Max Smart WiFi Air Purifier could suit you better. We didn't rate it as highly, but it still landed a 4-star review and can be used in rooms up to 22m².
Read our Blueair Blue Max 3250i Air Purifier review for more details.
Best budget air purifier
If you're looking for a budget-friendly air purifier, the COWAY Airmega 50 is basic but still brilliant. At just £80, it's one of the cheapest models we've ever tested, but it still offers a lot for those wanting to improve their home's air quality.
During testing, we found that this cheaper model took longer than average to return to normal levels in Auto mode and didn't register any changes during the dust test. However, it detected dips in air quality when smoke and aerosols were released nearby, proving that the sensor reacts quickly and that the HyperCaptive Filtration System works hard to remove these pollutants.
It's also suitable for rooms up to 25 m², and our tester found it to be just the right size for bedside tables. Especially at 18.4dB on its lowest fan speed setting, it's become one of the quietest models we've tested. Because of this, it would be ideal for those looking for a bedroom air purifier.
However, with a cheaper price point comes a simpler product. And it's worth noting that the COWAY Airmega 50 doesn't have an app or include Wi-Fi connectivity. Everything is controlled via the unit itself, and you have to trust that the Auto mode is doing everything it can to maintain healthy air quality in your home.
The only indicator that it's working as it should is through the colour-coded system, and for some, this could be a downside. But if you're after a no-faff model, this could be a major plus.
Read our COWAY Airmega 50 Air Purifier review for more details.
Best air purifier for larger rooms
If you have a larger home (or an open-plan layout) and want to enjoy the cleanest air possible, the Dyson HushJet Compact is our top choice. It's big in power, cleaning capacity, and high-quality features - but unlike other air purifiers for larger spaces, it isn't big in physical size.
I tested this model in my own home and found the reaction time seriously impressive, and it proved a capable workhorse when restoring air quality back to normal levels after a big dip. During the smoke test, it even detected a drop in air quality more quickly than our top-rated model, the Blueair 3250i.
The MyDyson app is incredibly user-friendly, allowing users to create a schedule, turn Auto mode on/off, adjust the 10 fan speeds manually, and assess current air quality levels via numbered values and visual graphs. And while I found it louder than the advertised noise levels, the 31dB noise level at the lowest fan speed was inaudible when I played my music or watched television.
However, it's worth noting that this isn't the only air purifier we've tested for larger spaces - and if you want to purify spaces over 100m², the Levoit Core 600S will suit you better, as it's suitable for rooms up to 294m². Just be warned that it's twice as heavy and almost twice as high.
Read our full Dyson HushJet Compact review for more details.
Best air purifier for smaller rooms
Shark is an up-and-coming name in the air purifier world, and the Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 is certainly a contender - especially if you have a smaller space, as many of us do in the UK.
The USP of this model - and its predecessor, the NeverChange5 - is that the ongoing costs are reduced thanks to the long-lasting filter life, which means you don't have to buy or replace the filters every 6-12 months. However, I also found it to be extremely effective at improving air quality during testing.
It reacted to changes in air quality during the smoke and aerosol test almost instantly, and it worked hard to reduce cooking smells and fumes when I whipped up a bacon butty. Sadly, it didn't react as well to an increase in dust, but its ability to scan the air 3,600 times an hour and automatically adjust its power was obvious (both visually and audibly) during testing.
What makes this small-space-friendly model different from many other air purifiers in this guide, however, is that it isn't Wi-Fi or app-connected, meaning everything is controlled via the onboard control panel.
Whether this is a positive or negative depends on your experience with air purifiers and your own preferences. If you prefer an app-free appliance that you can control and assess with your own two hands, this one is uncomplicated and easy to use. But if you want to control an appliance without getting off the sofa and love real-time and historical air quality data, the Shark BreatheClear won't offer what you need.
Read our Shark BreatheClear Compact Air Purifier with NeverChange6 review for more details.
Best air purifier for ease of use
Levoit has a wide range of air purifiers on the market, but the Levoit Core 300S is the best we've tested for the average UK home. It's easy to use and is suitable for spaces up to 50m2, and during testing it proved itself to be compact and lightweight - so it won't take up too much space in your house.
While it's not the most responsive air purifier out there - the Blueair 3250i and the Dyson HushJet were quicker to respond than this one - it still reacted to smoke particles in just 30 seconds and 20 seconds to register the introduction of VOCs into the air. The ‘AirSight Plus’ smart sensor also works hard to adjust the fan speed depending on the air quality of the space at the time.
Its crowning glory, though, was that the appliance's hands-off nature didn't counteract the information available. Our tester found that the on-board digital display was easy to read, decipher and operate if needed, and that the app offered all of the data she could possibly need to understand the air quality in her home. You can even set up voice commands, so you can control the app through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
The only downsides? It won't be powerful enough to use in large spaces, but for smaller spaces like bedrooms and offices it'll be more than enough. Especially as it's incredibly quiet, too.
Read our Levoit Core 300S Air Purifier review for more details.
Best air purifier, fan and heater
If you want to consolidate your many products into one all-in-one appliance, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 offers just that. As well as serving as an impressive and effective air purifier, it can also compete with the best electric heaters during the winter months and the best fans in summer.
It's very effective, too, and while it's not as responsive or as powerful as other brands such as Blueair and Levoit - after all, it only captures 99.95% of pollutants - it offers easy air purification without making a fuss. You can simply pop this appliance in the corner and let it work its magic while also keeping you - and your home - the perfect temperature.
During testing, the Dyson air purifier worked hard to keep pollutants to a minimum and my air quality level, especially on Auto mode. It's also incredibly easy to track and control your air quality reading both on the appliance itself and through the easy-to-use app.
And while the sleek bladeless design is very Dyson and the 3-in-1 functionality is ideal for year-round use, it's worth noting that this is a big appliance. So, if you only need an air purifier, it might not be the option for you.
Read the full Dyson Purifier Hot + Cool HP1 Purifying Fan Heater review for more details.
We've also tested
I've reduced my shortlist of the best air purifiers to my six top options, but there are a few other alternatives that I think are well worth a mention if the above options don't suit your home or air quality needs.
Air purifier comparison at a glance
Air Purifier |
Price |
Ideal Home Rating |
Recommended Room Size |
Noise Levels |
Filter Type |
£149 |
5 stars |
48m² |
18-46dB |
3-Stage Pre-Filter, HEPASilent Filter |
|
£79.99 |
4 stars |
25m² |
18.4- 44.1dB |
HEPA HyperCaptive Filtration System |
|
£349.99 |
4.5 stars |
100m² |
31dB - 60dB |
Activated Carbon Gas + Odour Air Purifier Filter, 360 Electrostatic Air Purifier Filter |
|
£179.99 |
4 stars |
27m² |
27- 57 dB |
HEPA Filter, Activated Carbon, Pet Particle Barrier, Debris Defence Washable Filter |
|
£149.99 |
4.5 stars |
50m2 |
22-50dB |
3-Stage Pre-Filter, H13 HEPA Filter, Activated Carbon Filter |
|
£549.99 |
4.5 stars |
81m³ |
60dB-70dB |
360 Combi Glass HEPA + Activated Carbon filter |
How we test air purifiers
You'll find full details of the Ideal Home review process on our how we test page, and we also have a detailed explainer of how we test air purifiers that goes into the specifics of our testing process.
Our team of reviewers tested a host of the best air purifiers on the market to compile this guide, reviewing them for at least two weeks (or longer if possible).
We compared each air purifier's assembly and set-up process, its design, ease of use, CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate), HEPA air filter performance, energy consumption, and noise levels to compile our top recommendations.
Each air purifier was put through its paces in a real-life home environment to test how well it filtered out cooking fumes when frying bacon, how quickly it removed smoke and VOCs from the air, and how well it combatted dust.
Meet our testers
Lauren is the Content Editor for House Manual, focusing on floorcare, aircare and cleaning as a whole. She compiled this guide based on her own review process and air quality expertise.
In this guide, Lauren tested the Shark BreatheClear NeverChange6 Air Purifier, Dyson HP1 Hot + Cool and the Dyson HushJet in her home.
Amy is currently Ideal Home's Certified Expert for Sleep, but was previously our E-Commerce Editor for all manner of small home appliances - including air purifiers.
She tested the top-rated air purifier on this list in her home, analysing everything from its CADR rating to its size and even its WiFi connectivity.
Rebecca has been reviewing products for Ideal Home for many years now. She has tested countless air purifiers, including the Coway Airmega 50 in this guide.
When she's not testing air purifiers, she's also reviewing vacuums, spot cleaners, and steam cleaners.
How to choose the best air purifier
It would be nice to think that we could all rely on good indoor air quality as a standard. However, as pollution levels rise both inside and out, many of us are turning to air purifiers to help counteract potentially harmful particulates in the air.
But what should you look for when shopping for the best air purifier? We've broken down the essentials to help you invest in the right air purifier for you. You can also read a more detailed explainer in our guide on which type of air purifier you should buy.
Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)
The CADR measures the volume of air the air purifier can filter, or clean, in a given timeframe. That measurement is usually given per hour, in which case it's measured as m3/h.
That means that the higher the CADR rating of an air purifier, the faster it will be able to clean the air, and the larger space it will be able to purify - but these are typically more expensive. An air purifier with a low CADR rating may not be as effective in removing pollutants from the air, but will typically be cheaper.
Recommended room size
Almost all air purifiers come with a manufacturer's recommendation for the maximum room size they are suitable for, usually measured in m2. It's essential to buy an air purifier that matches the size of the space you want to filter; otherwise, it will struggle to purify the air adequately.
If your home is on two levels, and you don't want to carry the air purifier up and down stairs continually, that may mean investing in more than one air purifier. Our guide to 'how many air purifiers do I need' has more advice for choosing the right number of appliances to manage your indoor climate effectively.
Filter type
The best air purifier for you usually depends on the filter type. These include:
HEPA Filter: A HEPA filter (short for high-efficiency particulate air) is the standard in air purifiers. It removes at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns (µm) or larger. This filter can help the most if you suffer from pet allergies or hay fever.
Active Carbon Filter: An active carbon filter is generally thought to filter microscopic particles from the air, like traffic fumes, cigarette smoke, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that carry unpleasant smells, to remove odours from the air. They can even remove viruses from the air.
Ionisation: Some air purifiers also use ionisation, which involves pushing negatively charged ions into a room to combat other allergens. This isn't as common and should be bought with caution, as they can release harmful ozone.
Pre-Filters: Many air purifiers now come with pre-filters, which are often mesh-like filterS that catch larger debris such as hair, fluff and dust before it reaches the HEPA filter. This helps to protect the HEPA filter and can expand its lifespan.
Of course, it's also worth noting that you need to regularly clean an air purifier and its filter to maintain its efficiency. You should also know how often to replace the filter to expand its lifespan.
FAQs
Do air purifiers really work?
If you live in an area with poor outdoor air quality, heavy road traffic pollution, or pollen allergies, air purifiers are definitely worth it.
An air purifier uses a fan to draw air into the unit, where it passes through a series of filters that remove particulate matter. The unit then discharges the cleaned air back into the room. As such, a decent air purifier can improve indoor air quality and is worth the investment for those with allergies or sensitivity to airborne pollutants.
However, air purifiers vary widely, with some more effective than others. If you want to remove pollutants from the air, choose a model with a HEPA filter as standard. This means the air purifier will capture at least 99.97% of pollen, pet dander, dust, and mould spores. Any filters that offer less than that won't be as effective at capturing these particles.
Do air purifiers remove smells?
Yes, a good air purifier can remove smells and odours from your home. The best air purifiers for removing smells have activated carbon filters alongside the usual HEPA filter. Activated Carbon can help to remove Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and their accompanying smells – such as the particulates from a scented candle, cleaning products or aerosol deodorants – as well as things like fumes and odours from cooking and pets.
The Blueair Blue Max 3250i Air Purifier is our top recommendation for removing smells, making short work of fried plant-bacon fumes in our test kitchen.
Is there a downside to air purifiers?
If you want to improve your home's air quality, air purifiers have very few downsides. Generally, the positives and many uses of air purifiers outweigh the negatives by a mile, but some air purifier features may be downsides. These include:
- The price: higher-quality air purifiers tend to cost more than lower-quality options on the market.
- The noise: it's hard to find an air purifier that doesn't make noise, which can be distracting if you want to run it while you're sleeping.
- The maintenance: air purifiers need regular cleaning and maintenance to keep refreshing your air. You may also need to replace filters.
- The running costs: although they won't cost you a fortune, air purifiers will add to your energy bills - like all extra electrical appliances.