HEPA filters are considered the highest efficiency at the current. However, each specific type of HEPA filter is designed to handle a certain number of needs, like allergies, asthma, pet hairs, and dander, or mold.
And in this article, I’m going to review 10 best HEPA air purifiers based on different categories. Keep reading!
- Coway AP-1512HH – Best overall
- RENPHO Air Purifier – Top rated
- LEVOIT Air Purifier – Budget-friendly
- LEVOIT LV-PUR131S – Best for allergies & asthma
- Hathaspace Air Purifier – Best for pet hairs
- Alen BreatheSmart FLEX Air Purifier – Best for dust & mold
- Winix 5500-2 – Best for odor removal
- Airthereal APH260 – Best for cigarette smoke
- Coway Airmega 400 – Best for extra-large room
- RabbitAir MinusA2 – Wall-mountable design
Coway AP-1512HH – Best overall
- Have an additional vital ionizer to clean the air better
- Can run automatically or be customized through the 3-setting timer, which is flexible
- The Eco Mode helps to save lots of power and money
- Sensitive sensor to detect quickly odors or cooking smells
- The vital ionizer emits little ozone
- Can’t shut off the top light
In this advanced system, out of the washable pre-filter, activated carbon filter, and high-efficient composite True HEPA filter, there is one additional vital ionizer.
It helps to capture the tiniest particles in the air and send them back to other filters, which I found very helpful for asthma or allergy sufferers.
Coway Mighty pollution sensor is the smartest thing that I’ve tried. It automatically kicks on when “smelling” any strange odors or cooking smells while turning off if detecting no pollution within 30 minutes.
Unlike the Honeywell, this runs much more silently. Depending on the fan speeds, it’s within 24.4 dB to 53.8 dB, which is acceptable.
Product Specs
| Efficiency | 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns |
| Room coverage | 361 sq. ft. |
| Noise level | 24.4 dB to 53.8 dB. |
| Highlight Features | 4 Stage Filtration System, Coway Mighty pollution sensor, Filter replacement indicator, noise level ranging from 24.4 dB to 53.8 dB |
Equipped with the Eco Mode, 4-stage filtration system, and smart technologies, Coway AP-1512HH is the best-overall air purifier on the market that you can find at under $250.
RENPHO Air Purifier – Top rated
- Emit no ozone
- Have child lock mode to be 100% safe for curious pets or kids
- Can replace a single filter to save more money
- Don’t have a digital screen or Bluetooth, so, the price seems a bit costly
The unit utilizes a 4-stage filtration system but a bit different from the previous Coway, it includes one washable pre-filter, one charcoal filter, one activated carbon filter, and finally, one True HEPA filter.
Combining with a good CADR rating of 135 CFM, it is ideal for odor removal within 301 square feet.
What I love the most in this unit is the separated filter replacement indicator that features separate lights for each filter. When any of them starts to flash, it’s time to replace it.
The best thing about this feature is you don’t have to switch the whole filtration system, which saves more money.
Product Specs
| Efficiency | 99.97% airborne pollutants 0.3 microns |
| Room coverage | 301 sq. ft. |
| Noise level | 35 dB |
| Highlight Features | 4 Stage Filtration System, Smart Auto Mode, the noise level at 35dB, Separated Filter Replacement Indicator |
For bedrooms or kids’ rooms, the RENPHO Air Purifier with no harmful ozone emitted is the ideal choice.
LEVOIT Air Purifier – Budget-friendly
- Strong airflow to cover a large treatment space despite its small silhouette -> High efficiency
- Can turn off the lights to not disturb your sleep
- Have a touch screen for multiple functions
- No remorse. I’m definitely satisfied
To get such decent performance, there have been many practical technologies applied in the unit. Such as QuietKEAP Technology, Vortexair Technology, and Core 300.
The air purifier has also been certificated for not emitting ozone or using UV/Ion light. It’s satisfied many international standards, like CA PROP 65 certified, FCC certified, ETL listed, Energy Star Verified, and AHAM Verified.
Regardless, the price is astounding – only a mere $100.
Product Specs
| Efficiency | 99. 97% of fine particles 0. 3 microns |
| Room coverage | 215 sq. ft. |
| Noise level | 24 dB |
| Highlight Features | Vortexair Technology creates a stronger airflow, AHAM Certified CADR number is 230+m3/h, sleep mode with only 24db, its QuietKEAP Technology reduces noise |
While providing a plethora of practical, smart functions, the LEVOIT Air Purifier highlights its incredibly cheap price, making it the budget-friendliest option.
LEVOIT LV-PUR131S – Best for allergies & asthma
- Can be compatible with different voice-monitoring foundations to control it
- Connectable with a smartphone via a special app to use the unit from distances
- Can calculate the real filter’s life -> save more money
- Can’t remove odor or smells
- Just have one-stage filtration, making the HEPA filter less durable
The unit is built with voice control that users can power it on without lifting their fingers. It’s compatible with different foundations, such as IFTTT, Google Assistant, and Alexa to ensure you’ll feel the most natural to control your air purifier by speaking.
Besides, it’s connectable with a smartphone via the VeSync app so that you can set a timer, schedule or other functions while being away from home.
The biggest selling point is its ability to calculate the real filters’ life and show it via the VeSync app, letting you know about their situation and when to replace them.
This smart feature puts a leap of technology than other “smart” air purifiers – not solidly schedule to remind you after 6 or 18 months’ use.
Product Specs
| Efficiency | – |
| Room coverage | 360 sq. ft. |
| Noise level | 27 dB |
| Highlight Features | REMOTE CONTROL: Use your smartphone to control air purifier from anywhere, VOICE CONTROL, SMART FILTER LIFE |
Highlight a Honeycomb active carbon HEPA filter to be 30% faster and 30% higher efficiency than ordinary air purifiers, LEVOIT LV-PUR131S is best for asthma and allergies.
Hathaspace Air Purifier – Best for pet hairs
- The 5-layer purifier can remove pet’s hair/dander and odors
- Have two large openings to capture more hair
- The quietest air purifier in the market
- Ionizer emits ozone at .009 parts per million (but you can turn it off)
- Not Energy Star Certified, meaning not power efficiency
- Low AHC (air change per hour)
It includes a nano-cold catalyst filter, a cellular activated carbon filter, an antibacterial filter, a true HEPA filter, and an ionizer. It takes both functions of an odor eliminator and air cleaner.
The best thing is it not only collects dust mites but also their waste and eggs.
If your house has long-haired cats or dogs, this beast can powerfully pick up their hair and dander within 1-3 days depending on space’s area, leaving no dust on your furniture.
Like other smart air purifiers, is the sensitive air-quality sensor that will automatically change its lights and fan speeds under different air conditions.
Product Specs
| Efficiency | 99.97% of particles, 0.3 microns |
| Room coverage | 350 sq. ft. |
| Noise level | 18 dB – 43dB |
| Highlight Features | SMART AIR QUALITY SENSOR, Recommended for small to large size living rooms. On an average 350 sq. ft. room, Both an air cleaner and odor eliminator. |
With the 5-stage filtration system that not only collect all pets’ hair and dander but also remove their urine odor, Hathaspace air purifier is the most suitable for dog or cat persons.
Alen BreatheSmart FLEX Air Purifier – Best for dust & mold
- Made by NASA airflow engineers to ensure quality
- Can purify a 700-ft2 space every 30 minutes with whisper noise
- The HEPA filters can exhibit the bacteria and fungi’s growth
- Big and heavy design -> less flexible
If this is your very first time hearing of these advanced applications, the BreatheSmart FLEX highlights 2 ACH over a 700-ft2 space. In other words, it’s powerful enough to purify a whole house.
The true HEPA filters, in this case, are also extraordinary due to the special coating. This addition takes the role of exhibiting the fungi and bacteria’s growth, making it the best option for mold and dust with an unmatched lifetime.
Regardless, it operates silently thanks to the WhisperMax technology that is considered twice as quiet as other competitors on Turbo speed.
Product Specs
| Efficiency | Filters Particles Greater than .3 Microns |
| Room coverage | 700 Sq. Ft |
| Noise level | 39 – 55 dB |
| Highlight Features | BIG POWER, SMALL FOOTPRINT, Versatile designer panels to suit multiple tastes and decors, WhisperMax technology makes us twice as quiet as key competitors on Turbo speed |
With a multistage filtration and the specifically-coated HEPA filters, I highly recommend Alen BreatheSmart FLEX Air Purifier with no reservation.
Winix 5500-2 – Best for odor removal
- The AOC carbon filter is washable to save more money
- Equipped with a permanent filter to eliminate different pollutants
- Have a remote control
- Night mode and auto mode are toggled dependently, which is inconvenient to use
- A bit noisy
Besides, the AOC carbon filter, in this case, is specifically designed to allow users to wash and renew it, saving more money in the long term. There’s also a slightly upgraded particle detector sensor to be more sensitive and responsive against odors.
To break down allergens, chemical vapors, odor, and other pollutants, the Winix 5500-2 is constructed with PlasmaWave that works with no harmful ozone emitted.
Product Specs
| Efficiency | 99.97% of airborne pollutants; 0.3 microns |
| Room coverage | 360 square feet |
| Noise level | 52 dB at Turbo speed |
| Highlight Features | Washable AOC Carbon Filter, PlasmaWave acts as a permanent filter, Smart Sensors gauge the air and our Auto Mode adjusts the fan |
Out of numerous odor-removal air purifiers, the Winix 5500-2, bolding a washable AOC carbon filter and PlasmaWave gets the highest score during my personal tests
Airthereal APH260 – Best for cigarette smoke
- The activated carbon filter is specifically designed with multiple layers to remove all smokes off the air
- Powerful airflow with 4 fan-speed settings to work flexibly in different room sizes
- Can clean a 355-ft2 house within 10 minutes
- Not as whisper quite as described
- The touch button on top of the unit is too sensitive
The highlight point lies in its special activated carbon filter which includes not only cold catalyst filter and nano mineral but also molecular sieve and photocatalyst filter.
Accordingly, it can eliminate airborne pollutants as small as 0.1 microns.
If you’re living in a big house, the APH260 attached with 4 fan-speed settings either allows you to customize or automatically adjusts itself to the indoor air conditions. Whichever option, it only takes around 10 minutes to clean a 355-ft2 space, which is unbelievable.
Product Specs
| Efficiency | 0.1 micron. |
| Room coverage | 355 square feet |
| Noise level | lower than 49dB |
| Highlight Features | CADR RATED 152+ CFM, SMART CONTROL, FILTER CHANGE ALERT |
Built with a 7-in-1 true HEPA filter, the Airthereal APH260 is guaranteed to catch and trap all smoke chemicals from the air.
Coway Airmega 400 – Best for extra-large room
- Room coverage is 1560 square feet
- Run silently (22 dB to 52 dB) with 5 fan-speed settings
- No ozone emitted
- Less power consumption
- The charcoal filters are really expensive and they need changing twice/year
There are totally 5 fan speed settings and even at the highest, the unit just releases a comfortable white noise of 52 dB, which is not too loud in such a spacious area.
At Sleep Mode, it incredibly runs at 22 dB while lights can be turned off at night for no disruption.
Product Specs
| Efficiency | 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns |
| Room coverage | 1,560 sq. ft. |
| Noise level | 22~52 dB |
| Highlight Features | Coway Airmega 400 Graphite/Silver is designed to accommodate room sizes up to 1,560 square feet, Coway Airmega’s pollution sensor, Coway Airmega 400 Graphite/Silver |
If you’re looking for a powerful but silent air purifier for extra-large rooms, look no further than the Coway Airmega 400.
RabbitAir MinusA2 SPA-700A – Wall-mountable design
- Can be flexible wall-mounted or stood alone depending on preferences
- Run more quietly and safely than the RabbitAir BioGS 2.0
- Offer 5 airflow settings – more versatile than other RabbitAir air purifiers
- Filter replacement cost is expensive
- Few colors to choose from
Though it’s not the cheapest, the 6-stage filtration system with no ozone emissions and almost silent operation, the unit turns out to be affordable. There are 5 airflow settings to customize and each is equivalent to a certain noise level. But even at the highest, it’s still pleasantly quiet.
The best thing about this MinusA2 is the versatile mounting methods that you can either wall mount or let it stand alone – something that other air purifiers can’t do.
Product Specs
| Efficiency | 99.97% particles, 0.3 microns |
| Room coverage | 700 sq. ft. |
| Noise level | 20.8 – 45.6 dB |
| Highlight Features | Designed to either stand-alone or to be mounted on the wall, Pet Allergy customized filter: Traps and reduces pet dander and pet odors, Room coverage up to 700 sq. ft |
If you want to save the ground area, the RabbitAir MinusA2 SPA-700A with an additional wall-mounting option is perfectly what you’re after.
How to choose a good HEPA air purifier?
Room Coverage
Each HEPA air purifier is designed to handle a certain size range of room and the measuring unit is Square Feet (sq. ft. or ft²). For example, the room coverage of Coway AP-1512HH is 361 ft² while the RENPHO Air Purifier is 301 ft².
So, what’s the point?
Multiply the room’s width by the length (measured in feet) to get your room’s area and then, find an air purifier with equivalent square footage rating.
Types of HEPA filters
You possibly have heard that HEPA filters are the most efficient type out of a bunch with the highest allergen particle removal ability. But do you know that there are three different types of HEPA filters?
They are:
- HEPA-type Filter: A lower version of true HEPA filter that can trap allergen particles as small as 1 micron or larger. HEPA-type filter in fact doesn’t meet the strict regulations set in place by the United States Department of Energy (DOE).
- True HEPA Filter: This is the most popular type with the highest standard air filter – capture 99.97% of allergen particles as small as 0.3 microns or larger, satisfying the standards set by the US. DOE.
- BioGS HEPA Filter: The advanced version of true HEPA filter that’s specialized in decreasing the built-up microscopic particles on the filter, meaning that it will last longer (generally within 18 months to 3 years)
Apparently, the more advanced the HEPA filter, the more expensive the air purifiers.
Noise Level
One downside of HEPA filters, however, is the noise factor.
That’s why you should consider this feature especially if intending to place it in bedrooms or kids’ rooms and it depends on several elements:
- Fan speeds: The faster the speed, the louder
- Manufacturing quality: A cheaply-made unit might noise up to 10 times than the well-made ones
- Type of HEPA filters: The more advanced the filter, the quieter
Below are the common ranges of air purifier’s noise level as well as a short descriptions to let you easily get an idea for each. Notice that the measuring unit is decibel (dB).
| Noise Level (dB) | Description |
| 70 | Vacuum Cleaner |
| 60 | Normal Conversation |
| 50 | Average Home |
| 40 | Raindrops |
| 30 | Whisper |
| 20 | Falling Leaves |
| 10 | Breathing |
Best HEPA air purifier brands
Coway
Start off with the longest-history brand in this list – Coway – which has been a market leader in both Malaysia and Korea in terms of environmental solutions. Their three strengths are modern designs, innovations, and technologies.
RENPHO
RENPHO is a young company, founded in California in 2015 but these two things have made their quick worldwide recognition are:
- Their products are always certificated from well-known organizations and companies
- Follow the international quality standards
LEVOIT
Another newcomer is LEVOIT and similar to RENPHO, they show no inferior sides to any senior brands. While chasing for the strict rushes of innovation, quality, and trendy designs in the air purifier industry, LEVOIT makes itself outstanding due to a high standard of personalized customer service.
RabbitAir
RabbitAir was founded in 2004, in Los Angeles and was ranked as one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. by Inc. magazine within 2009 – 2018. Besides, they also received the Bizrate® Circle of Excellence® Platinum Award in 2017-2018 for excellent customer service.
Hathaspace
In contrast to the three brands above, Hathaspace just focuses on air quality improvement, which means they keep the products’ design as minimal as possible. The goal of combining modern technologies and ancient and timeless virtues really makes them stand out from the crowd.
ALen
To give the best option to people’s air quality improvement needs, ALen provides customizable and comprehensive solutions that you can easily find out the most suitable one. They are also the very first brand in this list that offers a Forever Guarantee for each product.
FAQs
Can air purifiers be harmful?
Air purifiers are only useful when you choose the right type. Conversely, a wrong type might cause discomfort or worse, some health issues.
The “wrong type” of air purifiers that I’d to mention here are the ionizers and ozone generators.
Where should I place my air purifier?
In most cases, air purifiers should be placed in the middle of the room with no objects, furniture or things like that obstructing the flow of air.
If it’s for bedrooms, the directional registers should point towards you for the highest efficiency and the air purifier itself should be positioned within 6’ to 10’ of distance.
Some people who don’t like to put a tall unit in their room’s center for aesthetics issues, choosing a 360-degree filtration model is a good alternation. Just remember to place it at least 6” far away from the walls.
Can I put my air purifier on a table?
As long as the air purifier is small and compact enough to not disturb anything on the table, it’s possible to be placed there. In fact, there are many small air purifiers designed specifically for office desks or computers.
What is better for allergies humidifier or air purifier?
Humidifiers are designed to provide and adjust the humid level of a certain space while purifiers are for cleaning the air. With high-quality filtration systems, it can capture different sizes of allergen particles with a rate of up to 99.97%.
For such reasons, air purifiers are better for allergies.
Will an air purifier help with sinus problems?
Some air purifiers that are equipped with 3-stage filtration systems, including activated carbon filters and HEPA filters, can help with sinus problems.
These two vital types of filters trap almost tobacco smoke, pet dander and hair, mold spores, pollens, and dust – things that your sensitive nose/sinus usually react to.
Which is better air purifier or ionizer?
To identify which is better, this comparison table will help you:
| Air purifiers | Ionizers | |
| How they work | Pass air through different filters to capture allergen particles and pollutants | Emit negatively charged ions into the air, making allergens and pollutant particles stick together or other objects to get rid of the air |
| Pros | High-efficiency units can filter up to 99.97% of allergen particles as small as 0.3 microns or larger Useful for asthma or allergy sufferers | Can remove tiny particles |
| Cons | Only eliminate airborne contaminants, not the ones that have been settled out of the air | Can’t work on large particles like pet dander and hair, or dust Not healthy for people suffering respiratory problems, like asthma |
Conclusion
I hope that this list of 10 best HEPA air purifiers meets what you’re looking for. It’s safe to assume that the ultimate buying guide has saved you tons of hours searching through numerous websites to just find the one you are in need. Thanks for reading!
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I’m James J. Decker, a hobbyist and DIYs and also a big of home improvement and gardening tools. I immensely enjoy how these amazing products improve productivity and efficiency, and allow me to do jobs for which I would’ve otherwise needed professional help.
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