Air purifiers are fundamentally simple machines—little more than a fan and a filter. Yet a well-designed purifier can capture virtually all airborne allergens, such as pollen and mold spores, as well as bacteria, viruses, and smoke.
We’ve tested more than 60 air purifiers in the past nine years, and the exceptional Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty is our top pick among them. It’s powerful enough to clean a large room, quiet enough to sleep near, engineered to run for years, and inexpensive enough to set up several throughout a home. But it’s not the only excellent air purifier we’ve found, and if you prefer the looks, price, or features of our other recommendations, be assured that they, too, are top-notch performers.
Our pick
Perfect for bedrooms, playrooms, and living rooms, this purifier is one of the highest-performing, most-durable, and most-economical models we’ve tested.
Within 30 minutes, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty reduced heavy smoke pollution in a New York City office by as much as 99.6%; this is comparable to the performance of other top machines and has been consistent in multiple test spaces. We’ve pushed this machine beyond its on-paper limits in various ways—including running its filters 24/7 for two years, twice as long as recommended—and it has never wavered or weakened. It offers great value on initial and long-term costs, and its compact form, quiet operation, and display-light shutoff make it especially well suited to using it in a bedroom or living room.
Runner-up
Virtually identical to our top pick on features and performance, this purifier is a great choice if you prefer its looks or find it at a better price.
The Coway Airmega 200M is virtually identical to Coway’s Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty in every important respect. They’re equivalent in noise and performance measurements, their filters are interchangeable, and their similar controls allow you to shut off the display lights. The 200M has a square grille rather than a round one, but that’s the only major physical difference. If you prefer the 200M’s looks or you find it at a better price, we recommend it.
Also great
This purifier is terrific overall, but it has minor shortcomings, including a stark look, no display shutoff, and slightly elevated electrical use.
The Winix 5500-2 is an exceptional performer on particulates air pollution: It captured as much as 99.9% of the smoke in our test room in just 30 minutes on high. We prefer the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty for its lower energy consumption, smaller visual footprint, and manual display-shutoff feature. The related 5300-2 and C535 (which is exclusive to the Winix store and Walmart) lack a few of the 5500-2’s features, but they perform just as well and may be available at lower prices. We’ve had similarly strong results with every other Winix we’ve tested, including the AM80 and Wi-Fi–enabled AM90—not surprising given that the only meaningful differences between them are their looks.
Also great
With quiet operation, good color options, and performance matching our other picks, this is a great choice, although the cost of filter replacements can run relatively high.
The Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max is similarly excellent in purifying performance to our other standard-space picks and offers notably quiet performance, terrific energy efficiency, and a display shutoff. A re-engineered motor (versus its predecessor, the 311 Auto), a larger and less dense filter, and a more-open outlet grille account for its lower electricity consumption and noise output. The Blueair app lets you monitor your air quality and adjust the machine’s settings remotely. And it’s a particularly attractive machine, with a tweed-like, washable cover available in several muted colors. One minor knock: The company recommends replacing the filters every six to nine months, pushing yearly replacement costs above those of some similar purifiers.
Also great
Similar in performance to other purifiers its size, the Levoit impressed in initial and long-term testing.
Levoit’s Vital 200S matched the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty in performance tests, and the two are very similar in terms of energy efficiency, noise output, and an ability to shut off the display while maintaining the fan setting of your choosing. It’s been working flawlessly in our first year of long-term testing in a New York City apartment.
Upgrade pick
The Blue Pure 211i Max aced our tests, and on top of its powerful performance, it stands out for its energy efficiency, quiet operation, user-friendly features, and good looks.
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max, meant for large spaces around 500 square feet, is a stellar performer, reducing smoke levels in our test room by more than 99.9% on its high and high-medium settings. In spite of the power, it’s extremely energy efficient and quieter than you’d expect. You can shut off the display while it runs, which helps if you’re light sensitive while trying to sleep. There’s a child lock for the controls. Its air-quality sensor reads your room’s particulate-pollution levels at 1, 2.5, and 10 microns (aka PM1, PM2.5, and PM10—broadly equivalent to smoke, dust, and pollen). An app remotely monitors its readings and can control its settings. It’s priced accordingly, and if you’re considering this for a small to medium room, you can get more than ample purifying performance for at least $100 less with our other picks.
Budget pick
In a bedroom, dorm room, nursery, or office, the compact and cost-friendly Clorox Medium Room is a fine option.
In a space that’s about 200 square feet or less, the Clorox Medium Room is a solid, inexpensive purifier with liveability features we usually only see on more expensive purifiers. It excelled at removing airborne particles in our testing. Smaller purifiers tend to be less energy-efficient, but the Clorox is an exception, with lower long-term running costs than is typical for this size. A display shutoff and child lock on the controls make it easier to sleep near and suitable for nurseries and playrooms. A slightly pricier version of it is Alexa-enabled for remote or voice operation. Despite the name, this is strictly a small-room purifier, and in larger spaces, it doesn’t keep pace with our other picks.
Below, we cover a few other purifiers that fit specific needs, including a purifier for handling VOCs, and a truly smart air purifier.
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