5 best air purifiers to improve indoor air quality - SFGATE

The GermGuardian Air Purifier from Amazon

Amazon

Over the last few years, particularly in the age of Covid-19, air purifiers have grown in popularity as home appliances to provide protection from indoor air pollutants such as dust and pet dander, particles like bacteria or viruses, as well as pollen and smoke (with wildfire smoke and pollution becoming more prevalent in California, as well as all over the country). 

The good news is that most options out there do work effectively to help you breathe easier while also improving indoor air quality. However, it's worth noting that not all air purifiers are created equal, and many can't capture contaminants from items such as cleaning products and paint. 

If you or your family members suffer from allergies or asthma, air purifiers with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters can be a solid option, as they work to remove common allergens and fine particles, including 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles measuring 0.3 microns in diameter in a lab setting, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's industry standards.

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Here, we've rounded up six top-rated home air purifier options. We based our selections on ratings and reviews, as well as factors such as the square footage the units can cover, as well as the type of filtration system. 

While it's on the pricier side at around $200, this air purifier is a solid choice to clean your home's air, as it's equipped with a fabric pre-filter that covers the device and captures dust, pet hair and other particles. It also has a True HEPA filter that captures smaller particles down to .1 micron in size after air is pulled into the machine. Its HEPASilent dual filtration also delivers up to 45% faster cleaning and up to 67% less noise than traditional HEPA filtration alone, allowing to quickly clean a 388-square-foot room in about 13 minutes, or up to 1,862 square feet in around an hour on its high setting. It also removes 99.99% of pollen particles and most odors, and quietly at that. 

Honeywell is a well-known brand in the home appliance space, so it's no surprise that it makes a reliable air purifier as well. This machine uses a pre-filter and True HEPA filter to capture particles and contaminants that are as small as 0.3 microns in size. It's also available in five different sizes to fit rooms ranging from 75 square feet to 500 square feet. The mid-sized model works to clean the air as often as five times an hour, removing up to 99.97% of contaminants. While it also offers affordable replacement filters, one drawback is that it's really only suited for smaller spaces. 

Like Honeywell, Dyson is another established player among home appliances. This air purifier is a great option if you're tech-savvy and a fan of smart machines that can sync with a voice control system like Alexa through an Echo device, as this one can. If you also have a small space where you also use a space heater or fan as the weather shifts, this machine is a one-stop-shop that covers both of these bases, as well as purifying your air at the same time. With a True HEPA filter, it works to clear up to 99.97% of contaminants, including smoke, as well as other toxins and odors. It also has multiple settings, including a nighttime mode and sleep timer. 
Germ Guardian Air Purifier

If you have a small space and care about aesthetics and compactness in addition to functionality, this sleek tower design might be what you're looking for. In addition to filtering the air with charcoal and HEPA filters, this air purifier also uses UVC light to attack and kill airborne bacteria and viruses, while also eliminating odors. A downside, though, is that it only works well for rooms smaller than 167 square feet. 

If you need more than one air purifier placed throughout your house, you are likely going to want to be mindful about staying within a budget while still choosing a quality appliance. This option from Dreo covers both of those bases while still offering a machine that is fairly compact and not an eyesore. This purifier, which is certified to capture particles as small as 0.3 microns, uses three-stage filtration, which includes a fabric pre-filter, a True HEPA filter and an odor-neutralizing carbon filter. It also includes a variety of settings, including three fan speeds, as well as additional sleep, turbo and auto modes in which sensors help make adjustments based on the room's current air quality state.