Between wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, floods, air pollution bacteria, allergens, and medical issues like asthma, there is no time like the present to purchase an air purifier. Before making your decision, check out this list of the best air purifier brands, listed in alphabetical order. Each company offers its own style and technology, so you can decide exactly what is right for you. If you still need guidance, please connect with a Curated Air Purifier Expert for advice.

Alen

Alen was founded in 2005 in Austin, Texas, with the mission of providing healthy breathing in shared indoor spaces. They were an industry first in offering lifetime warranties (Forever Guaranties). Alen takes pride in their collaborative and friendly work culture, and their company continues to give to their community from donating purifiers to classrooms to donating food to their local Texas food bank.

Alen combines innovative technology and simplistic design to create purifiers that blend into any space. They are transparent on their website, with their menu option that shows the specifications for each unit along with price, ozone production, and customer rating. This makes it easy for the consumer to find the ideal model for their needs.

Alen’s filters are specifically designed for each type of air need with choices such as the Pet True Hepa (High-efficiency particulate air) filter, which eradicates fecal and urine odors, or the Fresh True Hepa filter, which is medical grade with an activated carbon filter. Customizable faceplates allow the consumer to choose the right color and tone for their space. Alen prides themself on their smart app, which can be used with one or multiple units and shows both indoor air quality and outdoor, in each location, provides analytics on the best placement of each of your purifiers, and shows the particles that the purifier is removing from the room.

Austin Air

Austin Air’s history goes back to 1990 when they created the Austin HealthMate. But the story doesn’t start there. Austin Air was founded by the late Richard Taylor in an effort to help his wife, Joyce, combat a respiratory illness that she had dealt with her entire life. Since Joyce seemed to do better in the hospital than at home, Taylor aimed to bring medical-grade quality air into the home. Initially, he built all of the units himself. Now his company is one of the largest manufacturers of air cleaners in the world and is known as “America’s Air Cleaner.” All of their units are assembled in Buffalo, New York.

What sets Austin apart from other companies is the medical grade testing that they put their units through at the hands of Battelle Laboratories, a military testing facility in Aberdeen, Maryland, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Johns Hopkins University, Washington University, and Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. On top of that, they were recommended for use by the Red Cross, FEMA, and The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) after 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Sandy.

Their models have been used to target several cities' health problems after such events as chemical weapons eliminations, air pollution due to nearby airports, and natural gas leaks. Having already established a long history with many organizations, when COVID hit, Austin Air was the brand to turn to. Another interesting fact is that Austin Air also realized the importance for elite athletes to have clean air and has partnered with such organizations as the Buffalo Bills and Sabres.

Austin Air units are pretty simple, with their one-dial operation, three fan speeds to choose from, and coverage of up to 1,500sq ft (larger than the average living room). They are housed in a steel casing and can be moved from room to room on wheels. The reason why they work so well is the fact that they have massive medical- and military-grade air filters, which can last up to 5 years.

Blueair

What better place to breathe fresh air than Sweden? This is exactly the experience that Blueair’s founder Bengt Rittri wanted to replicate in his brand of purifiers. Founded on the belief that the freedom to breathe clean air is a right, Blueair sought to purify the air for the next generation and continues to be a frontrunner in the “Most Recommended Air Purifier” articles by Good Housekeeping and product review website Wirecutter.

Environmental impact and safety are taken very seriously by Blueair. Citing Unicef, they acknowledge that air pollution is one of the top contributors to child mortality, and they developed an initiative called “Clean Air for Children” that tackles air pollution through fundraising and donations.

With faster cleaning, lower noise using their HepaSilent technology, and lower energy, Blueair offers five types of purifiers that they sort by families: Blue, Classic, DustMagnet, Protect, and Pro. Their Protect models won four well-known awards in 2021 including the globally recognized Red Dot and iF Design awards. From simple one-button operation units to more complex technology that can even tell you how long it will take the purifier to clean the air, Blueair has an option for everyone.

Coway

Coway was founded in 1989 with the mission to provide healthier lives for people. To achieve this goal, they focus on three products, air purifiers, water purifiers, and bidets. Founded in South Korea, Coway seeks to bring a feng shui aesthetic design to function. The first thing that often stands out is the unique look that Coway purifiers have. In their design process, Coway eliminates what is not necessary and simplifies their purifiers using a function-over-form model. Coway has won seven awards for their designs, including the prestigious Red Dot and iF design awards. Coway has their own R&D center, and they sell their products in over 40 countries. Selling a purifier every 31 seconds over the past 4 years as stated on their website, Coway has mastered the art of making purifiers that fit well into any home/office decor with exceptional performance.

Each Coway unit is similar in that they all offer three fan speeds, an air quality indicator, an auto mode, and a filter replacement indicator. The main differences, aside from what size room each purifier covers, are the smart capabilities and filter types that each purifier has.

Fellowes

A well-known company name among businesses, Fellowes started in 1917 providing boxes to bankers to help keep their files sorted. Since then they have worked hard to improve office spaces everywhere. Fellowes dove into the air purifier space in 2012 as more and more countries shared a growing concern for air quality. They started with personal units and expanded to commercial two years later. They boast a huge list of companies on their website that use their purifiers from sports arenas to medical facilities to museums.

What sets Fellowes air purifiers apart is their detection. Their trademarked EnviroSmart technology uses multiple sensors to not only monitor air quality but also room occupancy, movement, and noise levels. Instead of having a commercial air purifier that tends to be set on the lowest fan speed without easy adjustments, you now have a purifier that knows exactly when it needs to clean the air, how fast to go, and for how long. This guarantees that office spaces are being purified at the right rate for room occupancy and prevents wasted energy by shutting off when there is no one around. Not only can it detect particles, but it detects odors and volatile organic compounds as well and responds accordingly. It also allows the user to override the system if they prefer a specific noise level.

On top of that technology, Fellowes purifiers contain heavy-duty filters that are certified against viruses and filter 99.99% of all airborne particles, helping to prevent the spread of office-wide illness. Additionally, a purifier can be chosen that shows its efficacy on the faceplate for easy real-time monitoring, and Fellowes’ team of HVAC specialists is available to assess what units are needed in which spaces in addition to the mandatory HVAC system to achieve the right air quality. For a complete rundown of Fellowes’ technology and the science behind their purifiers, they offer webinars, case studies, research materials, product videos, and a blog on their website for those who want to “geek” out.

Honeywell

Is there anything Honeywell doesn’t do? From aerospace to logistics, to personal home products, Honeywell offers solutions to many problems. Established back in 1885 with the invention of heating solutions, Honeywell has since become a common household name. After joining forces with Kaz Industries, they became experts in the air filtration space. With their most expensive air purifier, which covers large rooms, coming in under $400, Honeywell purifiers continue to be an effective option for the average consumer and are sought after for their simplicity and ease of use.

IQAir

IQAir started in Germany in 1963 when two brothers, Manfred and Klaus Hammes, sought to solve the issue of soot build-up from residential oven use. Manfred suffered from asthma that got noticeably worse in the winter and noticed that applying a filter to the oven significantly helped to abate his symptoms. Building on their research and discoveries, IQAir successfully delivered their first high-performance air purifier in 1998.

IQAir has been crucial in developing a way to track air quality worldwide. With over 80,000 public sensors that collect real-time air quality data, they have the largest air quality data platform in the world. Each purchaser of an IQAir product can choose to participate in the ongoing scientific research and data collection. If you visit their website you can find your air quality rating and where the trackers are located around you.

With the help of crowdsourcing and partnerships with the United Nations and Greenpeace, IQAir hopes to achieve their mission of giving air quality information and education to everyone. They understand that something as simple as an air purifier in a person’s home can significantly improve both the quality and longevity of life. IQAir has also established the IQAir Foundation to bring clean air to underrepresented and underprivileged communities.

IQAir purifiers boast a unique design using HyperHEPA technology that filters 99.5% of particles considered ultrafine or smaller than 0.1 microns. With this ultrafine filtration system, even the most sensitive user will see results. And if you have decision-making paralysis like I do, there only are three models to choose from for larger spaces: one with the traditional filter, one with an additional odor and gas filter, and one with smart features. Or, if you have extra money lying around, you can choose to upgrade to the wood-crafted Klaus series limited-edition purifier.

Levoit

Levoit has worked hard to combine quality and affordability. Their models are numerous, allowing consumers to dial in exactly what they want in an air purifier and not break the bank while doing so. They are included under the umbrella company VeSync.

The VeSync platform is similar to Google Assistant, Apple, or Amazon Alexa in that it connects all of your devices in an easy-to-operate application that is also compatible with other home systems. You can control your smart vacuum, your air purifier, your humidifier, your toaster oven, your scale, your lights, and even your home security system all on one platform. The app also allows you to target personal wellness goals, create the ideal environment for you (temperature, humidity, air quality), and even keep track of your sleep. If you’re a budding botanist and purchase one of their humidifiers, you can even subscribe to the plant database that recommends the exact humidity each plant needs and have your humidifier automatically adjust to it. If you really want to buy into a total house system, this is an excellent and affordable one.

Levoit has recently paired with Project Red and launched a Core model (400S) that donates 3% of the purchase price to fight AIDS and COVID-19. The core models typically boast H13 filtration, quiet operation using their QuietKeap Technology, and faster air cleaning with their patented Vortex Air technology.

Rabbit Air

Founded in 2004 in a garage in Los Angeles, Rabbit Air’s mission is to bring their customers friendly service and top-quality products. Instead of offering too many air purifiers to choose from, they homed in on three models to put their time and expertise into. This both simplifies the choices for the consumer and enforces their mission statement, as they can center their entire focus on those models. Their most recent model, the A3, has already won the Red Dot and iF design awards.

What sets Rabbit Air apart is the unique design and features that they offer on their purifiers. Using a brushless motor, Rabbit Air purifiers are truly the quietest air purifiers on the market. They have zero ozone production and offer a five-year warranty, so any consumer can purchase with confidence. The MinusA2 and A3 purifiers are mountable; have customizable faceplates and filters that provide extra filtration to target specific needs like pet dander, allergies, and smoke; and are equipped with multi-color LED lights to add ambiance (the lights can be set to go into sleep mode or turn off when it is dark). Rabbit Air also gives back by supporting three major hospitals as well as the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Winix

Founded in South Korea, Winix is celebrating 50 years in the home appliance industry. With their own factories and support centers worldwide, Winix can produce a quality air purifier for much less than many of their competitors. With 14 options to choose from, consumers can find the right model for both their spaces and their decorative tastes.

Winix models use their patented Plasmawave technology, which attracts air particles such as dust to each unit for better filtration. Each of their purifiers has a minimum of three and up to five levels of purification with their own True HEPA filter, which captures up to 99.99% of airborne allergens including smoke, and typically lasts a year on average. Winix also developed an intuitive smart app that can be used with their Wi-Fi- and smart-home-enabled units that provide up-to-date air quality and easy purifier control without having to be in the same room as the purifier or push any buttons. Winix is truly focused on improving the environment for every living thing.

If you have any questions about these brands or want to find the right air purifier for you, reach out to a Curated Air Purifier Expert for free, personalized advice and recommendations.