Are you suffering allergies and want instant relief?
Then this guide on the best air purifier for allergies was written for you.
The fact is that indoor air is often two to five times more polluted than outdoor air because of dust, pollen, allergens, mold, and airborne chemicals that accumulate inside your home.
And some allergens, like dust mites, can be suspended in the air for 20 to 30 minutes, while other particles can remain for hours, such as pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and tobacco smoke.
Additionally, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are present in most of our daily lives because our homes and offices contain paint, furniture, cleaning supplies, office equipment, and dry-cleaned clothes, with the most common symptoms being random headaches and fatigue.
So, to help you get relief from airborne allergens and chemicals, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide on the best allergy air purifier models.
Below, you’ll find the top features to look for in these units as well as a list of the best air purifiers that deliver cleaner, healthier air for you to breathe.
Table of Contents
Best Air Purifier for Allergies Comparison Chart
Here’s a chart showing a comparison between the top products.
We’ll go more in depth about each one later in this guide, but this gives you a sense of what’s available and an easy way to quickly compare them.
| Image | Air Purifier Details | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | Honeywell HPA300 True HEPA Allergen Remover
| Check Price |
  | Levoit Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | Rabbit Air MinusA2 Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | GermGuardian AC4825 Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | AIRMEGA 300S Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | Coway Mighty Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | Dyson Pure Cool Link Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | Molekule Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | Winix HR900 Air Purifier
| Check Price |
Top Features to Look for in the Best Allergy Air Purifier
True HEPA Filter
When you start shopping for an air purifier, you’ll want to make sure it uses a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
But not just any HEPA filter.
It needs to be a True HEPA filter.
The word “True” in the name means that the filter meets certain standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy, including the ability to remove 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.3 microns in size.
A HEPA filter is extremely effective at removing airborne allergens, dust, mold spores, pollen, smoke, particulate matter (PM2.5), and other pollutants that impact your allergies.
If the air filter in your air purifier doesn’t have a True HEPA filter, then it won’t capture all of the microscopic pollutants that trigger allergy symptoms.
Activated Carbon Filter
There are a number of different pollutants in the air that can have an impact on your health and irritate your allergies.
Some of these are called volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
And VOCs are created by a chemical reaction called “off-gassing”.
VOCs are incredibly common and can be found in numerous items throughout your home, including paint, furniture, cleaning products, carpeting, new appliances, and others.
VOCs and other gaseous fumes are often odorless, so the only way you know you’re being exposed is because you will experience specific symptoms.
These symptoms might include:
- Headaches
- Respiratory issues
- Dry nose
- Sore throat
- Fatique
Having an air purifier with an Activated Carbon filter is the best way to remove harmful VOC elements from the air.
And this can help reduce your allergy symptoms and improve you and your family’s health.
Additionally, Activated Carbon filters not only get rid of toxic VOCs and other chemicals in the air, but they’re also good for removing odors from your home from things like smoke (including tobacco), cooking odors, pets, mold, and other smells
An Activated Carbon filter used in combination with a True HEPA filter ensures that you get the purest and cleanest air circulating throughout your home.
Air Changes Per Hour (ACH) Rating
The Air Changes Per Hour or ACH rating on an air purifier indicates how long it takes the unit to filter the total volume of air within a room.
Typically, to ensure that you’re getting clean, fresh air in your home, you want an air purifier with at least a 2x ACH rating.
This means that it will exchange the air in the room two times per hour or once every 30 minutes.
If you suffer from severe allergies, then you should get an air purifier that has a 4x ACH rating.
This means that it will filter the air four times per hour or every 15 minutes to give you the most relief.
The more the air in your home passes through the filters in an air purifier, the cleaner it will be so that you don’t experience itchy, watery eyes; dry nose and throat; or respiratory issues that can be caused by allergens and other pollutants.
Additionally, you can raise or lower the ACH rating by using your air purifier in a smaller or larger room than it’s designed for.
For example, if you have a small 200 square foot room and you place an air purifier in it that’s rated for 400 square feet with a 4x ACH rating, then the unit will double its ACH rating to 8x and clean the air at a faster rate.
Conversely, if you put an air purifier that’s rated for a 200 square foot room with a 4x ACH rating into a room that’s 400 square feet in size, then it will reduce the ACH rating to 2x and take twice as long to purify the air.
If you have really bad allergies, then we suggest that you get an air purifier that meets or exceeds the square footage for the room you’re going to use it in.
That way, you can make sure that the air purifier is working most effectively at removing airborne particles that impact your allergies and health.
To measure the square footage for a room, just multiple the width (in feet) by the length (in feet).For example, a 15′ room X 20′ room = 300 square feet.
Best Air Purifiers for Allergies List
1. Overall Best Air Purifier: Honeywell HPA300 True HEPA Allergen Remover
Covers 465 square feet
5x ACH Rating
If you’re looking for an air purifier that works hard to remove contaminants from the air in your home, then look no further than this one.
It’s the best air purifier for allergies because it has the highest Air Changes Per Hour (5x) for large rooms up to 465 square feet.
It’s a good unit to use in living rooms and bedrooms where allergens are usually at their worst.
Another reason this air purifier so powerful is that it comes with three True HEPA filters to capture 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns.
No other unit at this price or size has that many True HEPA filters.
You also get an Activated Carbon pre-filter to remove harmful airborne chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
This unit comes with three air cleaning levels, as well as a Turbo Clean fan speed setting.
It can remove dust, dust mites, pollen, mold, pet dander, smoke, and other common allergens.
It also has the ability to capture some germs and reduce common household odors.
When you use this purifier, you’ll be able to breathe easier knowing that the air in your home has fewer allergens.
2. Best Budget: Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier for Allergies
Covers 322 square feet
2x ACH Rating
If you’re looking for the best allergy air purifier that’s budget-friendly and doesn’t sacrifice air cleaning abilities for the price, then you’ll want to check this one out.
It comes with a 3-stage air filtration system that includes:
- Pre-filter for the largest allergens and dust.
- True HEPA filter to remove 99.97% of pollutants 0.3 microns and bigger.
- Activated Carbon filter to extract airborne gases and odors.
Another top benefit of this air purifier is the Automatic Air Quality Sensor.
This feature means that the unit will monitor the air quality in the room and automatically adjust the fan speed to strip out the contaminants.
This feature allows you to enjoy purified air without having to worry about adjusting the unit to ensure it’s working effectively.
Another major benefit of this air purifier is that it’s incredibly quiet. It only has a noise level of 27 decibels, which means you will barely hear it running.
That’s a good thing if you’re using this air purifier in a bedroom or living room where noise is a top concern.
3. Best for Severe Allergies: IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier
Covers 1,125 square feet
5x ACH Rating
If you’re looking for the best of the best air purifiers for severe allergies, then you need to consider this advanced unit here.
This is one of the only air purifiers that includes a medical-grade HEPA filter.
It has the most advanced HyperHEPA filter that can trap allergens down to 0.003 microns in size—that’s 100 times smaller than what a standard True HEPA filter can trap.
Plus, it lasts up to 4 years before you ever need to replace it.
When this unit is running, it has the ability to capture the finest dust particles, allergens, pollen, mold spores, bacteria, and some viruses.
This air purifier also has a special V5-Cell Odor & Gas filter that removes the widest range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other toxic gases from the air.
That filter lasts up to 2 full years.
With that combination of air filters, you know it’s super effective and efficient at removing airborne particles that aggravate allergies and asthma in the largest rooms around your home.
And finally, the company has even formed an educational partnership with the American Lung Association because of this air purifier.
4. Best for Large Rooms: Rabbit Air MinusA2 Air Purifier
Covers 350 to 700 square feet
2x ACH Rating for 700 square feet
4x ACH for 350 square feet for severe allergy sufferers
When it comes to air purifiers that offer powerful performance at a quiet noise level for large rooms, this is the unit you’re looking for.
In many ways, it’s our favorite air purifier ever made.
For starters, it also comes with a 6-stage air filtration system that includes:
- Pre-filter for large allergen particles
- Medium filter that eliminate medium-size dust and other allergens.
- BioGS HEPA filters that remove 99.97% of airborne pollutants down to 0.3 microns, including ultrafine dust, pollen, mold spores, and bacteria. This is a more advanced type of True HEPA filter that lasts up to 2 years.
- Activated Carbon filter that gets rid of odors and VOCs.
- Custom filter to further personalize the air cleaning power of your unit. You can choose between the Germ Defense Filter, Pet Allergy Filter, Toxin Absorber Filter, and Odor Remover Filter.
- Ionizer to improve the air cleaning performance of the unit by charging airborne particles so they’re more easily capture by the internal filters.
Some of the additional features that make this air purifier really stand out include:
- Wall mountable for better positioning and convenience.
- Customizable front panel with multiple color choices and designs. You’ll be able to make this unit match with any décor you have in your home by adding solid colors or artistic designs that make it look like a work of art.
- Large room size coverage up to 700 square feet.
All-in-all, you won’t find any other air purifier that’s as advanced or powerful as this one for removing allergens from the air.
It comes jam-packed with all of the air cleaning capabilities you need and has the most customizable features of any other air purifier that’s out there.
5. Best for Small Rooms: GermGuardian AC4825 Air Purifier
Covers 167 square feet
4x ACH Rating
Perhaps you just need an air purifier for a small room or personal space.
If that’s the case, this unit has you covered.
Not only does this air purifier work to remove harmful pollutants from that air that might aggravate your allergies or asthma, but it also comes with an Ultraviolet (UV-C) light to kill airborne bacteria and viruses.
The UV-C light makes it an ideal unit to reduce your chances of getting sick in addition to helping with allergy symptoms.
The power of the UV-C light works by changing the DNA of bacteria and viruses. When this occurs, they’re rendered unable to infect humans.
This air purifier also comes with the essential filters to remove other harmful airborne particles:
- True HEPA filter that captures microscopic dust, pet dander, pollen, and other allergens.
- Activated Carbon filter that reduces common household odors and chemical vapors.
Additionally, this unit comes with three fan speed settings, and a filter change indicator.
The lowest fan speed can also double as white noise, which can help you get a better night’s sleep.
6. Best Smart Allergy Air Purifier: AIRMEGA 300S
Covers 1,256 square feet
2x ACH Rating
If you’re looking for a Wi-Fi enabled smart air purifier for allergies, this is the best one to choose.
It has a massive amount of room coverage (1,256 sq. ft.) and can be controlled from any iOS or Android mobile device as well as Alexa.
You can even set it up with Amazon’s Dash Replenishment program to get replacement air filters delivered right to your door without any effort on your part.
Additionally, the smart capabilities of this air purifier allow you to get air quality alerts on your mobile device and set up personalized air cleaning schedules for every day of the week.
You can even control this air purifier when you’re not home through any Internet connection.
This advanced feature allows you to set your air purifier to the ideal setting that will ensure you get the cleanest, freshest air possible at all hours of the day.
This unit comes with several high-quality filters, including:
- Washable and permanent pre-filter that assists in capturing larger dust particles.
- Two True HEPA filters that capture 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns in size.
- Two Activated Carbon filters that reduce more than 99% of VOCs from your home’s air and decreases ammonia and acetaldehyde fumes.
This unit also comes with 5 fan speed settings, including Smart, Sleep, Low, Medium, and High.
It also has a timer that allows you to set it to run for 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours.
If you’re looking for the best allergy air purifier that’s also the most technologically advanced option, then you’ll enjoy all that this unit has to offer.
7. Best Energy-Saver: Coway Mighty Air Purifier
Covers 361 square feet
4x ACH Rating
How would you like an air purifier that’s smart enough to use the least amount of energy possible to clean your indoor air?
If that sounds good for your budget, then you’ll love this air purifier right here for average size rooms such as living rooms, bedrooms, and home offices.
It’s the only air purifier of its kind that comes with an energy-saving Eco Mode.
When Eco Mode is turned on, this unit automatically turns itself off when it senses that the air in the room is clean.
Then, it will turn itself back on when the air quality dips below certain thresholds.
With Eco Mode enabled, you’re getting the cleanest, freshest air possible for the lowest monthly energy cost.
This air purifier also comes with an Air Quality Indicator light that changes colors to visually let you know how clean or dirty your indoor air is (Blue = Clean, Purple = Moderately polluted, Red = Highly polluted).
As for the interanl air filters, this unit comes with a 4-stage air filtration system that includes:
- Pre-filter for the largest contaminants.
- True HEPA filter for ultrafine allergens.
- Activated Carbon filter for airborne gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Ionizer to boost the air cleaning power.
Each of these filters is in place to ensure that this air purifier removes the most airborne particles and odors to make your indoor air as clean as possible.
It can remove dust, mold, bacteria, and allergens from the air to ensure you’re breathing easy.
It also comes with a timer that can be set for 1, 4, or 8 hours as well as a filter change indicator to let you know when it’s time to change the filters.
8. Best Combo Air Purifier: Dyson Pure Cool Link
Covers 300 square feet
ACH Rating is not available
Dyson is a well-known brand for producing a number of high-quality appliances for the home.
And air purifiers are one of them.
It’s Certified Asthma and Allergy Friendly and was awarded the Quietmark accreditation in 2018.
What makes this unit so attractive though is the ability to double as a fan and air purifier.
That means this device can keep you cool in the summer while also removing allergens from the air you breathe.
It’s also a Wi-Fi smart air purifier, which means you can control it from your smartphone or pair it with Alexa to get voice control.
When you add this unit to your home, you’ll have the ability to get up-to-the-minute reports on the quality of your indoor air.
It closely monitors the air quality of the room and makes adjustments to ensure that you’re getting the cleanest air possible.
Inside, this air purifier has two powerful air filters:
- True HEPA filter that removes dust, pollen, pet dander, and bacteria from the air in your home.
- Activated Carbon filter to capture common household odors and VOCs.
These filters also have a 360-degree design, so air is drawn in from all sides of the unit.
Plus, it offers 350 degrees of oscillation to direct clean airflow exactly where you need it inside the room.
9. Best PECO-Filter Air Purifier: Molekule
Covers 600 square feet
ACH Rating is not available
If you’re looking for an incredibly advanced air purifier that does more than just trap allergens and airborne pollutants, then you’ll want to check out what this unit has to offer.
It comes with a special PECO filter that’s coated with a proprietary light-activated catalyst that actually breaks down VOCs, mold, viruses, bacteria, allergens, and other pollutants at a molecular level.
Other air purifiers that use standard True HEPA filters just trap the pollutants inside the mesh material, which then get tossed when you replace the filter.
With the PECO filter design, this unit is also incredibly quiet and energy efficient.
It’s also Wi-Fi enabled, making it a smart air purifier that can be controlled with a mobile device.
As an added bonus to the sleek tower design, it includes a leather carrying handle for you to move it from room to room around the house.
The performance and coverage is also excellent at 600 square feet, making it best for large rooms like a basement, living room, big bedroom, or office space.
With looks that make this unit resemble a piece of modern art, it’s a great addition to add to any home to keep your air clean and easy to breathe.
Buy the Molekule air purifier now.
10. Best for Pet Allergies: Winix HR900 True HEPA Air Purifier
Covers 300 square feet
4x ACH Rating
If you have cats, dogs, or other pets in your home and are looking for a way to reduce the pet dander, allergens, odors, and hair, then look no further than this air purifier here.
It comes with everything you need to have a pet-friendly and clean home:
- Pre-filter that acts as the first line of defense against pet hair and dander, as well as other large household particles.
- True HEPA filter to eliminate 99.97% of ultrafine allergens and bacteria.
- Advanced Odor Control Carbon filter that captures pet odors, in addition to smoke, cooking scents, and other smells commonly found in your home. It’s also washable and reusable—a feature not found in other pet air purifiers.
- Patetented PlasmaWave technology that safely breaks apart allergens, chemical vapors, odors, and other pollutants at the molecular level by using water vapor. This makes the air purifier 100% safe for the health of you and your pets.
- Smart Sensors to automatically adjust the fan speed of the unit to ensure that the air in your home is as clean as it can be.
This air purifier was designed specifically with pet owners in mind.
So, if you’re looking for the best way to remove airborne pet particles and other pollutants, this may be the best air purifier to add to your home.
Common Questions About Air Purifiers
Do air purifiers really work for allergies?
Yes, an air purifier can work for allergies if contains a True HEPA filter.
A True HEPA filter removes 99.97% of ultrafine airborne particles down to 0.3 microns that are known to cause allergies.
What does an air purifier do for allergies?
An air purifier helps reduce allergies.
Air purifiers force room air through a series of filters made of fine mesh that trap harmful particles such as pollen, pet dander, dust, dust mites, mold spores, and tobacco smoke.
What is better for allergies humidifier or air purifier?
An air purifier is better for allergies.
Air purifiers serve a different purpose than humidifiers. An air purifier is designed to remove airborne allergens, dust, mold spores, gases, and reduce odors from a room.
A humidifier is designed to control the relative humidity level in a room and do nothing to control the air quality or the number of particles in the air.
Do air purifiers help with pollen allergies?
Yes, air purifiers help with pollen allergies. An air purifier removes pollen and other airborne allergens from indoor air.
Using an air purifier in the main living areas of your home, like the bedroom and living room, can significantly reduce pollen allergy triggers.
Do air purifiers help with dust?
Yes, air purifiers help with dust.
An air purifier can trap dust particles before they have a chance to settle on the floor and furniture.
This results in less dust in the air for you to breathe and reduces the accumulation of dust on our floors, books, and shelves.
Do air purifiers help with hay fever?
Yes, air purifiers help with hay fever.
The best air purifiers for hayfever use a True HEPA filter to effectively trap pollen particles.
By removing pollen particles from the air, you remove the triggers that cause hay fever symptoms.
Do air purifiers help with pet allergies?
Yes, air purifiers help with pet allergies.
An air purifier with a high-grade HEPA filter can remove the pet dander particles from the air that cause allergy symptoms related to cats and dogs.
Will an air purifier help with sinus problems?
Yes, air purifiers can help with sinus problems.
Air purifiers remove the microscopic airborne allergens that are known to cause sinus infections.
How do I know if my air purifier is working?
You can tell if an air purifier is working by looking at the air filters.
On a HEPA filter, you’ll dust, dirt, hair, and other debris filling up the pleats that make up the filter.
On an Activated Carbon filter, you’ll only see a coating of dust particles. The trapped gases, vapors, and chemicals will be invisible to the naked eye.
How long should an air purifier run?
An air purifier should run 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to get the maximum air cleaning effectiveness and performance.
How long does it take for an air purifier to be effective?
A good air purifier can be effective in as little as 12 to 15 minutes after being turned on.
Every minute that the air purifier runs, the room air is being drawn through the air filtration system and harmful airborne particles are being collected.
Many of the top air purifiers can exchange the full volume of air in a room up to five times (5x) every hour. That means the room air is being filtered every 12 to 15 minutes.
What is the best air purifier for allergy sufferers?
There are several air purifiers that are best for allergy sufferers.
The top units include the models reviewed on this page.
Each air purifier contains a number of high-quality features to help with allergies and meet a variety of room sizes and budgets.
- Honeywell HPA300 True HEPA Allergen Remover
- Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier
- IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier
- Rabbit Air MinusA2 Air Purifier
- GermGuardian AC4825 Air Purifier
- AIRMEGA 300S Air Purifier
- Coway Mighty Air Purifier
- Dyson Pure Cool Link Air Purifier
- Molekule Air Purifier
- Winix HR900 True HEPA Air Purifier
Summary
We hope you enjoyed this guide on on the best air purifier for allergies.
As you discovered, the best allergy air purifier comes from a variety of manufacturers and brands.
Just be sure that the air purifier you pick includes a high-quality True HEPA filter (or more advanced version of this filter) and has a good number of air changes per hour.
With those two things in place, you’ll have a good air purifier to help with all types of airborne allergens.