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CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) is another important factor.
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
This is measured in cubic feet per minute or meters cubed per hour.
For more information on how we tested air purifiers in our lab, check outour testing processbelow.
We noticed a discrepancy between the numbers displayed on the machine and the air quality monitor.
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Ourair quality monitormeasured a PM2.5 of 8 prior to adding contaminants, which brought the level up to 999.
After running the air purifier for 10 minutes on low, the PM2.5 lowered to 5.
Tech-forward features like a laser dust scanner that constantly updates the PM2.5 add value.
Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
There was also a slight discrepancy between the numbers the machine displayed and our air quality monitor.
It has several modes, such as auto and sleep.
The purifier is Energy Star-certified, making it anenergy-efficient choice.
For comparison, HEPA filters haveMERV ratings of 17or higher.Removing the filter from the base was quick and easy.
On its highest setting, it measured 72 decibelsroughly equivalent to a dishwasher or washing machine.
While cooking, the purifier would increase its fan speed to combat smoke.
The highest setting is loud enough to be disruptive (we only used it during the day).
The Coway Airmega 100 is a great beginner air purifier, as its simple to set up and operate.
A touch-screen on top of the rig houses the controls, allowing you to toggle between four prefs.
blue means good).
After we sprayed hair products or perfume, the light would change color until the contaminant had been removed.
The Coway purifier remains highly recommended after extended testing.
That said, we havent noticed a change in performance whether the filter had been recently cleaned or not.
Theres no app available, so it doesnt provide detailed information about air quality.
Its also quiet (22 decibels on its lowest setting)a pleasant surprise for alarge-room purifier.
Perhaps most impressively, it captured a significant amount of hair on the filter.
Though we havent yet changed the filter, it still performs like new.
The pre-filter is meant to be vacuumed every two weeks.
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We experienced a marked decrease in allergy symptoms, too.
The data from our lab test backs up our experiential findings.
It uses three-stage filtration, including a high-efficiency carbon filter to help with odors.
Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
Its also ETL listed and Energy Star certified.
Since its nicely compact at 8.6 inches high and around 6 pounds, its not obtrusive.
The air purifier required no maintenance despite the fact that we ran it constantly.
The app notified us when it was time to change the filter.
Its not great at trapping hair in the filter.
The filter kit is easy to remove, thanks to a magnet.
It removed all traces of smoke and haziness, but did leave odor from incense behind.
The Rabbit Air still works just as well after six months of regular use.
We noticed fewer odors when it was running, andless dust accumulatedin the room.
It requires a pricey replacement filter.
The Alen Air BreatheSmart 75i is our pick for allergens.
In fact, we noticed that our nose was less stuffy during testing.
And the machine is great at removing odors, evenstronger ones like garlic.
We had some initial difficulty navigating the app, though we eventually found it useful.
It cuts down on symptoms from our cat allergies and ensures that cooking odors are quickly eliminated.
It doesnt have an automatic setting.
It reduces both PM2.5s and VOCs, targeting odors and allergens with three different fan speeds.
During testing, we found it significantly reduced odors from cooking and pets thanks to the charcoal filter.
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While we were unable to verify the accuracy of these claims, its still a nice feature to have.
The biggest drawback is that it doesnt have an automatic setting, or a particularly tech-forward interface.
For more accuracy, we took measurements from four predetermined marks to calculate the average improvement in these numbers.
For a model that purifies large space, it’s fairly compact and unobtrusive.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
Filters that are not certified or true HEPA may still fulfill these standards, or fall only slightly short.
Carver recommends using a HEPA filter, with an important caveat.
Her team is not just looking at the filter but how the whole product functions.
Generally, it should be abouttwo-thirds of the rooms square footage.
The higher the CADR, the faster and more often a purifier will completely purify a room.
TheLevoit 400s, our best overall, has a CADR of 260 CFM (cubic feet per minute).
There are sometimes different CADRs listed for pollen, dust, and smoke.
TheRabbit Air A3has the most tweaks (five) of any model on our list.
More advanced features can be achieved with an app which is included with models that have WiFi capability.
Some air purifiers have additional carbon or charcoal filters that are able to significantly lower TVOCs.
We noted whether each of the best air purifiers filters VOCs.
Although its 16 pounds, it was portable enough for us to take up and down the stairs.
Your Questions, Answered
Do air purifiers dry out the air?
Air purifiers remove pollutants and allergens like dust or pollen, but they do notimpact the humidityof the air.
Is it OK to sleep with an air purifier running?
Yes, its perfectly safe and can also result in better sleep by removing common irritants from the room.
And if you like light, ourbudget pickhas a night light, too.
How many air purifiers should you have in your home?
She has written several articles on air purifiers for the site.
What is BHG Recommends?
Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed ourBHG Recommends seal of approval.
In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.
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The Levoit Core 300S connects to the VeSync app, which allows you to remotely check air quality and set a schedule for the purifier.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
Credit: Amazon
The Rabbit Air has a slim design, so it can fit into almost any space.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
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The Alen BreatheSmart 75i air purifier is designed to filter large spaces and performed optimally in our 850-square-foot apartment testing space.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
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One feature we wish the Germ Guardian 4-in-1 had is the ability to turn all the lights off for nighttime or bedroom use.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
We checked each air purifier’s filter after testing to see how much visible debris, like hair, it gathered.Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
We test how easy it is to remove and replace the filter from each air purifier.Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
Our tester uses an air quality monitor to get accurate results from the Rabbit Air MinusA2 Ultra Quiet Air Purifier.Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
