Air purifiers
The best air purifier for every budget in 2026
41 models ranked by the maker’s own specs and owner ratings, with today’s prices from 10 stores that ship to the United States.
Side by side
Pick one more model with “Compare” in the list. You can put up to 10 side by side.
| Winix 5500-2 × | |
|---|---|
| Most important facts | |
| The lowest price today at a store that ships to you, shipping included. A price with an asterisk comes from a store abroad, and its shipping cost is our own estimate. Lowest price | – |
| Our own score out of 10: 60% measured facts and 40% store ratings. Price does not count. Score | not in our ranking |
| The average of the stars buyers give at the stores, with the number of reviews behind it. We only compare it from 20 reviews. Customer rating | ★ 4.5 · 19 reviews |
| How much clean air the purifier delivers an hour, measured with smoke, dust and pollen. A higher figure cleans a bigger room or the same room faster. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 239 cfm (406 m³/h) |
| The room size where the purifier changes the air 4.8 times an hour under a 2.5 m ceiling, worked out from its CADR. We use it so every model is compared on the same rule. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 364 ft² (34 m²) |
| How fine the filter is. True HEPA and H13 catch at least 99.97% of particles at 0.3 microns. HEPA-type is a weaker claim with no test behind it. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| True HEPA |
| How long the maker says a filter lasts, in months of normal use. A filter that is spent cleans less. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 12 months |
| Rank | |
| Where the model stands in our ranking, among the purifiers for the same size of room. Rank | – |
| Cleaning performance | |
| The test the CADR comes from. AHAM AC-1 and the DOE test are independent and comparable. A maker's own test is not. Source
| AHAM AC-1 (US standard) |
| The CADR measured with tobacco smoke, the finest of the three test particles. It is the figure to read for wildfire smoke. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 239 cfm (406 m³/h) |
| The CADR measured with dust. Source
| 244 cfm (415 m³/h) |
| The CADR measured with pollen. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 247 cfm (420 m³/h) |
| The CADR measured for particles under 2.5 microns. Source
| 241 cfm (410 m³/h) |
| The room size the maker states. Makers use different rules, so we show it but never rank on it. Source
| 370 ft² (34 m²) |
| Filter | |
| Whether the particle and carbon layers are one filter or separate ones. Separate filters let you replace only the part that is spent. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| Separate filters |
| A filter of activated carbon that takes out smells and some gases. It does not catch particles. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| yes |
| Replacement filter part number | 116130 |
| A coarse mesh in front of the main filter that catches hair and fluff. A separate washable one is rinsed under the tap, which keeps the expensive filter from clogging early. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| Washable, separate |
| How much activated carbon the filter holds by weight, as the maker or a test states it. More carbon takes up smells and gases for longer, where a thin coated layer fills up within weeks. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 8 oz (226 g) |
| Running costs | |
| How long the carbon filter lasts before it needs replacing, as its maker states it. Where it is a separate part, it is bought on its own schedule. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 12 months |
| Noise and power | |
| The sound at the lowest speed, measured by HouseFresh with a sound meter on the US model. It is HouseFresh’s measurement and does not count in our score. Source
| 39 dB |
| The sound at the highest speed, measured by HouseFresh with a sound meter on the US model. It is HouseFresh’s measurement and does not count in our score. Source
| 59 dB |
| The power the purifier draws at its highest speed. Source
| 57.8 W |
| How many speeds you can choose by hand, the automatic mode not counted. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 4 |
| Air quality sensing | |
| What the purifier measures in the air. A particle sensor lets it speed up and slow down by itself. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| VOC |
| The fan speed follows the air quality the sensor reads. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| yes |
| The settings the maker names besides plain fan speeds, such as a quiet sleep mode or a timer. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| Sleep, Timer |
| A sensor that dims the lights and display when the room goes dark. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| yes |
| Build | |
| The purifier’s shape: a small tabletop unit, a tall tower, a box that stands on the floor or a unit mounted on the wall. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| Floor box |
| How tall the purifier is. It decides whether it fits on a shelf or under a window sill. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 23.6 in (59.9 cm) |
| How wide the purifier is. With its depth it decides how much floor it takes up. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 381 mm |
| How deep the purifier is, front to back. Source
| 208.3 mm |
| What the purifier weighs. It counts most if you move it from room to room. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 15 lb (6.8 kg) |
| Extras | |
| An ioniser charges particles so they stick to walls and furniture instead of the filter, and some come loose again later. Some also make ozone, which irritates the airways and can turn scents in the room into formaldehyde. That is why a switch to turn it off matters. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| Can be switched off |
| Certified by the California Air Resources Board as making little ozone. Source
| yes |
| Warranty and certification | |
| The CADR is verified by AHAM, the US trade body that runs the test. Source
| yes |
| The warranty the maker gives in the United States. When it matters
When it matters less
Source
| 2 years |
| Maker model numbers | 5500-2 |
Facts as the maker states them. A dash means the maker does not name it. Each model’s page gives the source of every fact. Noise is the maker’s own figure, so we do not judge it, and a customer rating only counts from 20 reviews.
Pick the models you want to compare. Up to 10.
No model fits all these filters.
Lowest price at every store that ships to the United States, shipping included, before sales tax.
Air purifier market report, October 2026 −2.6% at the same stores, a median price of $239 and 0 new models.
Frequently asked questions
How big an air purifier do I need?
Match it to the size of the room. Each model in the ranking is grouped by the room size its maker states, and the lists keep a model out when it states none. A common rule of thumb is a clean air delivery rate (CADR) of at least two thirds of the room’s floor area in square feet, for a ceiling of 8 feet.
What is the difference between HEPA H13 and True HEPA?
Both are high-efficiency filters. True HEPA is the American name for a filter that catches 99.97% of particles of 0.3 micrometres, and H13 is the European class for 99.95%. We read the class the maker states and do not treat a filter called HEPA-type or HEPA-like as either.
Can an air purifier make ozone?
Some can, mostly models with an ioniser or a plasma feature. California limits ozone from indoor air cleaners to 50 parts per billion, and the CARB certification shows a model meets that limit. Our asthma filter leaves out models whose ioniser cannot be switched off.
Whose tests we use
Beside each model we also show where these testers place it in their own lists, without counting it in the score:
How we combine measured facts and owners’ ratings into one score is on the method page.
Looking for a bargain? The air purifiers with a real price drop today →
Looking for something new? The air purifiers launched in the past year →