In today’s world, maintaining a healthy and comfortable living environment is more critical than ever. One crucial aspect of indoor air quality is odor control, which can be a challenge in many households. Whether it’s cooking smells, pet odors, or simply stale air, finding the best air purifier for odors can significantly affect your home’s atmosphere.
With the US wildfire season causing poor air quality from coast to coast this summer, we recommend purchasing one of the air purifiers below. If you’d like to monitor your air quality, we recommend checking out our list of the best air quality monitors. Our Davis AirLink has worked well during the smoke due to this year’s Quebec wildfires.
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the top air purifiers designed to tackle odors, ensuring your living space stays fresh and clean. Read on to discover the perfect air purifier to eliminate unwanted smells and enhance your indoor air quality.
Monitoring Air Quality is Important, Too
Monitoring air quality is crucial because it helps us track the levels of pollutants in the air and identify problem areas. It can also alert us to potential health risks associated with air pollution. By monitoring air quality, we can take steps to protect our health and the environment.
Running an air purifier is important because it can help reduce the level of pollutants in the air, such as dust, smoke, pollen, and other allergens. Air purifiers work by trapping airborne particles in their filters so that they don’t enter our respiratory system when we breathe. This helps to reduce a person’s risk of experiencing health issues related to poor air quality, such as asthma or allergies.
Our Top Picks
Suggested room size: 465 sq. ft.
Best Air Purifiers
The Honeywell HPA300 is a powerful air purifier designed for large rooms, effectively cleaning spaces up to 2,250 square feet in as little as one hour. It features a True HEPA filter that captures up to 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, including dust, pollen, pet dander, and smoke.
The activated carbon pre-filter not only helps extend the life of the HEPA filter but also aids in reducing odors and VOCs. With its easy-to-use touch controls, automatic shut-off timer, and filter replacement reminders, the HPA300 ensures optimal air quality in your home. Its quiet operation and sleek design make it an excellent choice for any room.
The Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier 3H is a sleek, modern air purifier designed for small to medium-sized rooms up to 484 square feet. It is one of the most commonly recommended air purifiers due to its three-stage filtration system, which includes a pre-filter, a True HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter. The upgraded OLED touch display shows real-time air quality data, allowing you to monitor and adjust settings quickly.
The Mi Air Purifier 3H also features smart capabilities, with Wi-Fi connectivity that allows remote control and monitoring through the Mi Home app. It also supports voice control through Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Although it may be slightly louder at its lowest setting compared to other options, its long list of features and proven dependability make it a top choice.
The Blueair Blue Pure 311 is a compact yet powerful air purifier recommended for rooms up to 388 square feet. Its three-stage filtration system includes a washable pre-filter, a particle filter, and an activated carbon filter, effectively capturing common airborne pollutants such as dust, pollen, mold, pet dander, and odors. The washable pre-filter is available in various colors, allowing you to customize the look of your air purifier to match your room's decor.
The Blueair Blue Pure 311 is an energy-efficient and eco-friendly choice for maintaining clean air in medium-sized rooms. With its quiet operation, the Blue Pure 311 is well-suited for use in bedrooms or living spaces, ensuring a comfortable environment. Its sleek design and simple one-button control make it user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. The LED indicator notifies you when to replace the filters, ensuring optimal performance.
The Govee Smart Air Purifier is an affordable and effective solution for maintaining clean air in your home. While it may not have the built-in air quality sensors of more expensive models, its IFTTT compatibility allows it to connect to an air quality monitor, providing added functionality. Despite taking longer to cycle the air in a room, the Govee Smart Air Purifier offers excellent value for those on a budget.
The Levoit Smart LV-PUR131S is a highly efficient air purifier recommended for medium to large rooms up to 360 square feet. This smart device features a three-stage filtration system, including a pre-filter, a True HEPA filter that captures 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, and an activated carbon filter that effectively neutralizes odors and VOCs.
With its built-in smart sensor, the LV-PUR131S automatically adjusts fan speed based on real-time air quality, ensuring optimal performance and energy efficiency. The Wi-Fi-enabled purifier allows you to control it remotely using the VeSync app and is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for added convenience. Its sleek design and user-friendly touch controls make it a great addition to any room.
Coway Airmega 150 True HEPA Air Purifier
Recommended room size: up to 214 sq. ft.
The Coway Airmega 150 True HEPA Air Purifier is a sleek and efficient option for smaller-sized rooms up to 214 sq. ft. Despite its higher price, the Airmega 150 receives outstanding reviews for its performance and aesthetics. Combining a pre-filter, deodorization filter, and True HEPA Filter, it effectively reduces 99.999% of 0.01-micron particles, including pollen and other allergens.
Its built-in air quality monitor ensures effective air cleaning, making it a worthwhile investment for those seeking superior air quality in smaller spaces.
Alen BreatheSmart FLEX HEPA Air Purifier
Recommended room size: up to 700 sq. ft.
The Alen BreatheSmart FLEX is a versatile and powerful air purifier designed for medium to large rooms, covering up to 700 square feet. Its True HEPA filter captures 99.97% of airborne particles, including dust, pollen, mold spores, and pet dander. You can choose from four filter types tailored to specific needs, such as odor reduction or enhanced protection against allergens, including an antimicrobial compound to eliminate germs and other harmful microbes.
The BreatheSmart FLEX features Alen's WhisperMax technology for quiet operation and has intuitive controls for adjusting fan speed, activating filter replacement indicators or setting a timer. With its customizable designer panels, this air purifier provides clean air and adds a stylish touch to your space.
Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA
Recommended room size: up to 360 sq. ft.
The Winix 5500-2 is a high-performance air purifier designed for medium to large rooms, covering up to 360 square feet. Its three-stage filtration system includes a washable Advanced Odor Control (AOC) Carbon Filter, a True HEPA filter, and Winix's patented PlasmaWave technology that safely breaks down chemical vapors, odors, and allergens at a molecular level.
The 5500-2 features a Smart Sensor that monitors air quality in real time and automatically adjusts the fan speed to maintain optimal indoor conditions. The air purifier also offers a Sleep Mode, changing fan speed and dimming indicator lights for a quiet, undisturbed sleep. With its sleek and modern design, the Winix 5500-2 complements the aesthetics of your living space and offers user-friendly controls for easy adjustments.
How Air Purifiers Work
An air purifier draws in air from the surrounding environment and passes it through a multi-stage filtration system. The first stage usually consists of a pre-filter layer, which captures larger particles such as dust and pet fur. Then, the air passes through multiple additional filters, which can capture smaller particles, including allergens and contaminants. Finally, some air purifiers may also use other technology, such as activated carbon or an ozone generator, to remove odors.
Activated carbon absorbs particles and molecules that cause odors, while ozone generators produce reactive oxygen that breaks down odor-causing molecules. Combining these multiple filtration stages and technologies, an air purifier can accurately remove airborne pollutants, odors, and allergens.
The video below explains this somewhat complex process in an easy-to-understand way and is worth a watch if you’d like to learn more.
You’ll also hear much about HEPA, but what does this mean?
HEPA filtration is an air filtration system that uses high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to remove particles. HEPA filters are designed to capture at least 99.97% of airborne particles that are 0.3 microns in size or larger, making them highly effective at removing dust, pollen, mold spores, pet dander, and other types of airborne contaminants from indoor air. While more expensive, HEPA air purifiers are highly recommended for those sensitive to airborne pollutants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most frequently asked questions we hear from our readers.
Do Air Purifiers Help With Odors?
Yes, air purifiers can help with odors. Air purifiers trap airborne particles in their filters, including odors from pets, cooking, and smoke. By filtering out these particles, an air purifier can reduce the odor present in the air, making it more pleasant to breathe.
Do Air Purifiers Remove Cooking Odors?
Yes, air purifiers can remove cooking odors. Many air purifiers have activated carbon filters, which absorb and filter out particles, including cooking smells. Additionally, many air purifiers have multiple levels of filtration that can remove certain airborne chemicals and odors.
Where Is The Best Place For An Air Purifier?
The best place for an air purifier is in a room or area with high levels of contaminants, such as smoke, pet dander, mold spores, or other airborne pollutants. An air purifier can help reduce the levels of these particles, making the air cleaner and healthier to breathe. It’s important to place the air purifier in the center of the room to capture pollutants from all directions and help clear out stale air.
How Long Does It Take For An Air Purifier To Remove Odors?
It depends on the type of air purifier, the type of odor, and the severity of the odor. Generally, an air purifier can take a few minutes to a few hours to remove odors from a space.
How Often Should The Filters Be Changed In My Air Purifier?
The frequency of filter changes in an air purifier varies depending on the type of filter used, the operating environment, and the manufacturer’s instructions. Generally, changing the filters in an air purifier every 3 to 6 months is recommended for optimal performance.
What Are The Signs That The Filter In My Air Purifier Should Be Changed?
Signs that the filter in an air purifier should be changed might include reduced airflow from the unit, unusual smells or odors, visible dust and dirt build-up on the filter, or louder operation than is typical.
Can Running An Air Purifier Protect Me From Airborne Illnesses (Like COVID)?
Running an air purifier can help reduce the risk of airborne illnesses by trapping particles and impurities, such as dust, pollen, pet dander, and other contaminants. However, it should not be relied on as the only protection against airborne illnesses. It is important to practice good hygiene habits and proper social distancing to reduce the spread of diseases.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, air purifiers are a great way to improve the air quality in your home. They can help reduce the amount of dust, pollen, mold, pet dander, and other allergens that may be present in your home. They have health benefits and help rid your home of unpleasant odors, and they can even reduce energy costs by making it easier for your HVAC system to work efficiently.
Air purifiers give you peace of mind knowing that you breathe clean air in your home and will help keep you and your family healthy. With many options available today, finding the right air purifier for your needs is easy.
