If you’re browsing the many air purifiers on sale but not sure what to go for, we’ve done the hard work for you. The right air purifier can make a real difference to the quality of air in your home and our list of top buys will help you decide on the best one for you – whatever your health concerns, room size or budget.
An air purifier will help to remove airborne pollutants that linger inside so that you can breathe better. Levels of pollution indoors are often two to five times higher than typical levels outdoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and poor air quality in the home can be the cause of headaches and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat and trigger asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions.
Floating contaminants can be particles or gases, and common household nasties include dust, pollen, smoke, pet hair and dander (microscopic flecks of animal skin), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mold and bacteria. Air purifiers have increased in popularity since the COVID-19 outbreak with more of us becoming aware of air quality as we look for ways to reduce the transmission of airborne germs and viruses.
- Check out the Dyson refurbished store
- See the special offers on air purifiers at Walmart
- Visit the Coway store on Amazon
- Get a great deal on air purifiers at Best Buy
Which air purifier is right for you?
If you’re wondering how do air purifiers work, the performance of an air purifier is measured by its clean air delivery rate (CADR) which is an industry standard indicating the volume and speed of clean air produced within a room.
There’s a rating for dust, pollen and smoke and the higher these numbers are in relation to the room size, the better your purifier – CADR should be roughly two thirds of room size as a minimum. Another rating given is ACH, which stands for air changes per hour. This is how often a purifier can exchange fresh air within a specific-sized room – more ACH means you’re breathing fresher, healthier air. Looking at these two ratings when buying an air purifier will tell you how effective it is for the room size that you want to clean.
The job of an air purifier is to ‘filter’ pollutant-filled air and so a decent filter is the most important element of a unit. The gold standard is the HEPA filter – which stands for high efficiency particulate air filter, and these are 99.7% effective at capturing tiny particles as small as 0.3 microns. Many of the air purifiers you consider will also have pre-filters to catch large particles such as hair, and carbon filters that work to trap gases and reduce odors.
It’s worth noting that it isn’t possible for air purifiers to eliminate all pollutants. The EPA advises that fresh air from outside and tackling the source of pollution are key for a cleaner environment, but the use of an air purifier in addition to these measures will help to improve indoor air quality.
If you want an air purifier to help with allergies, look for an air purifier that’s effective at capturing pollen and allergens. Alternatively, if you’re worried about a build-up of cooking pollutants in the kitchen and you’re wondering whether air purifiers help with bad smells, choose one that’s rated for its ability to get rid of smoke smells in your home.
Other things to think about are whether you need an air purifier to be portable, if noise is an issue, and if functions such as smart connectivity or multiple cleaning modes are deal breakers for you.
How much you want to spend is also a big factor. A top-tier air purifier can cost skywards of $500 or you can pick up a high-performing budget model that will improve air-quality for under $100. For a mid-range unit with a range of features, expect to pay around $200-$300 although there are often great deals to be found on best-sellers across all price brackets. Don’t forget to consider the cost of filters too. Typically, a HEPA filter will have to be replaced every 6-12 months, depending on use. Carbon filters will need changing every 3-6 months, although some do have pre-filters and carbon filters that are washable to save on costs.
To help you breathe cleaner, healthier air inside your home, we bring you the deals for the air purifiers on sale right now.
Today’s air purifiers on sale deals
Dyson Pure Cool: was $399.99, now $299.99 at Best Buy
It’s not often that you see a good deal on a Dyson product, but Best Buy’s early Black Friday deals have seen the Dyson Pure Cool receive a substantial $100 discount. With a HEPA filter to capture 99.97% pollutants as small as 0.3 microns, the Pure Cool is definitely worth taking a look at.
Shark Air Purifier 6: was $449.99, now $299.99 at Best Buy
Featuring six high-speed fans and Clean Sense IQ™ technology to constantly track air quality and auto-adjust power, the Shark Air Purifier 6 uses anti-allergen HEPA filtration and can purify up to 1,200 square feet.
Winix 5300-2: was $199.99, now $130.99 at Best Buy
The Winix 5300–2 uses PlasmaWave technology together with a carbon pre-filter and a HEPA filter to help purify the air in your home, covering up to 355 square feet.
Air purifiers on sale
Honeywell HPA300 HEPA deal
Honeywell HPA300 HEPA air purifier
Best for large rooms
Filter type: True HEPA filter | Coverage: 465 sq ft | Noise: 63 dB | Modes: 4 – Allergen, General clean, Germ and Turbo
If you need a powerful purifier for a big room, the Honeywell HPA300 makes light work of microscopic matter and comes recommended by allergy experts. It uses three HEPA filters to screen smoke, dust and viruses and a carbon-activated pre-filter works to remove odors, gases and trap larger allergens such as pet dander and pollen.
With four cleaning modes – including turbo to improve air quality faster, it’s designed for large areas and is capable of five air changes an hour in a room size of 465 square feet. Although you can’t operate it remotely, the unit’s tap buttons are easy to navigate. It has an auto-shut-off timer, the controls panel’s lights can be dimmed or turned off, and LED indicators tell you when it’s time to replace the filters.
Any drawbacks? It’s by no means the quietest purifier on our list and weighing in at 17 lbs, it’s also not the most portable. But, for ultra-effective filtration with a competitive price tag, the Honeywell HPA300 is exceptional value for money.
GermGuardian AC4825E deal
GermGuardian AC4825E air purifier
Best budget buy
Filter type: HEPA filter | Coverage: 153 sq ft | Noise: 55 dB | Modes: 3 fan settings
The GermGuardian AC4825E performs better than what you’d expect from a purifier priced under $100. This slimline, 3-speed tower weighs only 7lbs, so it’s incredibly easy to move around your home. It freshens rooms up to 153 square feet with four air changes an hour and has good CADR ratings for a low-range model.
Along with an odor-destroying charcoal pre-filter and True HEPA filter that absorbs dust and allergens from pets and plants, this purifier uses a UV-C light bulb that works with TiO2 (Titanium Dioxide). This helps to protect against airborne germs, killing mold spores and viruses as they circulate in the air.
There’s little in the way of extra features on the GermGuardian AC4825E apart from a LED filter replacement indicator, but if you’re looking for a simple purifier to use in smaller-sized rooms, it’s an excellent choice.
Dyson Purifier Cool deal
Dyson Purifier Cool air purifier
Best for smart functionality
Filter type: HEPA H13 standard | Coverage: 201.5 sq ft | Noise: 61.5 dB | Modes: 3 – Auto, night and airflow direction
The Dyson Purifier Cool is a stylish option that cools the air as it cleans. Yes, it’s pricey, but there are plenty of smart features that justify the spend.
Using Dyson’s AirMultiplier technology, pollutants are sucked into the machine and a smooth stream of cooling, clean air is circulated into the room – with backwards airflow for when you don’t need the fan. It features a glass fibre HEPA 13 filter that catches 99.95% of particles as tiny as 0.1 microns – everything from pollen and dust to bacteria and mold spores, and an activated carbon filter that removes harmful gases and smells. What’s more, the entire purifier (not just the filter), is sealed to HEPA standards to prevent pollutants from escaping back into the air.
The tower oscillates at 360° so you can direct airflow with a choice of 10 settings, including auto-mode with a smart sensor that adjusts air quality. Sleep mode activates extra-quiet filtration and a dimmed display. Set up voice control with Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri or Google Home for hands-free use or connect and control via the Dyson app – data enthusiasts can also track real-time air quality and view previous stats on particulate matter and VOC levels in the home.
Coway AP 1512 HH deal
Coway AP 1512 HH air purifier
Best for asthma and allergy sufferers
Filter type: True HEPA filter | Coverage: 350 sq ft | Noise: 53 dB | Modes: 5 – including auto and eco
The compact Coway AP 1512 HH has an effective 4-stage filtration system that provides noticeably purer air in rooms up to 361 square feet. There’s a washable pre-filter to capture dust, pet fur and hair, and a carbon filter that removes harmful gases and odors. Common allergens are dealt with by the HEPA filter and it also has an ionizer (which can be switched on or off) which releases negative ions that Coway claims helps to clean the air.
Choose auto-mode and the fan speed self-adjusts to improve air quality, or you can manually cycle between three fan settings. Switching into eco mode makes the Coway AP 1512 HH one of the most energy-saving models on the market – saving you on energy bills.
Along with impressive CADR ratings and its great design, what we like about this purifier is that it’s one of the quietest we’ve reviewed. On the lowest setting there’s only 24 dB of noise, making it an ideal option for sleeping.
Winix 5500-2 deal
Winix 5500-2 air purifier
Best for ease of use
Filter type: True HEPA filter | Coverage: 360 sq ft | Noise: 53 dB | Modes: 6 – including auto and sleep
With CADR ratings to rival more expensive purifiers, the Winix 5500-2 has excellent air-cleaning performance in larger rooms – it can purify a 580 square foot space in just 20 minutes. Allergens are removed in four stages of filtration using a pre-filter, carbon filter, HEPA filter, and Winix’s PlasmaWave Technology that disperses dual polarity ions to break down airborne bacteria, viruses and VOCs.
The Winix 5500-2 has built-in smart sensors that detect the tiniest of particles and LED light indicators inform you on air quality so you can switch between the four fan speeds. We liked that the auto-function detects a change in light to turn on sleep mode – and there’s a timer, too. Although the W5500-2 can’t be operated via an app, it does have a remote control so settings can be changed from across the room.
You can expect to replace the HEPA filter around once every 12 months and an indicator reminds you. The bonus is that both the fine-mesh pre-filter and the carbon filter on this unit are washable, making it an economical option in the long-term.
Ali Horsfall
Ali Horsfall has almost 15 years experience as a journalist and has written for national print titles and lifestyle brands including woman&home, Woman, Woman’s Own, BBC magazines, Mothercare, Grazia and The Independent. She currently specializes in health and fitness content and loves sharing the best expert advice on staying well.
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