Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
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Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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Cleans the air with a true HEPA filter, carbon filter, and plasma technology. It has intuitive controls and extras like a sleep mode and timer. Read More
Exceptionally good at clearing particles and quiet as a breeze, this HEPA air purifier is an awesome pick to place anywhere around the home. Read More
The Blueair Dustmagnet has exceptional particle filtering performance and even makes for a nice end table Read More
This is the best choice for households with pets thanks to a prefilter and exceptional particle filtering. Avoid the app. Read More
This air purifier works well to remove particles, VOCs, and more from the air. It also doubles as an indoor air quality monitor. Read More
The best air purifiers for pets have strong particulate filters that remove pet dander and allergens. Most also come with washable prefilters that catch pet hair before it clogs their internal HEPA filter.
After extensive testing, the Winix 5500-2 (available at Wayfair) is the best air purifier for pets. Not only is it priced competitively, but the washable prefilter also protects a HEPA and carbon filter combo that can handle everything from dander to objectionable odors and chemicals.
Alternatively, the Blueair DustMagnet 5410i (available at Amazon for $391.20) offers outstandingly quiet filtration that’s squarely focused on particulates like smoke and dander. However, there are many great air purifiers for pets in our guide.
This powerful air purifier is the best pick for handling pet hair, but it doesn't stop there.
With the 311i Max, simply peel off its wrap-around filter to wash away trapped pet hair.
The DustMagnet 5410i eliminates airborne dander quietly and efficiently.
An indicator that tells you when the pet-focused prefilter needs a clean? Check.
Attractive design
Good features
Works well
Large
Heavy to move
Hard-to-clean fabric cover
Low noise
Monitors and responds to changing air quality
Washable prefilter
Smart features
May clash with your décor
Simple design
Doubles as an oscillating fan
Inexpensive filters
Relatively noisy
No washable prefilter (vacuum only)
Large filter area
High HEPA rating
Powerful fan
Expensive replacement filters
Noisy at higher settings
Hi, I’m Dave Ellerby, chief scientist in the Reviewed labs. I got my Ph.D. from the University of Leeds in 2000 and my Bachelor of Science from the University of Manchester in 1997.
I oversee our lab testing, develop tests for new products, and update tests to ensure accuracy and meaningfulness. Pollen allergies in the spring and the year-round aroma of two large Bernese Mountain dogs make me particularly interested in indoor air quality.
After performance testing in the lab, the purifiers go for extended at-home testing.
We test each air purifier extensively, both in the lab, and at home in real world settings.
Home tests help us assess whether fan noise and display lights affect sleep and conversation, or get on our nerves while we watch TV.
Our tester has two dogs and two cats. With so many furry friends at home, this gives us a clear picture of how well each air purifier handles pet hair and dander.
Pet hair can quickly block intake vents and choke filters. Because of this, throughout our tests, we check that vents remain unblocked and we note how easy they are to clean. We also look for pet-specific features like removable, cleanable pre-filters that trap pet hair before it gets into the more delicate internal HEPA filters.
Purifiers are rated on the quality and usability of these features.
Pick an air purifier based on your particular pollution concerns.
This list is focused on pets, hence we weighted our data to favor air purifiers for allergies that do a good job at handling dander and pet hair. Most of these will feature a washable prefilter that can capture larger irritants, as well as a HEPA filter that will eliminate microscopic pet dander and particulates.
Particles come in a range of sizes, with mold allergens often up to 100 microns and pet dander allergens as small as 10 microns or less. Smoke and viruses could be less than one micron.
If you’re concerned about VOCs from fresh paint or new furniture, or nitrogen dioxide from fossil fuels, then you’ll need an air purifier with an activated carbon chemical filter, which sometimes works in tandem with other filter types.
Many air purifiers will cover a few of these bases, but not all. Some purifiers employ swappable filter options which are each tailored to specific concerns, others come with specialized filters tuned to specific needs.
Air purifiers work by using a powerful fan to pull air through a set of filters. Air purifiers for pets usually have a prefilter, which is a washable external filter that traps hair and fluff before it makes the more delicate internal HEPA filters and chemical filters inside.
After passing through the internal filters, cleaned air escapes through the outtake vent.
HEPA filters are a class of exacting filters for particulate matter. HEPA filters are rated by their ability to filter particles as small as 0.3 microns.
Labels such as “true HEPA” and “medical grade” distinguish the different classes of HEPA filters. These grades follow a number system, with the higher number the better. “True HEPA” corresponds to H10 and H11 filters, while “medical grade” denotes the H13 and H14 range.
By themselves HEPA filters are able to handle microscopic particulates. These could include smoke, viruses, or threats like airborne microplastic pollution from tires. They don’t do a good job with chemical vapors.
Air purifier certification generally designates a particular room size, which is measured in square feet. This measurement helps you understand how large of a space the air purifier can effectively clean.
Measure (or at least estimate) the size of your space, and find an air purifier that’s suitable for the rooms you need cleaned.
Some air purifiers have a Clean Air Delivery Rating (CADR), this value is a more precise measurement of how efficiently an air purifier removes pollutants in a given space.
You can read a CADR as a performance guide: a good rule of thumb is that you should pick an air purifier with a CADR rating equivalent to two thirds of your room’s square footage.
Dr. Dave Ellerby
Chief Scientist
Dave Ellerby has a Ph.D. from the University of Leeds and a B.Sc. from the University of Manchester. He has 25+ years of experience designing tests and analyzing data.
Gabriel Morgan
Staff Writer, Home
Gabriel Morgan is a staff writer on Reviewed's home team, where he covers consumer education topics such as earthquake preparedness, radon in the home, and concerns about health and wellness in product design. He also writes product reviews and how-to articles on appliances, smart home technology, and goods for the home.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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