2024 Best HEPA & HEPA-Like Air Purifiers–Smoke, Dust, Pollen, & Microbes

What is the best HEPA or HEPA-Like air purifier in 2024 to clean up airborne contaminants such as smoke, dust, pollen, & microbes? You need a system that can handle indoor air quality issues like microbes, ultrafine particles, & allergens in large rooms? Mamavation investigates the air purifier industry looking for how they handle airborne particles in indoor spaces. From battling wildfire smoke to capturing microbes, fire retardants, ultrafine particles, and allergens like dust mites, your family needs a robust system to keep air ventilated and safe. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like best & worst cookware, best & worst organic mattresses, and best & worst small kitchen appliances, now join us as we chat about your indoor air and what makes the best air purifier.

This post was fact-checked by Rebecca Elizabeth Sherrick Harks, RN, BSN. This post also contains affiliate links. 

HEPA or HEPA-Like Air Purifiers–Health Benefits of Removing Airborne Particles like Smoke, Dust, Pollen, Microbes, VOCs, & Ultrafine Particles from Indoor Air

Air purification is important for a myriad of reasons, but mostly it has to do with your long-term health. Let’s face it, you spend most of your day inside. As buildings have become more energy-efficient, on the flip side, they also hold inside those contaminants and prevent them from escaping.

Here are some reasons why you may want to consider some type of HEPA or HEPA-Like air filtration machine.

• It’s estimated that air quality inside the home is 2-5x more polluted than outside (on the conservative side)
• An estimated 9 million people die every year from symptoms of air pollution, which is more than people dying from wars, obesity, smoking, and malnutrition combined
• Air pollution can also rob your child of opportunity in life because it’s linked to brain alterations and cognitive impairments like autism, increased mental illness, and low achievement in school. It’s also linked to asthma.
• The World Health Organization studied air quality around the world and declared 92% of the world is breathing dangerous amounts of pollutants

Experts Say Air Quality Impacts Your Immune System and Ability to Fight Off an Infectious Disease

The air we breathe inside our homes can be filled with hormone-disrupting chemicals. The problem with hormone-disrupting chemicals is they damage your overall health and immune system. According to Linda S. Birnbaum, who had been a previous Director of the National Institutes of Health says,

“Endocrine-disrupting chemicals masquerade as hormones.

These insidious contaminants increase the diseases that cause the underlying conditions that result in susceptibility to COVID-19.”

She later goes on to say, “common immune system diseases that weaken your defenses to bacterial and viral infections include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, and Chron’s disease.

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 23.5 million Americans (about 7 percent of the population) suffer from one or more autoimmune diseases, and 25 million people have asthma.

The U.S. ranks 43rd out of 183 countries for deaths due to lung disease.”

Flame Retardants & Ultrafine Particles Are Commonly Found Inside Indoor Air

A handful of flame retardant chemicals including polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and chlorinated flame retardants (CFR) have been linked to dangerous health effects like endocrine disruption, decreased fertility, immune suppression, altered sexual development, cancer, delayed brain development, lower IQ, and behavioral problems in humans.

The dangers of flame retardants are so obvious that in November 2010, 145 scientists issued a joint statement documenting the health hazards of brominated and chlorinated flame retardant chemicals.

After the highly hazardous nature of brominated flame retardants was discovered, the government began to regulate and restrict their use, and introduced measures to eliminate the most toxic PBDEs in a phase-out process starting in 2005.

As a result, manufacturers began using alternative organophosphate flame retardants (OPFR) to meet flammability standards instead.

It appears though that OPFRs are similarly toxic in nature with confirmed negative health effects including endocrine disruption, decreased fertility, and thyroid function.

Flame Retardants in American Televisions Recently Banned in Europe Are Common Today & Warrant HEPA Air Filtration

In a study commissioned by Safer Chemicals Healthy Families and Toxic-Free Future, six leading televisions had several hormone-disrupting chemicals, some of which were banned in several states, inside the plastic casings of the televisions. These were the halogenated and phosphorus flame retardant chemicals found inside televisions:

• TTBP-TAZ
• 2,4,6-TBP
• DBDPE
• Deca-BDE
• BAPP
• TPhP

Studies show that these chemicals migrate out of electronics and attach themselves to household dust. Therefore, American families need to be more vigilant now in cleaning up their indoor air from toxic dust particles. Here are some more top-level details of what they found.

• Three TVs contained organohalogen flame retardants. All Best Buy Insignia TVs contained the banned flame retardants deca-BDE, outlawed in five states, including at its purchase location in Washington State; one TV contained deca-BDE at levels above Washington’s enforcement limit.
• Three Toshiba (Hisense) Fire TVs, produced in partnership with Amazon, contained hazardous organohalogen flame retardants, including one closely related to the banned deca-BDE.
• The television contained flame retardants at percentage levels by weight in the plastic, meaning the chemicals make up a significant portion of the product. These chemicals can migrate out of televisions and get into indoor air, household dust, and make their way into bodies, posing risks to families and pets.

This is why we highly recommend having a good air purifier situated next to the electrical equipment, like televisions and computers, inside your home. 

Solutions To Problems of Indoor Air Pollution

SOLUTION #1–CLEAN MORE–Study Reveals Cleaning House and Hands Reduces Flame Retardant Exposure

In the new study published by the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, scientists researched the exposure to 7 different flame retardants and discovered a clear reduction of exposure to these chemicals achieved through routine increased cleaning inside the home.

In fact, detectable exposure to toxic flame retardants was reduced by half in as little as 1-2 weeks through routine house cleaning and handwashing!

Dusting with a damp cloth, wet mopping, and vacuuming are recommended specifically by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after assessing and confirming the distinct risks of flame retardant exposure.

With such dramatic results in just a few days, imagine the amount of toxic chemicals you could avoid in a year!

It’s still very important to continue seeking out flame retardant-free products because flame retardant chemicals were still found at detectable levels even after increased cleaning and handwashing.

Products made of certain materials like wool are not required to contain added flame retardants because the wool itself meets standards of flammability.

And as usual, we need to raise our voices and demand clear labeling requirements while also encouraging manufacturers to develop safer alternatives to toxic flame retardants when their use is required by law.

SOLUTION #2: Get a Good HEPA or HEPA-Like Air Purifier That Cleans Viruses & Ultrafine Particles

Another solution to your problem is getting a good HEPA or HEPA-Like air purifier for your home with proper fan speed. Air purifiers use fans to suck air into a filter before it’s purified and released at the other end. They’re effective in removing odors and large particulates from the air. Here’s what they have the ability to reduce inside your home:

• Particulates–large particles with fire retardants attached and ultra-fine particles
• Bioaerosols–living matter like mold, viruses, bacteria & endospores
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)–especially from freeways & burning fossil fuels which can seep into your room’s air

Now for more on each type of contaminant, their health impacts, and what you can do about them.

Large Particles & UltraFine Particles Are Important to Filter Out of Indoor Air

Particles & ultra-fine particles are problematic to your lungs and heart. Particulate matter is a complex mixture of solid and/or liquid particles suspended in the air generated through gas-burning automobiles & freeways, cooking with high heat on a gas stove, burning of fossil fuels & candles, use of fireplaces & unvented space heaters, & cigarette smoking.

Once inhaled, particles can affect the heart and lungs and in some cases cause serious health effects, such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

1. 1. • Children and older adults may be at greater risk of PM exposure.
      • Fire retardant chemicals off-gassing from media equipment like televisions attach themselves to large particles
      • A study by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) demonstrates an association between long-term exposure to ultrafine particle air pollution and death from heart disease.
      • Ultrafine air pollution particles are tiny – about 0.1 micron in diameter or roughly one-thousandth the width of a human hair.
      • Need filtration of 0.1 microns and below.

Bioaerosols like Virus, Mold, Bacteria & Endospores Can Bring Serious Health Problems

Viruses, mold, bacteria, & endospores. These air pollutants can have a major impact on your health triggering allergic reactions, asthma, transmitting disease, or causing complex health problems. Filter disposal is an issue here. These problems are hardest to solve in large rooms, so it’s important to get large-room air purifiers. Also, please remember to dispose of filters carefully.

• • WARNING: Air pollutant droplets can live on air filters and become re-released into the air even if they are captured initially.
  • In order to capture viruses, the filtration ability needs to be 0.007 microns or lower.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Are Linked to Cancer & Central Nervous System Damage

Volatile organic compounds are gases that are emitted into the air from products, processes, and building materials.

They can react with other gases and form other air pollutants after they are in the air.

VOCs come from paint, paint strippers, varnishes, finishes, caulk, sealant, adhesives, flooring, carpet, furniture made from particleboard, cleaners & disinfectants, pesticides, air fresheners, perfume, gasoline, office printers & copiers, glues & permanent markers.

Breathing VOCs can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, can cause difficulty breathing and nausea, and can damage the central nervous system as well as other organs.  Some VOCs can cause cancer.

• Many air cleaners fall short here. High-efficiency air cleaners like True Hepa or above already have air cleaning limitations due to the amount of air they can quietly deliver in a space. Adding another layer of VOC mitigation capable enough to deliver long term VOC removal efficacy creates even more pressure drop limiting the overall effectiveness of the air cleaner.
• For environments with higher than average levels of VOC’s, the recommended course of action is fresh air ventilation. Diluting the inside air with fresh filtered air from the outside is always the best way to limit VOC’s in any environment.
• Depending on your climate one will want to choose an Energy recovery ventilator (ERV) or a Heat recovery ventilator (HRV)
• Need filtration ability below 0.03 microns for things like formaldehyde

Please note that the more VOCs you have in your home, the harder your air purifier will need to work. Therefore, if you have a higher amount in your home coming from off-gassing furniture, you may need to replace the filter on your air purifier more often. This is not the fault of air purifier, rather, it just means your home requires more carbon to do all that capturing.

Basic Rules of Air Purification

Rule #1: How much air am I moving?

This means you have to be honest about how big the room is you are putting this machine in. If the room is between 500-1000 square feet then a small machine will simply not help you at all. That’s because you want that machine to move 100% of that air at least 2-4x per hour.

Smaller machines don’t have the ability to do that.

Placement of Air Purifier: Mamavation recommends you place your air purifier next to the television and other electrical equipment for two reasons:

1. Your highest emitter of fire retardants will be your electrical equipment so having the machine right there will ensure it picks up most of what comes in that room and
2. Let’s be honest, that’s where you are spending most of your time.

So ask yourself how big this room is. If it’s larger than 500 square feet, you’ll need a more robust machine.

Buying machines that are not strong enough for this area is just a waste of money. If you have enough to purchase for bedrooms as well, smaller machines may do fine.

Rule #2: At what level of efficiency am I moving this air?

Is the machine working hard enough to reach maximum particle capacity?

So ask yourself how big this room is. If it’s larger than 500 square feet, you’ll need a more robust machine because lots of machines are only made for small spaces.

Again, buying machines that are not strong enough for this area is just a waste of money. If you have enough to purchase for bedrooms as well, smaller machines may do fine.

Portable air cleaners are only going to treat the air that can get to and through the machine. That’s why ensuring you have a machine that is sized properly for the room is critical to system relief for your family. Portable are truly removing what they say they are from the space, which are also sized properly for the intended environment are still the most effective air cleaning solution on the marketplace.

You want the machine recycling the air within that space at least 4x per hour. Stronger machines may do it up to 5x an hour or more but that shouldn’t come at a cost of lower particle efficiency. The stronger the machine, the bigger difference in relief with someone with allergies would experience.

BUYER BEWARE–many manufacturers claim huge square foot coverage as a trick to show more perceived value. We actually noticed a few saying they treated 2000 square feet or more. After reviewing, we noticed that the air change rate at 2000 cfm was less than 1x per hour–meaning that machine would have no significant impact at all in the space of 2000 square feet and it would have had to be run on the highest noise setting to achieve the 0.8 times per hour rating.

Rule #3: At what noise level am I moving this air?

How noisy is the machine when it’s doing its job?

This is a practical question for home use.

The reason this is important is because if it’s too noisy, you won’t use it on an efficient level.

It’s as simple as that.

You may want a machine that has an automatic setting that turns up to high when needed and then back down to low when the particles in the air are taken care of.

Now I’m adding two more rules for those of you who are worried about viruses inside the air.

Rule #4: Is the machine able to kill viruses on impact?

Most machines have the ability to kill the virus by starving it of nutrients over time. But not all machines have the ability to kill viruses on contact.

One thing to note here is machines that meet the HEPA standard have a tendency to allow viruses to congregate within the filter so be VERY careful when you are swapping out filters that meet the HEPA standard (and you’ll need to do frequently to get maximum efficiency) because they can be contaminated.

Properly designed Ultraviolet light systems have been shown to be effective at killing microorganisms however, properly designed is not the 1000.00 UV bulb your HVAC contractor slides in your HVAC system and says is a cure-all. For U.V. to have a microbial impact you must ensure that there are four things in place :

1. Proper airflow velocity by the U.V. bulb- 
2. Monitor the degradation of the bulb
3. Monitor the shielding of microbes
4. Proper contact time of the bulb to the microbe.

Our research indicated not one U.V. system on the market consider any of these items–rendering slide-in residential U.V. lights all but useless. U.V. systems when designed properly for commercial applications, with a high-efficiency collector and monitoring capabilities, work well. However, costs and maintenance have made these even less desirable in commercial settings. Sorry guys! 

Rule #5: Nothing Protects You More Than Hand Washing & Frequent Cleaning of Surfaces

Nothing will protect you more than hand washing & frequent cleaning of surfaces. That is the most important part.

In fact, go wipe down your computer and your phone with disinfectant right now.

Washing your hands for 20 seconds are going to have the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to avoiding viruses.

Most transmission is person-to-person when you shake hands or someone coughs on you. So do not get fooled into a false sense of security if you have one of these systems. They help, but not if you are not taking the primary steps to keep yourself safe.

WARNING: Most Air Purifiers Don’t Kill Viruses

When it comes to killing viruses, most air purifiers will not do. In fact, most of your standard HEPA air purifiers won’t help because they weren’t created to kill viruses.

• 1 Micron = 1000 NanoMeters

Most powerful air purifiers capture particles as small as 0.1 microns or larger, and some only capture about 0.3 microns or larger. That’s good enough to capture mold, pollen, and pet dander, but not viruses. This is why they claim to be effective for 99% of things, but not all of it.

• Viruses = between 0.004 to 0.1 microns in size
• Coronavirus = between 0.14 microns to 0.06 microns

Viruses are about 100x smaller than bacteria, typically between 0.004 to 0.1 microns in size. So if you are looking for virus protection in your home, a model that meets the HEPA standard may not be what you want in the long run. You’ll need more.

So, therefore, in order to have a system that is robust enough to handle viruses as small as this, you really need something that gets down to the sub-micron level below .3 microns in size.

What about brands that claim to filter smaller particles than 0.3 micron? Well, when we asked them, only a few would show us independent 3rd party particle efficiency testing, so we weren’t impressed.

• Watch out for spread of viruses and bacteria on the filter

Some air filters could be doing more harm than good when it comes to viral capture because they could be collecting viruses and bacteria in the filter–allowing them to grow and multiply. If these filters aren’t changed timely, the fan in the air purifier could begin to recirculate the virus or bacteria back into the space. 

Also during replacement intervals, you may unknowingly contaminate your home with viruses and bacteria.

The ironic part is if you get a filter that meets the HEPA standard and want maximum coverage, you have to change that filter more frequently than they say because it gets clogged up.

Types of Air Purifiers

There are so many types of air purifiers on the market. Several air purifiers combine many different features in one, like HEPA and Carbon filters. In order to understand which is best for your family, it’s vital to go over all your options.

1. HEPA Air Filters

Pros: HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. Originally developed in support of cleanrooms for atomic energy development, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created HEPA as a specification for suppliers of filtration products based on particle removal effectiveness (e.g., 99.97% at 0.3 microns and above). Today, these same standards meet the Department of Energy requirements for the removal of about 99% of the particulates from the air. These air particulates have to be at least 0.3 microns or larger to capture. If you are wanting to remove mold spores, flame retardants, dust pollen, bacteria or pet dander, this may be a good option.

Cons: Filters that meet the HEPA standard may not be able to trap gases, fumes or other chemicals and odors. It also has problems capturing viruses and are more likely to allow them to multiply on the filter or pass through. But the worst part is the more it works, the less effective it becomes because the particulates clog up the filters. To get 100% maximum efficiency you’ll have to change the filters more frequently, and will need to be turned to the highest power for the duration of the filter. And finally, be very careful when handling the filter because viruses and bacteria can be present.

2. Activated Carbon

Pros: Activated carbon is also known as activated charcoal. The charcoal binds with certain toxins and pulls them out of the air. It’s very effective at absorbing gases and fumes like formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, and other such VOCs from the air. It’s also very effective in removing odors from the air. Most of the time, this type of technology is combined with HEPA machines to make the filter more efficient.

Cons: Activated carbon doesn’t have the ability to remove particles or germs from the air inside your home. In order to do this, you’ll need some sort of combo machine. We wouldn’t recommend just a stand-alone activated carbon machine.

3. PECO (Photo ElectroChemical Oxidation)

Pros: PECO works when light shines on a specially designed nanoparticle-coated filter. This action of light on the surface of the filter creates a reaction that oxidizes pollutants in the air. Large machines are approved for hospitals wanting to clean the air from viruses, however, smaller machines have not been certified and approved yet.

Cons: Machines sold for home use are allegedly not strong enough to clean air of the size of the room they are in. Lots of lawsuits around this technology and the marketing claims they are making. Until this all shakes out, we’d recommend you look elsewhere just in case.

4. ULPA (Ultra Low Particle Air)

Pros: More efficient than HEPA filters because it’s like a double HEPA tightly woven together

Cons: Performance of machine is reduced after one hour of use and over the life of the filter, can be very noisy

3. UV Filters aka Ultra-Violet Filters

Pros: UV filters have the ability to kill bacteria and viruses. These filters kill bacteria and viruses using UV lights.

Cons: UV filters do not have the ability to filter out large particles like a HEPA or gases and chemicals like formaldehyde like an activated carbon filter does. We also elaborated as to why U.V. is an outdated technology for residential use. We have not found one residential U.V. air cleaning system that is looking at the metrics correctly to effectively kill microbes in the air.

4. Ionic Filters

Pros: Instead of relying on fans to move air through filters, ionic filters release a steady stream of negatively charged ions that electrify dust & dander. The particles become negatively charged and are then attracted to the positively charged collection plate inside the machine.

Cons: They don’t really do a good job at all. Sometimes the air particles become attracted to the walls, table tops , and TV screens and stick. They also do not absorb formaldehyde or other VOCs. But what I find most troublesome is the idea that when you introduce ozone into your home, it can interact with the VOCs in the air and create smog.

5. Ozone Filters

Pros: O3 is a gas that is released into the environment and is highly effective at killing odors and microorganisms. However, it is only effective at high levels and one should never run an ozone generator in an occupied space.

Cons: Limited use as disinfection has only been proven at high outputs. Ozone generators should never be used as general air cleaning devices and should only be used for cleaning devices and should only be used for disinfecting and odor elimination in unoccupied spaces.

Certifications & Partnerships & Tests to Look For

There are several certifications, partnerships and testing that help you understand which brands are worth your hard-earned money.

Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)

The Association of Home Appliances Manufacturers (AHAM) created the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) testing standard as a way to evaluate air purifiers. This system has pros and cons.

• Pros: Basic standard test that looks at solid particles like smoke, dust & pollen
• Cons: Only measures solid particles and misses all gasses, ultrafine particles, and viruses.

The Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification (AAFA)

We also saw some brands certified with the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification Program with the AAFA was one that popped up as well.

• Pros: Products likely good at reducing allergens in the air
• Cons: Lacks details on how the air purifiers are evaluated or the standards they have.

Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV)

Air purifiers can also receive a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV), which is the scale designed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to rate the effectiveness of air filters.

• Pros: Gives you basic guidelines on the minimum starting efficiency of an HVAC filter
• Cons: Reporting is only measured to MERV 16 which is 95% efficient and doesn’t take into consideration the smallest most dangerous lung penetrating ultrafine particles. Also, MERV doesn’t take into consideration lifetime efficiency rating value. Synthetic materials which originally can have a very high MERV rating can see a substantial reduction in efficiency as the filter loses charge.

Particle Efficiency Testing (Not a Certification, but a Test)

One last thing that is technically not a certification. Particle efficiency testing is what you can ask brands for. This test is important to determine that the machine is filtering the amount and size of particles that it claims to be filtering. Most brands will not offer this information to you.

• Pros: It tells you how strong the machine is in capturing ultrafine particles and viruses
• Cons: Most brands do not offer these results to customers, especially from an independent 3rd party laboratory

Air Purifier Funny Business — Tricks to Look Out For

As we were evaluating the air purifier industry, we noticed some tricks that certain companies were utilizing to make consumers believe they were better than they actually were.

• Instead of reporting CADR as “cubic feet per minute” they were reporting it as “cubic meters per hour” which gave about 45% more credit than they deserved.
• Brands were using marketing crediting their air purifier for 1 room exchange per hour instead of 4 room exchanges per hour.
• Brands were not disclosing how many lbs. of carbon were inside their filter, which means you cannot do the calculation to see if it’s enough to effectively capture VOCs.
• Brands are using mesh carbon instead of granular carbon. Mesh carbon is basically “spray-on” foam material carbon that isn’t as effective in capturing VOCs and other particulates. This gives them the ability to say they are using carbon, but it’s not the good kind.
• Brands were using less than 0.01 lbs. of carbon per day, which is what you want for the appropriate coverage.
• Some brands were marketing longer times when you needed to change the filter, which meant that at the end of the life of that filter, the air purifier would be far less efficient in purifying your air. Watch out for brands who boast filters don’t need to be changed for years. That may not be true if you want it to work well.
• No brands were warning customers that higher VOCs in a home would mean that you’ll need to change the filter more often.

Where Should You Place Your Air Purifier In Your Home

You want to place your air purifier next to the area in your home with the most electrical equipment like your television. That’s because it’s the spot in your home with most of the fire retardants that will be found. Fire retardants are placed inside the plastic in media equipment and over time, they are released into the air and attach themselves to household dust.

We also recommend this area because it’s a high traffic area and that’s the place where you spend your time. But it’s also important to remember that this area of your home may be larger so will likely also need a large unit to work that can cover between anywhere 400 to 1000 square feet depending on the size of that room.

It’s not really possible for one unit to cover your entire home unless you get a special unit for the entire home.  Air purifiers can not suck air from down the hall and in other rooms. So we recommend getting one unit for the main room, and others for bedrooms if you can afford it.

Mamavation’s Investigation on Best & Worst Air Purifiers for Viruses, Fire Retardants, Ultrafine Particles & Allergens

Not My Favorite Brands

These were not our favorite brands. Most of what you will get here are filters that are not strong enough to filter viruses. But there are several other things that may be wrong here such as not having a strong enough system to handle ultra-fine particulates, having legal trouble, bad reviews, consumer reporting of poor clean air delivery rate (CADR), bad business reputation, etc. These brands also cover the basic HEPA models that would only be able to pull 0.3 microns in size or bigger. You’ll find an * for models that would be fine in a smaller room but aren’t good for a larger family room.

• Aerocide APS-200 PM 2.5 ($1050)–this brand did not return our inquiries, Aerocide would not provide for us any 3rd party particle efficiency data demonstrating they have the ability to filter down to 0.3 microns as advertised, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, 400 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Alen BreatheSmart 75i True HEPA Air filter ($800)–this brand did not return our inquiries, Alen would not provide for us any 3rd party particle efficiency data demonstrating they have the ability to filter down to 0.3 microns as advertised, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, 1300 square foot space. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Alen BreatheSmart FIT50 True HEPA Air filter ($650)–no response from company, HEPA 0.3 microns, 900 square feet. WOULD NOT BE APPROVED FOR VIRUSES.
• BISSELL™ air400 Air Purifier ($350 ) — brand refuses to give independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, HEPA 0.3 microns, 650 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Blueair Blue Pure 411 Air Purifier** ($350)–relies on AHAM testing for CADR which is not independent particle efficiency data as requested, would not provide independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, claims 0.1 microns, HEPA filter, only 160 square feet (small space only). Top rated by Consumer Reports after independent CADR testing was done on several models under $900. We rate this the highest model of the affordable units in this category, however, they only claim to capture 0.1 microns in size so not appropriate purchase for COVID-19. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Blueair Classic 605 Air Purifier ($899)–relies on AHAM testing for CADR which is not independent particle efficiency data as requested, did not send us independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, claims 0.1 microns, HEPA filter, 775 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Coway Airmega 400S ($850)– did not respond to our inquiries, did not offer independent 3rd party particle efficiency testing, found independent review testing a handful of brands for CADR ranked this unit as a favorite, HEPA 0.3 microns, 1560 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Dyson TPO1 Pure Cool Link Air Purifier** ($460) — relies on AHAM testing for CADR which is not an independent particle efficiency data as requested, did not send us independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, 250 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Dyson TP04 Pure Cool Air Purifier** ($540) — relies on AHAM testing for CADR which is not an independent particle efficiency data as requested, did not send us independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, 250 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Hamilton Beach True Air** ($60) — claims independent 3rd party particle data is “proprietary” information, would not provide independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, independent reviews doing CADR testing claim this unit does not do a good job removing dust in room, 150 square foot room (small room only). Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Honeywell 50250 Air Purifier ($300) — received a canned reply with no 3rd party independent particle efficiency data, did not respond to our inquiries or send us independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, independent reviews doing CADR rating claim this unit must be on high to work, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, 390 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier ($300) — received a canned reply with no 3rd party independent particle efficiency data,did not respond to our inquiries or send us independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, independent reviews doing CADR rating claim this unit must be on high to work, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, independent reviews doing CADR rating claim this unit needs to be on high to work efficiently, 465 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Honeywell True HEPA Bluetooth Smart Air Purifier With Allergen Remover, HPA8350B ($389) — Received a canned reply with no 3rd party independent particle efficiency data, did not respond to our inquiries or send us independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, independent reviews doing CADR rating claim this unit must be on high to work, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, 465 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Honeywell AirGenius 5 HFD-320 Air Purifier ($209) — received a canned reply with no independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, did not respond to our inquiries or send us independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, independent reviews doing CADR rating claim this unit must be on high to work, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, independent reviews doing CADR rating claim this unit doesn’t work well on low settings and is louder than others, 250 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Idylsis AC 2118 ($306) — did not respond to any of our inquiries, did not receive independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, independent reviews doing CADR rating claim this unit isn’t good at removing dust and only works well on high settings, & also claims is a more noisy unit on high settings, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, 310 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Kenmore 83396 Air Purifier ($150) — relies on AHAM testing for CADR which is not independent particle efficiency data as requested, did not send us independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, independent reviews doing CADR rating claim this unit is not good at removing dust from the room, has greatly reduced efficiency on low, is okay on high and very noisy, does not have any customer service available, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, 317 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• LivePure Bali LP550TH-W Air Purifier ($300) — no response to our inquiries from brand, did not receive independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, Energy Star rated, independent reviews doing CADR rating claim this unit runs better on high than low setting & is noisy, 550 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Molekule Air ($799) –WARNING: As of June 2020, there is a pending challenge of this brand’s advertising at the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureaus, does not provide independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, independent reviews making CADR rating claims this unit doesn’t work as claimed, PECO filter,  claims unknown microns, 600 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Molekule Mini ($499) — WARNING: As of June 2020, there is a pending challenge of this brand’s advertising at the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureaus, does not provide independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, independent reviews making CADR rating claims this unit doesn’t work as claimed, PECO filter,  claims unknown microns, 600 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Oransi Erik 650 A Air Purifier ($1595)–Sent particle efficiency data from a manufacturer not independent 3rd party, customer service rep stated they are testing unit on viruses now, however, independent particle efficiency testing online not reflecting 0.3 microns, 1560 square feet. May soon be approved for viruses.
• Oransi OV200 ($329) — sent particle efficiency data from the manufacturer, not independent 3rd party, customer service rep stated they are testing unit on viruses now, however, independent particle efficiency testing not reflecting 0.3 microns online, 400 square feet. May soon be approved for viruses.
• PARTU Air Purifier ($60) — this brand does not have any customer service access to verify any claims whatsoever, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, 107 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Pionair 1500 ($649) — did not respond to our inquiries, did not explain the technology well on the website at all and provides no way to contact for questions. 800 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Pure Enrichment PureZone Elite 4-in-1 Air Purifier – True HEPA Filter + UV-C Sanitizer ($149) — did not respond to our inquiries, did not receive independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, unsure about size of room this is appropriate for. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Rabbit Air HEPA Air Purifier MINUSA2 ULTRA-QUIET AIR PURIFIER ($550) — would not send us independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, independent particle testing did not find it going down to 0.3 microns, has Prop. 65 WARNING – This product can expose you to chemicals including Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov, claims HEPA 0.3 microns, 815 square feet. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• SPT AC-2102 Air Purifier ($300) — did not respond to our inquiries, did not send us independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, claims HEPA with TiO2 (titanium Oxide) Filter UV Light 0.3 microns, 465 square feet, claims to kill viruses. We have not seen any studies demonstrating how this machine kills viruses, especially SARS-COVID-2 or H1N1.
• SPT Heavy Duty Air Purifier with HEPA ($350) — did not respond to our inquiries, HEPA with TiO2 (titanium Oxide) Filter UV light 0.3 microns, very expensive filters $300+ per year,  465 square feet. We have not seen any studies demonstrating how this machine kills viruses, especially SARS-COVID-2 or H1N1.
• Trane Clean Effects ($1025) — did not respond to our inquiries, did not send independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, has special filter that claims to filter down to 0.1 microns, not clear how big room should be. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• TruSens Z-2000 Air Purifier ($249) — did not respond to our inquiries, did not send independent 3rd party efficiency data, HEPA type filter with UV, HEPA 0.3 microns, Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Winix AM90 Wi-Fi Air Purifier ($220) — did not respond to our inquiries, HEPA 0.3 microns, independent reviews doing CADR rating claim this unit doesn’t work well picking up dust and doesn’t work very well at all on low settings, 360 square feet

Better Brands

These brands are light years ahead of the last category. They are a decent machine for the size room they claim to cover. However, they came up short in some areas like one of the following: we were not able to verify any of their claims, they may do batch testing instead of testing every machine for efficiency, they did not show us independent 3rd party particle efficiency data, or they may not have any independent studies on H1N1 or Sars-COVID-2 (the precursor to COVID-19). Again, these models claim to capture at least 0.007 microns in size, but we could not verify this. Most viruses are between 0.004 to 0.1 microns in size. The Coronavirus SARS-COVID-2 is between 0.14 microns to 0.06 microns in size. (We also inserted machines that sent us 3rd party particle efficiency data but are not strong enough to capture viruses or ultrafine particles in blue and marked with *.)

• Aeris Aair 3-n-1 Pro HEPA ($899)–no response from our inquiries, Aeris Aair would not provide for us any 3rd party particle efficiency data demonstrating they have the ability to filter down to 0.003 microns as advertised, We are not aware of this brand doing studies on SARS-COV-2 or H1N1, but may be able to handle some viruses, claims 0.003 microns, 750 square feet. 
• Alexa Pure Breeze* ($279)– sent independent particle efficiency data, True HEPA 0.3 microns, 800 square feet, however, advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Amway Quixtar Atmosphere Sky Air Purifier ($1770) — this brand did not return our inquiries, Amway would not provide for us any 3rd party particle efficiency data demonstrating they have the ability to filter down to 0.003 microns as advertised, We are not aware of this brand doing studies on SARS-COV-2 or H1N1, but may be able to handle some viruses, 465 square feet
• Austin Air Healthmate Air Purifier ($595)- Does not offer 3rd party laboratory results on particle efficiency data when asked, but they did, however, have independent studies done on positive health impacts at John Hopkins with their machines. HEPA 0.3 microns. They would not tell us what size room each system is beneficial for. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Austin Air Healthmate Plus Air Purifier ($715)-Does not offer 3rd party laboratory results on particle efficiency data when asked, but they did, however, have independent studies done on positive health impacts at John Hopkins with their machines, claims HEPA 0.3 microns. They would not tell us what size room each system is beneficial for. Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Intellipure Ultrafine 468 ($999)– (use MAMAVATION10 for $100 off and free shipping) We rate this model the highest for the family room next to the entertainment center. Offers 3rd party laboratory results on particle efficiency, filters down to 0.007 microns, effective in killing coronavirus H1N1 which is smaller than SARS-COVID-2. We found conflicting information on this brand so it’s been placed here.
• Intellipure Compact ($459) — (use MAMAVATION10 for free shipping)–smaller unit for 500 square foot office or bedroom. Offers 3rd party laboratory results on particle efficiency, filters down to 0.007 microns, effective in killing coronavirus H1N1 which is smaller than SARS-COVID-2. We’ve found conflicting information on this brand so it’s been placed here.
• Intellipure Whole House Ultrafine Cleaner ($2,495) — (use MAMAVATION10 for $249.50 off and free shipping)–up to 5,000 square foot home provided there is only one HVAC machine, offers 3rd party laboratory results on particle efficiency, filters down to 0.007 microns, effective in killing coronavirus H1N1 which is smaller than SARS-COVID-2. We found conflicting information on this brand so it’s been placed here.
• IQ Air GC Multi-Gas Air Purifier ($1,2499)–this brand did not return our inquiries, IQAir would not provide for us any 3rd party particle efficiency data demonstrating they have the ability to filter down to 0.003 microns as advertised, We are not aware of this brand doing studies on SARS-COV-2 or H1N1, but may be able to handle some viruses, Claims HEPA filter 0.003 microns, 1125 square feet (large space)
• IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier ($900) — no response from brand, IQAir would not provide for us any 3rd party particle efficiency data demonstrating they have the ability to filter down to 0.003 microns as advertised, We are not aware of this brand doing studies on SARS-COV-2 or H1N1, but may be able to handle some viruses, claims HEPA filter 0.003 microns, 1125 square feet (large space) 
• Germ Guardian AC 4825 3-in-1 Air Purifier* ($333) — sent 3rd party particle efficiency data, confirmed True HEPA filter 0.3 microns, 177 square feet (small room only), Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.
• Germ Guardian High CADR True HEPA Filter Air Purifier* ($499)–sent 3rd party particle efficiency data, confirmed True HEPA filter 0.3 microns, 335 square feet, Advertised specifications would not be able to filter or capture viruses.

Best Brands–Based on Real Data

These brands are our favorite. They offered particle efficiency data or consumer studies from a 3rd party independent lab when asked. They also have the ability to trap viruses and eliminate them. Their machines are strong enough to filter fire retardants coming from your television, & ultrafine particles.  Their machine is proven to handle either the H1N1 virus or SARS-COVID-2 via actual studies. Any brand we found conflicting information on we pulled from this section.

• Air Doctor 3000 ($629)–(Use this link for an automatic $280 off each system) We rate this model the highest for the family room next to the entertainment center. Powerful enough to protect the air in bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and more. Circulates the air in 638 sq. ft. 4x/hour or in 1,274 sq. ft. 2x/hour. Offers 3rd party results on particle efficiency, filters down to 0.003 microns, effective at killing SARS-COVID-2. Air Doctor sent a study conducted in September 2021 looking at how their machine handles particle efficiency. This machine was studied against the EXACT virus (SARS-COVID-2) that troubles us now and passed with flying colors. Here is the study for you to see yourself.
• Air Doctor 5000 ($999)–(Use this link for an automatic $300 off each system) We rate this model the highest for the family room next to the entertainment center. Most powerful performance yet is also the quietest. The pure air solution for extra large spaces, high ceilings and open concepts. Circulates the air in 1,001 sq. ft. 4x/ hour or in 2,001 sq. ft. 2x/hour. Offers 3rd party results on particle efficiency, filters down to 0.003 microns, effective at killing SARS-COVID-2. Air Doctor sent a study conducted in September 2021 looking at how their machine handles particle efficiency. This machine was studied against the EXACT virus (SARS-COVID-2) that troubles us now and passed with flying colors. Here is the study for you to see yourself.
• Air Doctor 1000 ($399)–(Use this link for an automatic $120 off each system) Small but mighty purification that’s perfect for small bedrooms, nurseries, home offices, laundry rooms and more. Circulates the air in 285 sq. ft. 4x/hour or in 570 sq. ft. 2x/hour. Offers 3rd party results on particle efficiency, filters down to 0.003 microns, effective at killing SARS-COVID-2. Air Doctor sent a study conducted in September 2021 looking at how their machine handles particle efficiency. This machine was studied against the EXACT virus (SARS-COVID-2) that troubles us now and passed with flying colors. Here is the study for you to see yourself.