Top 5 compared
The best air purifiers
Less dust, fewer smells, and fresher air in the rooms you use most.
49 checked · 5 made the cut
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How this works
The top 5 at a glance
An air purifier is a fan in a box that pulls the room’s air through a fine HEPA filter, trapping dust, pollen and pet hair, and most add a layer of carbon for cooking and smoke smells. Simple ones have a button and a few speeds; smarter ones carry an air sensor that turns the fan up by itself when the air gets worse, and an app to go with it.
Each one here is rated for a room size, and the ones with a sensor can be left on auto to tick over quietly until cooking or dusting sets them off. All five are quiet enough on their lowest speed to leave on overnight; the biggest needs floor space rather than a shelf.
What matters
- CADR, the clean air delivery rate: higher clears a bigger room faster.
- A sleep mode that dims the lights as well as the fan.
- Low power draw, since it runs for hours a day.
- Budget for replacement filters, and check they’re easy to buy.
#1Levoit Core 300S Smart Air Purifier
£100–£150
- Air sensor with auto mode
- 258m³/h clean-air rate
- 24dB on its lowest speed
A compact cylinder with a PM2.5 laser sensor that shows the air quality on the unit and in the VeSync app, and on auto mode sets the fan speed from what that sensor reads. Levoit rates it for rooms up to 108m² once an hour, or 54m² twice.
What owners say: Owners say it clears dust and smells quickly, with less dust settling on surfaces, and runs silently on its lowest setting; they like the choice of speeds and the auto mode.
A closer look: It pulls air in all the way round its base, so stand it out in the room rather than tucked into a corner or behind a sofa. In the app, a schedule can run it hard while the house is empty and quietly in the evening.
Best for: Choosing a filter type
- Room size
- Up to 108m²
- CADR
- 258m³/h
- Filters
- 3-stage HEPA
- Quietest
- 24dB
- Air sensor
- Yes
- Extras
- App
#2Levoit Core Mini Air Purifier
£30–£50
- Draws just 7W
- 26cm tall, fits a bedside table
- Ozone-free, no ioniser or UV-C
- No air quality sensor
- Low 78m³/h clean-air rate
A small, light purifier, about 26cm tall and just over a kilo, for a bedroom, nursery or desk. It has a three-layer HEPA filter, three fan speeds and simple buttons, and draws 7W, so it can run around the clock without adding much to the electricity bill.
What owners say: Owners say it makes stale rooms feel fresher, runs quietly on its first setting and is small enough for a bedroom.
A closer look: Keep it close to where you are, on a bedside table or the corner of a desk, since it’s made to clean the air of one small room. Shut that room’s door while it runs, or it ends up working on the landing as well; there’s no app or account to set up.
Best for: Scented air
- Room size
- Up to 24m²
- CADR
- 78m³/h (46 cfm)
- Filters
- 3-layer HEPA
- Quietest
- 25dB
- Air sensor
- No
- Extras
- Aroma pad
#3Philips 900 Series Air Purifier
£150–£200
- 250m³/h clean-air rate
- Filter lasts up to a year
- Draws 23W at top speed
Quiet enough to leave by the bed: Philips rates its sleep mode at 20.5dB, with the display dimmed. It pairs HEPA with an active carbon layer, carries ECARF certification for allergy sufferers, and the Air+ app sends an alert when the air quality drops.
What owners say: Owners say it makes a noticeable difference to the air, is near silent in night mode, and is easy to set up and run from the app.
A closer look: Pair it with the Air+ app before it moves into the bedroom, and the app will show that room’s air quality and switch it on or off without anyone getting out of bed. At about 24cm across, it fits on the floor beside a bedside table rather than taking over the top of it.
Best for: Quietest sleep mode
- Room size
- Up to 65m²
- CADR
- 250m³/h
- Filters
- HEPA + carbon
- Quietest
- 20.5dB
- Air sensor
- Yes
- Extras
- App, schedules
#4Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier
£150–£200
- 390m³/h clean-air rate
- Allergy UK and ECARF certified
- Three-year warranty
- Heavy at 6.7kg
- 60cm tall, needs floor space
The most powerful here, with a clean-air rate of 390m³/h, enough to purify a 20m² room in under five minutes, Winix says. A fine-mesh pre-filter, activated carbon and HEPA deal with dust, pollen and cooking smoke, and auto mode sets the fan from its sensor.
What owners say: Owners say it clears the air well, smoke included, and is simple to get going. Noise splits them, with the fourth speed loud for some, and a few report the auto mode switching the unit off.
A closer look: Winix lists Allergy UK certification, worth knowing in a house with hay fever. On high-pollen days, keep the windows of the room it’s in shut rather than airing it, and let the purifier do the freshening; it also carries a three-year warranty.
Best for: Fastest cleaning
- Room size
- Up to 99m²
- CADR
- 390m³/h
- Filters
- Pre-filter, carbon, HEPA
- Quietest
- 27.4dB
- Air sensor
- Yes
- Extras
- 5 speeds
#5Blueair Blue Pure 511 Air Purifier
£50–£75
- Light at 1.9kg
- 209m³/h clean-air rate
- 24dB on its lowest speed
- No air quality sensor
Kept simple for a bedroom or study: two buttons, three fan speeds including a night mode, and Blueair’s HEPASilent filter with a carbon layer for everyday smells from cooking and pets. Blueair rates it at 24dB on its lowest speed, quiet enough for a bedroom.
What owners say: Owners say it noticeably improves the air and helps them sleep better. Views on smells are mixed, with a few noticing a musty odour, and some find it slightly cools the room.
A closer look: Its fabric pre-filter, the coloured outer sleeve, can be vacuumed or washed to keep pet hair off the main filter. Under two kilos, it’s light enough to carry from the bedroom at night to a living room or study by day, so one purifier can follow you round the house.
Best for: A washable pre-filter
- Room size
- Up to 42.2m²
- CADR
- 209m³/h (123 cfm)
- Filters
- HEPASilent + carbon
- Quietest
- 24dB
- Air sensor
- No
- Extras
- Washable fabric pre-filter
Side by side
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Levoit Core 300S | #2Levoit Core Mini | #3Philips 900 Series | #4Winix 5500-2 | #5Blueair Blue Pure 511 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | |||||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.5 |
| Price | £100–£150 | £30–£50 | £150–£200 | £150–£200 | £50–£75 |
| Room size | Up to 108m² | Up to 24m² | Up to 65m² | Up to 99m² | Up to 42.2m² |
| CADR | 258m³/h | 78m³/h (46 cfm) | 250m³/h | 390m³/h | 209m³/h (123 cfm) |
| Filters | 3-stage HEPA | 3-layer HEPA | HEPA + carbon | Pre-filter, carbon, HEPA | HEPASilent + carbon |
| Quietest | 24dB | 25dB | 20.5dB | 27.4dB | 24dB |
| Air sensor | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Extras | App | Aroma pad | App, schedules | 5 speeds | Washable fabric pre-filter |
| Best for | Choosing a filter type | Scented air | Quietest sleep mode | Fastest cleaning | A washable pre-filter |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
How we checked these
How 49 became 5
We found 49 air purifier listings. One was the same purifier again in another colour, and 33 were rated too low and/or had too few ratings to compete. That left 15, which we narrowed down step by step:
- Ratings, reviews and salesFor the 15, we then checked the ratings and reviews further, and how many people buy each one. Owners talked most about how well they clear smells, then the controls. After these checks, we dropped one more.14 left
- Features weighed upThe 14 left were compared on room size, how much clean air they put out, filters, how quiet they run, air quality sensors and extras. Once everything was weighed up together, we dropped nine more. The #1 has every feature you’d expect from an air purifier.5 made the cut
- Value for moneyEvery air purifier here is worth what it costs. A dearer one is only here if it gives you more.
- Who sells itEvery seller was checked. Each air purifier is sold new and sent from the UK.
- Safe to buyEvery brand on this list was checked for safety recalls. None of these five air purifiers has one.
Spotted a mistake or something out of date? Tell usBack to top
