Are you living in an apartment and want to protect yourself from unhealthy air?
Do you want to get rid of city smog, allergens, dust, germs, and odors that are common in apartment spaces?
If so, you’ve come to the right place.
This guide will help you find the best air purifier for apartment so that you can create a safe haven of clean air no matter what’s going on inside or outside your door.
Our goal here is to give you honest reviews of the best apartment air purifier models.
That way, you can choose the top unit that will meet your air cleaning needs and fit within your budget.
We hope you enjoy this in-depth guide and find the perfect air purifier for your needs on this page.
Table of Contents
Best Air Purifier for Apartment Comparison Chart
Here’s a chart showing a comparison between the top products.
We’ll go more in depth about each one later in this guide, but this gives you a sense of what’s available and an easy way to quickly compare them.
| Image | Air Purifier Details | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | Rabbit Air MinusA2 Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | GermGuardian AC5000 Air Purifier
| Check Price |
How Do Air Purifiers Help in Apartments?
Before we jump into the air purifier reviews, you may want to know what the top pollutants are that these units can remove from the air.
Air purifiers are designed to remove airborne particles that can be harmful to your health, as well as get rid of unpleasant odors.
Depending on where you live, you may experience more or fewer indoor contaminants.
However, there are a number of pollutants that you’ll most likely encounter no matter where your apartment may be located.
Below are the top ways an air purifier can help purify the air in your space.
Capture Allergens
Dust, pollen, and pet dander are some of the most common allergens that you’ll find floating around an apartment.
While these are incredibly common and can be found all around the world, they can have serious impacts on your health.
Removing these contaminants from your indoor air can easily be accomplished when you add an air purifier to your apartment.
Remove Volatile Organic Compounds
Moving into an apartment that just received a fresh coat of paint or carpeting can be incredibly exciting.
If you just bought new furniture to add to your space, then you’re also finding a way to make it your cozy home.
While all of these things are nice, the fact is that these products also release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air that are toxic to breathe.
You may not always be able to smell when VOCs are in the air, but your body will know, and it could result in headaches, nausea, or respiratory issues.
Using an air purifier to remove VOCs from the air is the best way to protect yourself from these pollutants.
Trap Mold and Bacteria
Mold is another incredibly common item that occurs all over the world and it’s often found in many apartments because they lack proper ventilation and moisture control.
Since mold can have a negative impact on your health, using an air purifier to reduce the number of spores that occur in your apartment is beneficial.
Air purifiers can also trap airborne bacteria so you don’t end up breathing these microorganisms into your lungs. This can help you stay healthier all year round.
Reduce Odors
Probably one of the most common things you’re going to be exposed to when living in an apartment building is a variety of smells—some of which will be pleasant, while others will be terrible to deal with.
Whether from cooking, pets, kids, laundry, cleanliness (or lack thereof), you won’t have a lot of control over the smells that emanate from your neighbors’ apartments.
You can control how much of it gets into your apartment, though, by adding an air purifier to strip the odor particles out of the air.
Eliminate Smoke
The smell of tobacco smoke is one of the hardest odors to remove from your apartment.
It can cling to your carpeting, upholstery, clothing, and curtains.
Even if you don’t smoke, if anyone does in your apartment building, the smell can drift into your space and make it unpleasant to be in.
Thankfully, it’s possible to get rid of smoke odor by getting the best air purifier for apartment that uses a special type of filter.
If you’re a smoker and run this in your apartment, it’s also a great way to reduce the odor and keep it from drifting into other people’s spaces.
What Should You Look for in the Best Apartment Air Purifier?
You more than likely won’t know what types of particles are floating around your apartment since they’re invisible.
So, you’ll want to get the best apartment air purifier that can target a broad range of pollutants.
This means that you’ll want to look for a top unit that includes one or more of the following features:
True HEPA Filter
This is one of the most important components of the air purifier because a True HEPA filter can remove 99.97% of contaminants as small as 0.3 microns in size.
This includes ultrafine particles such as dust, pet dander, mold spores, pollen, allergens, and some forms of bacteria.
Activated Carbon Filter
When it comes to removing unpleasant odors and VOCs from your home, you need an air purifier with an Activated Carbon filter.
It can remove tobacco smoke, cooking scents, pet odors, and other common indoor smells.
It also has the power to eliminate airborne gases and chemicals that can be harmful to your health.
You may not know this, but a lot of carpeting, furniture, paint, and building materials emit toxic VOCs into the air as they age, and this process of off-gassing can leak out for up to two years or more.
So, getting an air purifier with an Activated Carbon filter can keep your apartment safe.
Ionizer
Having this feature on your air purifier will help grab more of the harmful substances that might be floating around in the air.
To ensure it’s working effectively, it’s best to find an air purifier that combines an Ionizer with a True HEPA filter to ensure that the most particles possible are being trapped.
Running an Ionizer-only air purifier won’t be as good for you in your apartment.
UV-C Light
If you’re concerned about viruses and bacteria floating around your space, then you’ll want to find an air purifier that comes with this feature.
A UV-C light has the ability to kill the vast majority of harmful pathogens and microorganisms to keep you from getting sick.
Not all air purifiers come with this feature; however, so if it’s something you want and need, you’ll need to choose a unit that offers it.
Best Air Purifiers for Apartments List
Now that you have an idea of what air cleaning technologies go into a high-quality air purifier, we can now look at the reviews of the best air purifier for apartment models.
Choosing any of these products below will be a good option to keep the air around you clean and safe to breathe.
1. Rabbit Air MinusA2 Air Purifier for Large Apartments
This air purifier offers you so much that it’s really hard to beat.
Not only is it sleek and modern, but it also has a ton of air cleaning power.
What makes this the best apartment air purifier overall is that it uses a Six-Stage Air Filtration System to purify and deodorize the air.
Currently, it’s the leader in the industry for being able to clean the most pollutants out of the air.
The features that come with this unit include:
- Pre-filter to trap the largest particles an protect the other internal filters.
- Medium filter to pick up medium sized particles that slip through the pre-filter.
- BioGS HEPA filter to capture 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns in size. It lasts much longer than a traditional True HEPA filter (up to 2 years).
- Custom filter to meet your specific indoor air quality needs (see below).
- Activated Carbon filter for odor reduction and gaseous vapors.
- Ionizer to help boost the air cleaning power and make it easier to catch micrsocopic pollutants.
When it comes to the Custom Filter on this model, you have the option of choosing from the following:
- Germ Defense Filter – This reduces airborne pathogens, including mold spores, bacteria, and particles that may be carrying viruses.
- Pet Allergy Filter – You can further reduce the amount of pet dander, hair, and allergens inside your apartment.
- Toxin Absorber Filter – This filter enhances the reduction of VOCs and other chemicals that might be floating in the air.
- Odor Remover Filter – If you’re looking to reduce serious odors caused by cooking, tobacco, pets, or other common apartment odors, then you’ll want to add this filter to your unit.
This air purifier has also been rated as the #1 unit for smokers by Cigar Aficionado Magazine and can remove thousands of airborne chemicals and tough odors.
So, it won’t matter if you or your neighbors smoke because this air purifier will remove all traces of tobacco.
Some of the other features that this air purifier boasts include being able to be mounted to the wall or placed on the floor. It also comes in two color choices with multiple design options.
You even have the opportunity to get a smart Wi-Fi enabled model that allows you to control it from your mobile device.
This air purifier works best in large rooms up to 700 square feet, so if you have a larger apartment that needs cleaner air, this is the best air purifier to have.
2. IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier for Very Large Apartments
If you have a very large apartment or just want the most powerful air purifier with the most advanced HyperHEPA filter for removing allergens, dust, and smog, then you’ll want to see what this model has to offer.
It comes with some incredibly unique filters, including:
- PreMax filter – This pre-filter traps large airborne particles and protects the other filters so they can do a more efficient job.
- HyperHEPA filter – This is much more advanced than a standard True HEPA filter and has the ability to filter out ultra-fine particles down to 0.1 microns in size, including combustion particles, bacteria, and viruses.
- V5-Cell Gas & Odor filter – This filter reduces toxic VOCs, smoke, and unpleasant odors as well as harmful chemicals, including formaldehyde.
When it comes to a top air purifier that can be used for all types of indoor air quality issues, very few can beat what this unit offers.
It’s rated for areas up to 1,125 square feet, making it an ideal choice for the largest apartments or anyone who wants maximum air cleaning and filtration.
3. Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier for Apartments
Perhaps you just want a good air purifier that can keep you healthy and work in the average size apartment.
If that’s the case, this Honeywell air purifier could be exactly what you need.
Honeywell is one of the top brands recommended by allergists and this air purifier excels at removing harmful particles from the air you breathe.
If you happen to suffer from allergies or asthma, you’ll love having this unit in your bedroom (especially if you have trouble sleeping) or in the living area to create the cleanest air possible.
It comes with two types of internal air filters:
- An Activated Carbon Pre-filter to trap lage allergens, dust, and hair, and provide indoor odor control.
- Three True HEPA filters to eliminate 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns.
Something else that needs to be mentiond here is that this air purifier exchanges the air 5x every hour.
You won’t find that much power in many other air purifiers at this size and price.
Some of the other features that you’ll enjoy include:
- A timer that can be set for 2, 4, or 8 hours.
- 3 fan speed settings.
- A turbo mode for maximum air cleaning efficiency.
- Auto light dimmer.
- An indicator to let you know when it’s time to change the filters.
Finally, it’s rated for average size rooms up to 465 square feet which covers most every common room in a standard apartment.
4. Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier for Apartments
This is another air purifier that’s good for most apartment needs, yet is unlike anything else on the market.
It uses a patented PlasmaWave technology that breaks down allergens, odors, chemical vapors, bacteria, and other pollutants—without producing ozone or other side effects that could be harmful to your health.
The best way to envision this air purifier is that it’s an Ionizer and Ultraviolet light wrapped into one package to create the cleanest, most healthy air possible.
The other air cleaning features that come with this air purifier include:
- A True HEPA filter that removes 99.97% of airborne contaminants down to 0.3 microns.
- An Activated Carbon filter to reduce odors caused by pets, cooking, VOCs, and smoke.
Another great thing about this unit is that it has automatic air quality sensors.
Using these sensors, the air purifier adjusts the power of the unit to clean the air as new contaminants are detected.
That way, you can feel confident that it’s protecting you 24 hours per day.
Finally, this unit is rated for apartment rooms up to 360 square feet.
That makes it is a good choice for a average size rooms in most apartments as well as a top choice for use in a bedroom or main living room.
5. GermGuardian AC5000 Air Purifier for Small Apartment Rooms
Our final recommendation is a good option for anyone who needs an air purifier for a small room.
Or something that can easily be carried around.
This model uses a Three-Stage Air Filtration System to attack a wide variety of contaminants in the air, including bacteria and viruses.
As the name suggests, it’s designed to guard and protect you against germs.
Some of the powerful air cleaning features you’ll find on this unit include:
- A True HEPA filter that captures 99.97% of dust, mold spores, and allergens down to 0.3 microns in size.
- An Activated Carbon filter that eliminates odors caused by pets, VOCs, cooking, and tobacco.
- A UV-C light that kills bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that might be lurking in your apartment.
It’s very lightweight and includes a carrying handle, so you have the option of moving it from one room to another with ease.
There’s also a smart Wi-Fi model that allows you to control the appliance from your mobile device if you want to upgrade to that feature.
This model here is rated to cover rooms up to 193 square feet while the Wi-Fi model has s slightly smaller range of coverage at 167 square feet.
All-in-all, this air purifier is one of the least expensive options you can choose with powerful air cleaning abilities.
Plus, it’s the perfect size for smaller apartments and personal use in individual rooms.
Common Questions About Air Purifiers
Can I Leave an Air Purifier On All Day and Night?
Absolutely. In fact, if you want to ensure that you’re getting the cleanest, freshest air possible in your apartment, then you don’t want to turn your air purifier off.
When you turn your air purifier off, this gives indoor pollutants and odors the chance to build up.
To make sure that these stay out of your living space, running your appliance as much as possible is in your best interest.
Should I Leave My Air Purifier on When I’m Not Home?
Yes. Leaving an air purifier one while you’re not home is safe and keeps the air indoors clean.
If you turn the air purifier off each time you leave your apartment, the pollutants and odors can start to build up again.
Most modern air purifiers are also energy efficient, so don’t worry about the cost of electricity when letting these units run all day. The energy use is very little.
Should I Use More Than One Air Purifier in My Apartment?
The size of your apartment and the type of air purifier you add to the space will determine how many air purifiers you will need.
In general, if you have a small studio apartment or loft, then you shouldn’t need more than one air purifier.
Just look for the best air purifier that’s rated to cover the square footage of your space.
If you have a larger apartment, you might consider getting more than one air purifier to make sure that you get the cleanest, purest air you possibly can.
These units can’t work through walls and they don’t do a great job working around corners. Thus, if your apartment has a lot of rooms, then getting multiple air purifiers for each area can be the most beneficial.
You might consider getting one air purifier for the main space, such as your living room, and then having a secondary unit for your bedroom or other rooms.
You can also get a smaller, lightweight air purifier and move it from room to room if you so desire.
Do Air Purifiers for Apartments Make a Lot of Noise?
In all honesty, the answer to this question depends on the type of air purifier you buy.
However, the air purifiers we reviewed on this page are some of the most quiet and low noise level models you can find.
If your unit is running on the highest fan setting or kicks into high mode, then it’s possible that it will produce some loud fan noise.
The good news is that this sound will only be temporary while the air purifier is working to remove harmful airborne particles or unpleasant smells.
As soon as the unit drops out of the high mode, it will become quiet once again. And in many instances, you won’t hear the air purifier at all because the fan sound is so low.
Should I Sleep with an Air Purifier On?
Yes, you should sleep with an air purifier on.
Doing so will allow the air purifier to remove airborne particles that can disrupt your sleep, such as dust, allergens, and mold spores.
If you want a deep and healthy sleep, always keep you air purifier running.
Are Apartment Air Purifiers a Waste of Money?
No, air purifiers are not a waste of money. In many ways, air purifiers are very beneficial to your health.
These units remove harmful indoor contaminants and create a fresher smelling home environment.
So, if you want to invest money in a product that can protect your health and make your home or apartment smell better, then any of the air purifiers listed on this page are a great thing to spend money on.
You can also view our 10 top air purifier reviews for homes and offices.
Choosing the Best Apartment Air Purifier Size
How do you know what size air purifier to choose?
The size of the unit is related to how well it cleans and sanitizes your air.
To make sure that it’s working optimally, you need an air purifier that’s rated to cover your particular size room or space.
If you get an air purifier that’s too small, it won’t clean the air like you need it to.
Should you get one that’s too large, you will be wasting energy and money.
Thus, it’s in your best interest to find an air purifier that is rated for the square footage of your apartment.
In general, there are three ways to find the square footage of your apartment:
- Ask your landlord.
- Go onto the web and see if the square footage is listed.
- Take measurements yourself.
If you need to take the measurement yourself, here’s how you can do it:
- Get a measuring tape.
- Measure the length and width of the apartment room you want to use the air purifier in. Make sure that you’re measuring in feet.
- Once you have those two numbers, multiply them together to get the square footage for the room. For example, if your measurements were 20 feet by 30 feet, then your square footage is 600 square feet (20 x 30 = 600).
Now, just choose an air purifier that meets or exceeds that square footage size.
Where to Put Your Air Purifier
To make sure that you’re getting the most out of your apartment air purifier, you’ll need to place it in the room you use most often.
This might include your bedroom or living room.
You’ll need to place it where the tops and sides won’t be obstructed, giving it at least 24 inches of clearance all the way around.
If you don’t give the appliance the ability to “breathe,” this could lead to it not being able to efficiently clean the air inside the room.
Air Quality Issues in Apartments
While there are some advantages and perks to living in an apartment, they also offer some unique challenges that aren’t found in most homes—especially when it comes to indoor air quality.
Compared to your average home, most apartments are more compact and have a restrictive layout.
This can make it extremely difficult to get proper ventilation throughout the space.
Another issue that you have to deal with is the fact that you have no control over what your neighbors do in their apartments.
If they decide to smoke, cook with lots of spices, wear a lot of cologne/perfume, use strongly scented cleaning products, or partake in any other lifestyle choice, this can have an impact on you.
Often, apartment buildings share a heating and cooling system.
That means that whatever your neighbor is doing, it’s going to find its way into your apartment.
When this happens, you lose some control over what you’re breathing in.
You also have to rely on your landlord to clean out the heating and cooling system—and that might not occur as often as you would like it to.
Dust, mold, allergens, and other pollutants will be able to find their way into your home through the air vents, and this can have an impact on your air quality and your health.
It’s also possible that smoke and other odors can also get into your apartment from your neighbors’ apartments or from outside.
Even if you’re an incredibly clean, neat person, you won’t be able to stop these scents from drifting into your space.
It can be frustrating not to have control over what is in the air in your apartment.
Thankfully, adding an air purifier to your apartment is the best way to clean and freshen the air so you can feel healthier and have a more pleasant space to live.
More Ways to Improve the Air Quality in Your Apartment
In addition to adding an air purifier to your apartment, there are some other ways to improve the indoor air quality.
These include the following:
Open the Windows
In general, the air outside your home is cleaner than your indoor air.
The exception to this rule is if you live in a highly congested area with a lot of traffic.
By opening your windows for at least 1 hour a day, you can push many of the harmful pollutants out of your space and move fresh air in.
To improve the airflow, you might consider adding a box fan to your window. This is particularly helpful if you live in a smaller apartment or loft.
Control the Pollution Sources
Pollutions sources come in many shapes and forms, including in cleaning supplies, smokers, and new furniture.
To improve your indoor air quality, do what you can to control where the pollution is coming from.
For example, you might consider switching your cleaning product to green or natural products to reduce the VOCs in your home.
If you or another person smokes, consider doing this outside. Making small changes can have a big impact on the air quality inside your living space.
Clean Regularly
Reducing the number of dust and dust mites in your apartment requires cleaning on a regular basis.
Any area in your apartment can be an ideal environment for dust and dust mites, but they thrive in carpeting, upholstery, and drapery.
On average, you should be dusting and vacuuming once a week, but if you can do these chores more often, it can improve the indoor air quality in your apartment.
If you have hardwood, tile, or linoleum floors, sweeping these regularly can also improve the indoor air quality of your apartment.
Again, it’s advised that you clean once a week, but if you have the opportunity to sweep more often, this can work out to your benefit and improve your indoor air quality.
Remove Shoes at the Door
You might be surprised at the amount of debris and harmful substances that get stuck on your shoes.
Thus, to keep your apartment clean and reduce the number of pollutants that you track through your space, consider leaving your shoes at the door.
Control the Humidity
Mold thrives in warm, humid environments. If your apartment doesn’t have good ventilation and always feels a bit sticky and hot, then you might be encouraging mold to grow.
In general, your humidity levels should be between 30 and 50% year-round. The best way to control the humidity in your apartment is to get a dehumidifier.
If you believe that the mold issue is coming from the heating and cooling system, then it’s in your best interest to talk with your landlord.
Mold can cause numerous health issues, and many states have laws and regulations when it comes to dealing with mold.
Make sure you’re staying safe by expressing your concerns.
Summary
Our goal was to give you the information and advice you need to find the best apartment air purifier for your needs, and we hope you enjoyed reading through our guide.
As you discovered, finding the best air purifier for apartment depends on the features you want or need it to include and the size of your apartment. You also need to consider what types of contaminants you need to remove from the air.
Our hope is that after reading this post, you’ll have the confidence and ability to find the air purifier that will work best for you. You deserve to have clean, fresh air in your apartment. You may not be able to control what your neighbors do, but you can make the air in your space healthier and more pleasant smelling with the right appliance.