Best air purifier for apartment

 

Are you living in an apartment and tired of breathing unhealthy air?

Or perhaps you’re trying to get relief from smoke or odors that invade your space from the next door neighbors?

Either way, this free guide will help.

Below, you’ll find out what the best air purifier for apartment living that covers large, medium, and small sizes spaces so you can create a pocket of fresh air indoors no matter where you live or what your neighbors do.

Pick the one that’s right for you and start enjoying the cleanest, freshest air possible.

You’ll also discover what types of contaminants apartment air purifiers can and can’t get rid of as well as how to maximize their effectiveness without breaking your budget.

Disclosure: Home Air Guides is reader-supported. As an Amazon associate and affiliate for independent brands, we earn from qualifying purchases made through the links on our site. Learn more.

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.

The Best Air Purifiers for Apartments and Small Spaces: Overview

Here’s a quick comparison chart showing the top apartment air purifiers. We’ll cover each aspect of these units in the reviews section below, but this gives you an idea of what’s available and an easy way to compare them.

ImageAir Purifier DetailsPrice
VEVA Pro HEPA 9000 Air Purifier
  • Best overall air purifier
  • Filters: Filters: Washable Pre-filter, HEPA Filter, Activated Carbon
  • Coverage: 600 sq. ft.
  • Warranty: please contact seller for more information.
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Rabbit Air MinusA2 Air Purifier
  • Best overall air purifier with customizable features
  • Filters: Pre-filter, Medium, BioGS, Customized, Activated Carbon, Ionizer
  • Coverage: 700-815 sq. ft.
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Molekule Air Purifier
  • Has advanced particle-destroying technology
  • Filters: Pre-filter, PECO
  • Coverage: 600 sq. ft.
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Levoit LV-H133 Air Purifier
  • Good value and performance
  • Filters: Pre-filter, True HEPA, Activated Carbon
  • Coverage: 538 sq. ft.
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GermGuardian AC5000E Air Purifier
  • Has germ-killing power
  • Filters: True HEPA, Activated Carbon, UV-C Light
  • Coverage: 193 sq. ft.
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Levoit Vital 100 Air Purifier
  • Most affordable apartment air purifier
  • Filters: Pre-filter, True HEPA, Activated Carbon
  • Coverage: 300 sq. ft.
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IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier
  • Largest room size coverage
  • Filters: Pre-filter, HyperHEPA, V5-Cell Gas and Odor
  • Coverage: 1,125 sq. ft.
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The Best Air Purifiers for Apartments and Small Spaces: Full Guide

Best apartment air purifier MinusA2

Top Air Purifier For Large Apartments: Rabbit Air MinusA2

If you’re looking for the best air purifier for apartment that not only looks good but also packs the most air cleaning power, you’ve found it.

What makes this product so powerful is the fact that it uses six-stages of air purification and deodorization technology.

In fact, it’s the leader in the industry for cleaning the most pollutants from indoor air.

With this device you’ll get:

  1. Pre-filter
  2. Medium Filter
  3. BioGS HEPA Filter, which is a longer lasting True HEPA filter
  4. Customized Filter
  5. Activated Carbon Filter
  6. Ionizer

If you have trouble with neighboring tobacco smoke and odors, you’ll be happy to know that this device is rated as the #1 air purifier for smokers by Cigar Aficionado Magazine.

The customized filter option allows you to further target specific contaminants inside your apartment including:

  • Germ Defense Filter
    Reduces airborne bacteria, mold spores, and particles that carry viruses
  • Pet Allergy Filter
    Reduces pet dander, pet allergens, and pet hair
  • Toxin Absorber Filter
    Reduces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals
  • Odor Remover Filter
    Reduces odors from pets, cigarettes and cigars, cooking, and mildew

Another feature you’ll like is that this air purifier can be wall-mounted or stand alone as a floor unit.

The front panel comes in two color choices and multiple designs, and a Wi-Fi enabled version is also available to control everything from your mobile device.

All-in-all, this is the best air purifier for any large apartment because it can purify a space between 700 to 815 square feet.

Check Price and Reviews


Molekule Air Purifier

Newer Air Purifier with Particle-Destroying Power: Molekule Air Purifier

If you haven’t heard of the name Molekule before, then you soon will.

This air purifier brand is getting a lot of attention these days because of its advanced air filtration technology that actually destroys—not traps—airborne pollutants at a molecular level.

If you want a unit that can eliminate all traces of contaminants that pass through the system, then you’ll want to consider this Molekule air purifier right here.

It’s unlike any other air purifier reviewed on this list because it uses advanced PECO filtration technology:

  • PECO technology destroys allergens, mold, bacteria, and viruses at their core so you have the cleanest, healthiest air to breathe.
  • PECO filtering can eliminate pollutants that are 1,000 times smaller than standard filters must meet to qualify as HEPA.

Additionally, this air purifier is designed for large apartments and rooms up to 600 square feet, so it can handle most anyone’s needs.

A touch screen display on the top of the unit allows you to make adjustments to the fan speeds and automatic modes of the air purifier. Or you can choose to sync it up with your iPhone or Android device for full control over Wi-Fi.

One thing to keep in mind is that you should change pre-filter every 3 months and the PECO filter every 6 months. That way you can ensure you’re getting the maximum protection against airborne pollutants.

If you pick up an extra set of filters during your purchase, then you’ll be set for the entire year.

Check Price and Reviews


Levoit LV-H133

A Good Air Purifier for Most Apartments: Levoit LV-H133

Perhaps you’re looking for an air purifier with a bit more power than the Winix 5500-2, but don’t want to get the Rabbit Air MinusA2.

If that’s the case, then this Levoit LV-H133 air purifier is your best alternative.

Although it doesn’t include the advanced features as our first two reviews, this model does have the essential filters to keep your air clean.

With this air purifier you’re getting:

  • Pre-filter to capture large particles.
  • True HEPA Filter to remove 99.97% of microscopic contaminants.
  • Activated Carbon Filter to eliminate odors and airborne chemicals.

This air purifier also draws room air in from all sides, making it a 360-degree air filtration system. This design improves efficiency and reduces fan noise levels.

Best of all, it handles rooms up to 538 square feet, which offers you fantastic coverage for most any large apartment or studio.

Check Price and Reiviews


GermGuardian AC5000E

Best Air Purifier For Small Apartment Rooms: GermGuardian AC5000E

Our next recommendation for an apartment air purifier is this tower unit right here.

It’s best suited for smaller rooms in your apartment like a bedroom.

What makes this air purifier so attractive is the fact that it uses a three-stage air cleaning system that attacks airborne pollutants of all types including germs and viruses.

With this air purifier you’re getting:

  • True HEPA Filter for capturing 99.97% of microscopic allergens, dust, and mold spores down to 0.3 microns in size.
  • Activated Carbon Filter for eliminating odors caused by cooking, tobacco, pets, and VOCs.
  • UV-C Light for killing bacteria, germs, and viruses that are present inside your apartment.

If you have a small apartment or just want to spend the least amount of money on an air purifier, this is going to be your best choice.

This product can handle a space up to 193 square feet and is great for most personal applications.

It’s also lightweight and easy to carry if you want to move it from room to room with you.

A Wi-Fi version is also available, but it has a slightly different design and uses the model number CDAP5500BCA.

That version also covers a little less space at 167 square feet, but it’s well worth it for anyone who wants the convenience of controlling the air purifier from their smartphone or tablet.

Check Price and Reviews


Levoit Vital 100 Air Purufier

Affordable Air Purifier For Medium Size Apartments: Levoit Vital 100

Our next review for an apartment air purifier is this affordable unit by Levoit.

It’s much smaller than the Levoit LV-H133 model recommended above, but still uses the same type of high-quality filters:

  • Pre-filter to capture large particles.
  • True HEPA Filter to remove 99.97% of microscopic pollutants.
  • Activated Carbon Filter to get rid of odors and airborne chemicals.

The major differences between the two air purifier models are that this unit only draws air in from two sides (left and right) and covers smaller rooms up to 300 square feet.

But it’s still very effective at removing indoor dust, allergens, pollen, smoke, bacteria, and other common pollutants.

So if you’re looking for a good affordable air purifier for your apartment, then this might be the right choice for you.

Check Price and Reviews


IQAir HealthPro Plus

Best Air Purifier For Severe Allergies and Asthma: IQAir HealthPro Series

If you have severe allergies or asthma, then this air purifier will be the best for your apartment needs.

It’s also the most powerful air cleaner on this list and can handle an extremely large room or apartment space up to 1,125 square feet.

What makes this unit so good for allergies and asthma are two things:

  • The advanced HyperHEPA filter captures 99.95% of particles down to 0.003 microns—the smallest that exists. The filter also lasts up to four years before a replacement is needed which makes it very affordable in the long-run.
  • A special V5-Cell Gas and Odor filter that removes a wide range of chemical pollutants and household odors. If you want the cleanest air with fewer toxins and smells, then this is the top filter to get. It lasts up to two years.

Those two features combined make this air purifier outstanding for asthmatics and people with allergies and it has won numerous awards for being a top air purifier for improving health.

So if you have severe respiratory conditions, then it’s worth it to have this air purifier in your apartment.

It will also last you a lifetime of use so you can take it to your new home if you ever do move.

Check Price and Reviews


Why You Should Have an Air Purifier In Your Apartment

Apartments Offer Unique Challenges to Air Quality

Because apartments are smaller spaces than a standard home, there are some special challenges to overcome if you want to maintain a higher level of indoor air quality.

Fortunately, air purifiers are effective in helping with most of these issues.

Since apartments have a more compact and restrictive layout than a house, it can be extremely difficult for you to get proper ventilation throughout the entire space.

Another problem is that you have absolutely no control of what your neighbors do in their own apartments and their lifestyle choices can easily impact your well-being and comfort.

Usually, apartment units in one building all share the same heating and cooling (HVAC) systems.

That gives you far less regulation over what you’re breathing in than if you lived in a single-family house because you must rely on your landlord or complex manager for the cleaning and maintenance of your building’s HVAC system.

That means dust, allergens, mold and other pollutants can easily be pumped into your apartment through the air vents on a daily basis.

So getting an air purifier is a key piece to improving the air quality you breathe indoors. The United States Environmental Protection Agency even recommends them in case you were at all questioning if an air purifier is worth it.

Another common problem is that smoke, odors, and other pollutants can make their way into your apartment that comes from other neighbors who live in the same building.

Even if you’re a clean person and keep your space tidy, one lousy neighbor is all it takes to ruin the air quality inside your own unit.

Since you have very little or no direct control over what contaminates the air that circulates throughout your apartment, the best thing you can do is invest in an air purifier so it can clean and freshen the air you breathe.

If smoke is especially troublesome for you, then our reviews of good air purifiers for smokers will also work well for you here.

How Does an Air Purifier Help in Your Apartment?

What does an air purifier do? Air purifiers are amazing at screening out and getting rid of airborne particles that can be harmful to your health or cause a lingering odor in your apartment.

These powerful machines can be beneficial in your apartment by removing common pollutants such as:

  • Bacteria, germs, and viruses
  • Allergens like pollen from trees, plants, or flowers
  • Dust and dust mites
  • Mold
  • Odors from cooking
  • Pet dander and hair, if you live with pets
  • Tobacco smoke
  • Particles that irritate asthma or other respiratory conditions

The biggest sources of airborne contaminants in apartment buildings tend to vary, but there are few major culprits that seem to impact every building complex no matter where you live, including:

Allergens

Allergens are common all over the world, and they can run rampant in your apartment if you don’t have something to strip them out of the air.

Pollen, dust, and pet dander are the most common allergens that get trapped inside apartments. These particles can be brought in from the outdoors on your clothing (and shoes), float in through an open window, or come through the HVAC system.

So do air purifiers help with allergies? Yes, these devices can extract allergens from indoor air. Removing these contaminants from your indoor air can easily be accomplished when you add an air purifier to your apartment.

Chemical Off-Gassing

A fresh coat of paint, new furniture, or even carpeting may look fabulous in your apartment, but these materials often contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that slowly get released into your apartment’s air.

This chemical process is called “off-gassing” and is a serious issue with many building materials and furniture products.

Unfortunately, you can’t always smell these off-gassing chemicals and the only true way to keep yourself safe is by using an air purifier.

If you owned your own home, you could make wiser decisions about the types of paint, carpeting, and building materials you use, but that’s not the case for apartment renters who end up getting whatever the landlord could install cheapest.

If you want to know what particles and their levels are actually in the air, you could get a home air sample kit which is explained on this page about how to test air quality in your home.

Mold

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.

Will an air purifier help with mold? It sure can. To keep yourself healthy, it’s best to filter mold spores out of the air you breathe by using an air purifier that’s made to handle them.

Smoke

Even if you don’t smoke, a smokey smell can easily creep into your apartment from a neighbor and linger around your space.

Tobacco smoke is one of the hardest odors to get rid of since it can cling to your carpeting, drapery, furniture, and clothing.

Fortunately, the best air purifier for apartment can get rid of smoke odor without any trouble at all.

In fact, if you’re a smoker you can also smoke inside your own apartment while running this device and still keep your space smelling fresh like it wasn’t even smoked in. Take a look at our #1 recommended air purifier below to see how powerful it really is.

A related article worth checking out is this one: do HEPA filters remove smoke?

Odors

One of the worst things about living in an apartment is that it can easily trap odors from cooking, pets, or a neighbor’s poor cleaning habits.

But do air purifiers remove odors?

Luckily, an air purifier with a specialized filter can strip odor-causing particles out of the air so your apartment smells clean all of the time.

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.

What About Carbon Monoxide or Radon?

Many people wonder if an air purifier can remove carbon monoxide or radon from the air. Unfortunately, these machines are not designed to filter out these types of gases.

If you’re concerned about the levels of carbon monoxide or radon in your apartment, it’s best that you install a dedicated air quality detector for those particular gases.

What to Look for In an Air Purifier for Your Apartment

Since it’s difficult to know what particles you may have floating around in your apartment’s air, the best air purifier will be one that targets the broadest number of pollutants possible.

Ideally, this means you’ll want to look for an air purifier that includes one or more of these features:

  • HEPA Filter: More specifically, a True HEPA filter. This filter is crucial because it captures the widest range of contaminants down to the micrometers. True HEPA filters are certified efficient at trapping 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns in size. This includes pollen, dust, pet dander, mold spores, and some bacteria.
  • Activated Carbon Filter: This filter is the only one that can eliminate odors from cooking, tobacco, and other smelly substances. It’s also the only one that can remove off-gassing chemicals from the VOCs in your furniture, carpet, and paint.
  • Ionizer: This is a good supplemental technology to have because it removes pollutants out in the air where they’re floating around. A True HEPA filter must draw contaminants into itself to collect them, but an ionizer doesn’t require physical filtration. The only drawback is that an ionizer can miss some contaminants, so it’s best to only get an air purifier that uses this function in combination with a True HEPA filter.
  • UV Light: Some air purifiers come with an ultraviolet light, also called a UV-C light, to help zap viruses and bacteria that float around in your air. Not all air purifiers have it though, so if you’re concerned about keeping your apartment as sterile as possible then you’ll want to look for this powerful feature.
  • PlasmaWave: This technology safely breaks down allergens, chemical vapors, odors, bacteria, and other pollutants without producing harmful ozone or other side effects. PlasmaWave is only found in the brand of Winix air purifiers.
  • PECO: This is a photon-based air purification process that works in conjunction with a UV-C Light to oxidize chemicals and destroy volatile organic compounds, bacteria, mold, fungi, and allergens. PECO technology is only found in the brand of Molekule air purifiers.

We’ve pointed out which of these features are included in each of the air purifiers we recommend for apartments above.

Getting the Right Size Air Purifier for Your Apartment

One of the most important things to consider when you’re shopping for an air purifier is the size of your apartment.

If you’re seriously asking the question, “what size air purifier do I need?” then you should never buy an air purifier simply because you like the way it looks.

The reason why is that it may not give you sufficient coverage. It has to be rated strong enough to handle your apartment size, but not too large that it causes you to waste energy and money.

Air purifier coverage is rated in square feet (sq. ft.).

You can find the square footage of your apartment one of three ways:

  1. Ask your landlord for the square footage
  2. Look on your apartment’s website to see if the square footage is listed online
  3. Take out a measuring tape and measure the length and width of your apartment in feet. Then, multiply those two numbers together to get the square footage of your space. (For example: 25′ x 30′ = 750 square feet)

Once you get the square footage of your apartment, you can go shopping for an air purifier to find a perfect match. That’s the basics for how to choose an air purifier.

To make things easy for you, we’ve listed the square footage rating for the top apartment air purifiers on this page.

Placement of Your Air Purifier

An air purifier always works best in the room you place it in, even if that room connects with other rooms in your apartment.

Keeping this in mind, it makes sense to put your air purifier in the room where you spend most of your time such as the living room or bedroom.

No matter what size or type of air purifier you get for your apartment, you’ll want to place it where it doesn’t have any obstructions around the sides or top of the unit.

Placement is a key component behind how effective are air purifiers. Ideally, you’ll want around 24 inches of clearance on all sides of your air purifier for it to operate at peak performance.

Not giving your air purifier enough room to “breathe” can result in it short-circuiting, not adequately cleaning the air inside the room, or lowering the number of air purifier benefits you could receive.

Frequently Asked Questions About Air Purifiers

Do You Need More than One Air Purifier in Your Apartment?

If you’re in a very small apartment like a loft or studio apartment, you may not need multiple air purifiers.

You most likely just need one air purifier that covers the total square footage of your active living space.

However, if you’re in a larger apartment, multiple air purifiers may be a good idea so that you can get the cleanest, freshest air possible.

Air purifiers don’t have the capability of working through walls, and they don’t do the best job of filtering air around corners.

If you have a really large apartment with lots of walls or doorways, you’ll want to have at least a dedicated air purifier for the main living area or area of your space and consider a secondary one for your bedroom.

Another option regardless if you’re in a small or large apartment is to have one or two smaller and more portable air purifiers that you can relocate from room to room with ease. You can check out our best cheap air purifier reviews to find the most affordable options or just pick two products recommended on this page.

Is it OK to Leave an Air Purifier on All Night or All Day?

Yes. In fact, it’s best if you never turn your air purifier off at all because the more time it has to operate, the cleaner the air becomes in your apartment.

Each time you turn off the air purifier, indoor pollutants and odors can start to build up again. So, keep your air purifier running day and night so you can enjoy the cleanest air possible indoors.

Many people wonder do air purifiers help with dust mites, and the answer is yes as long as the unit is continuously running.

Are Air Purifiers Noisy?

Not the ones recommended on this page.

Each air purifier we recommend is practically silent when it’s operating on its lowest setting.

If the air purifier kicks into a high mode to get rid of invading contaminants (or if you manually set it on the highest fan speed), then yes it can produce some louder noise.

However, this audible sound is only temporary while the air purifier is working harder to filter out the airborne pollutants.

Once the air is clean, the machine will return back to a low setting if you have it set on an automatic mode. 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.

Otherwise, you’ll need to manually adjust the fan speed so it returns to that silent operating state.

Do Air Purifiers Cost a Lot to Maintain?

When you’re buying an air purifier for your apartment the yearly cost for maintenance is a good thing to consider.

Especially if you’re on a tight budget.

Fortunately, the air purifiers we recommend above are not too expensive to maintain.

The only thing you need to do is replace the internal filters when they get too dirty.

When operated under normal conditions, the Rabbit Air MinusA2 model only needs its filters replaced every two years.

The filters inside the Winix 5500-2, Germ Guardian AC5000E, and Levoit models are recommended to be replaced every 6-8 months.

All-in-all, you’re looking at about $30-50 per year to maintain any one of our top recommended apartment air purifiers.

To put this in a real-world application, that would average out to be a $2.50 to $4 increase in your monthly rent.

So, if you lived in an area like Chicago, Illinois where the average cost for a one-room apartment is $1,186 per month (according to Adobo’s Chicago Rent Report), then you’re actually looking at spending $1,188.50 to $1,190 per month to live in your apartment.

Other Ways to Improve Your Apartment’s Air Quality

Along with getting one of the best quality air purifiers, there are several things that you can do to improve your apartment’s indoor air quality.

Those include:

Opening the Windows

As a general rule, outdoor air is usually cleaner than indoor air unless you live in a highly congested traffic area.

Opening your windows, even for an hour or so a day can improve your indoor air quality because it allows harmful pollutants to float out.

Adding a box fan to your window can also help to improve the airflow and make a big difference, especially in smaller apartments and lofts.

Controlling Pollution Sources

If you know that your apartment has a pollution source, try to mitigate it or remove it completely.

If someone smokes, have them smoke outside. Consider switching your cleaning products to non-toxic, green or all natural versions that don’t emit VOCs.

Dusting and Vacuuming Regularly

Cleaning your apartment once or twice a week by dusting and vacuuming is a simple way for how to get rid of dust floating in the air in your apartment as well as dust mites that may be living in your carpet.

Removing Your Shoes at the Door

Each time you leave your apartment and come back inside, remove your shoes at the door.

A whole host of pollutants can collect on your shoes when you go outdoors and you don’t want to track these particles all around your inside space.

Controlling Your Humidity Levels

If it’s too humid in your apartment, mold can grow more quickly and it gives dust mites a better environment to thrive.

You want to keep your humidity levels between 30-50% all year round to help reduce the number of dust mites and mold spores in your home.

This can easily be achieved by using a cheap dehumidifier to extract any extra moisture that may build up indoors. Here’s how an air purifier vs dehumidifier compares.

Having a Chat with Your Landlord

If you suspect that you have a serious mold problem in your apartment or the HVAC system is pumping in polluted air, have a talk with your landlord.

You should raise your concerns immediately so that they can be addressed before any long-term health effects occur. There are many differences between an air purifier vs air conditioner and you don’t want to be living with a faulty air conditioning unit.

Many states have laws and regulations that indicate mold problems have to be taken care of within a few weeks. As for a dirty HVAC system, it may just need to be inspected and cleaned by a licensed professional.

Bottom Line

We hope you enjoyed this guide on how to find, choose, and purchase an apartment air purifier.

As you learned, the best air purifier for apartment is really based on the particular size of the space and the types of contaminants you want it to get rid of.

After reading these air purifier reviews, we hope you feel more confident in shopping for a new air purifier and are better equipped with knowing how to create healthier indoor air for you and your guests to breathe.

Avatar for Patrick Holmes

About Patrick Holmes

Patrick is a Senior Air Quality & Comfort Specialist. He conducts in-depth research and analysis for our product reviews and buying guides in order to offer expert recommendations for people who are seeking to improve their indoor air quality and comfort. (See Full Bio)