Are you trying to find the best desktop air purifier for your office desk or home workspace?Do you want a small desk air purifier that removes pollutants like dust, bacteria, chemical vapors, and even odors out of your breathable air?
If that sounds like what you’re looking for, then this free guide is right for you.What you’ll find below are the top things you should consider when shopping for a small air purifier for office use.
You’ll also discover the top three best desk air purifiers you can buy today that meet these criteria.
Table of Contents
Best Desktop Air Purifier Comparison Chart
Here’s a chart showing the comparison between the top three air purifiers for office desk, cubicle or home use. 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 |
|---|---|---|
  | hOmeLabs Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | Levoit LV-H126 Air Purifier
| Check Price |
  | ionPacific ionbox
| Check Price |
What to Look for in a Quality Personal Air Purifier
When you’re comparing small desk air purifiers it’s important that you keep one key feature in mind. This one factor will save you from wasting money on desktop air purifiers that don’t perform best in your office.
The first thing you want to check is if the desktop air purifier uses a HEPA filter or not.
A HEPA filter is the most powerful type of filter that catches the widest variety of airborne contaminants. In fact, all of the best home air purifiers include it.
The way most air purifiers work (except for ionizers) is a three-step process:
- Surrounding air is pulled into the machine by a fan
- Pollutants are filtered out and captured in the HEPA filter
- Clean air is pumped back out for you to breathe
Now, before you go heading off to buy a HEPA desktop air purifier, there is one additional thing you must know about HEPA filters:
- Not all HEPA filters are alike (some are quite inferior to others)
You see, many products may highlight the fact that the air purifier uses a HEPA filter, but the truth is that not all of these filters are technically a “True HEPA” filter.
A True HEPA filter is the only kind that is rated to capture 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns in size.
That covers practically every type of allergen, dust speck, mold spore, and airborne dirt particle that’s found in an office or home workspace setting.
It also removes some forms of bacteria and viruses that may be floating in the air, but not all. We’ll explain the solution to these toxins a little later.
When you’re comparing an air purifier for office desk, what you’ll often find are companies using terms such as “HEPA-like,” “HEPA-type,” or just plain old “HEPA” in regards to the filter.
They’ll also make claims like having a 99% capture rate.
Technically, this claim is valid, but you’ll have to read the fine print to really see how well it works.
They’re often very inferior to a True HEPA filter.
What’s Wrong with those Other HEPA Versions?
The simple answer is that HEPA, HEPA-like, and HEPA-typer filters have not passed the strict test of capturing the finest particles possible (0.3 microns) at a 99.97% effectiveness rate.
In fact, there is no regulation on how well these types of HEPA filters work.
One company’s office air purifier may only remove pollutants down to 5 microns in size which misses almost all of the particles you’re concerned with breathing in at work.
So, steer clear of these types of air purifiers.
The best desktop air purifier uses a True HEPA filter.
Your health is too important to skimp out on the most important filter used in the device.
Additional Features to Look for in a Desktop Air Purifier
In addition to getting the best desk air purifier that uses a True HEPA filter, there are a few additional features you’ll want to consider to get the cleanest air possible in your office.
Those features include:
- Activated Carbon filter
- Ionizer
- UV-C light
Not every small air purifier for office desk comes with these air cleaning functions, so you have to be on the lookout for them.
To make things easy for you, we highlight which desktop air purifiers contain each feature in our product review section below.
Activated Carbon Filtration
This special filter is the secret to getting rid of common workplace odors.
If you’re surrounded by smells from office equipment, food, co-workers, or other uncontrollable odors, then you’ll want to make sure the office air purifier you choose includes it.
An activated carbon filter works by absorbing those types of odors into the material so that the air around you smells clean and fresh.
Two of our recommended best desk air purifiers below include this filter.
Built-in Ionizer
This feature works by attacking pollutants that are within your surrounding vicinity.
Instead of trapping them inside a physical filter, an ionizer sends out negatively charged ions that pull harmful particles out of the air before they have a chance to get to you.
It’s kind of like an invisible forcefield of air purifying protection. Ionizers are used to boost the air cleaning effectiveness of small desk air purifiers and prolong the life of the HEPA filter. It’s not a must-have item but it sure does help.
Our #1 and #3 air purifiers below include an ionizer.
Built-in UV-C Light
If you want to lower your chances of catching an airborne virus or bacteria while at work, then this feature is something you’ll definitely want to look for.
A UV-C light works by zapping viruses, bacteria, and germs as they pass through the system. This destroys their DNA makeup and renders them harmless to your health. Our top air purifier pick below includes this powerful function.
Now that you know the most important features to look for, let’s move onto the reviews.
Top 4 Small Air Purifiers for Office Desks, Cubicles or Home Use
1. Runner Up Choice – hOmeLabs Air Purifier
If you want the best desktop air purifier that will ensure you’re breathing the highest quality air while at work, this is it.
Inside this air purifier, you’ll find a powerful 4-stage air filtration system that includes a True HEPA filter, Activated Carbon filter, Ionizer, and UV-C light.
What makes it even more perfect is the 360-degree air inlet that draws polluted air in from all sides.
This is something you won’t find on any other product.
It covers up to 50 square feet of space and includes a filter change indicator that lights up so you know when to replace your filters.
You can also choose between 2 fan speeds.
Overall, you won’t find a better small air purifier for a home or office working environment.
2. Best Desk Air Purifier – Levoit LV-H126 Air Purifier
Our next recommendation for a small desk air purifier is this device right here.
While it may not look as stylish as our #1 pick, it does pack a lot of air cleaning power in a small box.
However, it only uses a 3-stage air purification system which includes a pre-filter, True HEPA filter, and Activated Carbon filter.
That means that with this product you can get rid of 99.97% of common airborne particles as well as odors, but it won’t kill bacteria or viruses.
An upside is that this air purifier can purify a space up to 160 square feet which is more than double the coverage of our top choice.
If you work in a medium-sized office then you’ll want something like this that can handle more space.
You’re given the choice of 3 fan speeds so you can adjust the air cleaning power as you need it.
There’s also a filter change dial that lets you set a manual reminder for when to check and replace the filters.
3. Small Air Purifier for Office Desk – ionPacific ionbox
Our final recommendation for desk-sized air purifier is one that doesn’t use any filters at all.
This product is purely just an ionizer.
It works by emitting an invisible cloud of negative ions around you as a way to reduce airborne contaminants.
While it doesn’t collect particles into a physical filter, it still does a good job at cleaning the air.
Negative ions are known for improving concentration and mood, and that’s always a good thing when you’re at work.
Our two favorite features of this device are that it can be powered by a USB port and that it can cover an office space up to 500 square feet.
No other air purifier made for desks has this much reach.
If you want a cost-effective solution that works well for large office areas, this is the one to get.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Desk Air Purifier
Knowing which small air purifier for office and desk use is great, but you won’t get the maximum value out of the unit unless you use it properly.
To get the most benefit out of your new office air purifier, here are a few tips you’ll want to follow:
Place the Office Air Purifier in a Good Location
Every air purifier needs breathing space.
You can’t expect to shove it in a corner or surround it on all sides by clutter and think that it will work at its peak performance.
If the product you choose uses a HEPA filter, try to leave 18-24 inches of clear space around the top and sides of the unit.
This will allow for unobstructed air circulation and maximize the air cleaning power.
If your air purifier has an ionizer, you may be able to get away with less space since the negative ions it emits will dissipate into the air.
Another thing you’ll want to do is keep the air purifier as close as possible to your personal breathing space. If it can be within arm’s length next to you, that’s great.
The closer the unit is to you, the more clean, purified air you’ll breathe.
Don’t Turn the Desktop Air Purifier Off
You may be tempted to turn your desk air purifier on and off throughout the day just like you would a standard blade fan for cooling.
However, a small air purifier works best when they’re left running on a continuous basis.
Every time you turn it off the air around you will start to become more polluted and the air purifier will have to work extra hard to filter out these contaminants the next time it is turned on.
Today’s air purifiers are energy-efficient, especially the desktop kind. Therefore, leave it on so you can enjoy the freshest air possible.
Keep Up with the Filter Changes on the Desk Air Purifier
Clean air filters are the key to contaminant-free breathing, so don’t neglect to change your filters on time or replace them if they get dirty.
Having a clogged air filter will effectively render your air purifier useless even though it will continue to run.
Many desk air purifiers come with a filter change indicator that alerts you with a light when the filter needs to be replaced.
Others have a manual dial that you can set for a specific month in the future to remind yourself to change the filter out.
Each manufacturer will have their own recommendations for how long an air filter will last.
Common Questions About Office Air Purifiers
What is the best desktop air purifier?
The best air purifier for desktops is one that includes a True HEPA filter, Activated Carbon filter, and UV-C light, such as the #1 reviewed air purifier in this guide.
This combination of features eliminates the widest range of contaminants including dust, allergens, volatile organic compounds, odors, bacteria, and viruses.
Do air purifiers work in cubicles?
Yes, air purifiers work in cubicles.
The three air purifiers recommended in this guide can help keep the air around you in a cubicle free from airborne pollutants.
The key is to keep the air purifier as close as possible to you and on the tabletop level of your cubicle. Don’t put it under your desk or on the outside wall of your cubicle.
Otherwise, the air purifier won’t create as good of a “bubble” of fresh air for you.
Do office air purifiers really work?
Yes, air purifiers really work as long as they include high-quality filters like the products mentioned in this guide.
The three office air purifiers reviewed above remove microscopic particles from the air that are known to cause health problems through True HEPA filters, Activated Carbon filters, UV-C lights, and Ionizers.
If you want a larger air purifier for your home, you can check out a full list of the top air purifiers here.
Are air purifiers good for allergies?
Yes, air purifiers are good for allergies as long as they use a high-quality True HEPA filter.
This special filter can extract 99.97% of allergens as small as 0.3 microns in size.
The top two air purifiers recommended in this guide are excellent for allergies.
Either one will help keep particulates out of the air you breathe, such as dust, mold spores, pet dander, pollen, and other common allergy particles.
What is the best small room air purifier?
The best small room air purifier is manufactured by two companies: h0meLabs and Levoit.
Choosing either of their small air purifier models will work well for most people’s needs.
Each one includes excellent air filters for removing harmful airborne particles.
They’re also easily portable if you want to take the air purifier with you around the house or for travel purposes.
Small Air Purifier for Office Desk & Home Use Recap
As a reminder, the best office air purifiers will have the following air purification features:
- True HEPA filter to capture 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns.
- Activated Carbon filter to reduce common indoor odors.
- Ionizer to help boost the air cleaning power and prolong the life of the HEPA filter.
- UV-C light to destroy bacteria, viruses and other airborne germs.
Wrap Up on Desktop Air Purifiers
We hope this guide helped you find the best desktop air purifier for your office, cubicle or home workspace.
Regardless of the product you choose, we’re sure that you’ll enjoy the many health benefits of having cleaner, fresher air around you while at work.
If you’re looking for more options for your home other than a small air purifier for office desk, take a look at our guide on the best small air purifier for bedroom.