Air quality matters. While an invisible part of our existence, the air we breathe can play a huge role in our health and well-being. Air purifiers provide tonnes of benefits, such as helping to eliminate pollution, smoke, dust, and allergens from your home. If you or someone in your family has allergies or suffers from asthma, using an air purifier indoors can help alleviate their symptoms.
If you have been wondering which model would be best for your needs, whether it’s for smokers, to get rid of odours or to filter pet dander, we have put together a guide on what to consider when looking for an air purifier. From HEPA filters to carbon filters to even washable filters, we've reviewed and ranked the 10 best air purifiers in the UK, from popular brands such as Dyson, VAX and Philips available from Amazon and John Lewis.
For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of air purifiers available and understand how our ranking was determined.
This article's chosen EC site price listings are reflective of its publishing date.
Image | 1 ![]() VAX | 2 ![]() Philips | 3 ![]() HoMedics | 4 ![]() Levoit | 5 ![]() Fellowes | 6 ![]() Blueair | 7 ![]() Medify | 8 ![]() Renpho | 9 ![]() Bagotte | 10 ![]() Silentnight |
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Name | Pure Air 300 Air Purifier | Air Purifier | HEPA Tower Air Purifier | Air Purifier | AeraMax DX55 | Blue Pure 411 Air Purifier | Air Purifier | Air Purifier | Air Purifier | Air Purifier |
Features | Remove up to 99% Of Pollutants With Smart Sensor Tech, Sleep Modes and Multiple Speed Settings | An Excellent Air Purifier With a Built-in App, Perfect for Those With Allergies | A British Allergy Foundation Approved Air Purifier With a HEPA Filter and a 12-Hour Timer | A Purifier With a Super Quiet Sleep Mode, 360 Filtering, 4 Speed Settings and a Hepa Filter | High Quality, 4-Stage Air Purification for Allergy Sufferers to Filter 99.97% Of Pollutants | A Luxuriously Small Air Purifier With an Excellent Energy Rating, Perfect for Small Rooms | A Powerful Air Purifier With Child Lock Protection That Cleans Spaces up to 90m2 | A Comprehensive 5 Stage Air Purifier to Capture 99.97% Of Particles for Peace of Mind | A Sleek, Solid and Sturdy Purifier With 4 Speeds Including Rapid and Silent | A Budget Air Purifier With a HEPA Filter, 3 Speed Settings and a Timer Function |
Price | £179.84 | £348.79 | £119.99 | £99.99 | £247.51 | £130.00 | £316.23 | £74.99 | £84.99 | £34.99 |
Filter Type | HEPA | HEPA, activated carbon, pre-filter | HEPA, activated carbon, and UV-C light | HEPA and carbon air filters, pre-filters | HEPA, activated charcoal, ioniser | HEPA, activated carbon | HEPA | Ultra-fine pre-filter, antibacterial coating, HEPA, activated carbon, net | HEPA, 3-in-1 | HEPA, activated carbon, and ioniser |
Area Covered | 79m2 | 79m2 | 85m2 | 40m2 | 30m2 | 15m2 | 46m2 | 20m2 | 25m2 | - |
Speeds | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | Multiple | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Additional Features | Dust sensor, indicator light, sleep mode, filter change reminder, timer, remote control, British Allergy Foundation approved | Air quality monitor, sleep mode, turbo speed mode, air quality app | Programmable 12 hour timer, remote control | 360 degree air intake, sleep mode | Filter change indicator, air quality indicator, auto mode | Low power usage, 360 degree filtration, optional fabric prefilter | 0-8 hour timer, sleep mode, child lock | 3 timers, quiet, gentle night light | Sleep timer, change filter reminder | Sleep mode |
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Pet smells, cooking odours, and cigarette smoke can all linger, making it uncomfortable and unwelcoming. Charcoal air purifiers can help by passing air from your home through an activated charcoal filter that holds onto the odours and tiny particles of pollen, mould spores, dust and other allergens.
Charcoal filters will need changing from time to time, but these types of purifiers are highly effective at eliminating smells, allergens and even noxious airborne chemicals such as benzene. These work well for smokers, pet owners and anyone exposed to strong cleaners or other chemicals in their homes.
HEPA, or 'high-efficiency particular air' - filters are made of ultra-fine mesh that catches particulates as the air is circulated through them. They are particularly effective at filtering out allergens such as pollen, dust, mould spores and dander from pet hair.
Able to extract up to 99.7% of harmful particles from the air, HEPA filters can often be cleaned using a vacuum cleaner but generally need replacing every two to four years. These types of air purifiers can be very beneficial to allergy sufferers and those suffering from respiratory illnesses.
Did you know that plants help purify the air? Take a look through our air-purifying house plants article.
Most portable air purifiers (as opposed to air filtration systems) are designed to cover one or two rooms rather than a whole house. Different makes and models vary considerably in capacity and portability, so it's essential to measure the area you need to cover.
Some air purifiers are designed to be used in your immediate personal space, while others can purify a room of about 30 - 50 square metres. Then there are systems with larger capacities that can filter the air of a whole floor.
Generally speaking, higher speeds are noisier than lower speeds. However, the benefit is that the particulates will be removed from the air more quickly, reducing the allergy symptoms, odours and other issues more quickly. Naturally, lower speeds tend to be quieter and are useful for maintaining the existing air quality or at night.
Some models combine the benefits of multiple air filtration systems to give a more broad-spectrum performance. Additional features may also have been incorporated that are worth thinking about, such as timers, filter indicators and remote controls.
Filter change (or clean) indicator: will let you know that it's still doing its job! It will also help you prepare to stock up on filters, so you don't run out at the last minute.
Automatic sensing and adjustments: can change the filtration speed based on readings taken from the surrounding air quality, helping you save on running costs.
Remote controls: just make your life easier!
Bring balance back to your air with either an air humidifier or dehumidifier.
mybest UK product recommendations are reviewed and curated by our writers in-house. We focus on in-depth research and analysis of product reviews to carefully select the best products available for the best prices.
ACAMV101
£179.84
Filter Type | HEPA |
---|---|
Area Covered | 79m2 |
Speeds | 5 |
Additional Features | Dust sensor, indicator light, sleep mode, filter change reminder, timer, remote control, British Allergy Foundation approved |
AC2889/60 Series 2000i
£348.79
Filter Type | HEPA, activated carbon, pre-filter |
---|---|
Area Covered | 79m2 |
Speeds | 5 |
Additional Features | Air quality monitor, sleep mode, turbo speed mode, air quality app |
AR-29A-GB
£119.99
Filter Type | HEPA, activated carbon, and UV-C light |
---|---|
Area Covered | 85m2 |
Speeds | 3 |
Additional Features | Programmable 12 hour timer, remote control |
Core 300
£99.99
Filter Type | HEPA and carbon air filters, pre-filters |
---|---|
Area Covered | 40m2 |
Speeds | 4 |
Additional Features | 360 degree air intake, sleep mode |
9393701
£247.51
Filter Type | HEPA, activated charcoal, ioniser |
---|---|
Area Covered | 30m2 |
Speeds | 4 |
Additional Features | Filter change indicator, air quality indicator, auto mode |
102938
£130.00
Filter Type | HEPA, activated carbon |
---|---|
Area Covered | 15m2 |
Speeds | Multiple |
Additional Features | Low power usage, 360 degree filtration, optional fabric prefilter |
MA-25-W1-EU
£316.23
Filter Type | HEPA |
---|---|
Area Covered | 46m2 |
Speeds | 3 |
Additional Features | 0-8 hour timer, sleep mode, child lock |
3580227031
£74.99
Filter Type | Ultra-fine pre-filter, antibacterial coating, HEPA, activated carbon, net |
---|---|
Area Covered | 20m2 |
Speeds | 3 |
Additional Features | 3 timers, quiet, gentle night light |
£84.99
Filter Type | HEPA, 3-in-1 |
---|---|
Area Covered | 25m2 |
Speeds | 4 |
Additional Features | Sleep timer, change filter reminder |
3860
£34.99
Filter Type | HEPA, activated carbon, and ioniser |
---|---|
Area Covered | - |
Speeds | 3 |
Additional Features | Sleep mode |
To get the most out of your air purifier, you want to place it in an area where it will get maximum airflow. For example, a high airflow space such as a doorway or near a window. It is also best to keep it near the worst source of your pollutants, such as mould or smoke.
Air purifiers can help prevent mould, but the only way to visibly solve a mould problem is to physically clean up the mould and remove the moisture there that allowed it to grow in the first place.
Not exactly. An air purifier filters pollutants in the air, but it does not remove the moisture. To do this, you'd need to purchase a separate dehumidifier to reduce the moisture and help with humidity.
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