Best air purifiers for dust removal

Dust can be hazardous to health, trigger or worsen chest problems and agitate allergies.
No amount of cleaning will remove 100% of the dust present in a home, but an air purifier can be a great way to tackle dust alongside regular cleaning to result in less dust, better air quality and more fresh air in your home!

Air purifiers are a great way to target dust which is airborne, and purifiers can be used to remove dust from the air before it gets the chance to settle and collect.

Air purifiers clean air and will not help with dust which has already settled.

It sounds simple, but the best way to tackle dust levels in a home is to complete an intensive deep clean to remove settled dust, then introduce an air purifier to filter dust from the air and regularly clean and dust your home.

Tackling dust levels regularly, in your home will reduce the negative effects of dust.

This guide covers everything you need to know about dust and lists the best air purifiers on the market to tackle dust removal in your home.

 

Dust is seen as an everyday problem and part of normal life, but is hazardous to health. As dust contains germs, allergens and airborne bacteria, having high levels of dust in your home can mean a higher chance of getting sick!

Also, aside for hygiene reasons, dust is a common reason for allergies and chest problems to develop. So reducing the level of dust at home will mean less irritation and a reduction in symptoms of some allergies.

There are a number of reasons to care about dust in your home and reasons why using an air purifier alongside regularly cleaning can help in the battle against dust.

• Dust triggers allergies and often makes them worse
• Dust can cause chest and breathing problems
• Dust contains lot of germs which increases the chances of getting sick
• Reducing the levels of dust in your home will mean less time spent on cleaning
• An air purifier will reduce the build up of dust in your home, by removing dust particles in the air (which no amount of cleaning will remove)
• Less dust means life is easier for your lungs
• Less dust means more fresh air, which means better quality of life, concentration and happiness!

 

To understand the benefit that an air purifier can bring when reducing or removing dust, it is important to understand what dust is and where it comes from.

Know your enemy – dust is not just skin, hair and dirt. It comes from multiple sources.

Dust is made up of a surprisingly wide range of unpleasant sources including the following:

• Food particles
• Soil – brought in from outside
• Organic material
• Skin particles
• Hair
• Home construction materials/products
• Pollen
• Mold spores
• Insect body parts
• Dust mite body parts
• Smoke (including second hand)
• Trace amounts of pesticides

Dust and dust mites
It is also important to understand the difference between dust and dust mites. Dust is airborne materials which eventually settle in your home. Often dust particles are very small and can cause irritation for lungs when breathed in.

Dust mites are tiny airborne bugs which feed off dust. Dust mites are seriously small around at 0.2–0.3 mm in size and so are barely visible to the naked eye. This means it can be hard to know if dust mites are present in your home.

 

What affects dust levels

Dust collects readily in most homes so can often be seen on shelves, tops of units and sideboards. The level of dust in your home and sources can depend on a number of factor such as:

• The number of people living in a home – more people means more dust
• The type and size of home you live in – bigger homes collect more dust
• Location and surrounding environment of your home – this impact highly on dust levels
• If pets are present in the home – pets will dramatically increase dust in a home
• How you prepare, store and cook foods

Outdoor dust
The great outdoors is a key source of dust in home.

Outside dust is often the main cause of allergies and increases the likelihood and severity of symptoms for asthma sufferers when at home.

Pollen, mold spores, plant materials and organic debris like soil which are brought into a home are harmless to most people but for those with health conditions or respiratory problems, they cause problems when inhaled.

If you home is located in an area of high greenery, then it may mean high levels of dust.

Indoor dust
Common sources of indoor dust tends to be made up of skin particles, hair and food debris. Indoor dust is just as detrimental as outdoor dust sources as it can lead to build of dust in the air which affects freshness and air quality levels. Also, if large amounts of dust are allowed to settle and collect, then this can attract dust mites, germs and bacteria.

Considering the wide range of sources of dust and what dust is actually made up of. Its clear to see why using an air purifier to tackle dust in a home or office can only be a good thing!

 

Reasons for dust in the air

When people think of dust, they may not consider the amount of dust which is in the air around us.

No amount of cleaning will remove airborne dust, cleaning only tackles dust which has already settled, and airborne dust is pretty harmful as it is the dust people breathe in.

There are a number of factors which can lead to high levels of dust in the air and are often good times to use the power and features of an air purifier.

Hard to clean areas
If you have areas of your home which are hard to clean (like the tops of high shelves or kitchen units) these will be cleaned infrequently and often this means a build-up of dust. High levels of air movement can blow this dust around rooms and mean it is breathed in.

Cleaning
Even cleaning can mean putting more dust in the air of your home. It sounds crazy but when you clean, dust or wipe down surfaces this can disturb settled dust and cause it to be put back into the air of your home. Sometimes cleaning just results in moving dust around and not removing dust!

Home Improvements
Renovating, modernizing or adding new features to your home can also lead to increased levels of dust in the air of a home.
Home improvements often involve drilling, sanding or cutting which all increase levels of airborne dust particles.
Many people find a good time to introduce an air purifier into a home is after recent home improvements as the purifier can get to work tackling newly created airborne dust.

Decorating
Painting, plastering or tiling or also commons reasons for levels of dust in air to increase in a home. Modern paints contain less harmful chemicals and odors than they used to put still a freshly painted room or new furniture can often lead to smells and increased airborne dust.
If you have recently painted or plastered a room, then an air purifier could be a great solution to reduce both smells and reduce levels of dust in the air.

New apartment / home
Often when you move into a new home it is not as clean as you would like it to be and for clean freaks, even if a home has been thoroughly cleaned by someone else there is a certain peace of mind in cleaning again for yourself. Mainly for reassurance that all areas of the cleaning have been tackled.
This is the same for the air in a new home, unless a thorough deep clean has taken place and an air purifier has been used by the past resident then chances are there may be high levels of dust in the air.

Outside influence
As mentioned before the great outdoors is a contributor to the level of dust in a home’s air and certain times of the year can mean more pollen, tree sap or airborne plant materials all of which can easily make their way into a home or office. Tree pollen and spores are a common reason for chest irritation as breathing in tiny organic particles can mean aggravate existing allergies. This is why an air purifier can be a great help with reducing the impact of outdoor air and its dust levels.

All the reasons listed above can mean increased levels of dust in a home and also in the air.

 

There are numerous benefits to removing dust from the air in your home and work environment. Such as ensuring that the air feels fresh, promotes good energy levels and free from staleness or smells. Also reducing dust levels in the air will make it easier and cleaner to breath.

Working to increase fresh air levels and removing staleness or stillness in the air with a purifier will improve air quality, help people to breath better and make you feel more comfortable and ultimately healthier and less stressed.

Using an air purifier to remove dust from the air of your home also has the welcome bi-product of circulating the air in your homes rooms. Without moving or refreshing the air in a home, rooms can become stale and lifeless which often makes people feel groggy, tired and restless.

The other major positive of removing dust from the air of your home beyond mental health benefit, is tackling germs and bacteria present in the air. Dust is a carrier of germs which can make you sick and allowing dust to settle and collect increases germ levels in an environment.

Working to remove dust from the air, following a deep clean will also improve your health and reduce the likelihood of getting sick.

So, to recap tackling dust removal will also mean that air purifiers will remove germs, purify and circulate air. All of which means better fresher air to breath, improved health and mental focus.

 

There a multiple tell-tale signs that dust is causing a problem in a home or office, from excess levels of dust collecting on shelves, ornaments and surfaces to having trouble with breathing and coughing a lot to tightness of the chest or trouble sleeping at night.

This section will run through the most common signs of a dust issue and what steps can be taken to improve the situation.

1. Excessive levels of collected dust
If your home has lots of flat surfaces, then it may be prone to excess levels of dust collecting. Dust will quickly build up in locations which are infrequently touched like bookshelves, amongst ornaments and the tops of units or drawers. The more dust is allowed to settle the more germs will collect and the more likelihood dust will start to cause issues in other ways like some of those listed in the next few paragraphs.

Dust can seem like a small issue but if left unchecked can lead to more serious issues and have health implications.

2. Coughing and chest tightness
Difficultly with breathing, chest tightness and coughing can be caused by what air is being breathed in. If air is of a poor quality, then this means it will have large amounts of particles which the lungs need to filter and process. This all puts extra strain of your body and can manifest as coughing, wheezing or breathing problems.

A serious cough is no joke and can develop into a more serious medical situation, so should be addressed early.

Introducing an air purifier into a home is a great way to tackle dust and improve air quality to stop dust particles in their tracks before they even have the chance of getting inhaled.

3. Skin irritation
Some people may find they develop a rash or red skin in they are in an environment with high levels of dust. If your skin is prone to reactions and breakouts, then entering a space with high levels of dust in the air or even settled dust can result in redness and irritation.

Often skin issues caused by dust, can be significantly reduced by using an air purifier to grab the dust from the air before it settles or irritates skin.

4. Trouble sleeping
Another less spotted effect of high levels of dust can be poor sleep. If you are sleeping in a room with lots of dust in the air or dust resting on surfaces this can easily prevent a good night’s sleep. Bedrooms with lots of dust, which has made its way onto shelves and surfaces is easily disturbed and pushed back into the air and then breathed in during the night. This can result in coughing or an unsettled chest which means broken sleep and waking up in the night or even trouble getting to sleep in the first place!

 

Within a home there are lots of places which dust can settle. The most common spots for dust to collect are the following:

• Carpets, rugs and throws
• Fabric like curtains or bed covers
• Bed sheets and linen
• Stored clothes
• Soft toys
• Ornaments and knick-knacks
• Display collectibles like LEGO or action figures
• Shelf items like books and comics
• Tops of kitchen units or shelves
• Cooker hood or extraction fan cover
• Dead space (between cupboards and top of shelves)

Generally, dust will collect in low traffic areas which are very infrequently moved or disturbed. The more traffic the area receives the less dust will be able to collect.

Although air purifiers can’t tackle or remove dust which has already settled there can be used to grab dust from the current air and remove the dust before it has a chance to settle.

Purifiers are also very good at extracting dust from a room if dust has recently been unsettled and pushed back into the air.

This means purifiers can be a good solution for tackling all type of dust in a home and do a great job of refreshing the air in a room where a deep clean has recently taken place which displaced dust and pushed it back into the air.

 

Regular cleaning combined with an air treatment product like a purifier is the best bet for reducing dust in any room, home or office.

Regular cleaning will target the dust which has already settled and the purifier will grab the dust which is present in the air. Combining cleaning and a purifier will work well to beat dust on both fronts and over time will ensure any room is a clean, fresh pure environment which is a pleasure to be in.

The following list outlines several ways to reduce dust in a room.

1. Regular cleaning
Frequent hoovering and dusting will remove dust from a room which has already settled onto surfaces or floors. A deep clean should be used as a system restart for a room. The deep clean will provide a fresh start for the room and then lighter cleaning which is carried out on a regular basis will tackle any dust build up which occurred since the deep clean took place.

2. Get an air purifier
Introducing an air purifier into a room which has recently had a deep clean will allow the purifier to remove any excess dust which is held in the air of the room.

3. Avoid carpeting
Carpets and rugs are like magnets for dust and hair, so avoiding them where possible will reduce the levels of dust in a room.

4. Beat down – rugs, throws and doormats (outside)
If you want to have rugs, throws or mats in your home make sure they are cleaned and beaten out on a frequent basis. Also make sure this cleaning takes place outside!
Cleaning rugs regularly will reduce the build-up of dust, hair and organic particles like skin.

5. Shoes at the door
Leaving shoes at the door or on a shoe rack is a great practice for so many reasons. It will reduce the amounts of outside contaminants brought into a home and will also reduce dust, dirt and germ levels.

6. Change bedding and towels
Regularly changing your bedding and towels will combat dust build up and keep your rooms fresh and clean.

7. Closets – vacuumed sealed bags or plastic boxes / storage devices
Routinely going through your stored belongings and cleaning storage boxes, sealed bags and packing cubes will tackle any dust which is building up over time. Simply wiping down storage boxes, cubes and vacuum packed bags will do enough to remove large amounts of dust from a home.

 

The most optimal process for tackling dust with an air purifier is to work through the following steps:

1. Deep clean
Carry out a deep clean of the room or environment to create a space with now or little settled dust. This cleaning process will likely disturb settled dust and mean dust particles are pushed back into the air but not to worry as the next step will tackle that!

2. Purifier blast at high setting
Introduce a purifier into the room and run at the highest speed for a few hours.
This will quickly change the air in the room (how fast will depend on the CADR of the purifier being used).
This will ensure that any airborne dust is quickly filtered out of the air.

3. Continue to use purifier at lower settings
Keep using the purifier but run at lower settings and drop to sleep mode if you are using the purifier at night.
This continued use will tackle new dust which is introduced into the environment by outside air entering your home. Dirt, dust and other airborne particles from clothing, shoes and hair, skin etc.

4. Regularly cleaning routine
Clean and wipe down surfaces to avoid dust building up again and carry out a deep clean every three to six months depending on how much the space is used or how quickly it gets dusty and dirty.

Tackling dust is all about ongoing commitment, so you need to keep your defences up by continuing to use a purifier and carrying out cleaning to address new dust from outside sources.

 

Air purifiers help to circulate air within a room by pulling air into the purifiers filter, this filtering process removes dust particles and airborne materials from the current air and then pushes out fresh clean air.

Any small particles which are present in the air are removed and trapped within the purifiers filter. Purifiers fitted with a true HEPA filter capture microscopic dust particles and often have pre-filters which capture larger particles of dust before air is passed through the HEPA filter.

The trapped dust particles are then stored in the fibres and layers of the filter and clean, pure air is pushed out of the filter. If a purifier features a carbon filter, then this stage of filtration process also works to remove odors from the air by absorbing unwanted smells in the carbon.

Air purifiers will repeat this process over and over by pulling air into a vent and then passing out of the exhaust once it has been processed. This means air in a room where a purifier is located is constantly flowing and this has the pleasant bi-product of fresh air and make what was stale, still air in a room feel more alive and easier to breath.

True HEPA filters are great for:

• Removing pollutants including dust particles
• Tackle dust particles down to 0.3 microns in size with 99% efficiency
• Stops the settling dust
• Reduces the likelihood of inhaling of dust particles
• Traps dust particles in filter fibers
• Cannot remove all dust but helps reduce household dust
• Will not tackle dust which has already settled in a room

 

The best air purifiers to remove dust from the air in a room are those with the following features.

1. True HEPA filter (not HEPA type filter)
Purifiers which use a true HEPA are the only devices that are certified to capture 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns in size. This includes all types of dust particles and even dust mites, hair and airborne debris of all types.

To put a micron into perspective in terms of size and give an idea of how small 0.3 microns is here are a few comparisons:

How big is a micron –
A micron is a metric unit of measurement where one micron is equivalent to one one-thousandth of a millimetre [1 micron (1μ) = 1/1000 mm] or 1 micron (micrometer) = 1/1,000,000 of a metre

That’s really, really small!

Human hair size –
A human hair (depending on the person) averages 75 microns across So 0.3 microns is 250 times smaller than a human hair.

Visible to the human eye –
The human eye can see debris and dust that are approximately 25 microns in size. So purifiers capture particles which are 83 times smaller than the human eye can see!

Cigarette smoke particles –
Typically particles of smoke average around 2 microns in width. So a purifier can catch particles six times smaller than smoke.

Plant pollen –
Pollen is quite big at around 37 microns so 123 times bigger than what a true HEPA filter can catch.

A grain of sand –
Fine sand is 250 microns large and beach sand is 700 microns. Think how tiny one grain of sand is and then imagine that an air purifier with a HEPA filter can catch particles that are 2,300 times small than one grain of beach sand!

This chart from https://gacc.nifc.gov the National Geographic Area Coordination Center gives more contextual sizes of items in terms of microns:

2. CADR (room capability)
Another feature to look out for when selecting an air purifier to tackle dust in a room, is CADR. This is the clean air delivery rate (CADR) of a purifier. So the higher the number the better!

The CADR rating of a purifier tells you exactly how fast the purifier could clean an amount of dust in one specific time. CADR rating is mostly for indicating the fan power of your air purifier.

Essentially the CADR number is a reflection of the air flow (CFM) multiplied by the efficiency of the air filter.

This means if a purifier has an CFM of 200 and 100% efficiency the CADR would be 200. If the air filter has 200 cfm and 75% efficiency the CADR would be 150 (200/100×75)

The CADR is managed and accessed by AHAM (Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers) so be on the look out for high CADR numbers and brands which are approved by AHAM.

If you are looking for a purifier for a larger room then you should consider purifiers with higher/larger CADR ratings.

CADR numbers can be combined with air changes per hour to give an idea of how many square feet a purifier with certain CADR numbers can tackle.

This table from Oransi gives an idea of how many square feet a purifier can tackle based on CADR numbers:

For most rooms you would be ideally looking for the air to be changed every 15 to 30 minutes so around 2 to 5 air changes per hour.

CADR relates directly to dust because you want an efficient purifier when removing dust from the air. If a purifier with a low CADR is chosen, then the device will be slow to clear and change the air which means dust has move chance of settling and being breathed in.

A purifier with a high CADR number will ensure that dust is quickly removed from the air before it is given the opportunity to settle and collect in hard to clean places in your home.

3. Ionizer
Some purifiers are equipped with ionizers which work by emitting negatively charged ions into the air which latch onto airborne pollutants. Once this bond is made, those particles become too heavy to stay in the air and therefore fall to the ground.

This can be useful when removing dust from the air as dust in the air near the purifier unit will be neutralised before it is drawn into the purifiers filters. This will length the life of the filter and mean dust is attacked in two ways, both the purifier and the ionizing process.

The downside to using a ionizer is that dust can settle and form around the purifier itself, which will need cleaning and wiping away.

4. Carbon filter
Devices fitted with carbon filters are useful when removing dust as they work to neutralise smells from a wide range of sources including household odors, smells from pets, gases and chemicals like cleaning products.

Carbon filters are made up of millions of tiny pores and air is passed through the filter and activated carbon is used to remove contaminants and impurities, using chemical absorption.

This process is helpful when addressing dust as it provides the added benefit of removing unwanted smells which can come from dust which is made up from multiple sources.

5. Noise levels
When selecting a purifier to tackle excess dust it also very important to consider the noise levels of the unit when running as the purifier will need to run for extended periods of time to keep on top of new dust which is being introduced into the environment.

Ideally you will want to select a purifying which has a number of fan speeds available and a sleep mode. As this will ensure you can alter settings when you need a bit more peace and quiet.

Noise levels of purifiers when running vary but generally they come in at 35db and the lowest fan speed and reach over 70db at the highest settings.

When selecting an air purifier by sure to check the listed noise and level and number of fan speeds available.

Once key considerations of fan speed and purifier noise levels is if you will be able to sleep whilst the fan is running in a bedroom at night.

Some people find a sleep mode to be a must have for a purifier as running at low fan speed can still be noisy enough to be disturbing at night when trying to drift off to the land of nod.

Purifiers with sleeps mode will run fans at lower speeds than the lowest standard setting but still work to purifier and cleanse air in a room.

Lots of people mention finding the white or pink noise produced by a purifier to help with a restful nights sleep.

The main reason to think about fan speeds in relation to dust removal is because it is likely you will be running the purifier for extended periods of time and need it be quiet enough when in operation not to be annoying or lose sleep!

6. Power consumption
Similar to fan speeds, power consumption is a key consideration when thinking about using a purifier for dust removal as the purifier will likely be running for extended periods of time so power consumption needs to be as low as possible. For both peace of mind from an environmental point of view and to keep the impact on your wallet down!

Often purifiers brands will outline energy consumptions levels in their product listing information and often give an idea of how many watts a unit will consume for set periods of time.

Many purifier brands also showcase if their products are Energy Star Certified which is a good indicator that costs to run the purifier unit will be low.

As purifier brands know that energy consumption is a key concern for buyers most purifiers are incredibly energy efficient. Often using less power than a light bulb!

When selecting an air purifier look through production information to find energy consumption levels.

The main factors which will affect energy consumption levels of a purifier are:

What fan speed it is being run on – higher means more energy
How long the purifier is powered on – longer means more energy
Base wattage used by the purifier – higher costs more

To give an indication of how energy consumption relates to costs, below are estimated level of power usage for five leading purifiers:

Levoit LV-PUR 131S – 40W max
Rabbit Air MinusA2 – max of around 50W
Winix 5500-2 – draws only 65W
Coway AP-1512HH – max around 70W
Alen BreatheSmart – max of 105W

Compare this to energy levels of the following household appliances and it can quickly be seen how efficient purifiers are:

Fridge – max around 200W per hour
Desktop computer – max around 450W per hour
Washing machine – 500W per hour
Dishwasher – 1500W per hour

As you can see the cost of running of purifier even for extended periods of time is a lot lower than other household electronics so the cost of fresh air at home should be affordable for everyone!

 

1. Alen BreatheSmart Flex

This purifier has 4 fan speeds, boasts incredibly low energy consumption, has a WhisperMax sleep setting which produces pink noise to help get a good night’s rest, multiple color options for panels and specific filter options depending on your purifying needs.

This is an incredibly compelling choice for a great all round purifier. The unit boasts a powerful room coverage ability of 700 sq ft and can change this amount of air in a room 2 times in an hour!

The BreatheSmart Flex claims to have been developed by NASA airflow engineers!
Comes with all the expected features for a purifier of this price like auto mode, filter replacement indicator and a timer.

Pros –

• Available with in a selection different panel colors
• Multiple filter options (dust and allergens or bacteria and mold)
• Cleans 700 sq ft every 30 mins
• Low energy usage – 36 watts on turbo speed
• Sleep mode using pink noise for better sleep
• Comes with a forever guarantee from Alen

Cons –

• Very popular model so can be hard to get hold off!

Great for –

• Most room sizes – big and smell bedroom, living room and kitchens
• Low energy consumption – costs around $50 cent in electricity a month!
• Allergens, pollen, dander and bacteria and mold issues

 

2. Winix 5500-2

The 5500-2 is a great powerful purifier which is incredibly versatile and has lots of beneficial features which other purifiers don’t like a washable activated carbon filter, remote control operation and silent sleep mode.

Winix is a well-established brand and the 5500-2 is a very reputable and well received machine.

Boasting 4 fans speeds, auto mode and smart sensors the purifier will only run when needed and smart sensors constantly monitor air quality in an environment.

Paired with the air quality indicator (ranging from good to poor – blue amber red) this means the purifier only uses energy when it really needs to!

Sleep mode measures the levels of ambient light in a room and adjusts fan speeds, dims the lights on the indicator to suit. This is a great feature as it can often be annoying to have to manually set your purifier to night or sleep mode.

The purifier also uses Winix’s PlasmaWave technology which works at a molecular level to break down allergens, odors and chemicals found in the air without emitting harmful ozone and pollutants.

The purifier is AHAM certified, energy star rated runs at a low 70 watts.

This is a great all round piece of air treatment and suits a decent mid-sized budget.

Pros –

• Washable AOC carbon filter – for odor removal
• Smart sensors and auto mode
• 360 sq ft coverage
• Sleep mode for silent time usage
• Use no harmful ozone
• Low 28db sound level
• Remote control operation
• 4 fan speeds

Cons –

• Requires both a HEPA and carbon filter

Great for –

• Dust and dust mites
• Pollen / allergies / pet dander
• Suitable for a wide range of rooms including kids bedrooms and nurseries

 

3. Rabbit Air MinusA2

Rabbit Air make incredibly high quality purifiers and the MinusA2 is no exception.

This purifier is stylish and adaptable due to limited edition kid friendly front panel options and modern art panel options for adults. Also the wall mounting feature of the purifier means it would suit most rooms and blend in seamlessly.

The dust ratings of the purifier is good with a CADR of 190 for dust and a six stage purification process which features a washable pre-filter. This means dust will be tackled into multiple steps and the HEPA filters lifecycle will be extended as a result of the pre-filter and medium filter removing large particles. This allows the HEPA filter to focus on removing dust and particles down to 0.3 microns in size from the air.

The customizable filter is also a key feature. There are specific filters available for Germ Defense, Pet Allergy, Odor Remover, or Toxin Absorber. This is a great plus if any of these areas are of particular importance.

The downside of this purifier are the units price and cost of replacement filters however this is understandable due to the unique design and performance spec of the unit.

Pros –

• 6 stage filtering process including washable pre filter and customizable filters
• Customizable covers and front panels – limited edition designs
• Ultra-quiet due to brushless motor
• 193 CADR for dust
• Powerful 815 sq ft coverage
• Adaptable and smart and can be wall mounted
• Smart features like app integration and auto mode

Cons –

• Suits a medium sized budget
• Filters are pricey

Great for –

• Kids rooms due to kid friendly panel designs (Peanuts, Hello Kitty etc.)
• Living room due to art based front panel design options and wall mounting feature
• Bedroom as images from Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Katsushika Hokusai are stylish compared to other bland grey purifier units.

 

4. Coway AP-1512 HH

The AP-1512 from Coway is heavily featured on many top purifier lists and has been chosen by sites like Wirecutter as their top overall purifier.

 

The unit is now seen as an older model from the leading Korean brand Coway, but it has become an iconic and well respected purifier which is available in both white and black colour options.

The main reason the AP-1512 is so popular is down to it’s four stage filtration process which includes a washable pre-filter, odor filter, True HEPA filter and vital ionizer.

This process is incredible efficient for all needs and will be a great asset in the fight against dust!

The washable pre-filter is a key benefit for tackling a lot of dust as this means large dust particles will be trapped in the pre-filter rather than the HEPA filter. This will help to lengthen the life of the HEPA filter and the process of cleaning the pre-filter will show exactly how much dust is being trapped.

The AP-1512 boasts features which are more commonly seen on more expensive purifiers like auto and eco mode which means the purifier will only run when needed due to a drop in air quality.

The air quality indicator is very handy as is the filter change function.

Replacement filters cost around $30 and will need to be replace around every six months.

The purifier looks good and performs extremely well, as well if not better than other more expensive purifiers.

Pros –

• High CADR for dust of 246cfm
• 361 sq ft coverage
• 3 fan speeds
• Auto and eco mode
• Air quality indicator
• Timer function
• Filter change indicator

Cons –

• Older model so may be hard to find

Great for –

• Allergies / dust / pollen / smoke
• Medium to large rooms
• Low energy consumption – due to eco mode

 

5. Levoit LV-PUR 131S

Pros –

• Uses an infrared sensor for dust removal
• Very quiet – 27db when running which is similar to leaves rustling!
• Great energy rating levels – Energy Star certified and CARB, FCC Certified & CE Listed
• Air quality indicator – shows air quality using different LED colors
• Auto mode and can turn display off for night time use
• Suits all environments and uses from dust and smoke to pet dander and allergens

Cons –

• Other units have larger range than the LV-PUR range of 322 ft

Great for –

• Medium and large rooms (up to 4.5 air changes an hour in a room of 360 sq ft)

 

6. Medify MA-18

Pros –

• Medical grade purifier
• Pre-filter for larger particles – lengthening life of HEPA filter
• Optional ionizer function
• CADR 150 – cleans the air in a room up to 800 sq ft every hour
• Sleek design and 360 degree air intake

Cons –

• Replacement filters can be pricy

Great for –

• Offices, nurseries, bedrooms and dorms

 

7. Blue Pure 211+

Pros –

• Low energy consumption of 30 – 60 watts)
• Available in a range of washable fabric pre-filters
• Very quiet when turned on (31db lowest and 56db highest settings)
• AHAM tested to clean air in room 5x an hour (up to 540 sq ft)
• Good CADR scores of 590 m3 per hour for dust

Cons –

• Pricey replacement filters compared to other purifiers

Great for –

• Large rooms up to 540 sq ft in size like living rooms, dens or dining areas

 

8. Oransi OV200

Pros –

• Room coverage of 400 sq ft
• 10 year warranty
• Only 7” deep so takes up little space in a room
• Combination pre-filter/HEPA + Activated Carbon air treatment process
• Very lightweight

Cons –

• High energy consumption and low fan power

Great for –

• Bedroom air purifier for allergens, dust, mold and pet dander

 

9. Germ Guardian AC5900W

Pros –

• 220 dust CADR
• Good 338 sq ft capability
• 5 speed settings
• Ultra-quiet mode suitable for night-time use
• 3 year warranty
• UV light to help fight germs mold and bacteria

Cons –

• Replacement filters can be expensive compared to other purifiers

Great for –

• Kids rooms, nurseries and bedrooms

 

10. Honeywell HPA100

Pros –

 

• Well known and trusted brand
• Carbon pre-filter for odors
• 4 fanspeed (Germ, General Clean, Allergen and Turbo)
• Smart features like auto mode, filter replacement indicator and timer
• 5 year warranty

Cons –

• Low dust CADR of 106 cfm

Great for –

• Medium sized rooms – has a range of up to 155 sq ft

 

Conclusion

Hopefully this extensive guide has provided a good understanding of dust, the threat it poses and how to tackle it!

If you follow the advice in this guide you will end up with a home which has low levels of dust and has the added welcome benefit of clean, fresh air!