The 5 Best Air Purifiers for Apartments [2022]

Moving into my first apartment after college was a lot of fun. But since I grew up in a pretty remote town with lots of trees, I was not ready for the pollution in the big city.

I clearly remember my first couple of days living in the city.

I met loads of interesting people and never had a dull moment.

But after some time, I really noticed my body reacting to the poor air quality in the city. It could have been the dust, it could have been pollution, or something else.

The only thing I needed was a way to breathe cleaner.

That’s when I figured that it might be about time for me to buy an air purifier. But when I went on the market to find one, I noticed I had no idea which one would be the best fit for my needs. So, I decided to ask people with actual air purifier experience.

On top of that, I went on the internet to find forums and communities that discussed air purifiers to help me out.

That’s how I found the perfect air purifier for my first apartment, and I noticed the difference immediately. I was breathing better, I was feeling better, and on top of that, my apartment smelled clean and fresh.

And so that you won’t have to go through the same struggle as I did when looking for an air purifier, I created a comprehensive list of some of the best air purifiers for apartments you can buy today.

I’ll also give you a quick step-by-step guide of all the things and features you need to consider when buying an air purifier for an apartment, so you will leave this list with a complete set of features you can’t skip out on when buying an air purifier.

Read on to learn more.

LEVOIT Core 400S – The Best Overall Air Purifier for Apartments

First up is the LEVOIT Core 400S. After doing all the research and talking to as many enthusiasts as possible, I ended up choosing this air purifier for my apartment.

This is because it’s affordable, has a great design, and is ideal for small and medium apartments.

With that said, I would recommend using this option for bedrooms and singular areas of the apartment.

If you have a studio apartment, this would be perfect. And since I wasn’t keen on buying a large and bulky air purifier for my simple apartment, it wasn’t hard to choose this option.

To start, this is a very equipped air purifier. My favorite feature of this model is the smart connectivity.

I was able to connect this air purifier to my phone, which gave me access to all the settings. That way, if the air purifier is far away and I want to increase the fan speed, I won’t have to get up to do it.

On top of that, it’s equipped with a real HEPA filter.

Nowadays, a HEPA filter is the base requirement for an air purifier. This is because HEPA filters are the only ones capable of capturing fine particles that could cause allergies and irritate your lungs.

Another cool feature is the smart mode.

I enjoy smart mode because I won’t ever have to think of turning the purifier on or off.

It will automatically adjust the speed depending on the air quality, saving a lot of power and extending its lifespan.

Pros:

  • The best overall apartment air purifier
  • Great for small and medium apartments
  • Comes with smart mode
  • Has voice control
  • A true modern air purifier

Cons:

  • Not ideal for larger apartments

Coway Airmega AP-1512HH – The Best Air Purifier for Large Apartments

There are tons of good air purifiers on the market. And while they can all do the job as advertised, keep in mind that it’s very important to find the right air purifier for your apartment.

I chose the LEVOIT Core 400S because I don’t have a huge apartment. But if I did, then I would’ve gone for this Coway model instead.

The first thing you might notice about this device is that it’s pretty expensive.

But don’t worry, the air purifier is definitely worth the price. It has a very modern design that isn’t like the classic tower air purifiers available on the market.

But the design isn’t the only thing this model has going for it.

Another thing I noticed with this model is the filtration system. Again, like any high-quality air purifier, this model has a true HEPA filter designed to capture various particles that may be floating around your apartment. But that isn’t all. This model comes with a 4-stage filtration system, ensuring that very few particles will get through.

This is one of the larger models available. While it’s expensive, it can handle most medium to large spaces. This means you won’t have to get multiple air purifiers for your apartment, as this model can do most of the heavy lifting.

Another cool feature is the air quality monitor.

Aside from detecting particles in the air, the purifier even shows you the air quality levels in the apartment. That way, you can remain aware of your apartment’s air quality and take steps to ensure that it always meets your needs.

Pros:

  • Great for large apartments
  • Comes with a built-in air quality monitor
  • 4-stage filtration system
  • Built-in filter
  • Great at absorbing odors as well

Cons:

  • Has an ionizer (which you can turn off manually)

LEVOIT Core Mini – The Best Portable Air Purifier

Most people associate apartment air purifiers with larger models.

However, you don’t always need a large air purifier to handle an apartment.

Remember, it’s always important to choose the right air purifier for your space, so always check if your air purifier can handle the size of the room or apartment.

With that said, if you have a studio or one-bedroom flat, spending a fair amount of money on a large air purifier may seem excessive.

So, you can save some money while getting an air purifier that works for your apartment size by getting the LEVOIT Core Mini.

The biggest benefit of this model is that it’s portable.

Remember, your air purifier only gives you clean air whenever it’s on. So, even if you have the air purifier on at home 24/7, you’ll end up inhaling harmful particles whenever you leave.

This is why a portable air purifier like this model is a great option.

You can turn it on in the car, bring it to a hotel room, and always ensure you breathe clean air. And since this model comes with a HEPA filter, it’s great for capturing tiny particles.

The downside to this model is that it’s on the smaller side.

So, if you want to use it in a larger space, it might have a hard time cleaning the air in your space. But again, since this air purifier is designed for small spaces, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Pros:

  • Great for smaller apartments
  • Portable
  • Comes with a true HEPA filter
  • Relatively strong for its size
  • Comes in two color options

Cons:

  • Not ideal for larger spaces
  • Not the strongest option on the market
  1. Dyson Purifier Cool – The Best Premium Air Purifier

When I created this list, I knew I couldn’t skip out on a Dyson model. This is because, despite the hefty price tag, they are definitely unique air purifiers.

For example, this Dyson Purifier Cool air purifier sports one of the most unique designs on the air purifier market.

You surely won’t be able to find an air purifier that sports a similar design, making it a great addition to any apartment.

On top of that, it has a great automatic function.

If you want to keep the air in your apartment as clean as possible, it’s best to have the air purifier on all the time. And with the automatic mode, you can ensure that the air purifier only works as hard as it needs to based on the air quality.

Not only will this extend the air purifier’s life, but it will also make sure you don’t use too much power by keeping your air purifier on.

Aside from purifying the air, this model works as a bladeless fan.

This is one of Dyson’s most popular products and can serve a unique double purpose.

So, if you’re looking for a highly functional air purifier that doesn’t just filter out particles, this is a great option for you.

And when the evening comes, you can turn on night mode.

This makes it so that the air purifier operates at the lowest possible noise level while dimming the display to allow you to sleep.

This is a great feature as you won’t have to stay up all night because of a noisy air purifier.

Again, this is a pretty expensive model.

However, it’s also a premium one. While it may not be within everyone’s price range, it could be a more than worthwhile investment.

Pros:

  • Really easy to use
  • Highly functional automatic mode
  • Great filtration system
  • Equipped with an H13 HEPA filter
  • Night mode makes for very low noise operation

Cons:

  • Fairly expensive

IQAir Atem Car Portable HEPA Air Purifier – The Most Versatile Air Purifier

This last air purifier on the list can do it all.

To start, it’s a reasonably big air purifier.

So, you can use it to cleanse the air in an entire apartment if needed. But if you only plan on using it in the bedroom, it can work just well.

And it doesn’t end there.

Another reason I love this air purifier is the fact that it’s portable.

Aside from cleaning the air in my apartment, I can also bring this around wherever I need to remove particles from the air.

This because especially helpful during springtime, as it allows me to take full control of my allergies and stop myself from sneezing and coughing.

With that said, I’m not too sure what type of filter is built-in into this air purifier.

I read that this model uses a HyperHEPA filter. While this isn’t the same as some of the high-grade HEPA filters on the list, IQAir claims it can filter particles up to 0.003 microns thick, which is how it captures dust and pollen without any hassle at all.

But again, this doesn’t pass the requirements for a true HEPA filter, which could be a deal-breaker for some.

However, tons of people have said that the filter works just fine, and they could barely tell the difference.

Another downside to this model is that it’s fairly expensive. But considering how well it can filter out harmful particles from the air while remaining portable and lightweight, this isn’t too big of a problem.

Pros:

  • Portable and easy to use
  • Comes with a HyperHEPA filter
  • Great for small and large spaces
  • Low-noise operation
  • Ideal for people with allergies

Cons:

  • Fairly expensive

Buying Guide: How to Find the Best Air Purifier for an Apartment

My first instinct when I decided to buy an air purifier for my apartment was to look for all the top models on the market.

And while I was pretty sure I found some good recommendations through this method, I still couldn’t choose the option for me.

Why?

Well, it’s because I had no clue what to look for.

I had a feeling that all my air purifier options were top-tier. However, I didn’t understand which features would actually benefit me in the long run.

So, I had to research again to figure out what all these different features that were listed meant.

It was tough, but knowing which features were important made it incredibly easy to figure out the model that fit my needs.

And since I don’t want anyone else to go through the same hassle as I did, I’ve written a complete step-by-step guide with all the things you need to feature when buying an air purifier for an apartment.

Measure the Room

The first thing you need to do when buying an air purifier, regardless of the purpose, is measure the room.

This is because most of the features you’re going to find when researching air purifiers for the apartment need to be compared to the size of your room.

The larger the room, the more power you need in the air purifier.

So, the first thing you need to do is get the exact square foot measurements of the room. From there, it will be much easier to figure out which air purifier would be the best fit for your room.

Figure Out the Air Purifier’s ACH

Once you have the measurements of the room, the next thing to consider is the ACH & CADR of the air purifier.

ACH stands for Air Changes per Hour. Basically, this refers to how many times the air purifier can cleanse the air in a room in one hour. So, if an air purifier has a 5-ACH rating, then it means that it can replace the air in a room 5 times an hour.

Ideally, you want a minimum of 4ACH to be able to constantly provide your apartment with fresh air.

However, if you have a bigger space or really want to have particle-free air all the time, you might want to opt for an air purifier with a higher ACH rating.

Pay Close Attention to the Filtration System

The ACH refers to the fan’s power. However, if you’re trying to figure out how well the purifier can remove particles from the air, then you need to pay attention to the filtration system.

Air purifiers are just fans and filters, so if you don’t have a good filtration system, your air purifier will be useless.

At the most basic level, you need an air purifier with a True HEPA filter.

These are arguably the best filters on the market, as certain HEPA filters (depending on the grade) can capture particles up to 1.5-2.0 microns thick.

This is about all the dust and pollen that can cause allergies and problems.

With that said, a HEPA filter might not be the only filter you need.

On top of the HEPA filter, you need an activated carbon filter. This is to absorb the gaseous particles in the air, eliminate harmful odors, and further purify the air.

If you find an air purifier with an activated carbon filter and HEPA filter, you have just about everything you need to purify the air in an apartment. However, if you have pets, you could also opt for an option with another pre-filter, which can capture pet hair and allow the filters to last a bit longer.

Figure Out What Extra Features You Need

After you have found air purifiers with all the essentials, you can start looking at a bunch of extra features.

Many additional features are available with modern air purifiers, such as smart control, automatic features, and air quality sensors.

The thing about these features is that they aren’t requirements, but they are always nice to have.

Personally, the air quality sensor was the most important extra feature I needed.

This was to give me an idea of the air quality at the apartment at any given time and allow me to determine when I need to up the fan speed.

Again, at the end of the day, it’s always important to go back to why you bought an air purifier in the first place.

This is the best way to figure out what extra features would be of actual use to you and which ones would be a waste of your time and money.

Why You Should Trust This Review

I take air purifiers very seriously. While that may sound silly, I’m not kidding. With the many pollutants in today’s world, I’m obsessed with air quality, and I want to ensure I’m breathing in clean air as much as possible to keep my lungs safe.

That’s why I took a long time to research the best models on the market and highlight their good and bad sides.

I got my information from multiple sources. I checked out blogs, vlogs, unboxing videos, reviews, and more.

This is how I found as much information as possible on air purifiers that have been working for customers.

This is why you can choose just about any model on the list, and it will serve you well.

But remember, you always need to find air purifiers that serve your needs.

So, before making a choice, make sure to ask yourself why you buy an air purifier in the first place. And once you find the answer to that question, choosing the best air purifier for your apartment will be easier than ever.