The 8 Best Air Purifiers for Pets, According to Testing

Our list includes top brands like Dyson, Bissell, and Levoit.

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BHG / Lecia Landis

As much as we love our cats and dogs, pets can often negatively affect the air quality in our homes. In addition to the unpleasant smells (think accidents on the carpet and litter box odors), all the pet hair and dander floating around can be almost unbearable for allergy sufferers. That's where air purifiers come in.

These appliances generally use multiple layers of filtration to remove particles from the air. But the best air purifiers for pets capture everything, including dander, pet-related allergens, and clumps of loose fur.

"We spend more than 90% of our time indoors, and air inside your home can actually be more polluted than outdoor air," says Kenneth Mendez, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). "Good indoor air quality is important for everyone, especially for those living with asthma and allergies. It's a good idea to invest in portable air cleaners (air purifiers) in rooms where you spend the most time like your bedroom, home office, or living room."

To determine which models are the best air purifiers for pets, we tested 47 different air purifiers in our lab in Des Moines, Iowa. As part of our testing, we placed each air purifier in an enclosed space and exposed it to pet hair and smoke to see how well it captured tiny particles and pieces of hair alike. We also carefully examined each device to determine its quality, what features it offered, and how helpful those features were for daily use. Then, we created a list of the best air purifiers for pets.

Rabbit Air

It has five built-in filters to capture and remove pet hair, dander, allergens, odors, and more.

It took us several minutes to put this device together since it comes with a separate filter you have to install yourself.

Though a pet-specific air purifier is designed to deal with pet-related allergens like odors, hair, and more, there are likely tons of other airborne particles polluting the air in your home. Since your home will only have healthy air if you remove all types of toxins from the room, it's important to buy an air purifier capable of removing a wide range of particle sizes and types.

We loved the RabbitAir MinusA2 Ultra-Quiet air purifier, which was one of the fastest models we tested when it came to improving the overall air quality in the room. After placing it in an enclosed space with smoke and pet hair for just five minutes, this powerful device drastically decreased the hazardous PM 2.5 levels to a level that was healthy again. In fact, it even made the room's air quality better than it had been before our testing began.

Since it has five separate filters, it's able to remove particles of different sizes from your home. The filters include two pre-filters for capturing pet hair and pollen, a HEPA filter for 99.9% of all particles, and an activated carbon filter for odors. You can also choose from one of several customized filters to add to your device, including a pet allergy filter and an odor filter, depending on which is most prevalent in your home.

The RabbitAir MinusA2 purifier is also compatible with an app, so you can view your home's air quality at any time, review reports to see how your air quality has changed over weeks or months, and change the settings directly from your phone. Plus, the air purifier is Energy Star certified, so it won't require a ton of energy to run continuously.

Keep in mind that this air purifier takes several minutes to assemble because of how many separate filters it has. We found the instructions to be helpful, but it still took them a little while to figure out how to put it together. You won't be able to simply unbox it and put it to use right away.

Price at time of publish: $600

Product Details:

Recommended Room Size: Up to 815 square feet | CADR: 200 (pollen), 193 (dust), 180 (smoke) | Noise Level: 61 decibels | Dimensions: 21.4 x 7 x 20 inches

Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock

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This air purifier gives you plenty of flexibility with colors and filters, and its wide range of features makes it worth the higher price tag.

With a coverage of 1,300 square feet, it might not be the best choice for people with small rooms since it'd be unnecessarily big.

This splurge-worthy Alen BreatheSmart air purifier can be customized to your preferences in two ways. There are eight different finishes available, including classic white and brushed stainless, so you can choose one that matches your aesthetic. But most importantly, you can pick from one of four filter types that target specific issues like pet dander and odor or mold and bacteria.

The pet-specific version consists of an odor neutralizer that reduces smells from accidents or litter boxes and a True HEPA filter that relieves allergy symptoms by capturing 99.99% of particles bigger than 0.1 microns. At the highest setting, it's capable of filtering the air every 30 minutes in spaces up to 1,300 square feet. There's even a built-in air quality sensor so you can see that it's working.

We found that this model was supremely easy to use and understand, with a color-changing LED display to indicate the air quality in your home and a wide range of fan speeds and settings to cycle through. You'll be able to download the app and pair it to your device, too, if you want to change the settings remotely.

Since this air purifier is designed to work in large spaces, it's likely too bulky to be used in a smaller room like a bedroom or bathroom. If you need an air purifier for a more confined space, we'd recommend choosing one that's more compact and uses less energy.

Price at time of publish: $769

Product Details:

Recommended Room Size: 1,300 square feet | CADR: 347 | Noise Level: 71 decibels | Dimensions: 18.5 x 11.5 x 27 inches

Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson

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Four filters—three HEPA filters and a pre-filter—are effective at capturing pet hair that naturally piles up.

This air purifier used more energy than others we tested, therefore making it pricier to run.

The Honeywell Insight HEPA Air Purifier earned the highest average rating of the models we tested with a 4.98, meaning it demonstrated stellar performance in all areas. It drastically improved the air quality in the room, showing a 92-93% change in the PM 2.5 levels on the highest setting (which was much higher than the median percentage change throughout the test).

A thorough filtration system—three HEPA filters plus a pre-filter—helped it more effectively capture pet hair compared to other models and neutralize odors. During our test, we noticed it struggled a bit more with picking up thicker clumps of pet hair as opposed to more lightly sprinkled strands. For this reason, we suspect it would be even more effective on natural shedding that occurs in day-to-day life.

The design is sleek and simple to use, with tabs on the edges of the filters for easy removal, a color-coded auto mode to show you the air quality in the room at a quick glance, and just a few clearly illustrated buttons on the top. We found it quite user-friendly and straightforward while still including a bunch of useful features like a TurboClean mode.

As far as downsides go, the main one we found is that it's not as energy efficient as we would've liked. We calculated that it would cost about $41 per month in electricity to run the air purifier 24/7. This would perhaps be a better choice for temporarily clearing the air of odors and pet hair/dander rather than running it constantly.

Price at time of publish: $269

Product Details:

Recommended Room Size: 1500 square feet | CADR: 323 (smoke,) 339 (dust), 335 (pollen) | Noise Level: 56 decibels | Dimensions: 19.1 x 22.3 x 10.8 inches

Amazon

This air purifier works in rooms up to 1,560 square feet, so it's a great choice if you have large rooms or an open floor plan in your home.

It's on the bigger side, so anyone with limited floor space or mobility issues might have trouble with it.

The Coway Airmega 400S air purifier is your best bet if you want to purify the air in large rooms or entire floors of your home. In a 1,560-square-foot room, it changes the air twice per hour and removes airborne particles floating through your home. It uses three layers of filtration (including a washable pre-filter, activated carbon, and a HEPA filter) to clean the air at least twice every hour. Dirty air goes in through the sides and clean air pushes out the top.

When we tested this air purifier in our lab, we found that even on its lowest speed, it was able to effectively remove harmful particles from the air and reduce PM 2.5 levels from a hazardous rating to a healthy one in as little as five minutes. It's not excessively loud, either—at 72 decibels on its highest fan speed, this air purifier would only be a slight distraction if you were sitting directly in front of it.

The Coway Airmega 400S even keeps you posted on air quality: The LED ring on the front changes colors (from blue to red) depending on how clean or dirty the air in your home is. Thanks to its smart mode, the air purifier can automatically adjust its settings based on detected air quality.

Plus, the filter indicators tell you when they need to be replaced or cleaned, so you don't have to keep track of it on your own. We noted that the air purifier has a modern white design, but it takes up quite a bit of space (it measures 14.8 x 14.8 x 22.8 inches) and weighs nearly 25 pounds.

Price at time of publish: $505

Product Details:

Recommended Room Size: 1,560 square feet | CADR: 400 (pollen), 350 (dust), 350 (smoke) | Noise Level: 72 decibels | Dimensions: 14.8 x 14.8 x 22.8 inches

Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock

Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock

Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock

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This air purifier has a built-in HEPA filter for trapping fine particles, like dust, pollen, and dander, while the pre-filter captures larger particles, including pet hair.

It doesn't have a reusable or washable filter.

During testing, our experts were pleasantly surprised by the performance of the Levoit Core P350 air purifier, which was effective at purifying the air in confined spaces while remaining easy to operate.

The True HEPA filter (which means it's been tested to meet the U.S. Department of Energy's standards) also includes an activated carbon filter, which absorbs pollutants like pet odors, breaks them down, and traps them so they don't get redistributed into the air. Keep in mind that it's not a reusable filter, so you'll have to replace it every six to eight months, depending on use. The filter also reduces the amount of pet dander, fur, and allergens in the air because it traps fine particles floating around in your home.

When we used the Levoit Core P350 air purifier in our test environment, we found that it was able to effectively lower the room's PM 2.5 levels from a hazardous rating to a healthy one in 10 minutes—the same amount of time it took several far more expensive models.

The air purifier works best in small rooms up to 219 square feet, and its compact size (8.7 x 8.7 x 14.2 inches) means it won't take up too much floor space. It has a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 240, which is a number that indicates the volume of air it can change 4.8 times per hour. Your air purifier should have a CADR that's at least two-thirds the area of the room it's in, but putting it in a larger room just means it'll clean the air at a slower rate (and therefore be less efficient).

It's also packed with helpful features, including four timers, a sleep mode, and a lock button that prevents your furry friends from messing with the settings. While it doesn't offer app connection, we didn't miss it, since all of the features are easily accessible right on the machine.

Price at time of publish: $130

Product Details:

Recommended Room Size: 219 square feet | CADR: 240 | Noise Level: 72.3 decibels | Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.7 x 14.2 inches

Related: The 8 Best Handheld Vacuums for Quick Cleaning

Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock

Dyson

This air purifier is completely sealed, so there's no chance for any of the particles it captures to escape back into your home.

It doesn't have a pre-filter, so larger particles like pet hair may clog the HEPA filter more quickly than others.

Dyson is a trusted brand name when it comes to household appliances, and this smart air purifier is another great choice for anyone who wants to remove dust, dander, and more from their homes. It has two levels of filtration—an activated carbon filter for pet odors and a HEPA filter for small particles—and it uses the brand's signature Air Multiplier technology to circulate the clean air throughout the entire room.

When we put the Dyson Purifier Cool air purifier to the test in our lab, our experts were amazed by how quickly this device cleared smoke, dander, and hair from the room. Though the PM 2.5 levels quickly raised to 999 when we added pollutants to the air, the Dyson air purifier had no trouble capturing and removing these particles and reducing levels back to a healthy number in 10 minutes. We were so impressed, one of us was instantly influenced to buy one for her own home.

We also liked that the device has a built-in oscillating fan, which helps promote good airflow by circulating clean air throughout the room. The fully sealed purifier ensures that none of the particles this device just captured can escape back into the air, so you'll be able to keep cool without breathing in pollutants.

Dyson doesn't list the CADR for its air purifiers because the brand designed its own tests, but this model can handle rooms ranging from 500 to 800 square feet in size. You'll be able to connect your device to the Dyson Link app, where you can view detailed reports on your home's air quality and change settings from anywhere.

It doesn't have a pre-filter to catch pet hair, so this device's filter may get clogged more quickly than other devices if you typically find fur in every nook and cranny of your home.

Price at time of publish: $570

Product Details:

Recommended Room Size: 800 square feet | CADR: Not listed | Noise Level: 64 decibels | Dimensions: 4.72 x 8 x 41 inches

Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock

Amazon

A digital readout feature gives you information about the room's air quality—no fussy apps are required.

This air purifier is louder than others we tested on its highest fan speed.

If you want an in-depth understanding of your home's air quality without the hassle of downloading and using a complicated app on your phone, the Bissell Air320 air purifier is for you. This device has a user-friendly, color-coded display to help you understand your room's exact PM 2.5 levels and change settings to remove pollutants. It will also automatically adjust the fan settings based on the current air quality.

We discovered that this air purifier was one of the most effective when it came to removing smoke particles, pet hair, and allergens during testing. We detected a noticeable difference when entering the room during the testing period

This device uses three different filters to help clear the air: a pre-filter for large particles like pet hair and dander, an activated carbon filter for odors, and a HEPA filter to remove 99.9% of particles 0.3 microns in size and smaller. Compared to other air purifiers we tested, this model had some impressive features, since the display shows an exact PM 2.5 reading and changes colors to indicate your room's air quality at a glance.

You'll also be able to change the fan speed, set the device to auto mode, and see when your filter needs replacing directly on top of the machine. It even includes cord storage so you can wrap extra wire and neatly tuck the cord away when not in use.

This air purifier is even Energy Star certified, meaning it won't cause a huge spike in your energy bill every month just to operate it. The only thing we'd change is its noise levels when run on the highest fan speed—it would likely be disruptive to run at this speed while sleeping. However, since the air purifier is extremely effective even on the low fan speed (which is just 40 decibels), you can still operate the device at night.

Price at time of publish: $263

Product Details:

Recommended Room Size: 327 square feet | CADR: Smoke (211), dust (221), pollen (245) | Noise Level: 66 decibels | Dimensions: 14.75 x 8.3 x 25 inches

Related: The 8 Best Small Dehumidifiers for Removing Excess Moisture from Your Home

Blueair

Even on the lowest setting, it's incredibly effective at cutting down on odors.

This was not as effective at picking up pet hair during our tests.

The compact Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max impressed us with its ability to clear smoke and chemical smells. We found it to be extremely effective in this regard on both the lowest and highest settings (it has four settings in total). Even when running on low, it completely eliminated our need to sneeze when entering the test environment after 30 minutes. This is a great option if you have a pet that is prone to accidents.

In addition to the four speeds, it has three brightness modes, including one that turns off the light. Combine that with the quiet operation (we could hardly hear it when set to night mode) and it would work nicely in a bedroom.

The design is simple and sleek, with a Scandinavian-inspired silhouette, just a few buttons, and a light indicating when the filter needs to be changed. Blueair offers a filter subscription that will send a replacement every three, six, or nine months (the brand recommends changing the filter every six months).

App functionality allows you to monitor your home's air quality from a distance, change the settings, and use voice commands. One of the more unique features will put your air purifier on standby when you leave the house and turn it back on when your connected device gets close to your house.

Though we appreciated how well the Blueair cut down on unpleasant odors, we were less impressed by its ability to pick up pet hair. If your furry friend sheds a lot, this is probably not the best air purifier for pet hair. But if odors are your top concern, it can't be beat.

Price at time of publish: $170

Product Details:

Recommended Room Size: 219 to 526 square feet | CADR: Smoke (141), dust (125), pollen (114) | Noise Level: 53 decibels | Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.6 x 18.9 inches

All things considered, the RabbitAir MinusA2 Ultra-Quiet Air Purifier earned the top spot on our list because it successfully removed harmful particles from the air during our tests and has a customized filter to help remove pet hair and dander from your home.

To test the best air purifiers for pets, we assembled a team of experts to use 38 different air purifiers in our lab in Des Moines, Iowa. During testing, we placed each air purifier in an enclosed space, then added smoke and pet hair to the room to see how quickly the air purifier was able to remove harmful particles from the room. We manually checked PM 2.5 levels before and after adding pollutants to the air, then checked the levels again after five and ten minutes had passed.

We also evaluated each device based on its design, features, ease of use, and overall value for the price. After taking all of these factors into consideration, we created our list of the best air purifiers for pets.

When shopping for the best air purifiers for pets, one of the most important things to keep in mind is the room size it can handle. You'll want to make sure that you have the approximate square footage of the room you want to place it in so you can select the most efficient model based on the size of the area. (There are air purifiers for pets on this list ranging in capacity from 215 to 1,560 square feet.)

Another factor to consider when choosing the best air purifiers for pets is its Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR).

"A useful way to determine [if an air purifier is powerful enough for your room size] is by looking at an air cleaner's clean air delivery rating or CADR rating," Mendez says. "If you purchase an air cleaner with a CADR rating too low for your room, it will be ineffective."

According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, "CADR indicates the volume of filtered air an air cleaner delivers, with separate scores for tobacco smoke, pollen, and dust." The higher the number, the faster and more effective the air purifier will clean the air. You should look for an air purifier with a smoke CADR that's at least two-thirds of the room's square footage. Manufacturers often list a recommended room size and a CADR score that are based on the appliance changing the air 4.8 times per hour.

Look for high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters for the best results. These filters can remove 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Some air purifiers for pets also have activated carbon filters to reduce odors. If your pet has a lot of fur, a pre-filter will catch hair and prevent it from clogging the HEPA filter. Keep in mind that filters need to be regularly replaced (or cleaned, if it's reusable) for the air purifier to actually work.

You can also look for additional features that make air purifiers easier to use, like timers, air quality sensors, and filter replacement indicators. Some models even have night modes that limit noise and lights so they don't disrupt your sleep.

According to Mendez, the best air purifiers for pets will be able to handle a wide range of allergens, seal off the pollutants they capture to prevent them from re-entering the room, and will not produce ozone as they purify. If you suffer from allergies or asthma, you can find out if the device you're looking to buy has an Asthma and Allergy Friendly certification, which further ensures that the air purifier will be able to help alleviate your symptoms.

Our experts found the Holmes Desktop HEPA-Type Filter Air Purifier to be effective at removing pollutants from the air in our tests, but ultimately, it wasn't as impressive as many of the others we tested. It was difficult to assemble, and its design was quite cheap-looking compared to other air purifiers in the same price range. The device does not indicate air quality anywhere, so you just have to assume it's working, which caused us to give it a lower rating.

After exposing the GermGuardian 5-in-1 Air Purifier to airborne pollutants for 10 minutes in an enclosed space, it was only able to reduce the room's PM 2.5 levels to a "moderate" rating. Other air purifiers we tested—including devices that cost less and were designed for smaller rooms than the GermGuardian—were able to purify the air more quickly than this model, so we chose to exclude it from our list of the best air purifiers for pets.

The design and effectiveness of the Blueair DustMagnet 5210i Tabletop Air Purifier made it less impressive than desired. On low mode, this device couldn't reduce PM 2.5 levels in our test space, and after 10 minutes of operation, the levels were still considered very poor. Additionally, we found that the legs on this device were uneven, so it wobbled slightly on the table.

Air purifiers are a great way to get rid of pet odors and reduce the amount of fur floating in the air. If pet odors are your main concern, look for a model with an activated carbon filter to absorb smells coming from the litter box or unexpected accidents. Anyone with pets that shed a lot should pick an air purifier with a washable pre-filter—it's a layer that catches large particles (like pet hair) and can be easily vacuumed and washed when it gets dirty.

Some air purifiers have washable filters that can be cleaned or vacuumed, while others use disposable filters that need to be regularly replaced. Every manufacturer has different guidelines, but you should be prepared to swap out replaceable filters at least every six months or so, depending on use. There are even some models with indicators that remind you when it's time to replace the filter.

If you see an air purifier labeled as having a True HEPA filter, it means that the filter meets the U.S. Department of Energy's standards of filtering 99.97% of bacteria, dust, pollen, and other airborne particles measuring 0.3 microns. Filters labeled as HEPA-type or HEPA-grade may still remove particles from the air, but they have not been tested to meet those standards.

This article was written by Samantha Jones, an associate commerce editor at Better Homes & Gardens who writes about the best home products worth purchasing. For this story, Samantha researched air purifiers and important features to look for when shopping, then compared her findings to testing insights gathered from our lab in Des Moines, Iowa. She also spoke with Kenneth Mendez, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, for his expertise on this topic.

Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they're worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn't an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.

Looking for more products that have earned our BHG Recommends seal of approval? Check out our picks for everything from picnic blankets to humidifiers.