The best whole house air purifier. Our top 5 picks

Last updated on Jul 26, 2021 Air Purifiers
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we only earn from qualifying purchases!

Did you know that the air in your house might be the most toxic air you breathe? Surprising, I know, and yet very true. While you cannot physically see it with the naked eye, the air in your house is filled with many allergens, germs, bacteria and pet dander amongst other air pollutants. Its no wonder we have written this article listing the top 5 picks for the best whole house air purifier.

If you are staying indoors more often these days as is the trend with most of us, you may want to look into purchasing a great air purifier for your entire home.

Good ventilation may help keep the fresh air coming in as well as letting out the stale air. But it might not be enough to rid your whole home of air pollutants.

Therefore, having an amazing air purifier can greatly improve the quality of air circulating through your entire house.  

Why would I need a whole house air purifier anyway?

Good question! Here is what you must know; The air inside your house is normally more harmful than the air outside.

Normal household pollutants like gas, deodorant, nail polish and cooking fumes contribute significantly to in-house air pollution. This in turn may lead to some air-borne diseases.

An air purifier will absorb the pollutants, allergens, dust particles, bad odor and cleanse the air inside your house thus ensuring greater respiration and better sleep.

Air purifiers tend to have a limitation in how much space they can cover. Therefore, this means that you may have to purchase more than one to have your whole house sufficiently covered.

So, in this article, we explore five whole house air purifiers. We focus on helping you make the best choice of which air purifier will work best for your and your home.

Here are our recommendations for the five best air purifiers for the entire house;

1. Alen BreatheSmart 75i Air Purifier (The best whole house air purifier)

2. LEVOIT Smart Wi-Fi Air Purifier

3. Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier

4. Oransi mod Air Purifier

5. The WINIX 5300-2 Air Cleaner

What is the Best Whole House Air Purifier?

After a thorough investigation of a number of whole house purifiers, we have identified 5 of the best whole house air purifiers. These purifiers will work very well for your entire house or home.

1. Alen BreatheSmart 75i Air Purifier

This might be just what you are looking for as you search for a purifier for your entire house. The Alen BreatheSmart is best known for its ability to cover a large amount of square footage of 1300 square feet. It has a powerful system that is made to remove allergens, odors, and other air pollutants from all open spaces inside your house. It is built to capture 99.7% of the common airborne particles while working to remove bacteria and prevent the growth of mold. The design of this purifier is stylish and the fan speeds self-adjust. On some retailer sites, you may find this air purifier listed as “Alen BreatheSmart Classic Large Room Air Purifier”.

Alen Breathesmart 75i
Alen Breathesmart 75i

Pros

  • Has a grade H13 HEPA filter which is the most suitable filter rating for houses and offices,
  • Covers a large area (1300 sq feet)
  • Eliminates allergy and asthma triggers.
  • Low noise emissions (pink noise) for better sleep.
  • It is designed to run 24/7
  • Has a real-time air quality sensor.
  • Lifetime warranty.

Cons

  • Can be a bit pricey.
  • The Clean Air Delivery Rate is not that high.

2. Levoit LV-PUR131S Smart Wi-Fi Air Purifier

Levoit LV-PUR131S is an excellent air purifier that comes fitted with a HEPA filter. Its certified HEPA filter can clean almost all particles found in the air. Even particles as small as 0.3 microns in size. If you have allergic reactions, you may find that it is the most reliable purifier for your whole house. The Levoit also has a real-time air quality sensor that can automatically regulate the fan speed. It has an app where you can conveniently control your filter according to your preferences.

You can also use the app to monitor the life span of the filter. It also has an option activate night mode. In night mode, the lv-pur131s will turn the fan volume to its lowest setting and keep the noise minimal. This setting will guarantee that you have a good night's sleep. It also uses an organic carbon filter with zero ionizer technology which means this purifier does not emit any ozone.

The Levoit LV-PUR131S has a three-stage filtration which provides for three different stages, the pre-filter for dust and debris, the HEPA filter which captures and collects the smaller air particles which can be hazardous to your health. The activated charcoal filter additionally helps with the subtraction of smells and other odors from the air found in your entire room.

LV-PUR131S Smart True HEPA Air Purifier
LV-PUR131S Smart True HEPA Air Purifier

Pros

  • Easy to use.
  • Has a LED control panel
  • Durable
  • It has smart features
  • Has three different filters
  • CARB rated
  • 12 month filter life span.

Cons

  • Low fan speeds

3. Blueair Blue Pure 211+ air Purifier

The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ air purifier is one of the best purifiers you can purchase for your entire house or large rooms. It is designed to reduce ozone concentrations in the air inside your house. It also uses a three-stage setup to filter the air in your living space. This purifier uses activated carbon which is good for removing bad smells from your house. it is strongly recommended for your kitchen and bathroom areas. This purifier is very quiet and at only 31-56 decibels, you can enjoy clean air and a quiet environment making it just perfect for your home.

Blue Pure 211
Blue Pure 211

Pros

  • Captures 99% airborne pollutants for example viruses, dust, pet hair, bacteria, mold, and others.
  • Consumes minimal energy.
  • Is durable.
  • Reduces bad odors.
  •  Washable fabric pre-filter

Cons

  • No true HEPA filter
  • Does not have an automatic air quality sensor.
  • No timer.

4. Oransi Mod Air Purifier

The Oransi is a large room air purifier and is ideal for houses, schools, offices amongst others. There are no Wi-Fi or smartphone controls but the Oransi Mod does a great job of cleaning indoor air and improving the air quality in your house. It has a true HEPA filter which is known to be most appropriate for filtering up to 99.9% of virus-sized particles and airborne particulates. The Oransi Mod Air purifier covers up to 1,250 square foot space of your entire home every 30 minutes. It is easy to use with an intuitive user interface and you can simply plug it in and you are good to go.

Mod has a smart design - from the glass user interface to the cylindrical shape with an orange carry handle. The filter handle is a very handy feature. This is because you will not have to directly touch the dirty filter. So, be rest assured that you won't ever need to touch the dirt, allergens, and germs it catches as it filters your house’s air.

Oransi mod HEPA Air Purifier
Oransi mod HEPA Air Purifier

Pros

  • Excellent air purification performance.
  • Intuitive user interface.
  • True HEPA filter.
  • Quiet operation
  • Cheap operating costs.
  • Includes three filters.

Cons

  • No Wi-Fi or Mobile App.
  • No automatic air quality sensor

5. Winix 5300-2 Air Purifier

The Winix 5300-2 is a popular filter designed for any home space. It is made to remove VOC (volatile organic compounds), pollen, household odors, dust, smoke, pet dander, and mold among other air pollutants. This purifier is equipped with a 99.97% effective True HEPA filter and a three-stage cleaning system plus a carbon filter for fighting bad odor. Winix 5300-2 Air Cleaner is the perfect Air Filter for your house. It also has an air quality visual indicator, light sensor, auto & sleep mode. And is both CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) certified, CARB certified (California Air Resources Board), Energy Star certified. It has a washable pre-filter which makes it a pretty cheap option. The winix 5300-2 purifier is best for small studio apartments of about 300 square feet.

winix 5300-2
winix 5300-2

Pros

  • It is affordable.
  • True HEPA filter
  • Inbuilt timer with three different preset settings.
  • CADR rating.
  • Winix air quality indicator.
  • Automatic mode.
  • Easy to use and maintain.

Cons

  • No remote control.
  • Makes sound on start up and when you press any of the buttons

The 5 Best Whole House Air Purifier Chart

In the comparison table below, we look at different production information for each of the five best air purifiers for the entire house.

Product InformationAlen BreatheSmart 75I
*best whole house air purifier
Levoit LV-PUR131S SmartBlueAir Blue Pure 211+Oransi ModWinix 5300-2
True Hepa ✔ ✔NO ✔ ✔
Wattage1.6 -105 Watts40 Watts32-61 Watts77.0 watts5 – 70+ W
Filter Lifespan12 months-10 years6-12 Months12 months
IonizingNONONONO
Pre-Filters ✔ ✔ Yes ✔ ✔
Noise Level27db25db36-51db20-60dB58dB
Area Coverage1,300sq.ft every 30mins900sq.ft per hour540sq.ft per hour1250sq.ft360 sq. ft.

What else do I need to know about whole-house air purifiers?  

Upon deeper research, you will discover that to achieve improved air quality in your house, you may need to install a complete HVAC air purification system.  This will ensure perfect air quality in every part of your house. However, it is important to note that this kind of system may require being built directly into the duct work of your house’s HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system.  

There are generally a couple of types of air purification systems that can be built into the duct work of your HVAC system namely:

- Return Air Systems

- Supply Air Systems

Return Air Systems

These allow the air inside your house to return to the HVAC system for heating or cooling to maintain the proper temperature in the home.

Supply Air System

This system is set between the furnace and vent within the HVAC system and filters the air that comes in before it is released back into the different parts of the house.

Both of the above filters need periodic maintenance about every 3-6 months depending on how dirty the air inside your house is. The filters are relatively cheap and while they should be installed by a professional, they are easy to install and maintain. You may want to set up a timetable for the maintenance to keep the good air quality flowing. The goal is to avoid instances where your filter gets clogged due to residue overload. Actually, it can get so clogged up that it even ends up expelling air pollutants back into your house thus defeating the purpose altogether.

Features You Must Consider for a Whole House Air Purifier

The quality of air in your house will be determined by how keen you are on detail. There are many features to be considered while you are purchasing an air purifier for your whole house. The focus here is to get good air quality by getting the best purifier your money can buy. Let's explore some of the features you must consider as you choose which purifier you will purchase for your house.

1. Hepa Filter (High-Efficiency Particulate Air)

 The major purpose of a HEPA filter is to remove polluted air particles from indoor spaces. This filter is known to remove up to 99.95% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns.

The HEPA filter can effectively rid your air of dust, pollen, allergens, bacteria, pet dander amongst other particulate matter from your entire house. This filter will save you from allergic reactions and other air-borne irritants especially if you have a history of allergies to dust.

However, it is important to note that a HEPA filter cannot remove gaseous pollutants and that’s when the Activated Carbon filter comes to play.

2. Activated Carbon Filter

This filter is used to supplement the other filters in a purifier and helps remove household odors and gases. There is no single standard as to how this particular filter should work because there are various standards available.

The recommended carbon filter is made up of fine granular particulate because it is most effective with odors and gases when compared to its organic counterparts.

3. CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate)

While checking out the CADR of a filtering device, you should know that the higher the rate, the faster the device’s ability to clean the air in your house. CADR is a measure for the volume of purified air that passes through an air filter in a measured period of time.

4. Certifications and Online Ratings

Ratings are a good way to find out other peoples experience with a particular product. They can help inform your decision on whether you should pruchase a n air purifier or not.You will be able to find out if they were satisfied with the product.

5. Cost Of Replacing Filters

Most air purifiers have to be replaced every 3-6 months of usage depending on how clean the air in your house is. This means that you are going to incur some costs in every such period.

You should therefore choose an air filter with affordable filter replacements so as to keep your maintenance costs low and affordable. You can also consider purchasing a purifier that has recyclable (washable) filters to minimize costs fully.

6. Durability  

Check the warranty of your chosen item to ensure that it is long-lasting.  An item that has a warranty of more than three years usually has the capability of lasting double those years. Always ensure to purchase items with a warranty so that you are assured of a refund or free repair or product replacement in case your filter gets issues right after you purchase it.                

7. Noise Level

Good sleep is a good. You don't want to subject yourself to a loud annoying sound of an air purifier. This is why you must make sure to find out the noise level of an air purifier before purchasing it for your house. Try to choose a filter of not more than 40db (operating noise of a refrigerator) for your house. It is important to also note that the sound level of your purifier may be received differently depending on how you choose to position it.

8. Air Changes Per Hour (ACPH).

This refers to the amount of air added to or removed from a space per hour. The volume of air that has been filtered each hour, in this case, is the ACPH.  Air purifiers that offer 3 to 8 changes per hour will provide high quality clean air to your entire home.  You should always factor in an air purifier's ACPH basing on the amount of space that needs clean air.

9. Ozone Emissions

While some may argue that air purifiers with ionizer technology work better to remove certain air pollutants, research shows that inhalation of ozone emitted by ionization can lead to lung infections like; irritation, throat soreness, and chest pain overtime.  Instead of eliminating threats to your respiratory system, therefore, a purifier with ionizer technology may instead bring about respiratory diseases to you and your family instead.

10. Power Consumption

Watts are a measurement of power. If a purifier uses 40watts, every time it is switched on, that directly translates to a certain amount of money added to your electricity bill. Purchase a purifier with minimal wattage especially if you live in urban areas and intend to keep it running twenty-four seven.

You have collected all the information you need to Identify the best air purifiers for the entire house. You also have small pointers on what you should be looking out for as you consider a purchase.

We hope that you can follow our guidelines and choose any of the purifiers that we have listed that suits your needs and preferences.

Remember to set a maintenance schedule for your purifier to keep it functioning at its best.

Featured Posts

Related Posts