Air cleaners — also called air purifiers — are ideal if you have certain allergies, odor problems in your house (due to pets), or simply like breathing cleaner, unpolluted air. Air cleaners filter the air around you so that the air you breathe is free of dust, pollen, odors, smoke, pet dander, and mold. This not only can provide you with peace of mind, it can also improve your health. If you find yourself constantly tired, sneezing, or coughing, you may want to look into purchasing an air cleaner for your home
Or, you might only need an air purifier for a certain room — for example, the room that your pet hangs out in most often. We hope our reviews below will help you find the best air cleaner for odors, for your specific situation.
The best air cleaners are able to effectively clean the air as well as eliminate odors. They possess multiple kinds of filters, are quiet, and can circulate and clean the air in a large enough room.
Below, you'll find our reviews of the best air cleaners for odors available on the market.
Top Picks For Best Air Cleaner For Odors
|
Ranking |
Name |
Price Range |
Retailer |
|---|---|---|---|
|
GermGuardian AC4825 Air Purifier |
$80 - $85 |
Amazon Price
|
|
Levolt LV-H132 Air Purifier |
$100 - $105 |
Amazon Price
|
|
Alen BreatheSmart Customizable Air Purifier |
$615 - $630 |
Amazon Price
|
|
hOmelabs Ionic Air Purifier |
$50 - $60 |
Amazon Price
|
|
PureZone 3-in-1 True HEPA Air Purifier |
$100 - $110 |
Amazon Price
|
GermGuardian AC4825 Air Purifier
BEST AIR CLEANER FOR ODORS
GermGuardian AC4825 Air Purifier
Price range: $80 - $85
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
The GermGuardian AC4825 lasts quite a long time while maintaining its great efficiency. This purifier does a great job at filtering out any and all odors you may encounter on a daily basis — cooking smells, nail polish, the garbage bin, and so on. Of the products we reviewed, we believe this to be the best air cleaner for odors.
It doesn't only filter out odors, of course. The GermGuardian is also great at eliminating harmful airborne particles and allergens, improving life for those with allergies or health issues. Thankfully, the GemGuardian runs silently compared to most other air cleaners, so you can leave it running constantly if you need to.
The device is on the taller side at 22-inches, and is designed to clean rooms up to about 150 square feet, but could work for slightly larger rooms depending on the room's layout.
WHAT WE LIKED
- Great for those who suffer from allergies or asthma, or those who live with pets that shed — the HEPA filter catches nearly 100% of dust and allergens.
- The GemGuardian excels at eliminating any and all odors in a short amount of time — you'll notice a great improvement in air quality in a less than a day of using the unit.
- This air purifier is able to filter dust from the room that vacuuming and dusting alone are unable to remove.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- The GemGuardian doesn't work as well in larger rooms. However, it can be used to purify a portion of a larger room — for example, a kitchen.
- The machine wants you to replace its filter often.
- Units are sometimes faulty and need to be shipped back for a replacement unit.
Levolt LV-H132 Air Purifier
BEST AIR CLEANER FOR ODORS
Levolt LV-H132 Air Purifier
Price range: $100 - $105
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
The Levolt LV-H132 Air Purifier is compact and efficient. This purifier has three filters, each one specializing in removing certain kinds of airborne particles.
The unit can hide away on the floor of any room and has built-in nightlight functionality which can come in handy if you place it in a bedroom. It can also prevent you from tripping over it in the night, which is nice too. You can also turn the nightlight off if you prefer.
The HEPA filter can be easily accessed and replaced when necessary. You just have to twist the bottom panel. The unit eliminates odors quite quickly. Depending on the size of your room, it may take only about five minutes to rid your room of any undesirable smells.
Some complaints about noisiness render this product less than perfect, but it still may be perfect for your situation. However, thanks to the purifier's three speed options, you can adjust how quiet the machine is, to some extent.
WHAT WE LIKED
- Easy setup — you'll have the machine unboxed and ready to go in under 5 minutes.
- The Levolt LV-H132 makes a noticeable difference in any room's air quality in about 20 minutes.
- Three speeds means you can control the noise-to-efficiency ratio — low-speed works great for a non-stop clean, whereas high-speed is a bit noisier but will get the job done more quickly.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- Works best only in smaller-sized rooms (up to about 90 square feet)
- Sometimes the unit can be finicky when it comes to adjusting the nightlight or turning it off.
- It doesn't work well in areas without sufficient air circulation — open a door, window, or turn on a fan to make the unit work as intended.
Alen BreatheSmart Customizable Air Purifier
BEST AIR CLEANER FOR ODORS
Alen BreatheSmart Customizable Air Purifier
Price range: $615 - $630
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
The Alen BreatheSmart Air Purifier is capable of cleaning the air in large, open rooms, and is very customizable for an air purifier — with this model, you have four filter options, as well as 15 panel-color options. This enables you to match the Alen BreatheSmart with the rest of your home's decor so that it doesn't look out of place.
Rather than aiming for complete silence while operating, the BreatheSmart generates soothing pink noise for you to listen to while it cleans the air you breathe.
Another great feature is the BreatheSmart's ability to adjust its filtration efforts depending on the quality of the surrounding air. If the air is already quite clean, the unit will slow up a bit, and vise versa when the air is dirty. This prolongs filter life and saves energy.
WHAT WE LIKED
- This air purifier can work effectively for rooms up to 1,100 square feet and can clean rooms larger than this if they have an open floor plan.
- The unit's sleek design prevents it from looking bulky, despite its large size.
- Amazing service & a lifetime warranty — Alen's customer service is super helpful, and if your unit happens to be faulty for any reason, Alen will often ship you a new unit before you even return the defective one.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- The BreatheSmart is kind of pricey. You may want a different air cleaner if you have a small or medium-sized room and don't need the extra cleaning power this model brings.
- The unit is not silent, by any means.
- The unit glows, and this can be annoying if you have the purifier in your bedroom and want your bedroom to be completely dark.
hOmelabs Ionic Air Purifier
BEST AIR CLEANER FOR ODORS
hOmelabs Ionic Air Purifier
Price range: $50 - $60
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
The hOmelabs Ionic Air Purifier cleans air and releases ions into the air at the same time. If negative ions are your thing, this is a great little cleaner.
The unit itself is rather small, which means the unit is portable. It also means the purifier is only capable of cleaning small spaces — up to about 50 square feet. This makes the unit ideal for kitchens, small office spaces, and bedrooms.
WHAT WE LIKED
- The unit's small size means you can place it nearly anywhere, making it the perfect cleaner for specific rooms and areas. If you already have a larger purifier, this small purifier can be a useful addition — place it in a bedroom or kitchen and watch it go to work.
- The hOmelabs Air Purifier effectively filters allergens out of the air — if you're looking to get a good night's rest but your allergies are in the way, this might be a good air purifier for allergies.
- When used at night, the machine's white noise can be a useful sleep aid.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- Small coverage (up to 50 feet) makes this air cleaner best for small rooms or specific areas of a room. If you need more coverage, you'll have to look elsewhere.
- Changing filters every month can cost a bit of money.
- This purifier is on the louder side. While white noise might be pleasant when trying to sleep, it can be annoying during the daytime hours.
PureZone 3-in-1 True HEPA Air Purifier
BEST AIR CLEANER FOR ODORS
PureZone 3-in-1 True HEPA Air Purifier
Price range: $100 - $110
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
The PureZone 3-in-1 True HEPA Air Purifier boasts a few nifty features that set it apart from its competitors. For one, its filters can last up to six months. This means less money spent on filters — but the same peace of mind that comes from using an effective air purifier.
The machine has three fans speeds, a self-shutoff timer, and a sleep mode (where all lights turn off and the machine operates as silently as possible). At the highest fan speed, you may find this purifier loud or annoying, but the other two speeds run quietly. The self-shutoff timer can be set to two, four, or eight hours if you don't like running the purifier all day. The sleep mode is super quiet and is perfect for those who don't want any noise in the background — even white noise — while they sleep.
WHAT WE LIKED
- The purifier's filters last several months before needing to be replaced.
- The machine is powerful enough to clean rooms up to 200 square feet.
- A variety of timers make this purifier quite versatile.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- The unit's fans aren't the most powerful, so you may need to circulate the air in your room with a fan or by opening a window if it isn't a room people move around in a lot.
- Running the purifier at high-speed makes it a tad noisy.
What to Look for in Air Cleaners
Before you attempt to pick an air cleaner best suited for your home, you should consider your reasons for getting an air cleaner. It may be the case that you do not need an air cleaner at all. To determine whether you need one, consider the cause of air pollution around you. Is the amount of odor and particles you come in contact with it out of your control? Or can you prevent some or all of the airborne dust and allergens plaguing your home?
If you or a family member smokes, the most effective way to clean the air is to quit smoking. Or, at least have them only smoke outside and away from the house.
Pets can cause odors and allergens to fill the air, but should be dealt with differently of course. Try vacuuming regularly or leaving windows open to combat any unpleasant smells you may be experiencing. This can also help minimize the amount of allergens in the air.
Energy Efficiency
If you're planning on running your air cleaner often, you'll want to make energy efficiency a priority. However, if you think you'll only occasionally need an air cleaner — to help you deal with seasonal allergies, for example — you can get away with placing more focus on overall effectiveness at purifying the air of allergens or odors.
Cleaning Efficiency
If odors are your main airborne source of distress, you'll want an air cleaner that is especially good at filtering odors and eliminating smells. Other factors (such as energy efficiency and noise level) don't matter that much if the air cleaner cannot fulfill its main purpose. Different air cleaners can have different methods of cleaning the air, so pay attention to how an air cleaner purports to clean the air in your home — what filters it uses, its CADR rating (how well it purifies air), etc.
Room Size
Air cleaners are designed with a room size in mind. Some air purifiers work great for purifying small rooms but are incapable of effectively purifying rooms of larger sizes. Keep the size of your rooms and home in mind as you pick out an air cleaner. If there is a known source of odors or allergens, you'll want to use this information to help you decide which room to place the cleaner in to maximize its usefulness.
Size & Style
Though not the most important factor to consider when purchasing an air cleaner, an air cleaner's size and style can certainly contribute to the decision-making process. It's always nice to have an aesthetic home, so keep your home's style and color palette in mind as you decide on an air cleaner.
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing an air cleaner, there's no right or wrong choice from this list of top products. We thought the GermGuardian AC4825 Air Purifier was the best air cleaner for odors, thanks to its ability to eliminate odors completely and quickly. It can clean moderately-sized rooms, so it should work for any room in your house that isn't too large.
Even though we recommend the GermGuardian, when choosing an air purifier it all comes down to preference and room size. Do you have a small office you need to make work with your allergies? Try one of the smaller products we've reviewed. Do you have a larger room, or one with an open floor plan? You'll probably want to go for the purifier by PureZone or the one by Alen.
All of the products we've reviewed should effectively filter out odors, allergens, dust, and other obnoxious particles from the air. So, it really comes down to noise-level, purifier size, room size, and extra features. Some of the products we have reviewed have filters that last longer than others' filters. Keep all this in mind when choosing an air cleaner, and you can't go wrong.