Why everyone should have air purifiers in their small apartment – According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors. While we may believe that staying indoors keeps us safe from environmental hazards, it is not true.
While most apartments offer the same air quality as living in a house, smaller ones suffer from unique challenges. Small apartments have a poor layout and one window on average, making it difficult to ventilate properly. Therefore, they end up feeling tight and suffocating – especially if you smoke or no ventilation in the bathroom.
Don’t worry! There are many ways to improve the air quality in a small apartment. One of the most effective ways of doing so is using an air purifier. So, if you are tired of breathing unhealthy air in your small apartment, it’s probably time to use air purifiers for your apartment. An air purifier will remove air pollutants and leave your apartment feeling fresh and breathable. It will also remove any unpleasant odors.
In this guide, you will find everything you need to know about air purifiers. We will also reveal a list of the best small apartment air purifiers to help you create the cleanest, freshest air in your indoor space, no matter how tiny your humble abode is.
So, let’s begin!
| Air Purifiers | Dimensions LxWxH | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEVOIT Core 300 Air Purifier | 8.7″ x 8.7″ x 16.25″ | 4.5/5 | $$ |
| TOPPIN HEPA Air Purifiers for Home | 6.3″ x 6.3″ x 9.3″ | 4.5/5 | $ |
| Levoit H13 True HEPA Filter Air Purifier | 7.9″ x 7.9″ x 12.6″ | 4.5/5 | $$ |
| MOOKA Air Purifier for Home | 7.5″ x 6.9″ x 6.9″ | 4.5/5 | $ |
| TREDY HEPA Air Purifier | 8.5″ x 8.5″ x 15″ | 4.5/5 | $$ |
Best Overall Air Purifier For A Small Apartment
The search for the perfect air purifier can be tiring, stressful, and confusing. With so many models available out there, you never know which one to pick. So, we took it upon ourselves to research for you. Here is a detailed review of the best overall air purifier for small apartments:
LEVOIT Core 300 Air Purifier
Levoit H13 HEPA Filter Air Purifier is the number air purifier for small spaces. It is an Amazon bestseller and customers’ top choice. It filters out and removes pet hair, home allergens, and toxic air pollutants like dust, mold, smoke, etc.
If you are looking for an affordable and good-quality air purifier for a small apartment with a high-efficiency particulate filter, the Levoit Core 300 is a great pick. You can put it on your desk, kitchen counter, console, or bedside table. Ideally, it should be placed where you spend most of your time.
Key Specifications for the Levoit Core 300
| Filtration Technology | 3-in-1 filtration system: net pre-filter, true HEPA filter, and activated carbon filter |
| HEPA Class | True HEPA |
| Filter Life | 6 – 8 months |
| Maximum CADR | 141 cubic feet per minute (cfm) |
| Room Coverage (8 ft ceilings) | 210 sq ft with 5 air changes per hour |
| Fan Speeds | 3 |
| Noise Level | 24 – 50 dB(A) |
| Rated Power | 45 Watt |
| Weight | 7.5 lbs |
| Certification | Energy Star Certified |
| Dimensions | 14.2″H x 8.7″W |
| Price | Check Current Price |
| Colors | Available in two colors: Black and White |
Key Selling Points of Levoit Core 300
Here are a few reasons why you should go for Levoit Core 300:
- Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) & ACH
Levoit Core 300 comes with a CADR of 141 cfm to clean out smoke particles, making it suitable for small-medium-sized rooms. So, in a 210 sq. ft. space, you get five air exchanges per hour. Moreover, the top air outlet and 360-degree air intake provide efficient air circulation.
- Compact Design
Levoit Core 300 has an elegant-looking, sleek, and compact design. It’s lightweight and portable, so you can quickly move it around your home.
- Customer Feedback
This air purifier has a 4.7/5 rating on Amazon. The customer reviews clearly show that it does a great job, especially with dust and pet odors.
- Budget-Friendly
Looking at other similar models in the market, Levoit Core 300 is quite reasonably priced for the features it offers.
- Maintenance
All three filters will need replacement every 6 to 8 months for optimal performance. If you use the air purifier once or twice a week the filter will work effectively up to a year without need for replacement.
Pros
- Advance 3-in-1 air filtration system: This air purifier has a 3 in 1 combo filter, including true HEPA and High-Efficiency Activated Carbon Filter. It is also Ozone free.
- Efficiency: The 360-degree air intake with VortexAir Technology will cool down the room in 12 minutes.
- Compact: It is light, compact, and portable, so perfect for small spaces.
- No display light: You can have an undisturbed sleep as You can turn off the display light to avoid any light.
- Sleep Mode: It can be set at sleep mode to keep it silent at night. The QuietKEAP Technology reduces noise levels to 24dB (lower than whispering).
- Certified: This air purifier is certified by Energy Star, FCC, and California air resources board (CARB) for indoor cleaning devices. It is also ETL listed. Overall it has nine worldwide certifications.
Cons
- Pre-filter is not washable
- No sensors
- No automatic mode
- Low noise even at low fan speed
Top 5 Air Purifiers On Amazon For a Small Apartment
Now, let’s take a look at the top 5 air purifiers on Amazon that you can buy for your small apartment.
1. TOPPIN HEPA Air Purifiers for Home
Toppin is a highly reputed brand that promises to deliver a cleaner, healthier lifestyle when it comes to air purifiers. If you suffer from allergies and breathing problems, you will find this air purifier a game-changer. It comes with three fans and a HEPA filtration system to ensure thorough and efficient air purification. The manufacturers claim that it can capture 95% of smoke, mold, dust, pollen, and other toxic particles as small as 0.3 microns.
One of its top-selling features is that it works as two-in-one. Yes, you can use it as a diffuser too. It comes with a fragrance sponge (under the air outlet), so you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and enjoy the fresh aroma of clean air.
Its small size and light weight make it an excellent option for small apartments. It works as a high-efficiency air cleaner in a room as big as 160 sq. ft. Moreover, this Toppin air filter also features a night light switch to activate the night mode for a peaceful and undisturbed sleep.
2. Levoit H13 True HEPA Filter Air Purifier
Levoit is the top-rated air purifier brand in the US. The brand has launched high-tech products to meet the needs of its customers. The Levoit H13 air purifier is super effective and can clear up all your airborne allergies quickly. It has thousands of positive reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4.6/5. This air purifier features a 3 stage H13 True HEPA filtration system and does not create any harmful ozone. Another great thing about this air purifier is that it is ETL-listed and UL certified.
The brand claims that this air purifier can capture and remove around 99.97% of fine particles as small as 0.3 microns; these include air pollutants like dust, smoke, pollen, and pet particles. It also features three different fan speeds so that you can choose low-noise settings at night. Moreover, the dim night light feature also ensures undisturbed sleep.
All in all, many things make Levoit H13 one of the best air purifiers in the market – its affordability, compact design, adjustable speed, filter change reminder, and more. Moreover, Levoit H13 comes with a 1-year limited warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. MOOKA Air Purifier for Home
This Mooka air purifier is a big hit among customers with a 4.5/5 rating, and over 8,000 verified Amazon reviews. This Mooka air filter is better than its competitors because, unlike most air purifiers, it comes with a 4 stage filtration system instead of two or three-stage filtration. It includes a primary HEPA filter, an odor filter, an Activated Carbon Filter, and a pre-filter.
This purifier promises to filter out 99.97% of pollen, pet dander, dust, and other allergens to improve the air quality. It can also remove smoke, pollutants, and other toxins. Moreover, it is zero Ozone emission certified by California Air Resources Board.
It also features a 360-degree air intake and outlet to maximize the efficiency to give fresh and healthy air, improving the air circulation in the room. It has a comparatively high CADR as it can clean 50 cubic meters of air per hour.
Even though it has adjustable fan speed, it is not the best air purifier when it comes to noise. It is 28dB at low speed, but at high speed, it can be deafening. However, its sleek and compact design, effectiveness, features, and price range make it a great pick.
4. TREDY HEPA Air Purifier
Another excellent air purifier on the list is the Tredy HEPA Air Purifier. It is a compact yet powerful device. This air filter can clean a small room five times in just under an hour. Moreover, the built-in air quality sensors detect air pollutants and adjust the fan speed automatically. The 360-degree air intake pulls in unfiltered air, passes it to the filtration system to trap the pollutants, and gives out clean air. This creates a clean and healthy living environment while improving ventilation in your home.
When talking about the build, it comes in a sleek modern cylindrical design with smooth edges. The size makes it perfect for small spaces like tiny apartments and personal offices. Even though the device is relatively small, it still accommodates a 3 stage filtration system. The first is the pre-filter to collect pet dedans, dust, and lint. Then the H13 True HEPA filter traps 99.9% of all air pollutants (debris, dust mites, pollen, mold, etc.) as small as 0.1 microns. Finally, the activated carbon filter absorbs household odors from smoking, cooking, and pets.
The modern minimalistic design, H13 grade HEPA filter, built-in sensors, and budget-friendly price make it a top-rated air purifier on Amazon.
5. KOIOS True HEPA Air Purifier
The last on the list is the Koios air purifier that offers many similar features as others listed here. What makes it stand out is its unique design. It is a super handy and compact device that can sit on any surface in your home and blend in with any style. It features a 360-degree design for efficient air purification.
This air purifier has a 3-stage filtration system: pre-filter, True HEPA air filter, and activated carbon filter. Thus, it can filter dust, pollen, pet dander, and particles as small as 0.3 microns. It also removes any odor from the air. It is also Zero Ozone emission certified by California Air Resources Board, so there won’t be any harmful substances.
Moreover, the one-button control design makes it super simple to set up. Just one button can turn on, turn off and adjust the airspeed with just a single button. It also comes with a quiet mode to control noise at 25dB and works on low voltage. It consumes only 0.192 units of electricity with a rated power of 8W, so it’s super affordable to run all day. To conclude, Koios air purifier is perfect for anyone looking to improve the air quality in their home.
What Is An Air Purifier?
Nowadays, many indoor air purifiers are available for apartments, offices, and other indoor spaces to make them feel fresh and airy. An air purifier is a device that filters the indoor air of a closed or enclosed place. It captures polluted air, removes harmful pollutants, and releases clean and unpolluted air. It enhances the natural ventilation system.
Air purifiers help remove the following from the air to leave it cleaner and healthier:
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Air purifiers sanitize the air and remove harmful substances that are pollutants, toxins, and allergens. Many people confuse them with humidifiers and diffusers, but they’re not the same. Diffusers and humidifiers at Essential oil particles to the air to make it smell better. On the flip side, air purifiers extract dirt particles and pollutants to filter out the air, leaving clean and fresh air to breathe.
There are different methods to purify the air using an air purifier; some neutralize the air particles, filter and trap particles, and others use negative ion emissions.
Do Air Purifiers Work?
Yes! Air purifiers are effective, but they work up to a certain degree and cannot remove or neutralize all the aggravating particles present in the air. This is mainly because many air particles sit on different surfaces around your home, such as furniture, carpeting, appliances, bedding, walls, etc.
Types Of Air Filters For Small Purifiers
Nowadays, more and more people are investing in small apartment air purifiers to naturally remove impurities from the air inside their homes and improve their health. But if you are new to the world of home air purifiers, it can be pretty overwhelming to understand different types of air filters and how they work.
Besides, you need to know so many other things before purchasing the right air purifier for your home. What is HEPA filtration? How does it differentiate from carbon filters? Do you need a medical-grade air filtration system or something to remove the cigarette smoke from settling in? Well, these questions can be confusing for many.
Let’s walk you through different types of air filters for small air purifiers in an apartment and how they work!
HEPA Filter
The HEPA filter is the most common type of air purification filter out there. HEPA is an acronym for High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestance or High-Efficiency Particulate Absorbing filter. These filters remove particles from the air, such as dust, mold, and pollen. So, they help improve air quality by filtering out allergens from the air. Thus, they are very effective for those who have asthma and airborne allergies. A HEPA filter comprises multiple layers of filter material and filters out at least 99.97% of harmful particles from the air that are more than 3 microns in diameter.
Activated Carbon Filter
Carbon has multiple uses; from being pressed into diamonds to pencils, it is also used to detox and filter. It is a highly effective filtration material because of its porous nature. Since granular carbon has a large surface with many pores, it can easily absorb contaminants from the air. Thus, it is ideal for filtering indoor air for smoke, gasses, and other toxins that HEPA filters can’t absorb. You can also use it with other reactive chemicals to make it more effective.
TiO2 Filtration
TiO2 is the chemical formula for titanium dioxide. It is the primary chemical compound used as a pigment in white paints. When it comes to air purification, TiO2 can also be used as an air filter. They are used for medical-grade air filtration systems in hospitals. They are also used in home air purifiers to catch pollutants, smoke, germs, and unpleasant odors.
Ionizers
These types of filters are usually used in conjunction with other types of filtration systems. An ionizer is a device that electrically charges harmful air molecules to form ions, causing air particles to attach to a grounded electrode. It also kills bacteria and viruses present in the air. Ionizers are believed to emit large amounts of Ozone, but that’s just a modern myth. You can find many air purifiers with ionizer filters that are Zero Ozone certified.
How Often Should I Change The Filter In An Air Purifier?
Air purifiers allow you and your family to breathe and enjoy clean and fresh air free from irritants. The purifier catches and traps the irritants present in the air as the air passes through the filters. Dust, mold, pet dander, harmful particles, and other allergens get trapped and accumulate over time. Sooner or later, the filter is saturated. The same is true for activated carbon filters that remove unpleasant odors, smoke, and harmful gases from the air.
A filter saturated with accumulated pollutants annually becomes ineffective as it runs out of space for new particles. Moreover, air can pass through saturated filters. Thus, you are required to change the filters regularly to make sure the air purifier runs optimally.
The Answer:
Now, here comes the main concern: how often should you change the air filter? There is no hard and fast rule that suits all. Some air purifier manufacturers have introduced washable and permanent filters to minimize maintenance and long-term costs. All you have to do is clean out the filter yourself regularly to maintain effectiveness. You can either wash or vacuum them.
On the other hand, many other air purifiers for a small apartment require new air filters that you have to buy. These are known as disposable filters. But, disposable or reusable, all air purifier filters come with a lifespan. Either you have to replace or clean them after a specific time period.
Generally, most manufacturers recommend changing the filter every 6-12 months on average. Some also recommend changing filters every 3-6 months. Moreover, people with asthma, allergies, and breathing problems are advised to change the filter every 1-2 months.
But, you can also simply check whether your filter needs replacement or not. All you have to do is open the air purifier and look at the filter. If you don’t know how to open the filter, you can find instructions to locate the filter in the original manufacturer’s user manual. If your filter is accumulated, change it to ensure your air purifier performs optimally.
How To Properly Use Air Purifiers In A Small Apartment?
Air purifiers are quickly becoming an essential commodity, especially for those suffering from allergies or asthma. Air purifiers clean out the breathing air by filtering out any dust, debris, and allergens. They also improve ventilation in small spaces. So, many who live in small apartments are now buying air purifiers.
But this brings us to an important consideration; how to properly use an air purifier in a small apartment? Well, the answer depends upon different factors:
The Size Of Your Apartment
Your first priority is finding an air purifier that can handle the volume of space of your apartment. For this, you have to check the CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) number. It is the measure of how effective and efficient your air cleaner is for a given space.
However, your air purifier’s fan speed and size also influence CADR, so you cannot entirely rely on it. Thus, it would be best if you looked at CADR only as a very rough guideline. For example, if your apartment is medium-sized (500-700 sq. ft.), an air purifier with a low CADR number will not be effective. On the other hand, low CADR (190 ~ 320) air purifiers can work efficiently in small apartments (200-400 sq. ft.).
How Many Do You Need
Small apartments do not need multiple air purifiers as most air purifiers out there can cover rooms up to 600 square feet. So, one air purifier is enough for you. Make sure you buy a compact one so you can easily carry and move it around the house.
Air Purifier Placement
You can maximize the effectiveness of an air purifier in your small apartment by moving the purifier around to ensure maximum purification. Place the air purifier in your bedroom at night and move it to the living room, kitchen, or office during the day. The idea is to place the air purifier where you spend most of your time. Also, make sure there are no obstructions like furniture/vases/etc., blocking the airflow.
Apartment Air Purifiers Conclusion
Anyone who smokes, has pets, or suffers from allergies and irregular breathing should have an air purifier. Even if none of this is your concern, having an air purifier in today’s polluted environment can make all the difference in your health. You will be breathing clean, fresh air every day, keeping your body safe from any toxins, harmful particles, and airborne allergies.
Well, no matter what the reason, just buy an air purifier. You won’t regret it. If you don’t know where to start, check out the list of the top 5 small apartment air purifiers mentioned in this article. It will help you find the best air purifier for you. They are all available on Amazon. We have options that will suit anybody; one doubles as a humidifier, one offers 4-stage filtration, and one has over 8,000 verified customer reviews.
So, stop wasting time searching on google and reading reviews, pick one from the list and get ready to breathe clean and refreshing air in your home!