These Small Room Air Purifiers Will Have You Breathing Easy

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I love the smell of fresh air in the mornings! And while my fave cooling fan does its best to keep me feeling easy and breezy, I've found that nothing compares to waking up to purified air, and the only way to get that is to get an air purifier for your bedroom.

What exactly is an air purifier, you ask? They're machines that purify the air through a series of filters, reducing allergens, smoke, odor, etc., leaving you with clean air to breathe and (hopefully) way fewer irritants. There are many kinds of air purifiers—air purifiers for pets, air purifiers and humidifier combos—but I prefer smaller air purifiers for bedrooms and other smaller rooms, and I think you will, too.

To help your shopping journey, I did some testing in my own apartment, polled fellow Cosmo editors for their recs, combed through buyer reviews, and consulted with Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and medical advisor with the Allergy & Asthma Network, to find the best small room air purifiers for you. Trust me, once you get an air purifier, you'll never go back.

NeverChange Air Purifier

One of my biggest flaws is my laziness when it comes to household chores, which is why the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier is such a game changer. The machine comes equipped with a HEPA filtration system made to last up to 5 years, so you don't have to remember to change the filter every 3-6 months. It also comes with a washable debris filter, so you don't have to worry about a ton of gunk getting stuck in there over time.

My fave features, other than the long-lasting filter, are the digital display that tells you the air quality at any given moment and the odor neutralizer cartridge you can add to keep your room smelling fresh.

Glowing Customer Review: "From the moment I set up the smaller Shark NeverChange in my bedroom I noticed a significant improvement in the air quality. The difference in atmosphere is palpable—the air feels fresher, cleaner, and more invigorating. It's especially noticeable in the mornings, waking up feels more refreshing and I've observed a reduction in my morning congestion and allergies."

Core Mini Air Purifier with Replacement Filter

This air purifier is perfect for those who want to transport their air purifiers from their small bedrooms to their small offices...and back again. Weighing in at less than 3 pounds, the Levoit Core Mini is easy to travel with and effective thanks to its 3-stage filter that traps dust, pet dander, smoke, and odors. The best part? It has a little compartment for essential oil scent pads so you can purify the air and get a little aromatherapy at the same time.

Senior Commerce Editor Heath Owens keeps this small air purifier in his bedroom to help filter out dust and dirt. "I put this on the dresser by my window about six months ago, and I haven't had to dust nearly as often," he says.

Glowing Customer Review: "We have used this unit in our 300+ square-feet bedroom and ensuite for a month now and I'm getting ready to purchase another one for the living room area. When you walk in the room you immediately feel the air quality difference. The air smells lighter and I can tell there's less dust when I clean. Do yourself a favor and buy one."

MYair HUB Air Purifier

I got a Bissell MYair air purifier to protect myself and my fur baby from smokey air about a year ago, and I've been using it ever since. It was incredibly easy to set up—I got it up and running in less than 5 minutes—and is super quiet, so it doesn't scare my cat. I like that it's small, but not so small that I have to worry if it's actually doing anything, and I've noticed way less dust and pet dander aggravating my allergies.

Glowing Customer Review: "I really like this purifier. It has a sleek look, so it doesn't stick out, and it's a good size (not too small or too large). It works really well. There is no noise on the two lowest settings and the highest speed has a fan sound, but it isn't obnoxious."

Airsafe Intelligent Air Purifier

I don't know about you, but there's something about the brand name GermGuardian that immediately puts me at ease—and for good reason. The Airsafe Intelligent Air Purifier uses a true HEPA filter to get rid of dust, allergens, and bacteria in the air. It's also super straightforward to set up, so you can use it pretty much straight out of the box.

The machine also has an easily identifiable air quality indicator light that goes from green (good air quality) to yellow (average air quality) to red (poor air quality). And, don't worry, the light will automatically turn off on Night mode, so it won't keep you up.

Glowing Customer Review: "I got two filters, one for the living room and one for the bedroom. I usually use the Auto mode and it works well. I like the Night mode. The light turns off with a few fluctuations before it goes dark, and then it's quiet."

Air Purifier MK04

Yes, this air purifier leans a bit bigger than others on this list, but Cosmo Video Editor Sarah Ng, who suffers from year-round allergies, says giving up a few extra inches for purified air is worth it. "The AROEVE Air Purifier helps keep my environment fresh, so I'm not dealing with itchy eyes or sneezing all the time, and it even helps combat any humidity or strange smells that may be lingering," she says. It's also easier to place in your room thanks to its sleek, rectangular design.

The only downside is that the AROEVE air purifiers do not use official HEPA filters, but they are equipped with UV-C treatment, which can help get rid of mold spores and other pollutants in the air. (Note: According to Dr. Parikh, UV-C treatments aren't a must when looking for an air purifier, but they also can't hurt!)

Glowing Customer Review: "I love the instant air quality reading and that if I set it on Auto it adjusts accordingly. I live in Oregon, which now has huge wildfires every year. I'll probably get another one. Size is nice, cleans easily. Air replacement filters are reasonably priced, with options for dander, pollen, etc. Love it."

Airmega Aim

My only issue with regular, stationary air purifiers is that I sometimes worry it's not covering the entire room. The Coway Airmega Aim eliminates this problem with its 2-in-1 design. It's a fan and an air purifier, with an adjustable base that allows you to aim the air where you need it and an oscillation mode. It's a little bulky, but given that it purifies the air and provides a gentle breeze, I'd say it's worth it.

Glowing Customer Review: "After using this air-purifier fan for a week rather than a regular fan, I have gone form coughing regularly throughout the day to not coughing at all. I think having a fan blow dust into your airways all night is really bad for you. I can't stress how much of a lifesaver this item was."

Purifier Humidify+Cool PH03

Dyson products are expensive, so if you're going to splurge, why not get a device that does three jobs instead of just one? The Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool is an air purifier, humidifier, and fan combo that is both effective and a total space saver. Imagine having this sleek baby int he corner of your small bedroom instead of three bulky devices taking up precious floor space.

This device is great for those who are sensitive to dry nights. It's an air purifier and humidifier first, so the it won't be as cooling as the Dyson Purifier Cool, even when the humidifier mode is turned off.

Glowing Customer Review: "I love that I can use this both in the winter and summer. I live in an apartment with electric heat and need the humidity to [prevent] getting electric shocks from dry air. I also love how clean and fresh my air 'smells' from how well this machine purifies the air. It is well worth the money."

Blue Pure 411i Max

Air purifiers can get pretty loud, but reviewers agree: This one from Blueair is whisper-quiet. It's impressive, considering it has five fan modes. The Blue Pure 411i Max is a little larger than the Levoit, but it's more aesthetically pleasing thanks to the colorful (and washable) pre-filter mesh on the outside. It's also more high-tech. You can control it through an app that'll tell you the air quality in the room at the push of a button. Plus, the machine has a display light that shines different colors according to air quality, so you know if it's time to kick the fan up a notch.

Glowing Customer Review: "Very very quiet. On auto maintenance mode, you can't hear a thing. These are smart machines. You can monitor every aspect of your air quality through the app, and adjust the control lights [and fan modes]."

Do air purifiers help with COVID-19?

The COVID-19 virus is, sadly, not completely preventable by air purifiers, but the machines can help filter out some COVID-19 particles, which can slow the spread and keep you from infecting those around you. You just have to use the right filter.

If you're serious about using an air purifier to help fight allergies or illnesses like COVID-19, Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and medical advisor with the Allergy & Asthma Network, tells Cosmo that it's best to look for HEPA filters, which catch particles down to 2 microns in size and "have the most research and data to back up the efficacy."

How to choose the right small room air purifier for you:

Ideally, the right small room air purifier for you will be in your budget and work with your home decor. But beyond aesthetics and price, these are the things you need to consider before purchasing an air purifier:

Determine which size you need

The size of your room will determine how strong an air purifier you need. Most air purifiers advertise the square footage or air cycled per hour—essentially the coverage you get from an air purifier in 1 hour of use (identified as "room coverage" above). Ideally, per Dr. Parikh, you want the square footage per hour to match the square footage of your room. So before you shop, measure your room and be sure to know the square footage you want the air purifier to be able to cover.

Prioritize the features you need most

How you use your air purifier will determine what design is best for you. For example, if you have difficulty reaching down or seeing small buttons, then you want to look for an air purifier with a remote or WiFi connection that can be controlled through your phone. And if you need an air purifier for your bedroom at night, you might want to look for one that is whisper quiet and has low (or no) lighting.

Meet the expert:

• Dr Purvi Parikh, MD, is an allergist and immunologist at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Murray Hill. She is a medical advisor of the Allergy & Asthma Network and currently works as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Department of Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine.

Why trust Cosmo?

As you probably know, Cosmo’s lifestyle team spends all day, every day scouring the internet, testing products, and reading reviews so we can bring you the type of high-quality content we’d want for ourselves (and our standards are preeeetty darn high, TBH).

It’s also really important to us that each of our shopping articles adheres to the 15 Percent Pledge, and we try to make sure the products we feature are good for both you and our planet. If we wouldn’t buy something for ourselves, we sure as heck won’t recommend it to you—and we’re always gonna keep it really, really real. Pinky swear.

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