Buying guide · Air purifiers
The best air purifiers for pet hair and dander
Our top picks: the Levoit Vital 200S, the Levoit Vital 100S and the Winix C545. Pets add two loads to a purifier: hair, which clogs filters fast, and dander and smells, which need HEPA and carbon. The picks here handle both.
Look for a washable pre-filter in front of the HEPA layer. Rinsing it every week or two catches the hair before it shortens the expensive filter's life.
Updated · 5 picks · figures from AHAM, Energy Star, NIOSH and the makers · no brand pays to be listed
| Purifier | Smoke CADR | Everyday room | Smoky days | Quietest | Filter | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levoit Vital 200S | 250 cfm | 36 m² (388 ft²) | 23 m² | 27 dB | $49.99 | $169.99at levoit.com |
| Levoit Vital 100S | 143 cfm | 21 m² (222 ft²) | 13 m² | 25 dB | — | $119.99at levoit.com |
| Winix C545 | 232 cfm | 33 m² (360 ft²) | 22 m² | — | $49.99 | $209.99at winixamerica.com |
| Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max | 435 cfm | 63 m² (674 ft²) | 40 m² | 23 dB | — | $349.99at blueair.com |
| Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty | 233 cfm | 34 m² (361 ft²) | 22 m² | 24.4 dB | $59.79up to 1 year | $239.99at cowaymega.com |
Everyday room: AHAM's room size for the smoke CADR (about five clean-outs an hour). Smoky days: AHAM's stricter advice for smoke, a CADR at least equal to the floor area in square feet. Quietest: the maker's figure for its lowest setting. Filter: the replacement's list price at its maker.
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Pet homes
Levoit Vital 200S
Made for pets: a U-shaped intake, a pet mode and a washable pre-filter.
- Cleans
- 36 m² day to day, 23 m² on smoky days
- Quietest
- 27 dB
- Filter
- $49.99
$169.99at levoit.com · sale price, was $189.99
Pet-friendly bedroom
Levoit Vital 100S
The Vital 200S's pet features for a smaller room.
- Cleans
- 21 m² day to day, 13 m² on smoky days
- Quietest
- 25 dB
$119.99at levoit.com · sale price, was $139.99
Everyday pick
Winix C545
A washable pre-filter and a separate carbon filter for smells.
- Cleans
- 33 m² day to day, 22 m² on smoky days
- Filter
- $49.99
$209.99at winixamerica.com
Most clean air
Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max
A washable fabric pre-filter all the way round, and the most clean air here for a big room.
- Cleans
- 63 m² day to day, 40 m² on smoky days
- Quietest
- 23 dB
$349.99at blueair.com
Best overall
Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty
A cleanable pre-filter and a carbon deodorization filter in a proven purifier.
- Cleans
- 34 m² day to day, 22 m² on smoky days
- Quietest
- 24.4 dB
- Filter
- $59.79, up to 1 year
$239.99at cowaymega.com
What size do you need?
The single biggest mistake is a purifier too small for the room. Type yours in to see the clean air it needs, and which picks get there.
You need a smoke CADR of at least 108 cfm (your room is about 161 ft²).
On this list: Levoit Vital 200S, Levoit Vital 100S, Winix C545, Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max, Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty.
The rule is AHAM's, the US body that certifies CADR ratings: two-thirds of the floor area in square feet day to day, the full floor area for smoke. It assumes an 8 ft (2.4 m) ceiling; for a higher one, aim a little above it.
How we chose
Washable pre-filter
Catches hair in front of the HEPA filter and rinses clean.
Carbon for odors
Activated carbon for litter-box and dog smells.
Verified HEPA
AHAM-verified clean air, so dander is actually caught.
We haven't lab-tested these ourselves. The rankings rest on independent ratings (AHAM's verified CADR, Energy Star's listings, NIOSH approvals) and the makers' own figures, each shown on the product's page with where it's from. No brand pays to be listed, and the order doesn't change with commission. We earn a small commission when you buy through our links.
Questions
- Do air purifiers help with pet allergies?
- A HEPA purifier removes airborne dander, a common allergy trigger, from the room's air. Dander that's settled on sofas and carpets needs vacuuming; a purifier only catches what's in the air.
- Do air purifiers remove pet smells?
- Activated carbon reduces odors; HEPA alone doesn't. Every pick here has carbon, and Levoit sells pet-allergy filters with more of it.
Before you buy
Check how bad the air gets where you live
A purifier matters most where the air is often unhealthy. See today's reading and the past week for your city, from the nearest ground stations.