Pets can be your best friends until the constant dander and hair-shedding start to aggravate your typical allergies. Air quality is a problem you might not have thought about, in addition to all the different scents that come with pet ownership (litter boxes, carpet accidents, dirt trailing through the house). Get the best air purifier for pets instead of suffering for your pet; it’s a quick fix that will benefit you and your animals in the long term.
If having hypoallergenic pets is not an option and you don’t want to spend hours hunting down every stray hair and piece of dirt they bring in from outside, you should get an air purifier for pets. The best pet air purifier can assist in removing anything from apparent fur to tiny particles that may be causing you to sneeze. Allergies can also affect pets, so preventing mold and dust in your home’s air will make breathing simpler for everyone.
But with so many different types and models of pet air purifiers available, how can a pet owner tell which one will be the most useful? We’ve discovered the best air purifier for pets owners, so you can get rid of the dander and protect your animals (and yourself) from unpleasant airborne allergens.
Best Air Purifier For Pets 2022
The clean air delivery rate, or CADR, of an air purifier, is what determines which air purifier is ideal for pets and allergies. One of the things to look at before purchasing is whether the air purifier covers the appropriate area for the room where you intend to use it. For larger rooms, a higher CADR results in a stronger ability to filter out particulates.
A high-efficiency particulate air filter, also known as a HEPA air filter, is typically employed to attain a high CADR. Air purifiers must also be maintained free of any drapes, furniture, or obstructions in order to function at their peak.
The amount of noise in the house could be a problem if you have pets. When looking for air purifiers for cat allergies, take into account the decibels, or dB(A), and how noisy they will be, especially if they are going to be running day and night.
You can be allergic to your pet’s dander or the fur they shed if you have a pet. The Levoit Core P350 Pet Care Air Purifier is the top-rated air purifier for dog hair on the list of the best air purifier for pets, but it is not the only choice. Continue reading to learn more about the best air purifier for pets in 2022.
1. Levoit Core P350 Pet Care Air Purifier
Owners of animals will appreciate the Levoit Core P350 air purifier. The True HEPA filter also has an activated carbon filter, which gathers pollutants like pet scents, splits them down, and captures them, so they don’t get dispersed into the air. This filter has been tested to fulfill the requirements set by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Remember that since the filter cannot be reused, you must change it every six to eight months, depending on usage. Because it captures tiny particles that are floating around in your house, the filter also minimizes the quantity of pet dander, fur, and allergens in the air.
Due to its modest dimensions (8.7 x 8.7 x 14.2 inches), the air purifier won’t take up much floor space and performs best in spaces up to 219 square feet in size. Its Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR), which measures the amount of air it can switch out 4.8 times every hour, is 240. Your air purifier should have a CADR of at least two-thirds of the area of the room it’s in. But placing it in a larger space merely means it’ll clean the air more slowly (and therefore be less efficient).
Four timers, a sleep mode, and a lock button that stops your animal pals from tampering with the settings are among the many beneficial functions that are included in it. When you switch on the sleep mode, the brightness of the display will reduce. And the noise level will drop to 24 dB, which is whisper quiet.
2. Coway Airmega 400 Smart Air Purifier
The Conway Airmega 400 Smart Air Purifier should be your first choice if you need to clean a bigger space. This device circulates the air in a room at least twice an hour and can be used in spaces up to 1,560 square feet. The device has a True HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter that together can filter up to 99.99 percent of airborne particles as small as.01 microns.
Pollen, dander, allergies, volatile organic compounds, and other contaminants can all be removed. The filter has a unique sensor that will inform you of the air quality. The sensor’s color will change if an airborne impurity is found.
You may regulate this filter’s speed and noise level using one of five different fan settings. The purifier’s sleep mode has the capacity to detect variations in light and determine when it is appropriate to switch to a quieter, slower mode. In order to prevent the purifier from running needlessly, an eco mode can be activated.
If you want to be able to control the device or check the air quality from your smartphone, both WIFI and non-WIFI versions of this purifier are available. Additionally, you may have voice control mode enabled on your purifier, which makes it responsive to voice commands.
You can select the hue that would best fit your area from alternatives like graphite or white. A higher price is associated with a larger room. The Conway Airmega is, therefore, worthwhile if you want to splurge.
3. Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier
Although you might still need to keep a few lint rollers on hand to remove pet hair from your carpet and clothing. This air purifier from Blueair works twice as hard to remove pet hair from the air with less energy than you might expect.
The bottom half’s gray fabric serves a practical purpose as well. A cloth pre-filter that is intended to capture all of the pet hair, dust, and bigger particles in the air around your home is actually your first line of protection against pet hair. It’s a really environmentally friendly method because you can wash it in the washing machine and then let it air dry to clean.
Pre-filter replacements are even available in cheerful hues like pink and blue, so you can always have plenty on hand. The device filters the air in a 540-square-foot room five times each hour. It is made to handle medium-to-large spaces. The air purifier doesn’t feature a True HEPA filter but instead uses HEPASilent technology. Which the manufacturer says can collect 99.97 percent of particles as small as 0.1 microns.
4. WINIX HR900
One of the best air purifiers for pets is still the Winix HR900, which has a strong fan and dual filtration for all pet problems. The Winix HR900’s 5-stage air cleaning system, whose central component combines a tier-one True HEPA filter with PlasmaWave technology, is its unique selling feature.
It enables it to remove and completely destroy 99.97 percent of any particles that your dogs may be released into the air. Since the particle matter is below 0.3 microns, any pet dander and hair that sets off your pet allergies will vanish.
The dual pre-filter that covers the True HEPA filter in the Winix HR900 absorbs the majority of particles like pet hair, fur, and even pet dander, extending the True HEPA filter’s lifespan between cleanings. This allows the True HEPA filter to capture even the smallest pollutants and last longer between cleanings. The Ultimate Pet Pre-filter is another name for this.
The Winix HR900 uses the industry-exclusive PlasmaWave technology, which employs an electrical discharge to produce dual polarity ions (positive and negative) and spread them into the air to ensure that you never have to deal with pet allergies again. The ions naturally remove hydrogen from the molecules of air pollutants like bacteria and viruses when they attach to their surfaces, killing them and causing the air to become cleaner and fresher.
Last but not least, Winix HR900 can provide 97 percent protection against all pet odors, smoking, and even volatile organic compounds due to the Coated Deodorization Activated Carbon filter (VOCs). Additionally, the performance rating will significantly improve because of the Winix HR900’s more potent fan. Which has a CADR of 200 Dust/ 220 Smoke/ 194 Pollen (cfm).
The superb sensor known as Smart Sensor is provided. Because Winix HR900 monitors indoor air quality, gives users feedback, and automatically adjusts fan speed to account for the number of contaminants, you no longer need to manually control your air purifier. As a result, you can now play with your dogs without fear; just set it and forget it.
5. Germ Guardian Pluggable Air Purifier
The compact but effective Germ Guardian air purifier filters odors while eliminating germs and viruses. This small air purifier, which can be plugged into any household 120-volt outlet. Can fit in small areas where pet aromas hang in the air, such as next to the litter box.
It gets rid of offensive odors by drawing air through the purifier and eradicating the mold, bacteria, and germs that produce scents. The Germ Guardian has a UV light that destroys bacteria and viruses like Covid-19 when the virus particles travel through the purifier. In contrast to certain budget models that just have one or two filters.
The Germ Guardian is a great option for reducing pet scents despite the fact that it cannot remove particle materials like pollens or dander due to its small size (4 inches by 3 inches by 7.5 inches).
Different Air Purifier Types
All air purifiers are designed to clean the air in a space, but not all of them are suitable for people who need one for a home with pets. Understanding the distinctive advantages and factors of each type of air purifier will help you choose the best one to clean the air in a home with pets. Air purifiers employ a variety of methods to freshen indoor air.
1. Mechanical Filters
If an air purifier features a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA filter), which is the industry standard, it can eliminate up to 99.97 percent of airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns or bigger including pet dander. Given that a micron is only 0.00004 of an inch long, HEPA air purifiers may capture even minuscule particles that are invisible to the naked eye.
2. Activated Carbon Technology
Carbon filters in air purifiers reduce odors to a minimum. The filter’s primary component, activated charcoal, may remove odors from the wet dog or cat litter boxes to keep the house smelling fresh. In the same unit, activated carbon air purifiers can include extra air filters that serve double duty by capturing airborne particles and removing odors.
3. Ultraviolet Technology
Using ultraviolet (UV) technology, air purifiers may eliminate bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. They accomplish this by forcing air through a powerful UV light stream that kills the bacteria.
A UV air purifier won’t be able to capture pet fur or dander on its own, but some of them come with a HEPA or other filter. If so, they can also eliminate airborne germs and viruses while trapping and removing pet hair and fur.
4. Ozone Technology
Since ozone is a byproduct of lightning, some people enjoy the scent of it and connect it to thunderstorms. In a room, ozone is released via ozone generators. They frequently work in tandem with negative ion purifiers, but their usefulness is still debatable.
The EPA asserts that breathing in ozone may harm the human respiratory system and cause signs including coughing, breathing problems, and throat irritation. Like negative ion purifiers, ozone generators give off the aroma of new rain; they don’t actually remove pollutants from the air.
5. Negative Ion Technology
An electrically charged oxygen molecule with an extra electron is known as a negative ion. Natural occurrences that result in negative ions include lightning strikes and strong UV sun radiation. Instead of pulling in air and retaining contaminants, a negative ion air purifier releases invisible puffs of negative ions into space. This form of air cleaner artificially creates negative ions.
Buying Guide For Pet Air Purifiers
You should keep a few key factors in mind when you look for an air purifier for your dogs. You can make sure that you select the greatest product to fit your needs by using these factors to direct your search. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you decide which type of air purifier for cat allergies to buy.
Area of Coverage
You must first take into account the size of the area where the air purifiers for cat allergies will be placed. Some air purifiers are solely intended for tiny places, while others have capacities that vary. Choose an air purifier that will be powerful enough to operate in that area based on the square footage of your space.
If you’re searching for a portable filter that you can move between rooms in your house. Get one with a large enough capacity for the room that it will likely be utilized in.
Noise
The volume of any air purifier you are considering should next be verified. Depending on where you intend to place the air purifier. Some models are substantially noisier than others and might be excessively loud. If your dog or cat is one of those animals which is particularly sensitive to noise, seek an ultra-silent air purifier or one with quiet settings.
EPA Grade
To assist with clean indoor air, the EPA advises using air purifiers, and some of them are eligible for an Energy Star rating. That indicates that the device complies with stringent energy efficiency standards, but it does not guarantee that the device will successfully purify the air.
If you want to save electricity and lessen your carbon footprint, you might choose an Energy Star-rated purifier. However, the EPA does not endorse any specific kinds of air cleaners or purifiers as being superior to others. However, it does imply that air purifiers with greater CADR ratings may be more effective in removing airborne particles.
CADR Score
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) devised a scheme in which some air purifier manufacturers voluntarily take part. The program grades purifiers according to laboratory testing of how much they eliminate airborne pollutants within 25 minutes.
A purifier’s clean air delivery rate (CADR) is calculated by multiplying the particle reduction by the cubic feet per minute of air that passes through the filter (CFM). For instance, the purifier’s CADR will be 240 if it runs at 300 CFM and lowers particles by 80% while being tested.
The more pollutants the air purifier will generally remove from the air, the higher the CADR number. The CADR scale has a maximum score of 450. Although some of the best filters (HEPA filters), because of their density, may have a lower CFM airspeed. They actually remove more airborne contaminants while having a lower CADR.
Filter
The most crucial component of air purifiers for cat allergies is the filter. More fur, dust, and dander are captured and removed from the air with stronger filters. The best filters for this on the market are HEPA filters. A HEPA is just what you need if you have a pet that sheds or creates other fine particles. Another option to think about is a device with a pre-filter that captures big particles and might be washable.
Remove Odor
Does your pet cause a lot of odor in your house? When you have guests coming around, this may be awkward. Select a carbon filter-equipped or odor-controlling air purifier. These will absorb offensive scents. The air purifier should be placed as close to the smell’s source as feasible to be most effective.
Air Quality Index
For allergy sufferers who wish to know the condition of the air in their house. Air quality indicator purifiers that have built-in air quality indicators clean the air in the space and monitor and show air quality with digital readouts. The indicator might be as basic as a bar graph showing “excellent, fair, or bad” air quality, or it could be more sophisticated and show the precise particulate matter in the air, including the quantity of dust, pollen, pet hair, and more.
Allergy sufferers can determine the safety of the air in the room by using an air quality indicator. Some air quality monitors follow the guidelines of the EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI), which employs a color-coded system to inform occupants of the indoor air quality of a particular space.
For instance, green denotes good air quality, yellow is moderate air quality, and red is poor air quality. Residents can adjust the speed of the purifier as needed. Some models modify their working speed on their own, based on the results of the air quality monitor.
Additional Features
Air purifiers from some manufacturers come with extra functions. These might include improved odor-removal filters and temperature controls. Another feature you might want to check for is washable filters. Since you won’t need to buy new filters as often, air purifiers with washable filters can lower your overall ownership costs.
When choosing air purifiers for cat allergies, keep in mind how appealing it will seem in your home, especially if it will be placed in the main living room. Some air purifiers also include different lighting options, which could enhance their aesthetic appeal.
Portability
As long as they have a robust handle for transporting, small, lightweight purifiers (under 20 pounds) are rather easy to move from room to room. Unless they have caster wheels that allow users to roll them from one place to another, heavier devices are more challenging to move.
Most air purifiers for cat allergies on the market today weigh less than 30 pounds. But if transporting the device would be difficult, seek a lightweight model with wheels. Alternately, prepare to buy more purifiers to maintain in different rooms.
Budget
Lastly, consider your financial situation. Are you willing to invest a little to get an air filter with all the bells and whistles, or are you searching for a more reasonably priced option?
How Much Does A Pet Air Purifier Cost?
Pet air purifier prices vary depending on a number of variables. Most importantly, if you want a pet air purifier that can clean a large space, you will have to pay extra for it. For instance, a room up to 1,560 square feet in size can be cleaned with the Coway Airmega 400. The price is $649.
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH, in contrast, costs only $229 and can purify a much smaller space of up to 361 square feet. You won’t always receive a better pet air purifier if you pay more for it. Whatever model you buy, keep in mind that shopping around is an excellent method to obtain a deal.
Can An Air Purifier For Dog Hair Reduce Pet Dander And Hair?
Most air purifiers for dog hair will first capture common airborne contaminants and aid in eliminating offensive odors. The majority of the allergens are either contained or completely eliminated as the air is forced past the filter by the fan and into the room. Although purchasing an air purifier for dog hair made expressly for pets has some advantages, doing so is ultimately unnecessary if you know what to look for.
If this is your main problem, you should purchase a tiny mesh filter with a tight enough mesh to collect little pet hairs without getting them trapped. While a portable vacuum can be used to remove hair that has become trapped in your carpet or sofa, this is a good place to start.
Air purifiers for dog hair can be very useful tools for decreasing pet dander, especially those with a HEPA filter. As small as 0.3 microns in size, which is smaller than the average pet dander particle size of 5–10 microns. This type of filter purifies the air while removing ultra-small particles.
Should I Purchase Air Purifiers For Cat Allergies?
According to manufacturers like Blueair, most pet allergies are caused by the proteins in pet saliva, sweat, and dander. These circulate in the air and can be problematic for some individuals. Additionally, pets may carry outside allergens into the house. According to Blueair and other manufacturers, high CADR air purifiers for cat allergies can clean the air and lessen allergy symptoms.
Although they frequently emphasize that you shouldn’t anticipate immediate effects. Many medical doctors and other experts concur that a pet air purifier can help improve the air in your house. According to the EPA, the easiest approach to purify the air in your home is to get rid of any sources of pollution and open windows to let in fresh air from outside. The use of a pet air purifier, however, is said to “assist to enhance indoor air quality.”
Even portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) cleaners may help lower your risk of exposure to COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overall, the value of utilizing a pet air purifier in the house is a topic of debate among medical professionals. If you’re thinking about buying air purifiers for cat allergies to better your health, see a doctor to get their professional insight on whether such a purchase makes sense.
FAQs – Air Purifier For Pets
Which Air Purifiers Work Best In Homes With Pets?
Depending on your precise demands, there are many best air purifiers for pets-friendly houses. For instance, a powerful air purifier for dog hair will be needed in large rooms as opposed to tiny ones. Different air filters might provide a better answer, whether you’re trying to reduce odors, get rid of allergies, or do both. Some have particular filters effective at removing hair and dander for relieving pet allergies and asthma, while others are more specialized for pet odors.
Are Air Purifiers For Dog Hair Effective At Removing Pet Dander?
Dander from pets can be lessened using several air purifiers. The most effective option, in this case, is an air purifier with a HEPA filter. Pet dander typically ranges in diameter from 5 to 10 millimeters, and HEPA filters can remove airborne particles as fine as 0.3 microns.
How Durable Are Air Purifiers For Dog Hair?
An air purifier for dog hair can last for three to five years or even longer if properly maintained. Change filters as soon as they get clogged or within the time frame. The manufacturer suggests getting the most life out of the appliance.
Does A Purifier Get Rid Of Dog Odor?
Yes, certain air purifiers can eliminate or greatly reduce pet odors. Due to their superior ability to filter far smaller particles than conventional air purifiers, HEPA air purifiers are the most effective in this regard. Additional filters, frequently composed of carbon and intended to catch odors for improved odor control, may be included with some air purifiers.
Do Air Cleaners Gather Pet Hair?
Air purifiers may partially remove dog hair in the air, but this won’t stop airborne particles from adhering to carpet or furniture.
Are Air Purifiers Beneficial For Cats?
Yes, air purifiers can reduce the odors and dander caused by cats. Some more powerful air purifiers for cat allergies might reduce asthma and pet allergy symptoms to the point that people with mild allergies can still live in a house with cats. However, how severe a person’s allergies are will determine this.
What Benefits May An Air Purifier Offer Pet Owners?
Buying an air purifier for dog hair has a number of benefits, especially if you have pets. These consist of reducing pet dander, hair, and odors, and eliminating other allergens from your home. Such as pollen and bacteria that can irritate you or your pets, and adding optional extras like sleep modes, increased odor control, silent modes, and indicator lights for filter replacements. Some have a portable design and can be moved between rooms in your home as needed. It is available in varying capacities to accommodate large rooms and small spaces.
Final Verdict – Air Purifier For Pets
If you have a pet, you are aware that, despite the joy they bring, there are obstacles to achieving better health besides diet and exercise. One aspect of their immediate environment that is frequently disregarded but has the potential to cause health problems is the quality of the air they breathe.
Even if you have to deal with odors, pet hair, dander, and environmental bugs. The best air purifier for pets can make life simpler for you and your pet. Especially if you have asthmatics or allergy sufferers in your house. Long-term health effects of even modest air quality changes are substantial.