Multi-room air purifiers are a great way to improve your home’s air quality and reduce allergy symptoms.
Because most air purifiers are only designed for smaller spaces, larger homes need multiple ones to maintain consistent air quality throughout the entire house.
Fortunately, as air purifier technology continues to improve more and more, multi-room air purifiers are making their way onto the market.
These air purifiers are powerful enough to remove toxins from multiple rooms, and sometimes, even entire houses.
What are Multi-Room Air Purifiers?
A multi-room air purifier is an air purifier that has been designed to filter multiple rooms.
This category has two types of air purifiers: standalone and whole-home air purifiers.
Standalone air purifiers are the ones that you’ll most commonly see available in stores. These devices typically contain multiple filters and must be connected via a cord to an electrical outlet.
They can be moved around and are easy to install. All you have to do is put in the filters, plug them in, and pick your desired settings.
They don’t require professional assistance to install and are typically easy to adjust and maintain independently.
On the other hand, we have whole-home air purifiers. These purifiers are installed directly into your existing HVAC system and need professional installation.
They are quiet and are an excellent option for someone who doesn’t want to have standalone air purifiers in multiple places throughout the home.
However, they will require ongoing professional maintenance, which can get expensive over time.
Pros and Cons of Multi-Room Air Purifiers
Before deciding to install a multi-room air purifier, it is important to understand its pros and cons.
| PROS | CONS |
| Improves overall air quality | Energy consumption |
| No Standalone unit | Upfront cost |
| Great for allergies |
Pros of Multi-Room Air Purifiers
Improves Overall Air Quality
The most significant benefit of using a whole-home air purifier is that it will improve the air quality in every part of your home.
This can be difficult to achieve with standalone, single-room air purifiers since their current will not reach every nook and cranny of your home.
No Standalone Unit
With whole-home air purifiers, there is no standalone unit that you’ll have to incorporate into your room design.
These air purifiers are typically installed directly into your home’s internal HVAC system.
This is also great for families with children or pets constantly trying to access the air purifier.
Since the air purifier is out of sight and difficult to access, you won’t have the same issues with children or pets fiddling with the controls.
Great for Allergies
Another huge benefit to choosing a whole-home air purifier system over a standalone unit is that they are great for allergies.
Although standalone units improve allergy symptoms, they usually only do so in one room.
That means if you’re looking to minimize your symptoms, you’ll also be mostly confined to the room where the air purifier is.
With multi-room air purifiers, all of the allergens from your home will be filtered out, meaning you won’t be confined to one room.
Cons of Multi-Room Air Purifiers
Energy Consumption
On average, multi-room air purifiers use more energy than single-room air purifiers.
This is because they must filter so much more air that they need more electricity.
If you choose a whole-home air purifier, you’ll likely notice a jump in your energy bills.
Cost
Another downside to picking a multi-room air purifier is that the initial cost will be significantly higher than that of a single-room air purifier.
This is because the device requires a stronger motor and larger filters to effectively purify the air.
However, picking one large air purifier will be cheaper in the long run than constantly replacing the filters on a smaller model.
So if long-term costs are a concern, that is something to consider.
Multi-Room Air Purifiers Buying Guide
1. Capacity
Whether you’re picking a standalone unit or a unit that fits into your HVAC system, the most important factor you’ll want to consider is the air purifier’s capacity.
Every air purifier is designed with a maximum recommended square footage that should be displayed on the package.
Do your best to find an air purifier with a maximum recommended square footage of more than the size of your home or the rooms you want to filter.
If you pick one equal to or less than the square footage of your home or rooms, you’ll constantly have to run your air purifier on the highest setting.
This can mean more noise and a shorter lifespan for your air purifier.
On the other hand, an air purifier with far greater capacity needs only to be run on a lower setting, making the device last much longer.
2. Filter Types
Another crucial factor to consider when buying your multi-room air purifier is the type of filter it uses.
Some whole-home air purifiers use basic, accordion-style air filters to save money.
While these cheaper filters filter out pet hair and dust, they will not filter out smaller particles like mold, dust, and pet hair.
Ideally, you’ll want to pick an air purifier that uses a minimum of one pre-filter and one HEPA filter.
Pre-Filter
The pre-filter is one of the most critical parts of your filtration system. It is typically made out of a fine mesh and is designed to be reused multiple times.
The purpose of the pre-filter is to pull larger debris out of the air and keep them from getting into your internal filters and clogging them.
Pre-filters are especially important in homes with pets where the pet hair can easily clog the internal filters and prevent them from pulling smaller particles out of the air.
HEPA Filter
The HEPA filter is considered the best filter on the market for air purifiers.
They are designed to remove 99.97% of particles 0.3 micrometers in size from the air and can often last for up to a year before they need to be replaced.
HEPA filters are the best filters for homes with allergy sufferers. They are designed to remove dust, pollen, pet dander, and even mold spores from the air.
However, for HEPA filters to maintain their stellar filtration, you need to use them properly and never use them without some pre-filter.
If you rely on your HEPA filter to remove larger debris, you’ll notice that it needs to be replaced far more frequently.
HEPA filters also cannot be reused and must be fully replaced.
Over time, this cost can add up, especially if you’re using high-quality HEPA filters.
3. Customization Options
When picking your air purifier, consider whether you want one with customization options.
Some of the most common customization options are allergies, smoke, pets, and toxins.
Each of these customizations will include different filters that help to filter out specific contaminants.
A filter designed to remove smoke will likely include a deodorization filter containing activated carbon or charcoal. These substances are especially good at eliminating tiny, odor-causing particles from the air.
A filter designed for people with allergies may include two HEPA filters instead of one and multiple filtration stages to try and get as many particles out of the air as possible.
4. Control System
When air purifiers first became widely available, the only way to control them was via buttons placed directly on the box.
Now, there are some new ways to control your system. However, they will come at a cost.
Of course, the most basic option is to control your multi-room air purifier using buttons located directly on the air purifier.
After that, you also have the option to control your air purifier with a remote, which is slightly more convenient, but still won’t work over long distances.
Lastly, we have the cream of the crop: Wi-Fi-controlled air purifiers.
Wi-Fi-controlled air purifiers allow you to control your air purifier settings from an application on your phone.
This means that even if you’re on the other side of the house, you can adjust your air purifier settings based on the detected air quality.
The one downside is that these models often don’t have a method to manually change settings.
This provides a more sleek profile but can also make it difficult if you don’t have your phone, or the internet goes out temporarily.
5. Air Quality Monitors
Another feature that is highly recommended is an air quality monitor.
This technology will constantly test your air quality and display it through a color-changing LED light or by sending a notification to your phone.
Based on the detected air quality, you can decide if you want to change your air purifier to a higher or lower setting.
Some air purifiers also have an automatic mode that adjusts the air purifier setting based on the detected air quality.
This is particularly helpful for people who are frequently away from home or don’t want to manually change the settings all the time.
6. Filter Monitoring
One last feature you should look for in your multi-room air purifier is filter monitoring.
One of the most significant pieces of upkeep you will have to do with your air purifier is monitoring the filters and changing them after a certain amount of time.
However, this can get complicated if you have multiple air purifiers with different types of filters.
Filter monitoring will not only keep track of how many hours your filters have been in use but how well the air is passing through them.
Once the air is no longer passing through your filters as efficiently as before, the filter monitor will go off then you will know it’s time to change the filter.
If you have difficulty keeping track of things or have a lot on your plate, choosing an air purifier with filter monitoring can make things easier.
Top 3 Multi-Room Air Purifiers
1. Coway Mega 400S
If you’re looking for a filter that can take on multiple large rooms or even an entire home, the Coway Mega 400S may be the best option.
This multi-room air purifier has a capacity of 1560 square feet. It uses a pre-filter, HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter to achieve the best air quality possible.
In addition, this air purifier also has several extra features that make the device easier to manage and maintain.
This model includes timer settings, can be controlled from your phone and responds to voice control.
It also contains several modes, including a smart, sleep, and eco-friendly mode, that will reduce the amount of electricity the device uses.
For such a high-powered device, it has a relatively small footprint of only 14.8 x 22.8 x 14.8 inches.
2. Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto
Although this air purifier has a slightly lower capacity than the previous option, it is still an excellent option for multiple small rooms or one large room.
The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto has a capacity of 550 square feet and a sleek design measuring 20.5 x 13 x 13 inches.
This air purifier also includes a HEPA filter, an activated carbon deodorization filter, and a removable pre-filter that can be changed to five color options to match your home décor.
Together, the HEPA and the activated carbon filter make a great team to remove everything from mold spores to tobacco smoke smell from your home.
This model includes an automatic mode that adjusts airflow based on the air quality rating.
This makes it a super easy air purifier and an excellent option for beginners who don’t want to constantly monitor the settings.
3. Levoit EverestAir Smart True HEPA Air Purifier
The last option on today’s list is the Levoit EverestAir Smart True HEPA Air Purifier.
This air purifier has a capacity of 558 square feet and a relatively slim profile of 18.9 x 8.5 x 23.2 inches.
Like the other filters on this list, this air purifier contains a HEPA filter, activated carbon filter, and pre-filter to provide excellent filtration to larger rooms.
Some of its features include adjustable vent angles, smart settings, and a laser dust detector that scans the air and adjusts the air purifier settings accordingly.
Multi-Room Air Purifiers – Conclusion
If you live in a large home or have multiple rooms you want to purify, investing in a multi-room air purifier may be worth it.
These air purifiers have stronger motors and larger filters that allow them to filter the air from multiple rooms instead of just one.
Before purchasing your multi-room air purifier, consider first your individual needs.
Make sure you get an air purifier rated for the square footage of your home and one that uses high-quality HEPA filters.
You’ll also want to pick a device with a filter and air quality monitoring. This will remind you to frequently change your filters to maintain consistent air quality.