I love animals, and despite my allergy to most of them, I own two cats and a small puppy that I recently picked up.
The little suffering they cause me isn’t near as bad as the suffering some people I know go through due to pet allergies.
But still, the allergies are there, and they’re pretty annoying as they reduce the overall quality of time I have with my pets.
And to be honest, that was one of the reasons why I picked up my first ever purifier all those years ago.
Since then, the symptoms of the allergic reactions I have as a result of my pets have minimized.
I almost don’t even notice them anymore.
But it wasn’t always this way.
I conducted a ton of research when picking up my first air purifier.
I did this to ensure that it would not only purify the air at my home but also help prevent some of the triggers for the allergic symptoms I get from my pets.
This comprehensive guide will show you four of the best air purifiers for pets.
I will also include the one I use right now and the one I used a few years ago.
And at the end of the guide, I’ll show you how air purifiers help with pet allergies and share a few tips to help you when shopping for your next air purifier for pets.
Coway Airmega AP-1512HH(W) – The Best Overall Air Purifier With Pets
The Airmega AP-1512HH by Coway is arguably my favorite air purifier for pets on the market – hence why it is on top of the list.
When I first came across this unit, I bought it within 2 weeks.
It just made sense because I knew the difference it would make in my overall quality of life around my furry friends.
This air purifier has a four-stage filtration system – the last of which is an ionizer, which I wish wasn’t included.
As you may already know, I don’t recommend anyone to get an air purifier with an ionizer as it can do more harm than good.
Thankfully, you could turn the ionizer off on this model greatly relieved me.
That said, the filtration system without the ionizer is one of the best on the market.
This is because it has a pre-filter, carbon filter, and HEPA filter.
These are some of the components you need from an air purifier if you’re looking to handle pet allergies.
On top of that, this is a very quiet air purifier.
This means your pet won’t be bothered by the noise and won’t have to turn the air purifier off while you sleep.
The air purifier even has an air quality monitor that you can use to check the air quality in your room at any given moment.
The machine also adjusts its settings automatically based on the air quality, which adds an extra layer of convenience.
Aside from the ionizer, which you can turn off anyways, I didn’t find too many things wrong with this air purifier.
It remains my favorite pick on the market. I would gladly recommend this to any pet owner who wants an air purifier to handle their allergies.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Sleek and modern design
- A great 4-stage filtration system
- Silent operation
- Automatic mode
Cons:
- Comes with an ionizer (which you can turn off)
RELATED POST: Coway AP-1512HH Mighty Air Purifier: An In-Depth Review
Levoit Core 300 – The Best Budget Air Purifier for Pets
If you’re shopping for an air purifier for pets on a budget,
I couldn’t recommend the Levoit Core 300 enough.
To this day, this air purifier quickly falls in the top 3 because of how awesome it is in terms of performance, design, and value for money.
It was one of my first ever air purifiers, and I have it stored away in my home.
This air purifier comes with a three-stage HEPA filtration system, perfect for tackling your pets’ allergy triggers.
With that being said, it is pretty tiny.
It can cover an area of 219 ft² / 20 m², making it perfect for an average-sized room.
The filtration system within this unit is so great that it can capture and keep hold of 99.97% of solid particles of size as little as 0.3 microns.
In terms of size, it measures 8.7 x 8.7 x 14.2 in / 22 x 22 x 36 cm and weighs just 7.5 lb / 3.4 kg.
The only real downside to this air purifier is that it doesn’t have an activated carbon filter.
This means that it won’t be able to help you with VOCs and cooking odor, and other gasses.
Pros:
- One of the most affordable air purifiers on the market
- Easy to use
- You can change the filters depending on your needs
- Silent
- Great for small spaces
Cons:
- Not ideal for larger spaces
- Can’t clean the air from smelly gasses
Bissell air400 – The Best Silent Air Purifier for Pets
Silent operation is essential if you’re looking for an air purifier for pets.
If you want to effectively handle pet allergies with your air purifier, keep it on as much as possible.
In fact, it’s best practice to leave your air purifier on 24/7.
When you have a silent air purifier, it’s much easier to always leave it on.
This is because you won’t have to worry about the noise that keeps you up at night or annoys you throughout the day.
And when it comes to silent operation, this air purifier is arguably the best on the market.
On top of that, it comes with an excellent filtration system.
It can handle pet dander and other allergens like dust and pollen.
This air purifier even comes with a carbon filter that you can use to absorb VOCs and other toxic gasses that may be floating around the indoor air.
If there’s one downside to this air purifier, it’s on the expensive side.
This isn’t too much of a worry if you’re looking to invest money in a quality unit since it has many features to justify the price.
Considering the features, it isn’t too far off to say that this air purifier is a bargain.
Additionally, it has an automatic system. So, all you have to do when you get this air purifier is plug it in and leave it that way.
You won’t have to worry about adjusting the air purifier and its settings throughout the day.
Pros:
- Great automatic system
- Very silent operation
- Ideal for medium and large rooms
- Multi-stage filtration
- Low-key design
Cons:
- Relatively expensive
Coway Airmega 400(G) Smart Air Purifier – The Best Premium Air Purifier for Pets
Last on this list is the best premium pick on the market.
I loved everything about this air purifier.
It even came with a few features that beat out the Coway model that I went for 6 months ago.
However, it didn’t rank as the top pick on the list because it’s pretty expensive.
Since it’s expensive, you can expect this unit to have many great features.
It has a modern design doesn’t steal too much attention without looking bland.
Another cool feature is that the air purifier runs on a smart system. This means you won’t have to worry about adjusting the settings manually.
All you have to do is turn it on and feel the results.
This air purifier is also great for large spaces.
It is designed to work in rooms of up to 1,500 square feet, which is why it’s so expensive.
On top of that, it comes with a filtration system that can easily filter out pollutants and pet dander in sizes as small as 0.3 microns.
Aside from the price, I don’t have that many complaints about this model.
However, remember that larger air purifiers inherently generate more noise.
While the noise isn’t unbearable, it is slightly louder than the noise on other purifiers for smaller spaces – such as the models listed above.
Pros:
- Great for large spaces
- Great filtration system
- Automatic air quality monitor
- Premium design
Cons:
- Fairly expensive
- A bit noisier than smaller models
How Do Air Purifiers Reduce Pet Allergies?
It may seem weird that an appliance like an air purifier can reduce pet-related allergies.
However, this is actually one of the primary reasons many people with pets get air purifiers in the first place.
To understand how these devices reduce pet allergies, we must look at how they work.
While they may seem fancy and intricate, air purifiers are simple machines.
Without the bells and whistles, an air purifier is essentially a fan, motor, and filtration system inside a case.
All the air purifier does is push air through the filter so that the filtration system can trap the different particles and contaminants in the air.
That way, clean air exits the air purifier and enters the room, ready for us to breathe.
So, how does the filtration system actually work?
Let’s start with the pre-filter.
This is for the larger particles in the air, like hair, dirt, and fur.
However, these aren’t intricate filters and are usually made of cloth, so a fair amount of particles slip through.
From the pre-filter, the air passes through the carbon filter.
This filter is there to absorb toxins and gases in the air that may cause you respiratory issues.
For example, it can capture VOCs or volatile organic compounds that can do plenty of harm if you’re exposed to them over time.
It can also absorb the compounds that cause strong odors, which makes it great for pet owners.
The last filter is the one that does the most for pet allergies.
This is the HEPA filter.
These ultra-fine fiberglass mesh filters are designed to capture particles as small as 0.3 microns.
These include dust, pollen, and pet dander, which causes allergies in the first place.
Tips When Buying an Air Purifier for Pets
When buying an air purifier, you can’t just get any model you find online and expect it to work.
As I mentioned, different air purifiers have their own functions, and not all are designed to help with pet allergies.
In this guide, I chose to highlight four of the best air purifiers for pets.
While others can help with pet allergies, the ones I mentioned above were the most effective at the job.
To find these air purifiers, I had to look at specific features.
And while any of these air purifiers will do a great job if you’re looking to reduce your allergic reactions, you still need to find the right one for your needs.
So, let’s look at some of the significant considerations you need to consider when buying an air purifier for pets.
That way, you can easily choose the one from this list that best suits your needs.
Get the Right Size
Firstly, you need to consider the size of the air purifier.
As you can see on the product descriptions and the packaging, air purifiers are made to handle specific room sizes.
So, if you’re buying an air purifier for your home, try and measure the space you want to purify and find air purifiers that can handle it.
The thing is, you won’t be able to use one air purifier for the entire house.
So, you will have to move the air purifier from room to room, depending on where you or your pet are at the time.
That’s why you should measure the biggest space in your house.
Only Get High-Quality Filters
Another thing you need to consider is the filtration system.
To effectively handle pet fur and dander, you want to get the best filters possible.
Ideally, get an air purifier with a multi-stage filtration system.
The best filtration systems include a HEPA, carbon, and pre-filter.
You need to look for this in any air purifier, especially when buying one to handle pet fur and dander.
That’s why air purifiers without HEPA filters are not worth it if they aim to reduce allergies.
One type of purification method I highly suggest you avoid is ionization.
This is the process of introducing negative ions into the air, which will bind with the particles in the air and cause them to fall to the ground.
This isn’t ideal as you still have to sweep the dust eventually.
The Quieter, the Better
The last thing I recommend when buying an air purifier for pets is to look for silent models.
Pets have sensitive ears, and some of the sounds that aren’t a problem for us can cause a lot of stress for our pets.
So, I highly recommend finding silent air purifiers that won’t constantly stress out your pet.
On top of that, you want to keep your air purifier on 24/7, which can be problematic if your air purifier is loud, especially when sleeping.
Luckily, most air purifiers nowadays are pretty silent. That said, there are still models on the market that are quieter than others.
Conclusion
If you have pet allergies, it can be hard to be around animals, no matter how much you love them.
But nowadays, there is a way to live harmoniously with your pet, even if you have pet allergies.
And that’s with an air purifier.
Not all air purifiers will be effective at reducing pet allergies, but there are a fair amount that will.
And in this list, I chose to highlight some of the best options available that can effectively reduce the pet dander and allergic reactions accompanying owning a pet.
So, if you have pet allergies, any one of the air purifiers I suggested above will be great for you.