Will An Air Purifier Work Around Walls? Your Guide to the Right Air Purifier Placement

As much as I understood the benefits of owning and using an air purifier, I wasn’t too keen on placing mine in the middle of the room. 

This is because I pay a lot of attention to the layout and design of my interior spaces. 

Hiding my air purifier near the wall and covered by a small table was a great way to leave my design untouched.

However, when I turned my air purifier on, I barely noticed a difference in the air quality. 

I got an air purifier because I have severe allergies triggered by dust, pollen, and similar pollutants. 

So, when I turned it on and noticed that I was sneezing uncontrollably, I thought I had a faulty air purifier.

This was when I went to the internet to research what was wrong.

And when I asked people for help, I quickly learned about the importance of air purifier placement.

I thought placing my air purifier near the wall was no problem since I assumed the device would work fine around the walls. 

But as you can tell by my experience, I was wrong.

So, if you’re wondering whether or not your air purifier will work around walls, you’ve come to the right place.

Today, I’ll explain why air purifiers won’t be able to work as well when placed near or around walls.

I’ll also explain placement affects your air purifier and a couple of crucial tips on how to find the best placement for your air purifier.

Will an Air Purifier Work Around Walls?

There may be a chance that your air purifier could work around walls, but I still don’t recommend placing your air purifier near a wall. 

If you place your air purifier near or against a wall, it won’t work as well compared to putting it in the right spot.

This is because air purifiers rely heavily on airflow to get the job done. 

For your air purifier to work, there needs to be a good amount of air flowing into the machine so the filtration system can capture any particles and contaminants floating around. 

So, if your air purifier isn’t getting proper airflow because a wall is blocking it from the front or behind, it won’t work either.

However, putting the air purifier in a spot where it can receive a lot of airflows will work very effectively. 

This is because free-flowing air can easily pass through the air purifier and exist after the machine removes any harmful contaminants and pollutants that may have been floating around.

As I mentioned earlier, my first instinct with my air purifier was to place it against the wall, away from my sight when I was in the room. 

And while this worked for my interior design, it didn’t do much for the air quality.

How Placement Affects The Effectiveness of Your Air Purifier

When getting an air purifier, ensure a suitable model for the room. 

If the air purifier can’t deliver enough clean air for the room, you might run into trouble.

At that point, you’ll have to deal with an ineffective air purifier. 

But even if you have the right air purifier for the room, you must place it in the right spot to reap as many benefits as possible.

To understand why air purifier placement is essential, you first have to know how air purifiers work in the first place. 

When you strip the air purifier of all the fancy sensors and other extra features, they are essentially just fans with a filter in front of them.

The fan sucks air into the purifier and pushes it through the filtration system. 

The filtration system then captures and absorbs any particles and contaminants in the air before the air is released back into the room to circulate.

So, if your air purifier is in a spot where air can’t freely flow through it, you are wasting a valuable device. 

Some air can still squeeze in even if your air purifier isn’t in a spot with good airflow.

But, the machine won’t be able to filter out as many particles as you might want it to.

I was frustrated when my air purifier wasn’t doing a good job eliminating my allergies. 

Despite having my air purifier on almost 24/7, I still noticed pollen and dust floating around.

I could tell because of how much I was sneezing in the room.

However, I quickly learned that my air purifier wasn’t the problem. 

All I had to do was move the air purifier from that corner against the wall into a place where air could easily flow through the machine. 

Once I did that, I found that my air purifier was working like a dream, and I didn’t have to deal with allergies as much.

So, where did I end up moving my air purifier?

Well, it took a fair amount of trial and error, but I finally found the perfect spot for my air purifier: in the middle of the room on top of a small table. 

I had to make some adjustments to ensure that I didn’t compromise the room’s interior design, but in the end, it was all worth it.

And in the next section, I’ll explain how I found the perfect spot to place my air purifier.

A Guide to the Perfect Air Purifier Placement

I was pretty annoyed when I learned that my air purifier wasn’t in the right spot. 

Still, I also realized that I had to figure out the right spot sooner rather than later. 

And when I asked experts and researched myself, I found that many factors go into determining the best placement for your air purifier. 

However, I also found that the most crucial factor is airflow.

So, regardless of where you place your air purifier, it’s essential to consider the airflow

You want the air purifier to be in a place with a fair amount of airflow to allow it to capture as many particles as possible.

That said, even if you know the importance of airflow for air purifiers, it can still be hard to figure out what this means and where you should place your air purifier. 

That’s why I decided to make a quick but comprehensive guide to finding the best place for your air purifier.

That way, you don’t have to go through as much trial and error as I did to find the perfect placement for my air purifier.

Avoid Walls & Corners

The first tip I can give you is to avoid walls and corners. 

This is directly related to airflow, as the corners and areas near the room’s walls have the lowest airflow. 

It might be your first instinct to hide your air purifier away in the corner of the room.

This isn’t the best idea if you’re looking to eliminate contaminants from the air effectively.

Place It in the Middle of the Room

In line with the previous tip, I found that the best place to put your air purifier is in the middle of the room. 

This is because the center of the room is the area that has the most airflow. 

The air has the most space to float around and circulate in the middle of the room.

So, a good launching point is right in the center if you’re trying to figure out where your air purifier goes in your room. 

This allows the air purifier to capture as many particles as possible, providing you with clean air as long as it’s on.

That said, I also understand that the center of the room isn’t the ideal place for all people. 

While effective, putting your air purifier in the center of the room can also be terrible for the interior design. 

On top of that, it could also result in people accidentally bumping into the machine.

The center of the room should be your first choice when figuring out the proper placement for your air purifier. 

But if this doesn’t work for you, there are other places you can put it as well, which I’ll get to a bit later.

Place It Near Air Sources

If right in the middle of the room isn’t an ideal place for your air purifier, another option is putting it near the sources of air. 

For example, suppose your window is open while using the air purifier (which I don’t recommend). 

You would place the air purifier near the window. 

This allows the air purifier to intake as much air as possible.

And the air purifier captures any foreign particles before they start circulating around the room, potentially ending up in your lungs.

Again, the center of the room is arguably the best place to put your air purifier. 

Use the Air Purifier Properly on an elevated surface

But if that placement doesn’t work for you for whatever reason, then your next best bet is near an air source like a vent or a window.

Keep It Elevated

There are two types of airflow you must deal with when deciding on the proper air purifier placement. 

These are vertical and horizontal airflow. 

Fans and HVAC systems can cause horizontal movement, while temperature changes can cause vertical movement.

For the best results, you want to capture air that’s moving both horizontally and vertically. 

And to do this, you must place your air purifier in an elevated space. It doesn’t need to be too high, but I recommend putting your air purifier 2-3 feet above the ground for the best results.

I decided to place my air purifier on top of a small table. 

That way, it can capture as many particles as possible and do wonders for my allergies. 

And if you’re having a hard time finding a spot where your air purifier can blend with the room, elevating it could be one of the ways to fix that problem.

Use the Air Purifier to “Guard” the Room

One of the best tips I can give you regarding air purifiers is to use them as a “guard” for your room. 

This may sound confusing, but it’s one of the best ways to use an air purifier and reap all the benefits that these machines can offer.

To use your air purifier as a guard, you must place it near the entry and exit points. 

This works similarly to placing it near a window, allowing the air purifier to capture harmful particles before they enter the room and start circulating.

I advise against leaving the doors and windows open when the air purifier is on, as this allows new particles to enter the room. 

However, if you have to leave a door or window open when in a room, an excellent way to prevent yourself from inhaling harmful particles is by placing the air purifier right by the entry and exit points.

Place It in Common Areas

If you have a large house, then one air purifier simply isn’t going to cut it. The best way to ensure that all the air is clean in your home is by using multiple air purifiers. 

But if this is impractical for you, another option is to place the air purifier in the common areas of the house.

That way, the areas where people spend the most time have the cleanest air. 

For example, if people often hang out in the living room, place the air purifier there. 

Remember, you can move your air purifier around from room to room.

You can have it in the living room while everyone is home and move it back to your home office when the house is empty. 

You need to work in a space with clean air.

Conclusion

Getting a new air purifier can be exciting, especially if it’s your first one. 

But when you finally get your hands on your new air purifier, don’t make the same mistake as me and place it right next to a wall. 

As much as you think it might work, air purifiers aren’t designed to work around or near walls.

Ideally, you want to place your air purifier where it can get as much airflow as possible. 

While relaxing in your room, you can put it in the middle of the room, near a door or window, or right beside you.

Placement is crucial for air purifiers. 

So, when your new air purifier finally arrives, place it far away from a wall. 

That way, you get as many benefits as possible, and you can rest assured that your air purifier is working just as you want!