5 Best Air Purifiers For Dogs Tested in Real Homes

Zack Keithy, our author, is a certified veterinarian technician (UC Blue Ash) for over 6 years (contact him here). The articles written here are based on his expertise and experience, combined with a review by our expert vet reviewers including Dr M. Tarantino. Learn more about us here.

We all adore our cats and dogs, but let’s be honest—our furry friends can mess with the air quality in our homes.

It’s not just the occasional accidents on the carpet or the litter box smells that we’re talking about here.

Pet hair and dander seem to get everywhere, and for those of us with allergies, it can be downright miserable.

That’s where air purifiers come to the rescue.

We tested a bunch of top-rated air purifiers to find out which ones really tackle the problem best. We set each purifier up in a small room, then let loose with pet hair and smoke to see how well they could catch those tiny particles and bits of hair.

Wanna improve your air quality for everyone in the household? These air purifiers will help.

Best Overall Air Purifier for Homes With Dogs

The Winix 5500-2 4-Stage True HEPA Air Purifier is our top pick for keeping the air in your home clean, especially if you have pets.

It’s got four layers of filtration: a pre-filter, a washable carbon filter, a HEPA filter, and a permanent filter. On top of that, it also has sensors that detect changes in air quality and runs quietly, even on high settings.

This air purifier is energy-efficient and has strong CADR scores—243 for dust, 246 for pollen, and 232 for smoke.

It’s especially good at capturing pet hair, thanks to its top-notch pre-filter.

Despite its power, it’s quiet enough not to disturb you while you’re talking or sleeping. Plus, it automatically switches to sleep mode when it’s dark, saving energy and dimming the LED screen, and goes back to auto mode in the light.

Setting it up is easy, and it comes with a remote control for convenience.

However, it doesn’t have WiFi, voice command, or a mobile app. When the filters need maintenance, a light on the display lets you know.

Changing and rinsing the carbon filter is straightforward. It also has three light indicators that show real-time changes in air quality.

Best If You Wanna Splurge

The Alen BreatheSmart air purifier is a top-notch choice, especially if you’re willing to splurge a bit. You can personalize it with eight different finishes, like classic white or brushed stainless, to match your home’s look.

It also offers four filter options to tackle specific issues like pet dander, odors, mold, and bacteria. The pet-specific filter, for example, includes an odor neutralizer for accidents and litter boxes, and a True HEPA filter that captures 99.99% of particles larger than 0.1 microns, helping with allergies.

This purifier is powerful, too. At its highest setting, it can clean the air every 30 minutes in spaces up to 1,300 square feet. In our tests, it reduced PM2.5 levels from 999.9 to 8.9 in just ten minutes in a 728-square-foot room. It also has a built-in air quality sensor, so you can see it in action.

Using the Alen BreatheSmart is a breeze. It has a color-changing LED display to show air quality and offers a range of fan speeds and settings. You can even download an app to control it remotely.

However, it’s designed for large spaces, so it might be too bulky for smaller rooms like bedrooms or bathrooms. For smaller areas, we suggest a more compact, energy-efficient model.

Best Budget Option for Small Spaces

The Levoit Core Mini Air Purifier is a compact powerhouse, perfect for smaller spaces like bedrooms, dens, or offices.

It’s just 6.5 x 6.5 x 10.4 inches and weighs a bit over 2 pounds, so you can easily move it around to find the ideal spot. It’s designed to clear the air in rooms up to 337 square feet.

Much like its bigger sibling, the Levoit Core 300s Smart True HEPA Air Purifier, the Core Mini has a three-stage filtration system that efficiently filters out smoke, dust, allergens, and even pet hair and dander. It runs quietly at just 25dB, so it won’t disturb your sleep.

During our tests, we found the Core Mini to be small but mighty, effectively clearing the air of most pollutants. However, it’s not as strong against larger particles compared to some of the other purifiers on our list.

The Core Mini comes in black or white, but we noticed the power cord is a bit short, so you might need an extension cord depending on where you place it.

Best For Large Rooms

The Coway Airmega 400S air purifier cleans large rooms efficiently, changing the air twice per hour.

It too uses a three-layer filtration system to remove harmful particles and has a smart mode that adjusts settings based on air quality.

The LED ring indicates air quality levels, and filter indicators remind you when to replace or clean them.

It’s not overly loud and has a modern design, but I personally find that it’s a bit too bulky and heavy.

Best for Allergies

The Bionaire True HEPA 360 UV Air Purifier effectively captures airborne allergens and substantially enhances air quality within just 30 minutes in our tests.

Its cylindrical shape enables full 360-degree air intake and filtration in a room, while a convenient built-in top handle allows easy portability around the home.

This air purifier by Bionaire boasts six stages of filtration, including two pre-filters (fabric and mesh), a true HEPA filter, a carbon filter, UV light, and an ionizer.

The UV light eliminates bacteria, while the ionizer attracts particles like pet hair and dander by releasing a static charge. These features can work simultaneously with the air intake filters to rapidly purify the air in case of contamination from sources such as pets or smoke.

With three air filtration power settings, the highest level may produce more noise, making it challenging to have a conversation, but the other two settings are suitable for everyday use, even while sleeping.

For bedroom use, the purifier includes a night-light setting for visibility in low light and a night mode setting that deactivates all display lights.

I highly recommend that you replace the UV light and layered filters annually for best performance..

This maintenance process is simple, and the total cost for replacements remains under $100.

Tips for Choosing Pet Air Purifiers

Room Size

Consider room size before buying an air purifier. Match the model to your room’s square footage for efficiency.

CADR

Check the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) to ensure the purifier is powerful enough. Higher CADR means faster, more effective cleaning.

Filters

Opt for HEPA filters for best results in capturing pet-related particles. Consider activated carbon filters for odor reduction. Remember to replace or clean filters regularly.

Features

Look for timers, air quality sensors, and filter replacement indicators for convenience. Some models offer night modes for quiet operation. Optional tech features like app connectivity are available for remote control and monitoring.

Do Air Purifiers Reduce Pet Dander?

An air purifier with a HEPA filter is the most effective way to get rid of pet dander. These filters can capture particles as small as 0.3 microns, which includes most pet dander ranging from 5 to 10 microns.

Do Air Purifiers Remove Dog and Cat Hair?

While HEPA filters can help remove pet hair from the air in your room, they might not catch all stray hairs. Pet hair tends to stick to clothes, bedding, carpets, and sofas more stubbornly. For a more thorough clean, consider using a pet hair remover such as a specialized vacuum.