The Best Air Purifiers for Mold

If you’re concerned about the air quality in your home, then you may want to consider finding a quality air purifier for mold. While you will have the best success with mold by maintaining a dry, clean, environment in your home, an air purifier will give you a bit of peace of mind, as well as potentially help your overall health.

We reviewed dozens of air purifiers for mold based on efficiency, features, cost, and other considerations, and identified the LEVOIT Air Purifier as the best for your home. You’ll appreciate the low decibel sound of operation as well as the true HEPA filter that removes 99.97% of allergens.

LEVOIT Air Purifier

For the best air purifier for mold, look no further than the LEVOIT Air Purifier.

If you’re not concerned about the possibility of mold, then you may want to consider how mold in the air can cause side effects, like your unexplained headaches. You may even want to consider detoxing your body from its exposure to mold.

Our Top 5 Air Purifiers for Mold

Here are our top picks. Compare the ratings and features of different models.

Editor’s Picks	Brand	Rating	Purifier Type	Area of Effect
Best Overall	LEVOIT Air Purifier	4.6	3-Stage Filter; HEPA, Pre-Filter, and Carbon-Activated	219 sq ft
Best for Budget	KOIOS Air Purifier	4.5	3-Stage Filter; HEPA, Pre-Filter, and Carbon-Activated	156 sq ft
Best Plug In	GermGuardian Pluggable Air Purifier	4.4	UV-C Light	64 sq ft
Best Large Capacity	Bissell air320 Smart Air Purifier	4.7	3-Stage Filter; HEPA, Pre-Filter, and Carbon-Activated	308 sq ft
Best with UV Light	Germ Guardian HEPA Filter Air Purifier	4.5	UV-C Light	78 sq ft

*Ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5 and based on reviews, feedback, and opinions of actual customers

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Who Should Buy an Air Purifier for Mold

People who live in old homes – If your home has a long history, then there’s a decent chance that history includes some mold in some places. Rather than wait and see what kind of negative effects it may have on your home and family, pick up an air purifier soon rather than later.
Those who are allergen sensitive – Even without allergies, you may still be sensitive to some contaminants, and that often means mold. Your breathing may be affected, and over time, there’s a chance that your overall lung health could be diminished.¹
Renters – You may not be living in an old home, but if you’re renting, there’s no way for you to know what kind of quality the home has been maintained with, and that may mean you have hidden mold that you’re not aware of. An air purifier can minimize how much of the contaminants left behind you breathe in.

Who Should Not Buy an Air Purifiers for Mold

Those who have a perfect environment – If you have your windows open and are comfortable most or all of the year, then you can count on the cool air and sunshine to help prevent any mold from forming. Bear in mind, though, you’ll still need to maintain a regular cleaning schedule to make sure no mold sneaks into your home.
People with new houses or meticulous cleaners – There are some scenarios where mold isn’t likely to play a role – if your home is immaculate and you keep it free of any mold-friendly environment, you may not want to bother with an air purifier. So, too, does it become less tempting if you have a robust HVAC unit that will filter your air effectively.

Research Tips

Air purifiers for mold will need to have a few features to make them work for your family. Here’s what to consider when selecting an air purifier:

HEPA filters are more effective – High-efficiency particulate air filters are designed to get particles smaller than other forms of contaminants. It can, theoretically, remove 99.97% of mold, as well as pollen, dust, bacteria, and other particles over 0.3 microns in size.
HEPA filters are sometimes used as a buzzword – Though the term “HEPA” is well-known in the filter game, keep in mind that it doesn’t necessarily make it an excellent quality product. Some manufacturers skimp on the quality and rely on the “HEPA” status to sell the product.
Consider your space – If you’re planning on maintaining purified air in a specific room, then you’ll need to make sure you get a large enough unit. In most cases, the bigger the unit, the more space it can handle, so expect to have an adequately sized unit for the space for maximum efficiency.
Public spaces can still be purified – While you can’t carry an air purifier around your neck to make sure you’re breathing in quality air, you can find a small unit that you can place on your desk to help promote healthy breathing.

How Much Do They Cost?

Between $100-$200

Depending on the capacity and how thoroughly it purifies the air, you can spend a small fortune trying to purify the air in your home. In fact, some air purifiers can cost upwards of a few thousand dollars. Others, particularly ones that will only purify the air in a small area, can cost less than $50. However, for most air purifiers for the average capacity requirements, you can expect to spend somewhere between $100 and $200.

The Best Air Purifiers for Mold: Full Reviews

LEVOIT Air Purifier

For the best air purifier for mold, look no further than the LEVOIT Air Purifier.

The LEVOIT Air Purifier boasts removal of 99.97% of airborne allergens, mold included. It takes only 12 minutes for the air to cycle through this filter, and it’s compact enough to place on a tabletop but robust enough to cover a room up to 219 sq ft.

You’ll get an original filter that will give you plenty of multi-purpose use, but when it comes time to replace (or upgrade), LEVOIT also makes a pet allergy filter and a toxin absorber filter that you might want to consider. Respectively, you’ll be able to upgrade the pet-allergen purification process and rid your air of smoke, smog, or other volatile organic compounds.

Pros

True HEPA filter
2 color options to complement decor
Quiet 24 dB operation

Cons

Unpleasant odor for initial use
Difficult to find replacement filters

KOIOS Air Purifier

If you’re looking to clean out the mold, but not your bank account, try the KOIOS Air Purifier.

The KOIOS Air Purifier uses a three-level filtration system to ensure your air is as pure as possible. It has a fine preliminary filter that removes airborne bacteria, mold, and fungus, as well as a true HEPA filter that will catch dust mites, pollen, and the like. Finally, the activated carbon filter will neutralize smells so that not only will the air be cleaner, it will smell cleaner, too.

It operates at two different speeds, and the speed is controlled by the same power button. So you’ll only need to touch one button to cycle through your options, making the operation incredibly simple.

Pros

1-push operation
Nightlight feature
3-year warranty

Cons

Only handles a 180 sq ft room
Slow air purification rate of 24/cfm

GermGuardian Pluggable Air Purifier

To have mold-ridding power directly from your outlet, check out GermGuardian Pluggable Air Purifier.

The GermGuardian Pluggable Air Purifier plugs directly into your wall outlet and deodorizes and purifies the air surrounding it. Obviously, you won’t be able to use this purifier in the middle of your room, but if you’re looking to give just a boost in your air quality, this is a good option to consider.

Though there are plenty of uses for this tiny air purifier, the most positive feedback from reviewers comes from the customers who place it near their cats’ litter boxes. Not only will it rid the air of some of the litter contaminants, but it will also deodorize the air, eliminating some of the unpleasant odors around the litter box.

Pros

Eliminates odors
Filter-free design uses UV-C light
1-year warranty

Cons

Small range
Can’t place in the center of a room

Bissell air320 Smart Air Purifier

If you’re looking for an air purifier for a large area, consider the Bissell air320 Smart Air Purifier.

The Bissell air320 Smart Air Purifier has a variety of speeds that will allow it to cycle through the air in your room faster or slower, depending on your need. So if you keep it in your bedroom, the slower, quieter fan will lull you to sleep peacefully, while the faster fan will be ideal during the day while you’re away. It even has an automated night mode to help with this.

The three-stage filtration will eliminate odors, particles as little as 0.3 microns, and 99.97% of the most common allergens, including mold.

Pros

Up to 308 sq ft coverage
HEPA filter
Monitors and reports air quality

Cons

Loud fan on high speeds
Fabric front exposes filtered debris

Germ Guardian HEPA Filter Air Purifier

For an air purifier that also utilizes a UV light, don’t miss the Germ Guardian HEPA Filter Air Purifier.

Like our best plug-in pick, the Germ Guardian HEPA Filter Air Purifier uses a UV-C light bulb to not just catch the germs and viruses from the air, but eliminate them. If your family is particularly susceptible to colds and infections, then this may make all the difference in the world.

It also comes with a HEPA filter and a pre-filter made with charcoal to capture larger particles and debris from the air. And at just 11 inches tall, it works well in compact spaces.

Pros

Quick cycle – 76 cfm
1-year warranty
3-speed options and optional UV light

Cons

Loud operation on higher speed settings
Unpleasant odor for initial use

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an air purifier and what does it do?

An air purifier will do just what its name claims: it will purify the air it cycles through it. Different levels of purification can filter through different allergens and bacteria, but the big takeaway is that the air that goes through an air purifier will be cleaner and rid of potentially harmful contaminants. Air purifiers have also been shown to be a big help for specific allergies and respiratory concerns.²

How do you kill mold spores in the air?

The best way to rid your home of mold spores in the air is to rid the source, and the easiest method to ensure that is regular cleaning. Barring that, an air purifier placed directly in the path of mold may help you rid your home of the mold spores that become airborne. If you’re unsure where the mold is, or if you even have any, a whole-home filtration system included with most central air conditioning units will be the most effective.³

Does opening windows help with mold?

Mold thrives in a warm, humid area without any light. If you live in the deep south of the U.S. where the outside is hot and humid, you may not benefit a lot from opening those windows. However, cooler air and sunlight will go a long way in preventing mold from forming and may kill it. Just making sure the area is dry and well-lit will go a long way in reducing mold.

Where should I place my air purifier?

Some air purifiers come with a helpful guide that will walk you through how to determine the best placement for your air purifier. However, should the air purifier you choose not provide any guidance, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. You won’t want to put it behind anything that can block it. It will have a harder time purifying the air that it can’t reach. Place it close to the air pollutants, or where you want the air pollutants gone. That is, place it close to where you are. You don’t, as a rule, want to place it too low. Though some will require you to place it on the ground, this is generally only required for large capacity air purifiers. A side table by your couch or by an obvious source of mold are good locations, but try to avoid places with high humidity. If in doubt, moving your air purifier around is incredibly helpful for a lot of homes. Most are pretty portable, and that will come in handy if you move it where it’s most needed at a specific time.

Article Sources

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