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If you’re reading this, then you’re definitely a pet lover!
Whether you have cats or dogs or both, I can imagine how much you love your pet and how much joy they bring into your life! And the last thing you want to do is live without them. This is definitely not an option.
However, as joyful and as loving having a pet is, it also comes with certain "downsides" such as pet hair, different odors, hairs, dander, and even allergies. To make your life easier and allow you to enjoy your furry friend's company, even more, I'll help you choose the best air purifier for pet problems.
Have you found yourself in some of these circumstances?
- You cannot keep up with all the hair shedding all over your home.
- You're allergic to your pet, but you still want to hug them the whole day.
- You cannot get rid of weird smells around the house.
- You think you've managed to clean all the hairs, but they're still a fashion accessory on all of your clothes.
- Your furniture is full of hairs.
If all of these things sound familiar to you, then you're in the right place.
First, I'll give you an overview of all the things that can be improved by purchasing the best air purifier for your pet. And then, I'll show you a list of my top 5 choices of air purifiers for pets.
Don't feel like reading 3,463 words? I recommend getting the Rabbit Air MinusA2 Ultra Quiet HEPA Air Purifier. Although its on the expensive side, consider the fact that you will be using an air purifier as long as you have a pet, this thing pays for itself over the years and the BioGS HEPA filter is amazing!
Top 5 Pet Air Purifier Comparison
Last update on 2021-02-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Does Air Purifiers Work for Pet Allergies?
What are pet allergies? Are they caused because of your pet’s hair? The answer is NO! A perfect example – one of the common myths of pet allergies claims that they are caused by accidentally inhaling a pet hair.
In fact, the culprit of your allergy is the dander that your pet releases. Dander includes the microscopic skin, proteins, saliva, urine, and feces that shed from your pet on a regular basis. This is a normal cell renewal process that exists in all types of pets as well as in us humans. And this shedding of skin (together with saliva, urine, etc.) is what we’re usually allergic to.
To solve this problem, you will need to purchase an air purifier which has a True HEPA filter. This HEPA filter (the real deal, not a filter that’s “similar” to HEPA) is proven to get rid of 99.97% of the smallest possible microns – 0.3 in size. Fortunately for you, pet dander belongs in this category.
The HEPA filter in air purifiers works by pulling in all the dander particles that roam around in your surroundings and trapping them inside.
With all this in mind, my answer is YES – air purifiers really do work for getting rid of pet allergies. As long as they have a True HEPA filter.
Does Air Purifiers Remove Pet Odor?
Let’s be real, no matter how often you clean your cat litter or how often you bathe your puppy, they still leave a specific odor to your home.
And here I’m not saying that you shouldn’t clean the litter box or shower your dog, I’m just pointing out that sometimes things get out of control and before you know it, you have a smelly home. Many times we’re not even aware of it because we’re used to this smell. However, outside guests notice this… A LOT!
Pet odor will be especially intense if you own cats which are not sterilized and are allowed to go outside or if you have a dog which is not potty trained. In these cases, you definitely need an air purifier.
If you’ve had such smelly problems in the past, you’ve probably tried using all types of “smell masking” products such as scented candles or air fresheners. However, these things only mask the smell instead of removing it. It’s the same as if you put perfume on instead of a shower after the gym – it just doesn’t work!
All air purifiers for pets have Carbon filters inside. This Carbon filter is what's going to remove the smell instead of just covering it up. Think of Carbon filters like sponges which have tiny little pores that trap bad smells. As the air filters through the purifier, it brings all these smelly particles with it, which is why your home will smell fresher and cleaner than ever!
So, again, the answer is YES – air purifiers do remove unpleasant pet odor.
Does Air Purifier Remove Pet Hair?
Pet hair can be a real pain! At least for me. It seems that no matter how often I clean after my cat, I cannot manage to keep up with her fast pace of shedding. And these hairs will stick to anything from clothes, furniture, to the food I’m eating or the fruit bowl that’s on my table.
Grooming helps a lot, but it's still not enough to get rid of everything. Plus, removing hair from my clothes each time before I go out is a real struggle.
Well, good news, air purifiers are also great for this purpose! And for removing pet hair, you don't even need a True HEPA filter. If you don't suffer from allergies and you don't have to remove the dander from your home, then it's enough to just purchase an air purifier with a HEPA lookalike filter.
These HEPA lookalikes can suck in particles that are anywhere from 2 to 4 microns, and luckily, pet hair fits these measures!
Trust me, these air purifiers will be real life-savers when it comes to pet hairs!
Additional Benefit: Less Cleaning
An incredible benefit of air purifiers that not many of us realize is the fact that we will not have to clean our homes as often. Who wouldn’t want that?
Have you notices that when the Sun shines through your windows, dust is floating around your room? Even though you cleaned everything just yesterday! Seeing this can be very frustrating.
Apart from removing dander, pet hair, and pet odors, air purifiers are also able to remove dust particles. And in turn, this means less cleaning!
With the help of an air purifier, you will start noticing that your black furniture doesn’t get that typical white layer of dust only 2 days after cleaning. Also, your whole family will live a happier and healthier life. Definitely worth it!
How To Choose The Best Air Purifier for Your Pet
Now that we've established that basically, any pet owner would benefit from purchasing an air purifier, I will go through the basics that you need to know to choose the best air purifier for your pet.
HEPA filters
HEPA means High-Efficiency Particulate Air. These HEPA filters are sometimes caller True HEPA filters, and they have the ability to clean 99.97% of the particles present in the surrounding air. This fine filter gathers the smallest of particles that are 0.3 microns in size.
If you suffer from allergies and want to remove all the pet dander, this is the type of filter you’ll need in your air purifier.
Pre-filter
The existence of a pre-filter in your air purifier is crucial, both for efficacy as well as to prolong the life of the finer filters of your purifier such as the HEPA filter and the carbon filter.
Pre-filters are usually external parts which can be removed and cleaned, and they serve to catch and remove larger particles in the air. This is why you need to make sure that the air purifier you choose has a pre-filter.
Activated Carbon filters
Activated carbon or charcoal filters are another important addition to the best air purifiers. As I’ve mentioned before, the carbon filter acts like a sponge which traps odors, dander, and pet hairs and naturally purifies the air.
Room Coverage Limits
An important thing to consider when choosing an air purifier is how big of an area you need to be covered. Each air purifier has a different room coverage limit or maximum, so make sure that you purchase one that covers a big enough space.
Appropriate Size
Air purifiers can greatly vary in size. Making sure that you have enough coverage is crucial. However, you also need to consider the size of the device. Ensure that you have enough space for your purifier before you purchase a large one.
Air Ionizer
Another great feature that some air purifiers possess is their air ionizing device. This device works by electronically ionizing (charging) molecules in the air and then trapping and removing them.
As an additional plus, there’s evidence of these air ionizers allowing more ozone in closed areas, so it’s definitely a great thing to consider.
Ultraviolet-C technology
This technology means using UV-C light destroy and kill all types of germs and viruses that exist in our house. Although they’re not so great at catching dander or hairs, they can be a healthy addition to any household.
My first choice of air purifier for your pet is the Winix WAC9500 which features a lot of the things we want to see in an air purifier.
The Winix WAC9500 has a True HEPA filter which removes 99.99% of airborne particles and pollutants, including pet allergens and dander which are as small as 0.3 microns in size.
Next, this air purifier features a Pre-Filter which removes all the larger particles from the air. This Pre-Filter can be washed and reused.
The next incredible thing about the Winix WAC9500 purifier is that it also contains an advanced carbon filter which can neutralize not only pet odor but also other smells such as cigarette smoke or cooking.
Furthermore, this purifier contains a smart PlasmaWave technology which attacks the tiniest of molecules and protects against germs, viruses, bacteria, and all types of gasses in your environment. This is the feature of Ionization I mentioned before, so definitely a large plus.
Additionally, by choosing the Winix air purifier, you will also enjoy Smart odor, dust, and light Sensors which can adjust the settings on the purifier based on your environment needs.
If you wish to manually control the strength of your purifier, you are offered 4 control settings: Low, Medium, High, and Turbo. This lets you adjust the power of your purifier based on your needs.
And finally, the Winix purifier has a room coverage of maximum 283 sq ft, and its size is 8.9" W x 16.5" L x 21.9" H.
PROS
CONS
Next, I’ll present to you the Rabbit Air MinusA2 SPA-700A air purifier which uses an innovative BioGS HEPA air filter with 6 stages of purification and deodorization.
The BioGS HEPA filter is a next-level True HEPA which aside from its normal dander and allergy removing properties, also decreases dust mites, mold, and pollen.
The Rabbit Air purifier comes with a washable Pre-Filter for the largest particles, a medium filter for smaller particles, a BioGS HEPA filter, an Activated Carbon filter, and a Negative Ion Generator.
Additionally, this product allows you to choose extra filter options that you most need for your household. Depending on your family’s needs, you can choose out of these 4 options: pet allergy filter, toxin-absorbing filter (including VOCs and other chemicals), germ-defense filter, and odor-removing filter.
For the pleasure of the user, the Rabbit Air purifier is ultra-quiet, energy efficient, and includes a LED light which can soothe you with its amazing spectrum of colors.
The design of this air purifier is slim and can even be mounted on a wall, which lets you save a lot of space. Plus, it features a light sensor which will automatically put the purifier in sleep mode when it’s dark. Furthermore, this purifier can automatically turn on when it detects pollutants in the air.
Another piece of good news – this purifier is incredibly easy to clean. The only thing needed is to vacuum the pre-filter surface every month!
The room coverage limit of the Rabbit Air purifier is 700 sq ft, and its size is 23.9 x 22.5 x 10 inches. Its impressive room coverage can easily help you purify 2 or 3 rooms.
PROS
CONS
My third choice of best air purifiers for pets is the GermGuardian.
This model of air purifier features a True HEPA filter which captures allergens and tiny dander, a Charcoal filter which removes odors, and a UV-C Sanitizer with Titanium dioxide for killing germs and viruses.
The GermGuardian is a small and portable air purifier which features a filter change indication as well as 3 different speeds to choose from.
If you’re in need of something smaller and more budget-friendly, this is the perfect thing for you. It will be greatly effective for small and medium-sized rooms.
This GermGuardian air purifier can cover up to 186 sq ft, and its dimensions are 7x10.2x21.5 inches. Even though it seems lightweight, this is an effective air purifier thanks to its True HEPA filter.
Unfortunately, this model of purifier doesn’t contain an Air Ionizer.
Here's a video from the company themselves.
PROS
CONS
The HoneyWell True HEPA air purifier is an excellent tool for larger spaces.
It features an Activated Carbon pre-filter which absorbs VOCs, odors, and gasses. This pre-filter has to be replaced every 3 months if you wish to prolong the lifespan of your device.
Next, it has a True HEPA filter which captures 99.97% of the smallest possible particles. This filter should be replaced once a year.
A filter light will turn on to remind you when it’s time to change and replace the filters.
The HoneyWell air purifier has 4 different air cleaning levels: germ, general cleaning, allergen cleaning, and turbo.
Furthermore, it has an automatic shut-off option which can be adjusted for 2, 4 or 8 hours. The HoneyWell filters the air in your room 5 times per hour, which ensures that your home is always fresh and clean.
As we’ve said before, this air purifier can be used for larger rooms since its room coverage is 465 sq ft, while its dimensions are 9.2 x 20 x 22.2 inches.
Take a look at this video summary
PROS
CONS
The Alen BreatheSmart air purifier is an amazing device for larger spaces or open concept houses because it covers an area of 1100 sq ft.
This air purifier contains a HEPA-Silver filter which effectively removes dander, allergens, dust particles, and even mold and bacteria.
An amazing thing about this BreatheSmart purifier is that it features an exclusive SmartSensor technology which automatically detects the air quality and adjusts to it. This preserves a lot of energy and prolongs the filter’s life.
Next, this purifier generates a soothing noise which will help your whole family relax and sleep better by eliminating the outside noises.
The Alen BreatheSmart purifier comes in 15 different decorative design panels, which means you can choose the one that best fits your home.
Another awesome thing about this purifier is that you can choose the type of filter you want to use. There are 4 different options: HEPA-Pure, HEPA-Silver, HEPA-FreshPlus, and HEPA-OdorCell. And it also comes in 4 different speeds.
The dimensions of this air purifier are 10 x 17.8 x 26.8 inches
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Conclusion
Now that I’ve reached the end of my list of 5 best air purifiers for pets, I feel obliged to give you my all-time favorite winner of this list. Not surprisingly, the winner here is the Rabbit Air MinusA2 Ultra Quiet HEPA Air Purifier.
This air purifier has everything that a modern household with a pet needs. It features a next level True HEPA filter with 4 additional filters to choose from. It’s quiet and well-designed and very easy to clean. Plus, it has an Activated Carbon filter as well as a Negative Ion Generator. All in all, it contains all the best features that you might need in an air purifier.
For me, this is definitely the best air purifier for a pet. However, all of these products on my list have received high praises and reviews from users all over the world, so you cannot make a mistake by purchasing any of them. In the end, it all depends on your needs. Before purchasing an air purifier, ask yourself how much coverage you will need, which features you will need, as well as the purpose for getting an air purifier since some of them have different filters for different purposes.
Once you know exactly what you need and are equipped with all this information, I'm sure you'll easily find the best air purifier for your pet.
