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Deal with pollen and pollution in 2020

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Experts say allergy season gets worse every year, but you can breathe easier with these popular devices.

Allergies are more annoying than usual lately, right? No really, it’s not your imagination — pollen season is getting worse every year, and air purifiers are now an essential home appliance.

Climate change is a huge factor that’s contributing to the worsening pollen seasons. Among the culprits are high temperatures and raised levels of carbon dioxide, both of which can affect the proteins in the pollen grains that cause these allergies. 

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation has even said that climate change is a “serious threat” to public health, citing longer allergy seasons and worsening air quality caused by rising temperatures. Allergies aren’t the only reason to invest in an air purifier, though. 

We know taking deep breaths is calming and all, and we don’t want to freak you out — but those big gulps of oxygen can potentially contain harmful dust, pollen, smoke particles, mould spores, and pet dander. There is a light at the end of this snot-filled tunnel, though. 

Eliminating these airborne particles is one way to cope with allergies and other respiratory issues — and there’s no better way to trap these pain-in-the-ass irritants than by using an air purifier with a HEPA filter. Plus, air purifiers are ace when it comes to ridding a space of animal smells like litter boxes and pet beds, as well as clearing the air of smoke stench from cigarettes or fires without opening a window. And no, getting an air freshener is not good enough.

We have tracked down some of the best air purifiers on the market for you to consider. Whether you need something small to take with you or you’re in the market for an air purifier that can handle the whole house, you’re covered. 

These are the best air purifiers in 2020.


Nice looking • Large coverage area • Automatically monitors and reacts to air quality • Control and monitor with app • Night mode • Voice control

Pretty expensive • Bulky

Just about as good as it gets, but is a little on the bulky and expensive side.

Philips Series 2000i

This well-reviewed air purifier cleans quicker than most and is aesthetically pleasing.

  • Dimensions:
    29.4 x 41.2 x 61.2 cm
  • Weight:
    7.7 kg
  • HEPA air filter:
    Yes
  • Coverage area:
    79 square metres
Philips makes TVs, electric shavers, speakers, headphones, and just about everything else in the world of consumer technology. It’s no surprise then that the top brand also has a popular air purifier.
The Philips Series 2000i reduces allergens, odours, VOCs, and even certain bacteria, with a pre-filter and true HEPA filter that remove particles from the air in your home. This model is perfect for medium to large rooms, and even has an allergen mode that’s great for those who are highly sensitive to allergens.
What sets this device apart from the competition is that it automatically monitors and purifies the air in your home, and the results can be tracked on the Air Matters app, which provides real-time air quality feedback. This device is on the expensive side, but not a lot of the competing options can do this.
The Philips Series 2000i air purifier has a rating of 4.4 stars from over 300 reviews.

Cheap • Three-year warranty • Three speed settings • Independent ioniser feature

No coverage area information

A surprising number of advanced features for such a cheap air purifier.

Silentnight 38060

This air purifier neutralises household odours including pet smells and cigarette smoke.

  • Dimensions:
    17 x 16 x 28 cm
  • Weight:
    2 kg
  • HEPA air filter:
    Yes
  • Coverage area:
    N/A
Silentnight is all about making sure you get a good night’s sleep, and this triple filtered air purifier does just that.
The Silentnight 38060 air purifier is capable of removing at least 99% of all airborne contaminants from the air including pollen, mould spores dander, and even odours. 
The three stage filter starts with a sponge layer that removes the larger particles, a HEPA filter that removes air smaller particles, and the final carbon filter that removes the last very fine particles that tend to carry those lingering smells. It can be set to run on a timer and has a sleep function that cuts out during the night once you are settled. 
The Silentnight 38060 air purifier has a rating of 4.4 stars from over 500 reviews. 

Desk sized but not too small • Highly effective for its size • Sleek cylindrical shape

Don’t let its small size fool you, because this Levoit air purifier is powerful enough to clean a whole room.

Levoit LV-H132

Small but mighty, this purifier is perfect for a desk or nightstand and powerful enough to clean a room.

  • Dimensions:
    21.6 x 21.6 x 36.8 cm
  • Weight:
    3 kg
  • HEPA air filter:
    Yes
  • Coverage area:
    8 square metres
For smaller rooms or offices, you might not need a massive cleaner that sits on the floor — but that doesn’t mean a mini one is your only other option. 
The Levoit LV-H132 air purifier is one of the sleekest little guys on the market, and though it’s small enough to sit on a desk, its cleaning capacity is massive. 
The three-stage filtration system apparently kills 99.7% of dust, pollen, and pet dander, including particles as small as 0.3 microns. It’s also 100% ozone free — this basically means that it does not use UV or ions, which produce trace amounts of measurable ozone. 
Overall, it has a 4.4 out of 5 star rating, from over 8,000 reviews.

Doubles as a heater and fan • Bladeless design is nearly silent • Alexa and app enabled

Pricey • No heat controls in app

It’s expensive, but the heating, cooling, and smart features make Dyson’s purifier a knockout year-round.

Dyson Pure Hot+Cool

Year-round temperature control, Alexa, and peace of mind makes Dyson worth the price tag.

  • Dimensions:
    24.8 x 20.5 x 76.4 cm
  • Weight:
    4.98 kg
  • HEPA air filter:
    Yes
  • Coverage area:
    37 square metres
Dyson rules the vacuum market (and now even the hair styling market), but its contribution to the world of air purifiers is just as impactful. 
The Dyson Pure Hot+Cool is truly aheads of its time, using bladeless Air Multiplier tech to circulate 99.97% pollutant-free air through the room. Dirty air is pulled in, sent through multiple diffusers and a HEPA filter, then pushed back out to give the room serious air flow. The hollow design may look complicated, but the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool is one of the simplest devices to use in the list.
A mini LCD screen on the front shows you the current status of your air, and the Dyson app gives detailed info on the quality of the air outside and the type of pollutants most affecting your home. If the app senses that polluted air increases in your home at a certain time of day, you can set timed cleaning schedules just as you would with a robot vacuum.
The effortless peace of mind is enough justification on its own, but the cooling fan and heater addition make it a year-round favorite. So yeah, you’re paying nearly £700, but you’re getting the best-of-the-best quality and three appliances in one. 
Overall, the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool has a 4.3 out of 5 star rating, from over 300 reviews.

SmartSensors gauge the room’s air quality • Large coverage area • Five stage cleaning

A smart sensor and multiple cleaning stages make the Winix a super hands-off cleaner, even in huge rooms.

Winix U450

This smart purifier senses the air quality in your biggest spaces and chooses the most suitable cleaning mode.

  • Dimensions:
    65 x 26 x 44 cm
  • Weight:
    8 kg
  • HEPA air filter:
    Yes
  • Coverage area:
    96 square metres
The Winix U450 air purifier is packed full of advanced features, but it’s the coverage area of this device that makes a big impression.
This popular air purifier might be a bit on the bulky side, but it provides five-stage control of household odours, smoke, pet dander, bacteria, viruses, pollutants, and allergens in areas as big as 96 square metres. That means it can handle even large bedrooms, family rooms, and kitchens.
Another impressive feature is the SmartSensor that automatically gauges the room’s air quality and adjusts the strength of filtration. The sleep mode also provides you with a quiet and clean environment at night.
The Winix U450 air purifier has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon.

Optional UV-C light mode • Slim enough to fit anywhere

If you can ignore the rumble, the PureMate kills pollutants while staying out of the way.

PureMate 5-in-1

One of the most purchased purifiers on Amazon fits in any corner and cleans with UV technology.

  • Dimensions:
    17 x 24 x 55 cm
  • Weight:
    4.4 kg
  • HEPA air filter:
    Yes
  • Coverage area:
    32 square metres
The name PureMate may seem corny, but this device really could be your best friend. 
The HEPA filter captures 99.97% of allergens like household dust, pet dander, mold spores, and plant pollens, even as small as 0.3 microns. For rooms that need a heavy-duty cleaning, the UV light technology sanitises air by working with Titanium Dioxide to kill airborne bacteria, viruses, germs, and mold spores.
Not only is it cleaning the air by trapping particles you can’t even see, but it’s making it smell better, too. The filter battles odours like cigarette smoke, litter boxes, or overly-smelly furnaces to provide a fresher feel every time you walk into the room. Though it sits on the floor, it’s slim enough to be tucked in a corner, in between furniture, or somewhere else out of the way.
Overall, the PureMate 5-in-1 has a 4.3 out of 5 star rating from over 200 reviews.

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