Need to know
- Our experts tested 54 air purifiers from brands including Samsung, Dyson, Kogan, Ikea, Breville, Philips and more to help you decide which is the best to buy
- We score how well they remove dust, smoke and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air, as well as how energy efficient and quiet they are, and how easy they are to use
- Consider joining CHOICE to see our full reviews and the best performers
Thinking of buying an air purifier to help your family breathe a little easier? CHOICE experts recommend you avoid these ones like the plague.
Our expert testers have seen plenty of good options on the market, but we've encountered some models that performed so poorly you may as well be watching your cash disappear into thin air.
Considering the cost of air purifiers, their poor performance is especially disappointing. Many people with allergies, asthma or respiratory issues rely on air purifiers to improve their quality of life by filtering out dust, pollen, smoke and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the home.
Some models perform so poorly you may as well be watching your cash disappear into thin air
Some people are also turning to air purifiers as a way to help keep the air in their homes clear of germs associated with viruses such as COVID-19 (a job air purifiers can indeed do, although with limitations – find out more about how effective air purifiers are against viruses and germs).
We don't want you to end up with a dud buy, so here are the products that scored lowest in our lab tests. Consider becoming a CHOICE member to see the best performers.
The worst performing air purifier in CHOICE testing
The Greentech Pure Air 500: so bad we gave it a Shonky Award.
An air purifier literally has one job: to purify the air.
Even the poorest-performing air purifiers generally take care of some indoor air pollutants, but one model we tested in 2020 was so bad at its job that we gave it a Shonky Award.
The Greentech Pure Air 500 scored just 19% in our lab testing, failing at removing dust, smoke and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It also underwhelmed our testers with its energy efficiency (or rather, lack thereof).
And the price for this non-purifying air purifier? A whopping $630.
"This and the other GreenTech model we tested performed so poorly that we basically couldn't detect them doing anything at all," says CHOICE household goods expert Chris Barnes.
Fortunately these models have been discontinued, although they're still floating around for sale online. And while we haven't seen any others quite this bad since, there are plenty of air purifiers on the market that aren't great at their job either. Here are the ones to avoid buying.
Other poor performers
These models weren't quite as terrible as the Greentech, but they definitely won't blow you away. And while they all come in under the $250 mark, they're anything but a bargain. Our experts don't recommend them.
Breville The Easy Air Connect Purifier LAP158
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 42%
- Performance score: 25%
- Price: $249
Air Purifiers Australia AD-06
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 42%
- Performance score: 30%
- Price: $239
Ikea UPPATVIND PI-396400-1
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 43%
- Performance score: 32%
- Price: $49
Heller Air Sense HAP60
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 43%
- Performance score: 31%
- Price: $119
CHOICE household expert Chris Barnes shares tips on what to look for in an air purifier.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
