*CADR is Clean Air Delivery Rate. CADR of your air purifier should be equal to at least two-thirds of the room’s area. For example, a room with the dimensions of 10 feet by 12 feet has an area of 120 square feet. It would be best to have an air cleaner with a smoke CADR of at least 80. Read more about CADR here.

Alen 45i

The Alen 45i stands out with its advanced HEPA filter, specifically designed to trap pet dander and neutralize pet odors effectively. This model operates silently, ensuring no disturbances.

For the Alen 45i, the filter change is recommended every 9 to 12 months for optimal efficiency in odor elimination. This prolonged filter life aids in lower maintenance efforts and costs, ensuring the unit operates at peak performance with minimal hassle. The maintenance requirements for the Alen 45i include regular filter replacements and cleaning of the external surface to keep it dust-free. Despite its high efficiency, the Alen 45i is energy-efficient, consuming only 50 watts of power, making it a cost-effective option in the long run, and it’s Energy Star rated, ensuring it meets the energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Efficient and robust, the Alen 45i is a premium choice for comprehensive odor elimination in larger spaces, providing excellent value for its cost.

Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0

The Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0 is equipped with a Charcoal-Based Activated Carbon filter that ensures a fresh and clean breathing environment by effectively removing pet odors.

The Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0 has a filter that should be replaced every 18 to 24 months, ensuring the air purifier continues to eliminate odors effectively. Regular maintenance for the Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0 is straightforward; it involves checking the filter’s condition every few months and cleaning the pre-filter to maintain optimal performance. This air purifier is designed for energy efficiency with a power consumption of just 29 watts, contributing to lower energy bills while keeping your space odor-free. The Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0 is also an Energy Star-rated product, emphasizing its commitment to energy efficiency.

With its silent operation and medium-range price, the Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0 stands as a reliable and efficient choice for moderate-sized spaces.

Honeywell HPA200

The Honeywell HPA200 is known for its powerful odor-eliminating capacities and affordable pricing.

The Honeywell HPA200 requires filter replacement approximately every 12 months to maintain its efficacy in odor elimination. Maintenance for the Honeywell HPA200 is minimal, involving regular filter changes and occasional cleaning of the unit to ensure it remains in good working condition. The Honeywell HPA200 consumes 40 watts of power, making it a relatively energy-efficient choice for odor elimination in medium to large spaces. However, it’s important to note that this model is not Energy Star rated, so it may not meet the energy efficiency standards set by some other models.

A cost-effective solution, the Honeywell HPA200 efficiently cleans the air in medium to large rooms, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious consumers.

Levoit Core 300

A more budget-friendly option, the Levoit Core 300 still delivers reliable performance in combating odors.

The Levoit Core 300 recommends changing the filter every 6 to 8 months to ensure consistent and effective odor elimination. Its maintenance is hassle-free, requiring only regular filter changes and wiping down the unit to keep it clean and efficient. With an energy usage of 45 watts, the Levoit Core 300 is reasonably efficient, ensuring it won’t significantly impact your energy bills while keeping your environment fresh and clean. However, similar to the Honeywell HPA300, the Levoit Core 300 is not Energy Star rated.

Despite its lower price, the Levoit Core 300 doesn’t compromise on performance, making it suitable for smaller spaces and tighter budgets.

Winix 5500-2

The Winix 5500-2 offers unique features and technologies to neutralize pet odors effectively.

For the Winix 5500-2, filter replacement is typically needed every 12 months to ensure the unit continues to effectively eliminate odors. Maintenance requirements for the Winix 5500-2 include regular checks on the filter’s status and cleaning the pre-filter, maintaining the unit’s efficiency in odor control. The energy consumption of the Winix 5500-2 is 70 watts, a bit higher compared to other models, but its effectiveness and Energy Star rating make it a worthy investment for efficient odor elimination in your home.

The Winix 5500-2 combines affordability with efficiency, ensuring cleaner and fresher air quality in small to medium-sized rooms.

Choose the Right Odor-Fighting Air Purifier

Purifiers are powerful appliances that filter odors out of the air. This makes them perfect for situations where it may not be possible to completely control the source of the bad smell. Sure, you may have a diaper pail or may scoop the cat litter box every day, but your diaper pail doesn’t seal in 100% of the odors, and you can’t scoop the litter box every 10 minutes. In these situations, an air purifier is an excellent complement to the cleaning that you’re already doing.

Air purifiers work at removing odors by using one of two key methods: either adsorbing the odors or neutralizing the odors. The two key components for this are activated carbon or an odor-neutralizing compound. In each situation, a part of your filter is slowly being used up in the process.

The HEPA layer in your air purifier is kind of like a net. Although it gets plugged up over time, it can continue to capture some particles even after it’s time to replace the filter, it will just do it less efficiently.

However, the odor removal component of your filter is like baking soda in a fridge. Once the baking soda has fully reacted, it’s no longer able to remove odors. This is why it’s important to choose an air filter equipped with odor-fighting technology, such as the Alen BreatheSmart 75i with the TrueHEPA OdorCell filter.

Budget Solutions Deliver Less Effective Results

When choosing an air purifier to remove odors, you need a large volume of activated carbon or odor-neutralizing compounds in order for it to be effective for an extended period of time. A thin activated carbon pre-filter simply won’t have the capacity necessary to absorb odors for very long. While your filter may be rated at 12 months, the odor removal capability may be completely gone after only 1 month if you go with a low-cost solution.

Lower-cost units under $150 rarely come with a large volume of activated carbon or odor neutralizing powder, and are therefore not effective for an extended period of time. If you have a serious odor concern, you’ll need to change your filter much more frequently or upgrade to a unit with a large capacity filter.

What Type of Odor Are You Looking to Remove?

The best odor-removing air purifier for you will depend heavily on what type and amount of odor you are removing. We weigh in on a few possible odor concerns below:

• Pet Odor: Air filters are great for pet allergies & dander, but may not have a significant volume of odor-removal compounds. If you’re looking for an air purifier that will eliminate pet-specific odors, you’ll want a unit that expressly states it removes pet odor. See more specific pet air purifier recommendations here.
• Chemical Odor: Concerned about chemical odors from cleaning products, building materials, or other sources? Odors produced by chemical compounds or VOCs are best removed by air purifiers with large volumes of activated carbon. Remove chemical odors with these air purifiers.
• Smoke Odor: Smoke odor can come from multiple sources, such as cigarettes, wildfires, and wood-burning stoves. Depending on the type of smoke and your proximity to it, you may want a unit that will also remove smoke-related chemicals, not just the ash and soot. Take a look at our solutions for cigarette smoke and wildfire smoke.
• Diaper Odor/Body Odor: Are you dealing with diaper odors or even body odor? Children and teenagers can produce all kinds of unpleasant smells. If you want your home to smell fresh and clean, consider investing in air purifiers for your home.