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An air purifier can increase the air quality in your home and help you breathe better. If you’re prone to allergies or often irritated by smoke and pet dander, an air purifier can help make your home more comfortable. It can be difficult to choose one, however – there are a lot of factors to consider, including effective rate, room size, and operation noise.

To bring you these recommendations, we tested air purifiers from all corners of the internet. We tested them against their manufacturer’s rating, determining how well they worked (or didn’t), and narrowed down our options to these great products below. We assessed key performance metrics like room size, effectiveness against different types of particles, and more.

These are the best air purifiers in Canada. You’re sure to find one that fits your family’s needs!

Best Air Purifiers for Canadians

Why Did We Choose These Air Purifiers in Canada?

After our evaluations, we choose categories for each of the air purifiers on our list. Each was chosen based on how the purifier performed, and which options worked best on each machine. Here is why each one made our list.

The Levoit True HEPA Air Purifier is our best choice overall for air purifiers in Canada. Its multiple replacement filter options and room size variability make it a great choice for most users.

The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH True HEPA Purifier works quietly. You can barely hear it when you’re in the same room, and it sounds no louder than a whisper on its lowest fan setting. For these reasons, it’s the best air purifier in Canada for quiet operation.

Levoit’s Vital 100 Cool Gray True HEPA Air Purifier is the best budget option on our list. It offers great functionality for a lower price than most of the other options on our list. You’ll save money without skimping on quality.

Sometimes, you’ll want your air purifier to run for a set period. Instead of remembering to shut it off every time, you can set a timer to make the process automated. The Medify MA-25 Air Purifier has the best timer on our list. Instead of pre-setting options, you can set it for multiple lengths of time between 0 and 8 hours.

The IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier is one of the best medical-grade purifiers in Canada. It’s certainly the best on our list recommended for commercial use, and it works well in your home as well. This large air purifier is more effective than most of the other purifiers we looked at, too.

Since your air purifier is going to be on for hours at a time, you’ll want to monitor energy consumption. The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier has a very low energy consumption compared to some of the other models we’ve looked at, so you’ll spend less keeping it on during the day.

Best Overall

Levoit True HEPA Air Purifier

Levoit Air Purifiers for Home Allergies and Pets in Bedroom, H13 True HEPA Filter Air Purifier Removes 99.97% Smoke Dust Pollen,Odor,Air Cleaner for Large Room, 4 Kinds of Filter Replacement,Core 300

Features:

It's Great For:

The Levoit True HEPA Air Purifier sits at the top of our list. It’s the best air purifier in Canada overall because of its features, filtration stages, and customizable filter options. You’ll find that this purifier works well in small spaces, including offices, some bedrooms, and bathrooms. Rooms of about 219ft2 refresh up to five times every hour, while larger rooms (up to 547ft2) refresh about twice per hour.

Levoit’s three-stage filter helps remove dust, pollen, smoke, and other allergens. The first layer is a pre-filter, which works to remove dust, lint, hair, fur, and fibers from the air. The middle filtration stage removes finer particles, such as smoke, mold, dust, and pollen. Finally, your air passes through the inner activated carbon filter, which works to remove odours, fumes, and VOCs. This filtration system allows the purifier to be up to 99.97% effective at filtering airborne particles down to 0.3 microns in size.

When you’re ready to change the filter, there are several different options. You can choose the original filter, as well as a Pet Allergy filter that filters pet dander and fur. There’s a Toxin Absorber Filter that removes VOCs, smoke, and smog, and a mold filter that filters out mold spores.

Each of them works well with this Levoit purifier. The top of the purifier features several controls, including a display light, four different timer settings, three fan speeds, and a sleep mode. It will tell you when it’s time to change the filter. You can also lock the display when you’re not using it, preventing your kids from changing the settings.

This quiet air purifier can keep most of your rooms fresh and odour-free. It’s great for those with allergies, especially due to the large range of particles that it filters out of your air.

The Highlights:

The Levoit True HEPA Air Purifier has four possible filter replacement options, including the original filter, a pet allergy filter, a toxin absorber filter, and a mold filter. You can choose which one to replace depending on your needs. It also has a quiet sleep mode, which reduces the noise level drastically when activated. In rooms of about 219ft2 in size, this purifier refreshes the air about five times per hour. Larger rooms (547ft2) get refreshed about two times per hour. Regardless of which type of filter you choose, the filter has three stages: a pre-filter, a HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter.

  • Four replacement filter options
  • Quiet sleep mode
  • Refreshes air 5 times per hour in 219ft2 and 2 times per hour in 547ft2
  • Three-stage filtration system

From the Test Lab

“Levoit’s air purifier works extremely quietly in sleep mode. Our testers could barely tell it was on. The filtration in a small office space worked really quickly to clear smoke and dust.”

Best Quiet Operation

Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Air Purifier​

Coway Airmega AP-1512HH(W) True HEPA Purifier with Air Quality Monitoring, Auto, Timer, Filter Indicator, and Eco Mode, White

Features:

It's Great For:

The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH(W) True HEPA Purifier offers some of the quietest operations on our list. The lower fan speeds only put out about 24dB, which makes it ideal for sleeping and other quiet activities. The four-stag filtration system is unique, even among the other purifiers on our list. This unit is powerful enough to quickly purify up to 361 square feet.

There are five different fan speeds you can choose, including three stages, an eco-mode, and an automatic mode. The eco-mode automatically shuts the purifier off if it senses that there are no allergens in the air for 30 minutes. This saves you energy and helps the machine run better, and longer. The automatic function automatically changes the fan speed based on the level of pollution detected. This purifier can make micro-adjustments so you don’t have to.

If those modes don’t work for you, you can also use the timer feature. This allows you to set the machine to run for 1, 4, or 8 hours before automatically shutting off. A filter indicator light helps remind you to replace the filter when it becomes less effective.

The four-stage filtration system includes a pre-filter, a deodorization filter (which is made of activated carbon), a True HEPA filter, and a Vital Ion filter. This last filter is only used when the ionizer option is selected from the control panel. While some users don’t like using an ionizer, it can help add another layer of purification to your indoor air.

This medium-sized air purifier works well for most rooms, especially smaller spaces like offices and smaller bedrooms. The eco and auto fan modes make it easy to set the purifier up and walk away. You know it’s doing the best it can to produce clean indoor air.

The Highlights:

The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH(W) True HEPA Purifier offers an eco-mode that activates when the purifier detects no motion for 30 minutes. This helps conserve energy and prevents the purifier from running needlessly. It has 3 different manual fan modes, but it also includes an automatic fan mode that changes based on indoor air quality. You can monitor the indoor air quality with the LED light on the purifier, which constantly scans and gives you real-time feedback. When in use, your air runs through a 4-stage filtration system. This includes a pre-filter, a deodorization filter, a True HEPA filter, and a Vital Ion filter.

  • Eco-mode helps conserve energy
  • Auto fan mode and 3 manual stages
  • 4 stage filtration system
  • Air-quality monitoring LED light

From the Test Lab

“The Coway Airmega is really good at reducing odours, especially cooking odours! We loved the active feedback on air quality, and the auto-mode on the fan helped keep quality up throughout the test.”

Best Budget

Levoit Vital 100 Air Purifier​

LEVOIT Air Purifiers for Home Large Room with H13 True HEPA Filter Cleaner for Allergies and Pets, Smokers, Mold, Pollen, Dust, Quiet Odor Eliminators for Bedroom, Vital 100, Gray

Features:

It's Great For:

The Levoit Vital 100 Cool Gray True HEPA air purifier won’t break the bank, but it delivers amazing performance regardless. Clearly, Levoit doesn’t sacrifice quality for a lower price. This purifier is extremely portable and works great in rooms of different sizes. Even in larger rooms, it just takes a little longer to work. Because it’s still effective in those spaces, it’s an invaluable option for those who have homes with various room sizes.

Though it comes at a budget price compared to some of the other options on our list, it works quickly to purify the air in your room. The first fan speed can fully improve indoor air in a room up to 300 square feet in as little as 18 minutes. A room of about 500 square feet can be purified in about 30 minutes, and a larger room (up to 975 square feet) is finished in about an hour.

The three-stage filtration system includes a washable pre-filter to catch larger particles like fur, lint, and larger pieces of dust. The middle filter is an activated carbon filter, which helps to reduce odours from pets, cooking, and more. This layer also takes care of smoke, fumes, and certain VOCs that can harm your indoor air quality.

The final layer of filtration is an H13 True HEPA Filter, which works to catch smaller particles like pollen, pet dander, and mold. It catches particles down to 0.3 microns in size, which is about standard for a purifier of this size and power.

This is a great air purifier for pet owners, as it helps catch fur and dander. It also helps filter odours away, which works well for pets and smokers. If smells from your kitchen usually linger, this purifier can help remove those odours. The high volume of air it can move and the way it handles most particles makes it a great addition to any household.

The Highlights:

Levoit’s Vital 100 Cool Gray True HEPA Air Purifier includes a washable pre-filter as part of the three-stage filtration system. It works in smaller rooms or larger rooms, though it works at different rates for rooms of different sizes. There are three fan speeds to choose from depending on the size of the room. This purifier works well for pet dander and fur. Washing the pre-filter often can help remove these fibres from your air.

  • Washable pre-filter helps improve filter lifespan
  • Works in smaller and larger rooms at varying speeds
  • Three fan speeds
  • Works well for pet dander

From the Test Lab

“We tested this purifier in three different room sizes, based on manufacturer recommendations. It worked within the allotted time for each test! It’ll work great in small or large rooms!”

Best Timer

Medify MA-25 Air Purifier​

Medify MA-25 Air Purifier with H13 True HEPA Filter | 500 sq ft Coverage | for Allergens, Smoke, Smokers, Dust, Odors, Pollen, Pet Dander | Quiet 99.9% Removal to 0.1 Microns | Black, 1-Pack

Features:

It's Great For:

Sometimes, you need to run your air purifier for just a few hours. While most air purifiers have a timer, it usually has three or four preset options and no way to customize it. The Medify MA-25 air purifier, on the other hand, has a customizable system that allows you to set any increment between 0 and 8 hours. You can run this timer for 3 hours or 5 hours without having to set the timer twice. It’s very useful for Canadians who want to use their air purifier for nonstandard lengths of time.

However, this amazing timer is just one of the features that the Medify MA-25 offers. It works in various room sizes, ranging from 500 square feet (where it is most effective and can filter the entire room in just 30 minutes) to 1,000 square feet, which only takes the purifier an hour. This is an amazing power rating, especially for a non-commercial purifier!

What’s more, the three fan speeds are all pretty quiet despite the power in this machine. The lowest fan speed is about 35dB, which isn’t bad for sleeping or talking in the same room. It only ever gets as loud as 51dB, which still isn’t too terrible. You wouldn’t want to use the higher fan speed if you’re trying to watch TV in the same room, though.

This purifier uses a three-stage filtration system with new HEPA filtration technology. A pre-filter catches larger particles, including dust and hair. The second layer is an H13 HEPA filter, which can catch particles down to 0.1 microns in size. This includes pollen, dander, and much more. Finally, an activated carbon filter helps remove odours, so your home always smells fresh and clean. This special HEPA filter is rated to catch dust, smoke, asbestos, lead dust, mold, dust mites, and bacteria.

Altogether, this air purifier works great for rooms of nearly any size. Its powerful filtration systems help greatly improve your indoor air quality no matter where you decide to put it.

The Highlights:

Medify’s MA-25 Air Purifier uses a different HEPA filter than most purifiers. Instead of H11, this purifier uses H13 HEPA filters. This means that it works for smaller particles, down to 0.1 microns. Combined with the three-stage filtration options, this filter can take care of most particles that cause allergic reactions. It’s extremely powerful too, which means that it works for larger rooms and smaller ones. If you have rooms up to 1,000ft2, this is the air purifier for you. The timer allows you to customize the run time up to 8 hours, so you can have it running all day.

  • HEPA H13 filter catches particles down to 0.1 microns
  • Customizable timer from 0-8 hours
  • Three-stage filtration works for most particles
  • Works for larger rooms too

From the Test Lab

“This air purifier works great in larger rooms. We tested it in a variety of room sizes, and it worked well for larger rooms for over an hour. You could feel the difference!”

Best Medical Grade

IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier​

IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier - Medical Grade H14 HyperHEPA filter for home large room, Air Cleaner for Viruses, Bacteria, Allergens, Asthma Triggers, Smoke, Mold, Pets, Dust, Odor, Swiss Made, White

Features:

It's Great For:

The IQAir HealthPro Plus air purifier is a medical-grade air purifier. It works more efficiently in larger spaces and uses more advanced filters to remove smaller particles from your air. Whether you’re using it at work or home, this air purifier is sure to change the way you breathe. It includes a controller for its multiple settings and wheels that make it easy to move around.

This air purifier works in rooms up to 1,125 square feet, making it a great option for larger rooms (or your whole home). It uses an advanced, commercial 3-stage filtration system to achieve quick results. The first layer of defense is the PreMax Pre-Filter, which removes dust, mold, and other allergy triggers. This only layer will make breathing easier for most users.

The middle layer is a V5-Cell Filter. This filter works like a giant activated carbon unit, capturing odours and gas so they don’t circulate back through your air. Your cooking smells or pet odours are no match for this powerful middle filter. Finally, the last filter your air passes through before being released back into the air is the HyperHEPA filter. This professional-grade filter box protects against particles down to 0.003 microns, a hundred times smaller than the other filters on our list. This layer effectively filters out pet dander, soot, smoke, and other airborne particles that can affect your body.

This air purifier is well-sealed and includes a high-volume fan that delivers high CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) Ratings. Plus, it’s energy-efficient – you’ll only use 27 watts at the lowest operating speed. That’s much less than other options on their lowest speeds.

Finally, the EvenFlow Diffuser keeps the machine silent and doesn’t create a draft. It distributes air evenly in all directions from the top of the unit, so there’s no best place to sit to enjoy the effects.

The Highlights:

IQAir’s HealthPro Plus air purifier uses medical-grade features like the HyperHEPA filter to keep your home or office air clean. This filter removes ultrafine particles down to 0.003 microns. This is about 100 times more effective than any of the other air purifiers on our list. It’s a great option for commercial or home use. You can use it at your office or home. Either way, it purifies a large area effectively. There are wheels on the bottom so you can easily move it from one room to the next. There are four available fan speeds. No matter the speed, the fan operates quietly due to a diffuser that helps reduce noise.

  • HyperHEPA filter traps ultrafine particles
  • Extremely high effectiveness compared to others
  • Four fan speeds with a diffuser for noise
  • Wheels for easy portability

From the Test Lab

“This feels like equipment a hospital might have. It operates quietly for quick results, and we could all tell a difference after a few minutes of using it.”

Best Energy Consumption

Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier​

Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier 3 Stage with Two Washable Pre-Filters, Particle, Carbon Filter, Captures Allergens, Odors, Smoke, Mold, Dust, Germs, Pets, Smokers

Features:

It's Great For:

The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ air purifier is a great option for those with larger spaces. Rooms up to 540 square feet can benefit from the use of this air purifier, which works quickly to filter your air and get your room feeling and smelling fresh. When it comes to effectiveness, this option is near the top of our list. With a 99.97% removal rate and the ability to remove particles down to 0.1 microns, this purifier is effective at removing most allergens and odours from your home.

This air purifier is unique in a few ways, including the way it handles its filtration system. The three-stage filtration system starts with the external prefilter. You can order different colours to personalize the look of your system, as the prefilter makes part of the outside casing. There are six options available, including white, black, blue, yellow, pink, and grey. You might think that the customizable part of this filter means that it’s less effective, but that’s not the case. The pre-filter has a fabric element to it, which keeps larger hair, dust mites, and fur out of the rest of the system.

The second system includes a particle filter, which helps remove most allergens and irritants. After passing through this layer, your air is pushed through a carbon filter that eliminates odours and bacteria. This layer also removes smoke from your air.

It operates quietly, too. The lowest fan speed is only about 31 decibels, which is quiet enough to sleep, read, or watch TV. It uses less power on average than most of the other purifiers on our list, too – you’ll only use about 30 to 60 watts while running the machine.

The Highlights:

The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier operates quietly at most fan speeds, with the highest setting capped at 56dB. It’s quiet enough to watch a movie or hold a conversation while it’s running. The pre-filter forms part of the exterior casing, and it comes in multiple colours to help you customize the way your purifier looks. At the same time, it works quickly: a high CADR rating means that your air is purified faster in larger spaces. This air purifier can handle spaces up to 540 square feet, so most large bedrooms, living rooms, and open floor plans can use it.

  • Quiet operation
  • Colourful pre-filter options
  • High CADR rating for faster purification
  • Works well in larger spaces

From the Test Lab

“Blueair’s Blue Pure 211+ purifier worked well in every test we put it through. It worked quickly even in our largest test spaces, especially for odours and dust.”

Why Trust Us?


Each of the air purifiers on our list has undergone extensive testing in our Canadian labs. We’ve examined every detail and setting so you know which purifier will work best for you. The performance settings we look at to determine a place on our list are as follows:

  • Filtration Levels. Each air purifier uses a unique filter. Many of these filters have multi-stage filtration and each level filters out different particles. We’ve looked at how each filter works, what particles it filters out, and how effective it is overall.
  • Noise Level. Some air purifiers can be extremely loud. No one wants to deal with a noisy appliance, especially if it’s going to be on for several hours a day. Some of the purifiers on our list run extremely quietly in different modes (especially in ‘sleep mode’, if applicable). Still, the noise level was one of the things we carefully monitored as we tested these purifiers.
  • Room Size. How large are your rooms? Different purifiers work best in rooms of different sizes. We tested each purifier in the room it is rated to see how effective it would be as the room size changed. We learned that most room size ratings are fairly accurate and should be heeded.
  • Effectiveness. Each air purifier has an effectiveness rating from the manufacturer, as well as a rating for particle size. We tested these features as we evaluated each air purifier. Each purifier on our list met the effectiveness ratings from the manufacturer.  

How to Choose an Air Purifier for Canadians

Your indoor air quality is important if you want to keep your family healthy and safe. If you suffer from allergies or often have lingering cooking odours, an air purifier can help. Not all air purifiers are created equal, though. Here is how you can choose the best air purifier for you in Canada.

The Benefits of Using an Air Purifier

Air purifiers can greatly increase your indoor air quality, leading to reduced allergens, odours, smoke, and dust.

Here are some of the benefits of using an air purifier like the ones on our list:

  • They can help you breathe easier. Those who suffer from allergies or asthma usually respond to particles in the air. When you increase your indoor air quality and filter out common allergens, those in your home can breathe a little better.
  • They can reduce household odours. Sometimes, cooking odours can linger. Pet odours and odours from smoke are usually filtered out by air purifiers, especially those with an activated carbon filter.
  • They can remove VOCs. VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, are harmful chemicals that occur in household items. Some foam mattresses, curtains, cleaners, fabrics, and flooring (among many others) contain VOCs due to the way they are manufactured. An air purifier can reduce or remove VOCs from your home air supply.

HEPA Filters

Most of the air purifiers on our list use HEPA filters. HEPA filters remove up to 99.7% of allergens from the air in your home. Most HEPA filters are rated to remove particles up to 0.3 microns in size. The filters hold onto these particles, permanently removing them from your air supply.

Though HEPA filters don’t work for larger particles or odours, they work well with multi-layer filtration systems that take these into account. HEPA filters can remove dust, pollen, mould spores, bacteria, allergens, and dust mites from the air, trapping them so they don’t get back into your home.

Air Purifier Performance Areas

When evaluating which air purifier you should purchase, consider the following performance areas. These options should help you choose the right air purifier for your home.

CADR Rating

A CADR Rating helps determine how quickly an air purifier works in rooms of certain sizes. The CADR, or ‘Clean Air Delivery Rate’, is used as a standard to help gauge how effective air purifiers are. While not all air purifiers advertise their CADR rating, you want as high a CADR rating as possible.

Usually, a CADR rating results in three different numbers. Air purifiers have different rates depending on the type of particles being filtered. These assessments give you scores for smoke, pollen, and dust. These differently-sized particles are purified at different rates, so all three of these scores should be taken into account.

You should be able to tell how large a room a purifier can handle based on the CADR score as well. While the CADR Rating is a system that operates primarily in the US, Canadians can benefit from the rating system.

Room Size

Room size is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing an air purifier. CADR ratings can determine how quickly your air purifier will effectively cleanse your room, but there are other factors to consider as well.

Some air purifiers won’t be effective in larger rooms. Further, using a smaller purifier in a larger room might overwork the machine. You should determine the size of the room you want to use it in. Once you’ve figured that out, choose an air purifier that is rated for a slightly larger room. It’s important to underestimate the capacity of your purifier. It will extend its life and make sure that your room is purified quickly.

If you want to ensure that your air is as pure as possible, try to avoid using your air purifier in the room size it is rated for. While these ratings are based on a battery of scientific tests, they are usually performed over short periods of time. You’ll likely want to run your air purifier more often, so you should consider purchasing a unit with a higher CADR rating then your space requires.

Noise Level

Whether you want to use the air purifier as you sleep or you want to watch TV in the same room, the noise level can be a concern. Most air purifiers have quieter modes, but some can be very loud. On the highest setting, you probably won’t be able to watch TV in the same room without turning it up.

However, most air purifiers on our list have a rating (presented in decibels) for how loud the air purifier runs. If noise is a concern, choose one with a lower decibel level. The mid-20s is a great level for lower fan speeds, and up to 55 for higher speeds is great as well.

Replacement Filters

Before you decide on an air purifier purchase, you should consider what the replacement filters will cost. All air purifiers require replacement filters. Most should be listed alongside the purifier so you can check your prices and options. Note that some air purifiers offer multiple replacement options. These options may help your air purifier work better against pet dander, toxins, and more.

Consider which replacement filters are available in Canada as well. Some air purifiers are sold here but the replacement filters must be shipped from other countries. This can lead to extremely high shipping costs, so make sure to check it out before you make a decision.

Further Considerations

With most of the basic options out of the way, here are some optional features you should consider.

  • Controls. The control panel allows you to change all of the available settings on your purifier. You’ll want to go with easy-to-use touch controls on a large top panel. Some purifiers have remote controls, which help you keep on top of your settings while you’re across the room.
  • Sensors. Air purifiers have sensors to track certain things, like air quality and filter life. Some machines use these sensors to tell the machine when to turn off, increase the fan speed, and more. You should choose an air purifier with sensors for both filter life and air quality, as it will help you in the long run.
  • Ionizers. An ionizer is sometimes included with an air purifier. This feature helps neutralize pollutants and contaminants using static. Once these particles are affected by the ionizer, they stick to the nearest surface. Now, you can wipe them away. Instead of breathing them in, you’ll be able to remove them from your environment. Users have different opinions on ionizers, but it’s a great feature to look for if you’re interested.
  • Sleep Mode. Sleep mode is a feature that, when activated, makes the purifier quieter and turns off all indicator and display lights. If you want the purifier to keep working when you’re sleeping, you should look for this option. You will sleep more peacefully when it’s activated.
  • Display Lock. Children and pets can sometimes change the settings on touch controls. Not only do you have to readjust your settings, but it might be a while before you notice something is different. There are multiple safety concerns that can arise from unlocked controls, so make sure to consider a locking display or control panel for homes with kids and pets. A display lock can temporarily turn the control panel off, so you can’t change the settings until you unlock it.

Frequently Asked Questions

You should place an air purifier close to where you’re sitting or laying down. You want it as close to you as possible. The best air purifiers in Canada work best at close range, where you can get all of the great benefits.

This depends on the size of your room and how efficient the air purifier is. In smaller rooms, an air purifier may take about 30 minutes to fully purify your air. In larger rooms, it may be a few hours. You can improve the time by buying an air purifier rated for a larger room.

To keep your home fresh and your air clean all year round, you should run your air purifier for about 12 hours a day. You can run it around the clock if you want, even when you’re sleeping.

An air purifier removes dust, allergens, and odours from your home’s air. A humidifier, on the other hand, helps control humidity levels. It has no impact on air quality or allergens. Choose the one that works for your needs.