For many, home air purification is a luxury. It just "feels nice" to live in a home with that fresh smell of clean air. For others, thanks to a variety of health conditions, having allergen-free air is a necessity, where even small reductions in air quality can wreak havoc on lungs, eyes, and even mental states.
For that camp, considering a medical-grade HEPA air purifier for the home is wise. Below we've reviewed and compared the most popular medical grade air purifiers that can be used at home and ranked them based on their performance relative to room size and cost.
We've focused particularly on their verified filtration capability according to the US EPA's Energystar program for air cleaning devices, as well as the third-party rating agency AHAM Verifide. These machines will give you proven performance with long warranties. We’ve also put together a list of things to look out for when making your decision over which is best, along with the answers to some common questions.
Let’s get straight into it by looking at our winning pick.
Table of Contents
- The Winner: IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier
- Here’s How We’ve Determined the Best Medical Grade HEPA Air Purifier
- #1: IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier (Best Value)
- #2: Fellowes AeraMax 300 (Best Machine)
- #3: SilverOnyx Air Purifier (Best for Bedrooms)
- #4: Okaysou AirMax8L Air Purifier (Best Low Cost)
- #5: Medify MA-40-W V2.0 Air Purifier (Best for Large Rooms)
- Budget Options
- Verdict: Your Best Medical Grade HEPA Air Purifier
- What Should I Look for When Buying a Medical Grade HEPA Air Purifier?
- Is a Medical Grade HEPA Air Purifier Definitely Right For You?
- FAQ #1: What is a medical-grade HEPA filter?
- FAQ #2: How long do H13 HEPA filters last?
- FAQ #3: Can I wash an H13 HEPA filter?
The Winner: IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier
The IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier is no ordinary air purifier. Covering a space of 1,125 square feet and clean all of the air in a room three times per hour. Most importantly, however, it’s capable of capturing ultrafine particles as small as 0.003 microns: That means particles 100 times smaller than a standard HEPA filter.
The IQair HealthPro Plus has four fan speeds, and comes with a 10-year warranty: More than you'll see on any air purifier for the home.
Here’s How We’ve Determined the Best Medical Grade HEPA Air Purifier
Since there are so many different medical-grade air purifiers out there, we took certain things into consideration when choosing our pick of the best. We looked at how each of them might suit a different circumstance, the price point of each of them compared to their features, and, most importantly, real-life performance as verified by independent testing.
#1: IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier (Best Value)
We’ve briefly explored some of the things that the IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier has to offer, but let’s take a deeper look at them now. As we’ve mentioned above, it is capable of covering a space measuring up to 1,125 square feet. This makes it ideal for larger rooms and open-plan spaces.
It features an IQAir exclusive HyperHEPA filter. This is capable of capturing ultrafine particles as small as 0.003 microns - that’s 10x smaller than a virus! It also filters dust, pollen, smoke, pet dander, mold spores, and eliminates odors from your home in the process. The filter lasts for a really long time as well, with the average lifespan being 4 years and 2 months before it needs to be replaced.
A patented EvenFlow Diffuser provides 320-degree air delivery for a more efficient performance while keeping the noise levels low. It doesn’t produce any annoying drafts either.
The triple-seal technology eliminates any air escaping from the unit before it’s been processed, too. This also keeps the filter sealed perfectly into the frame, ensuring everything is completely airtight while the air purifier is running.
This is a highly energy-efficient air purifier too and uses only 27-watts at its lowest speed and 215-watts at its highest. This helps to keep both your carbon footprint and your energy bills low.
It is worth noting that this air purifier is quite large. It measures in at 28-inch by 15-inch by 16-inch, but this is simply due to the fact it can clean the air in such a large space.
The reviews for the IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier are a testament to its quality and performance. People found that their allergies began to drastically improve in a really short space of time, and loved how long the filters are designed to last. There are a couple of negatives regarding the price and, to be fair, this is an expensive machine. However, for the powerful performance and long-lasting filters, it’s a justified price tag.
#2: Fellowes AeraMax 300 (Best Machine)
Unlike our #1 pick, the Fellowes AeraMax 300 doesn’t have a patented filter. But this doesn’t mean it lacks anything in terms of cleaning power. It combines a true HEPA filter with AreaSafe antimicrobial treatment and a carbon filter to provide a four-stage filtration process.
First of all, the carbon filter completely eliminates odors and reduces VOCs. Next, the HEPA filter captures 99.99% percent of airborne particles from your home as small as 0.3 microns. This includes pollen, viruses, bacteria, dust mites, smoke, and more.
After these two stages, the AreaSafe antimicrobial treatment prevents the build-up of mold and odor-causing bacteria on the HEPA filter. Finally, the PlasmaTRUE technology creates an ionized field to remove airborne pollutants.
Designed for rooms measuring 300-600 square feet, it also features an AreaSmart sensor. This automatically detects contaminants in the air and initiates the purification process, adjusts the fan speed, and makes sure that the air is clean at all times.
It also has a special High Performance Mode that is designed to help with seasonal allergies and removes cold and flu viruses from the air.
Unfortunately, the filters don’t last as long as our #1 choice. You can expect to replace the HEPA filter once a year and the carbon filter every three months. However, it is much less expensive, so it’s a great alternative if you’re looking for something a little more budget-friendly.
The reviews for the Fellowes AeraMax 300 are mostly positive, with people noticing how well it cleans the air and loving how easy it is to set up and use. There are a couple of negatives about it being made from plastic. However, this is ABS plastic, which is incredibly durable so there’s no real need to worry about it getting easily damaged.
Reason #1 to Choose This Product: 4-Stage Filtration Process
While the filters don’t last as long as our #1 choice, the four-stage filtration process ensures that they work as hard as possible to clean the air before they need to be replaced. They’ll remove 99.99% of particles from your air as well as eliminating odors.
Reason #2 to Choose This Product: AreaSmart Automatic Sensor
This is a great feature that essentially takes the guesswork out of when to power the air purifier on. It’ll sense the air quality, begin purifying when necessary, and ensure you’ve always got the cleanest air possible.
#3: SilverOnyx Air Purifier (Best for Bedrooms)
If you’re looking for a medical-grade air purifier that you can keep running at night without disturbing your sleep, the SilverOnyx Air Purifier is a great choice. At its lowest setting, it has an output of just 25dB and a noise level of 56dB at its highest.
As well as being super-quiet, it’s perfect for a bedroom as it features a timer. This allows you to keep it running for a set time before it automatically shuts itself off.
With a coverage of 500 square feet, it’s equally as good for other spaces as well. It’s also available in three different colors, giving you the opportunity to match it seamlessly with your interior design scheme.
But that’s not all! If you thought the 4-stage filtration process of our #2 pick was impressive, the SilverOnyx Air Purifier is here to rival it with a 5-stage process! This is a combination of mesh pre-filter, filter cartridge, HEPA H13 activated carbon filter, negative ion generator, and UV light. These all work together to create super-clean air by capturing 99.97% of particles including ultrafine, dust, smoke, pollen, and animal dander.
It’s also incredibly easy to use and features a push-button display located directly on top of the unit. It has an automatic mode that monitors the air quality and starts the filtration process, as well as an indicator light that lets you know when it’s time to change the filter.
The reviews for this air purifier confirm that it is quiet but lacks nothing in the way of power. There are many reports of cleaner air, fewer allergies, and fresher smelling rooms. The filters need to be replaced every six months, which is a shorter amount of time than our top two picks. However, the replacement filters aren’t as expensive.
Reason #1 to Choose This Product: 5-Stage Filtration Process
This air purifier takes cleaning air seriously! The 5-stage filtration process is more powerful than our #2 choice and creates super-clean air by capturing 99.97% of particles including ultrafine, dust, smoke, pollen, and animal dander.
Reason #2 to Choose This Product: Cheaper Replacement Filters
The filters are less expensive to replace than our first two picks. However, they don’t last as long and will need to be replaced every six months.
#4: Okaysou AirMax8L Air Purifier (Best Low Cost)
Our first three picks for the best medical-grade air purifier are undeniably powerful, but they do come with a hefty price tag. So, if you’re looking for the same kind of performance but at a lower cost, the OkaySou AirMax8L is a great choice.
To begin with, it can cover a space measuring up to 800 square feet. This makes it ideal for larger rooms or offices. It also features an advanced turbine motor with 45 vanes, a creative internal structure, and a larger air inlet area. These all work together to draw more air into the purifier at once for a more efficient performance.
The medical-grade ULTRA-DUO, 5-stage filtration system consists of a washable pre-filter, H13 HEPA filter, antibacterial filter, honeycomb activated carbon filter and a cold catalyst filter. This combination of filters captures ultrafine particles, removes them from the air, and eliminates odors in the process.
Touch-screen controls make choosing your fan speed, night mode, and setting the built-in timer incredibly easy. This air purifier also features the latest SilenceBoost technology to ensure the noise level is kept to a minimum of 22dB at all times.
It features a security child lock, too. This is ideal if you’ve got young children with inquisitive fingers in your home, as you’ll be able to keep the air purifier running as you’d like without any risk of them adjusting the settings or injuring themselves.
The reviews for the OkaySou AirMax8L are mostly positive. Many people commented on how impressed they were with the performance it gave at cleaning animal dander from the air, so it would be a good choice for homes with pets.
Reason #1 to Choose This Product: Washable Pre-Filter
As the pre-filter is washable, you’ll save a little extra money on replacements. You will, however, need to replace the HEPA filter every few months.
Reason #2 to Choose This Product: Security Child Lock
This is perfect for stopping your children from adjusting the settings. Simply hold the child lock button down for 30 seconds and the control panel will lock your chosen settings in place.
#5: Medify MA-40-W V2.0 Air Purifier (Best for Large Rooms)
Capable of covering a space up to 1,600 square feet, the Medify MA-40-W V2.0 Air Purifier is our top choice for large rooms. It’s also fast-acting, taking only one hour to completely clean all the air in such a large space.
The two H13 HEPA filters remove up to 99.99% of airborne particles, and it features a 3-layer filtration system that captures larger particles, eliminates odors, and reduces VOCs in the air. It also features ionizer technology to draw particles towards the air purifier for a super-thorough clean.
There are four fan speeds to choose from, giving you more control over the cleaning power this air purifier has to offer. It also has a Sleep Mode that allows you to keep the air purifier running all night by automatically reducing the noise level to just 60dB. Other features include a child lock and an 8 hour timer.
The controls are easy to access using the tempered glass panel. This also makes them easy to clean, and there’s no risk of the display scratching in the same way that a plastic panel might.
You do have to replace the filter every six months, which isn’t that unusual for a medical-grade HEPA air purifier. However, you do receive a replacement filter with this air purifier, so you don’t have to worry about purchasing a replacement filter for at least a year.
As expected with so many brilliant features to offer, the reviews are positive overall. It does lack an air quality sensor which some people took as a negative, however, these reviews are fairly redundant as it doesn’t claim to have one.
Reason #1 to Choose This Product: Two H13 HEPA Filters
While most medical-grade air purifiers feature just one H13 HEPA filter, the Medify MA-40-W V2.0 has two. This is what gives it the power to clean such a large amount of space so quickly.
Reason #2 to Choose This Product: Tempered Glass Panel
This doesn’t only give it a modern, stylish appearance but means it's more durable than a standard plastic panel.
Budget Options
We’ve spent some time looking at the very best medical-grade HEPA air purifiers that the market has to offer. But, if you’re working with a smaller budget, you may still be looking for a suitable option.
So, to make things even easier, we’ve chosen three of the best budget options available to you when you’re looking for a medical-grade air purifier. Each of these offers excellent performance but won’t cost you a huge amount of money.
#1 Best Budget: Elechomes EPI081 Air Purifier
The Elechomes EPI081 Air Purifier offers remarkable performance despite being so low in price. It has an H13 HEPA filter that can capture up to 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, and a carbon filter to eliminate odors. It also has a fine mesh pre-filter and a high-density cloth filter to add to its cleaning power.
The noise level is just 30dB too, it’s ideal for bedrooms, nurseries, or living spaces. It also features 360º air circulation, making it more powerful when placed in a smaller room.
The one thing that is sacrificed with this budget option, however, is the amount of space it can cover. While the choices we’ve listed up until now can cover huge amounts of space, the Elechomes EPI081 is only capable of covering up to 215 square feet.
#2 Best Budget: Afloia HEPA Air Purifier
The Afloia HEPA Air Purifier is only slightly higher in price than our #1 budget choice, but it does have more to offer. As you’d expect from a medical-grade air purifier, it features an H13 HEPA filter that captures ultrafine particles and keeps the air in your home as clean as possible.
The main difference between these two lies with the automatic sensor. This monitors the air quality and adjusts the settings as necessary, meaning that you don’t have to. You also get real-time, color-coded air quality reports.
It also features a timer which is always useful, especially if you’re placing it in a bedroom. It does have a smaller coverage of just 130 square feet, but it can clean all of the air within that space three times per hour.
#3 Best Budget: Medify Air MA-14-W1 Air Purifier
Our final budget option is the Medify Air MA-14-W1 Air Purifier. It is a little higher in price than our first two budget choices, but it can cover up to 470 square feet. That’s more than double of what our #1 pick can do.
The powerful H13 HEPA filter does exactly what you need it to, and removes up to 99.99% of ultrafine particles from the air. Meanwhile, the activated carbon filter absorbs and eliminates odors. It also features dual-air intake, which allows it to clean the air at a faster rate.
Other features include a night mode, 3 fan speeds, and a night light. This makes it a great choice for a child’s bedroom. It has a super quiet noise level too, so there’s no risk of it disturbing your sleep.
Verdict: Your Best Medical Grade HEPA Air Purifier
Still not sure which medical-grade HEPA air purifier is the best? Let’s break things down and look at your personal needs.
If you want the best value for money, pick the Okaysou AirMax8L Air Purifier. You’ll get a fantastic air purifier at a low cost that still provides you with a high-performance, 5-stage filtration process. It can also cover a space measuring up to 800 square feet, so it’s a great choice for larger rooms.
If you need a medical-grade HEPA air purifier that can cover a really large space, pick the Medify MA-40-W V2.0 Air Purifier. This can cover up to 1,600 square feet. It’s also fast-acting, taking only one hour to completely clean all the air in such a large space. Even more impressively, it features two H13 HEPA filters and ionizer technology that draws particles towards the air purifier for a super-thorough clean.
If you want to keep the spend low, pick the Afloia HEPA Air Purifier. It has some features that you’d expect from a higher-priced medical-grade HEPA air purifier (such as an automatic sensor) but costs only a fraction of the price. It does only cover 130 square feet, but it’s still a great choice for smaller rooms.
If you still can’t quite decide, it’s a good idea to compile a list of your “wants and needs”. Split this into two categories: what you want from a medical-grade HEPA air purifier, and what you need from it.
For example, you might want it to have an automatic sensor, but it needs to cover the size of your room. Doing this will help you quickly sort through features and find the right choice for your home.
What Should I Look for When Buying a Medical Grade HEPA Air Purifier?
Finding the best medical-grade HEPA air purifier is a guaranteed way to get the cleanest air possible in your home. But what exactly should you look for when choosing one?
Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most important criteria to take into consideration when making your decision. Taking a little extra time to explore each of these will help you find the right choice the first time around and, ultimately, will save you time and money.
Criteria #1: Filtration System
All medical-grade air purifiers have H13 HEPA filters. However, the actual filtration system can differ between models. For instance, some have 4-stage filtration systems while others have a 5-stage filtration system.
Each stage is responsible for a certain part of the filtration process, too. Below, we’ll take a look at the different types of filters you might find in a medical-grade air purifier to help make things a little clearer.
- Pre-Filter: This captures larger dust particles, allergens, and animal dander. Pre-filters are often washable too, which helps to save a little money as you don’t always have to replace them.
- H13 HEPA Filter: Captures ultrafine particles as small as 0.03 microns in size. This includes certain airborne viruses and bacteria.
- Activated Carbon Filter: This reduces VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and eliminates unpleasant odors in the air.
- Ionizer: Draws particles towards the air purifier so they can be processed more efficiently
Criteria #2: Room Coverage & Air Exchanges Per Hour (ACH)
The larger your room is, the more space your air purifier needs to cover if it’s going to work effectively. For instance, placing an air purifier with a 250 square foot coverage in a room that measures 800 square feet will result in slower, less effective cleaning.
With this in mind, make sure you pick a medical-grade HEPA air purifier that can provide several air exchanges per hour across the size of the room you’re putting it in. We’ll look at the importance of air exchanges per hour in just a moment, but if you’re unsure what square footage you need, you can work it out with this simple formula:
Multiply the length of the room by the width. For example, a 10’ x 12’ room would measure 120 square feet. Therefore, you’d need a medical-grade air conditioner with a coverage of 120 square feet.
The higher the number of air exchanges per hour (ACH) your air purifier can carry out, the more effective it will be. With this in mind, it’s also an important thing to consider when looking at room coverage.
The ideal ACH is between 4 and 6. A medical-grade air purifier that is too small for the room it’s been placed in will not be able to carry out this many air exchanges and, as such, will be less effective.
Criteria #3: Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)
This is another measure that you’ll see on some medical-grade air purifiers. To put it in the simplest terms possible, the CADR measures the volume of clean air that the air purifier can deliver. This helps to give you a good sense of its efficiency.
Criteria #4: Extra Features
Different brands offer different features, but if you want to get the most value for your money this is something that is worth looking into.
An automatic sensor is one of the best features you can find in a medical-grade air purifier. This will monitor the air quality for you, initiate the filtration process, and adjust the settings to clean the air better. This takes all of the guesswork out of it and, essentially, ensures you’re always breathing in the cleanest air possible.
A sleep mode is another great feature to look out for. This will allow you to keep the air purifier running all night without disturbing your sleep.
Criteria #5: Energy Consumption
Finally, you want to make sure that your chosen air purifier isn’t going to cost a lot of money to run. Energy Star certified air purifiers are the best choice for this, as they will only use as much energy as they need. This results in smaller energy bills as well as a smaller carbon footprint.
Is a Medical Grade HEPA Air Purifier Definitely Right For You?
Medical-grade HEPA air purifiers are powerful machines that clean air much more efficiently than an air purifier with a True HEPA filter. They are mostly used in dental offices, hospitals, and laboratories, where viruses and other airborne particles could affect delicate work.
There’s no reason why you can’t have one in your home, though. In fact, if you suffer badly from asthma or allergies, it’s a great choice.
If, however, you don’t suffer from these things and you’d simply like to know that the air you’re breathing in your home is clean and free from particles, an air purifier with a True HEPA filter would be perfectly suitable.
FAQ #1: What is a medical-grade HEPA filter?
A medical-grade HEPA filter (otherwise known as an H13 HEPA filter) is capable of capturing ultrafine airborne particles. This includes certain viruses, bacteria, and allergens. They are mostly used in clinical environments, but they can also be used at home to keep the air as clean as possible. They are usually a part of a multi-stage filtration system that also captures large airborne particles, animal dander, eliminates odors, and reduces VOCs.
FAQ #2: How long do H13 HEPA filters last?
On average, you can expect to replace an H13 HEPA filter after between 6-12 months of use. Carbon filters have an even short lifespan, giving you between 3-6 months of use before they need replacing. However, some air purifiers, such as the IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier have longer-lasting filters that only need to be replaced every four years.
FAQ #3: Can I wash an H13 HEPA filter?
Most H13 HEPA filters cannot be washed and will need to be replaced entirely once the indicator light on your air purifier comes on. In a medical-grade HEPA air purifier, it’s usually only the pre-filter that can be removed and washed.
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