Everything you need to know about the best air purifiers available in Australia (and what makes them the best).
The best air purifiers available in Australia
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- : Philips Series 1000 Air Purifier
- : Welcare Desktop Air Purifier
- : Samsung AX5500 Air Purifier
- : Philips Air Performer 7000 Series 2-in-1 Air Purifier and Fan
- : Dyson Pure Cool Me
- : Samsung Bespoke Cube Air Purifier AX53
Recent bushfires in Australia have caused a surge in interest for domestic air purifiers. However, with no governing body to monitor how air purifiers are marketed and sold, there are a lot of options on the market that don't cut the Australian mustard.
Outside of the bushfire season, people typically use air purifiers to combat everyday airborne allergens and toxins. Pet dander, pollen, and dust are just a few examples of nasty particles that can cause you grief. A good air purifier will filter out all that and more if you know which questions to ask before purchasing. Questions like, how much coverage do you need? Are premium smart home features important to you? And does the purifier you're purchasing offer true HEPA filters? Anything less is worth reconsidering.
We’ve taken all of these questions into consideration when reviewing some of the best air purifiers you can purchase in Australia.
Here's what to look out for when you're buying an air purifier in Australia:
- Avoid “HEPA-like” or “HEPA-style” filters
- Avoid “Permanent HEPA” or “washable filters”
- Check for room coverage (e.g. square metre coverage)
- Check price and availability of filter replacements
- Check for PM2.5 filtering claims
- Check if it has pre-filtering
- Check for certification and testing by organisations such as AHAM and ECARF
Best air purifier overall
Philips Series 1000 Air Purifier
The Philips Series 1000 has been the most impressive air purifier we've reviewed so far. Its top-notch performance is only made sweeter by its affordable price tag (and reasonable asking price for filter replacements).
Not only is it a generous price (with HEPA filter replacements costing $59.95 each) but it’s also one of the quietest and covers more ground than some more expensive air purifiers. It might not offer a PM2.5 readout (important for monitoring smoke levels) like some pricier models, and there are no scheduling or app monitoring features but it does offer a general air quality indicator with a simple colour-coded readout (red’s bad, purple is unhealthy but getting better, blue-violet is almost there and blue is fine and dandy).
WiFi connectivity and companion apps are important features, but smarter features fetch a higher price tag. The Philips Series 1000 does everything a reliable air purifier should do at a friendlier price than most.
Best cheap air purifier
Welcare Desktop Air Puriifer
Despite the name, the Welcare Desktop Air Purifier is far too large to fit on the average home workstation but it's still a solid little performer with up to 12.36² room coverage. Like the Philips Series 1000 Air Purifier before it, the Welcare Desktop Air Purifier's distinct lack of WiFi or app features are disappointing but justified by its more affordable price, coming in below $200. We've found it to be more suitable as a bedside purifier companion, even if the little turbine is capable of producing quite a racket.
It's not easy to find a true HEPA air purifier in this price range, and it's simple colour-based air quality indicator will suit many just fine.
Best purifier for smart homes
Samsung Air Purifier (AX5500)
It’s hard to make an air purifier exciting but making it a little bit smarter is a breeze.
The Samsung AX5500 ticks all the right boxes for a connected air purifier (True HEPA filtering with PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0 readouts), but its user-friendly app and smart home capabilities (like Google Home and Samsung SmartThings support) give it the edge over a lot of the competition.
There are some missed opportunities to educate users on what all those figures in the app mean but we still appreciate the extra data. The Samsung AX5500’s biggest downfall is its price tag (especially considering its unremarkable 60m2 coverage) but for some, the added comfort of remote monitoring and smart scheduling will make the higher price tag worth it.
Best air purifier-fan
Philips Air Performer 7000 Series 2-in-1 Air Purifier and Fan
While the name if wholly inefficient, the Philips Air Performer 7000 Series 2-in-1 Air Purifier and Fan's dual functions are its antithesis.
If you're looking to clear out some tech clutter, and get the most out of your applianced then it is hard to go past the Air Performer 7000. Our reviewer found that the device outperforms two fans, adequately cools down large spaces, and gets in to every nook and cranny with the 350 degree rotation.
On the air purification front, the detailed reports in the accompanying app look at PM2.5 readout, temperature, and humidity both internally and outdoors locally.
Already equipped with smarts like scheduling, and trends from the sensors, the device is only going to get smarter. AI functionality is soon to be released, allowing the Air Performer 7000 to automatically adapt to the environment based on outdoor data, room size, and behavioural patterns.
We're already impressed, but check back in later to see how the AI features hold up.
Best air purifier for bedrooms
Dyson Pure Cool Me
Let's get one thing straight: we don't recommend the Dyson Pure Cool Me as an air purifier alone. Sure it offers a little extra support for filtering out smoke and dust but it's more of a personal fan than it is a fully-fledged air purifier. Dyson doesn't advertise the Pure Cool Me's coverage range but it's intended for smaller areas, such as bedrooms and nurseries. It will also set you back $320 - $499, which is a small fortune considering its limited capability. With that said, it is a superb little cooling/purifying solution for your office or bedside table if you can justify the price.
Dyson also means it when it says this is a 'personal purifying fan' and the 70-degree oscillation arc will make sure it's you and you only copping its cool breeze. If that's likely to cause a bit of drama around who gets the Dyson and on what days, you might be better off investing in something with a more generous airflow.
Best design air purifier
Samsung Bespoke Cube Air Purifier AX53
The Samsung Bespoke Cube Air Purifier AX53 lives and dies by how much you love its aesthetic. It looks great, but it's very expensive.
It certainly does the job when it comes to air purification, but there are plenty of cheaper options you can pick from.
Do you care about how your air purifier looks, and are you willing to spend more to buy one that bucks trends? If so, the AX53 could be right up your alley.
How we rate the best air purifiers in Australia
Frequently asked questions about air purifiers
Absolutely. As we’ve discussed above, some work better than others of course. Air purifiers with HEPA-grade filters and pre-filtering do the best job of filtering out small and large particles but most air purifiers (unless they are super dodgy) will improve the quality of the air in your house or apartment somewhat. It’s just important that you buy the right air purifier for your needs (e.g. health concerns vs. general wellbeing) and living space (the square-metre size of your room).
Yes. An air purifier that uses both HEPA filtering for fine particles and a pre-filter for larger particles might be your best defence against dangerous smoke levels in the home.
HEPA filters can catch particles as small as 0.3 micrometres with 99.97% efficiency, which covers most airborne toxins and allergens. They will do a reasonable job of catching larger nasties too. However, for the most efficient filtering of smoke particles (measuring at 2.5 micrometres or PM2.5), a combination of HEPA and pre-filtering is most efficient.
For example, the Philips and Samsung range of purifiers use an Active Carbon pre-filter that can catch gases and other TVOCS (Total Volatile Organic Compounds).
Some air purifiers (such as Samsung's AX5500 Air Purifier), are even specifically designed to give you a PM2.5 readout so you can tell exactly how much smoke’s managed to creep its way into your house.
Air purifiers are not a panacea for all your air pollutant problems and for people living with allergies or respiratory conditions like asthma, the 0.03% of particles that slip through can do some damage. Read on for more tips on keeping your house allergen and smoke-free.
HEPA, or High-Efficiency Particulate Air, grading is the measurement standard for air filtering. HEPA filters are often used in medical settings to minimise the risk of spreading airborne viruses and bacteria. Usually, medical-grade HEPA filters are used in conjunction with anti-microbial UV (ultraviolet) filters that eliminate bacteria and viruses caught by the HEPA filter.
HEPA filters are also commonly used in high-quality vacuum cleaners for the same purposes, trapping finer particles instead of kicking them into the air.
There are plenty of air purifier solutions that claim to have HEPA-graded filtering. However, since there is no regulatory authority that monitors the claims made by air purifier manufacturers. This makes buying an efficient air purifier difficult as many domestic solutions use “HEPA-like” filters that don’t adhere to the medical grading system.
Others claim to use HEPA grade filtering but fail to offer more crucial information, like the filtering efficiency and coverage. Others simply don’t offer any kind of pre-filtering for larger particles such as smoke.
The short answer? You don’t clean a HEPA filter. While some brands claim to have washable HEPA filters, your best bet will always be to replace your HEPA filter. We realise that sounds incredibly wasteful and expensive but washing HEPA filters disintegrates the ultra-fine fibres that catch all the dust and air pollution so you can’t count on the 99.97% efficiency.
This is especially pertinent if you’re using an air purifier for medical purposes. Washing a filter could put you at risk.
If the indicator on your air purifier is telling you it’s time for a replacement and you don’t have a spare filter on hand, you can try cleaning the air purity sensor with a cotton tip or, if you must, giving the filter a light vacuum with a soft brush head.
Certain brands have set (and publicly available) sustainability goals. For example, most Philips air purifiers are made with over 90% recycled materials.
More tips on reducing exposure to bushfire smoke
In the event of a bushfire or any other event that reduces the air quality in your area, there are a few extra steps you can take to help reduce your exposure to smoke and dust .
Looking to add more automated gadgets to your smart home? Check out a few of our round-ups for some of the smartest home helpers in the market:
- Best portable air conditioners: The competition is heating up
- Best smart speakers: Every smart home needs a clever assistant
- Best robot vacuum cleaners: Let the robots handle the chores
- Best air humidifiers: Don't dry out with these air humidifiers.