To find the best personal air purifier, you’ll need to examine a list of criteria to determine what is most important. We recommend the best personal air purifier with a minimum of 2.5 million ions per cm3 to neutralize all kinds of airborne pollutants, such as pollen, mold, and smoke. We are also big fans of built-in fans with a healthy oscillation angle as well as multiple fan speeds and an adjustable lanyard for easy wearing around the neck, which can be useful in public spaces. You may also want to go through the best air purifiers on the market.
After analyzing hundreds of reviews, we’ve determined that the Dyson Cool Me Personal Air Purifier is the best whole house air purifier you can buy. Keep reading about this and our other top picks to learn more and let us help you choose the best air purifier for your needs.
Top 10 Best Personal Air Purifiers
#1 Dyson Pure Cool Me Personal Air Purifier
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Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: This personal air purifier comes with a true HEPA filter for 99.97 % of airborne containment killing, and Core Flow technology to project air exactly where needed, an excellent choice for people who want a personal fan as well.
- Up to 70° oscillation
- Built-in reminder for filter maintenance
- Bright LCD screen with filter life, airflow speed, and mode selections
- No dedicated smartphone app for scheduling and monitoring
This sleek white and silver purifying machine doubles as a purifier and fan. 360 sealed HEPA and activated carbon filters work to cut down pollutants as small as 0.3 microns and a fan oscillates up to 70° for cool air in all directions. A separate half-sphere dome on top can be cranked to project airflow in any direction.
Kudos for an LCD screen that shows real-time air quality reports and an intuitive handheld remote controller with the choice of 10 fan speeds, oscillation angle arrows, a sleep timer, and a filter life and maintenance information button. Its sleep timer can be set at different intervals between five minutes and nine hours. Check out the best air purifier for babies that also has preset timers for 1-12 hours.
#2 Airtamer A310 Personal Air Purifier
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: This personal air purifier uses electrostatic purification to release millions of negative ions into the atmosphere to neutralize contaminants and comes with a rechargeable battery, an excellent choice for people on the go.
- Adjustable lanyard for easy wearing
- 2 million negative ions released per second for purification
- Only a single green “on” indicator light
- Some people may find cord itchy
- May fit too bulky for small children
The AirTamer A310 air purifier features a lot in a small, compact 1.65 x 0.75 x 3.5-inch frame. AirTamer Electrostatic Purification technology creates a negative ion later to build a sphere of negative ions which “pushes” contaminants away. Power Boost Technology works to kill allergens, pet dander, bacteria, and viruses within 3-6 feet with an adjustable proprietary conductive lanyard to wear on your neck on the go.
One of our favorite features of this unit is its rechargeability. It can run up to 150 hours on a single charge and uses a USB cable for quick charging. You’ll find this same USB feature on the IonPacific IonBox. Plus, it is whisper quiet to not compete with loud airplane engines on your next flight. In terms of digital controls, it’s limited to a single green “on” indicator light – fitting for its compact size. For more digital controls and a dedicated smartphone app for monitoring and scheduling, have a look at the best smart air purifier.
#3 Smoke Buddy Air Filter Personal Air Purifier
Award: BEST POCKET SIZE
WHY WE LIKE IT: This personal air purifier comes in ultra-compact pocket size and is designed as a smoke filter, an excellent choice for people who want to help others avoid their second-hand smoke.
- Easy to exhale/blow through
- Inward curvature adheres to lip contours
- Very compact (only 3.5 x 2″ x 1″)
- No true HEPA filter or activated carbon filter
- Short filter life (2 to 3 months)
- Filter not removable or replaceable
This portable air purifier is not a traditional air purifier in terms of airborne contaminant obliteration. Unlike the Alen BreatheSmart 75i, the Smoke Buddy is about the size of a cell phone. This personal smoke filter is used to blow smoke in, releasing odorless air on the opposite end. A recessed inward curvature contours well to the mouth when blowing in.
Consider this portable air purifier more of a gimmick, a fun piece, with a choice of more than ten colors to choose from. Our only knock is that this purifier’s filter cannot be removed to clean and has less than stellar filter life (about two to three months) with regular use. For other smoke filter options, have a look at the best air purifier for cigarette smoke.
#4 AVICHE Necklace Wearable Mini Personal Air Purifier
Award: BEST BATTERY
WHY WE LIKE IT: This personal air purifier comes with a negative ion generator to the tune of 50 million ions per second and includes a built-in rechargeable lithium battery, an excellent choice for wearing anywhere you need cleaner air.
- 50M pcs/cm3 output
- Length adjuster for a comfortable fit
- Easy to read charging and working power lamp indicators
- Not as powerful as true HEPA filters
- No Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity
This compact 1.4″ x 3.1″ wearable necklace air purifier improves your breathing spaces with a no-frills attitude, comprising of a sleek, wildly angular silver metallic necklace with the engraved AVICHE logo, which works to build a protective layer of micro negative icons to bind and seal itself against airborne pollutants.
Kudos for a very simple setup, consisting of nothing more than a necklace length adjuster, a micro port for USB charging, and a powerful lamp with two colors to indicate charging or working. Battery life is solid, with a 35 to 40 hour run time on a 3 to 4-hour charge for a 500+ time lifecycle, making this potentially last for years and years with regular use. Another long-lasting unit is the best air purifier and humidifier.
#5 Wein AS300 Personal Air Purifier
Award: BEST FOR ODORS
WHY WE LIKE IT: This personal air purifier uses a plasma discharge design and lasts roughly 28 hours on a single charge, an excellent choice for people who want to eliminate odors around them.
- Electrostatic ion technology works well
- 28 hours on a single charge and very quiet
- Easy to adjust breakaway strap for comfort
- Very faint ozone smell when wearing
- Full charge takes roughly two to three hours
This personal air purifier works very well, consisting of electrostatic ion technology that floods your breathing area with floating particles that help to neutralize airborne contaminants, including odors, smoke, and gasses. It is capable of delivering roughly 1.5 million negative ions a second for an airflow of 75 feet per minute and is good for 28 hours on a single charge.
We like how easy it is to apply this personal air purifier to airplanes. A breakaway strap makes it comfortable to wear. Charging status is also easy to interpret with a red charging light, a yellow fully charged light, and a soft blue light when the battery is out.
See Also: If you have a pretty large home then you may want to check out the best large room air purifier.
#6 AVICHE W3 Personal Air Purifier
Award: BEST ON A BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: This personal air purifier comes with healthy negative ion output and a 20 to 25-hour run time at a good price, an excellent choice for value-conscious people looking for budget clean air.
- Discrete; excellent on public transport
- Quirky, egg-shaped design
- Solid battery to charge time ratio (<=25 hours on a 2-3 hour charge)
- Design may be too polarizing for some people
This personal air purifier purifies air by releasing micro-negative ions, which blast into the atmosphere and clump or bind to airborne contaminants, effectively neutralizing them. Negative ion output falls in the >20million/cm3 range with a 1m3 coverage area, an excellent range for use while on airplanes, or public transportation.
In terms of design, this personal air purifier is one of the quirkier ones we’ve tested with a heavily contoured, egg-like shape and a single glowing silver dial with a green glow. It uses a built-in rechargeable lithium battery good for a 20- to 25-hour run time. For your vehicle, it is wise to invest in the best car air purifier that offers up to 20 air refreshes per hour.
#7 Airdog FitAir Personal Air Purifier
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Award: BEST AFFILIATED APP
WHY WE LIKE IT: This personal air purifier covers up to 25 square feet of space and includes a Bluetooth-enabled FitAir app, a great choice for people who want real-time air quality updates.
- H11 97.8% filtration efficiency
- Maximum airflow of 130 L/min
- Dedicated app for real-time air quality updates
- May vibrate at higher speeds
- Not the quietest unit
This personal air purifier is very well and intuitively laid out, starting with a super light 5.6-ounce puck-shaped device that produces airflow using 290 inlet ports for a 130 liter per min air flow rate. Three airflow adjustment levels allow users to calibrate this LONG TERM unit’s strength. Kudos for doubling as an aroma diffuser with an added container for essential oils to spruce up any environment.
Our favorite feature with this personal air purifier is its compatibility with the FitAir app, which provides HEPA filter life, battery life, and real-time air quality updates to keep you posted. Some of the best ionic air purifiers can also gauge air quality in real-time.
#8 InvisiClean IC-103 Personal Air Purifier
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Award: BEST PORTABLE DESIGN
WHY WE LIKE IT: This personal air purifier comes with a built-in fan and generates 2.5 million ions per cm3, helping to cut down on smoke, odors, dust mites, pollen, and other contaminants, it an excellent choice for people who also want a calming breeze on a hot day.
- 240-hour run-time per charge
- Effective range of one to four feet
- Very compact (1.8 x 0.95 x 2.7 inches )
- Fan not the quietest
This small air pollution contraption packs a punch in a small package. SHaped like a key fob, this personal mini air purifier releases millions of negative ions to neutralize airborne contaminants, including a built-in fan for a quick refresher and to further project negative ions outward for greater coverage. The effective range is anywhere from one to four feet, creating a nice cocoon in tight spaces.
We are big fans of this personal ionic air purifier’s included strap, which makes it work as a necklace on airplanes, public transport, and other congested areas. It also uses a rechargeable battery that’s good for up to 240 hours and 8 hours with a fan. For UV, check out the best UV air purifiers that feature 3, 4, and even 5-stage filtration systems.
#9 MIFAVOR Mini Personal Air Purifier
Award: BEST FOR OFFICE USE
WHY WE LIKE IT: This personal air purifier uses ionization to kill off airborne pollutants with a 35 square foot coverage area, a nice choice for everyday office wear.
- Large coverage area (35 square feet)
- Disperses 1.3 million ions per cubic cm
- Generous 30 hours of use per charge
- May release some static electricity from time to time
- A faint smell of ionized air
This best wearable air purifier for viruses offers a little bit of everything. Millions of negative ions are dispersed throughout the air to neutralize germs, bacteria, smoke, and odors to the tune of 1.3 million ions per cubic cm. Its back panel contains a switch and a round button which produces a magnetic field. With a 35 square foot coverage area, we like this for larger offices.
We like the fact this personal air purifier is only 1.41 ounces, easily worn with a soft lanyard with adjustable tightness. It is good for 30 hours of use per charge with an easy-to-read red light when it is charging.
#10 Wein Mini-Mate AS180i Personal Air Purifier
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Award: BEST FOR TABLE TOPS
WHY WE LIKE IT: This personal ionic air purifier releases 120 trillion ions per second using gold-plated stainless steel collectors, an excellent choice for a tabletop or office desk.
- Whopping 120T ions per second
- Effective against pollen, dust, and mold spores
- Snug breakaway strap for comfortable fit
- No included built-in fan
- Low battery life (roughly 7 to 8 hours per charge)
Our favorite feature of this unit is its outstanding 120 trillion anions per second output, which is one of the highest we’ve researched. It uses gold-plated stainless steel collectors to collect all types of airborne pollutes, including pollen, dust, and mold spores. Our only knock on this unit is that it does not include a built-in fan.
In terms of ease of wear, it’s very adaptable – only 2.5 x 1.5 x 8.5 inches and weighing 1.5 ounces. It includes a breakaway strap for an easy and adjustable fit, accommodating most neck sizes. All in all, we love this unit’s combination of air output and ease of wearing. For larger spaces, you will likely need the best whole house air purifier.
How We Decided
In determining the best personal air purifier to buy, we explored efficiency, versatility, and run-to-charge time ratio.
Do personal air purifiers work and do wearable air purifiers work? Look for the best personal air purifier with a favorite negative ion release rating, which works to latch and bind onto airborne contaminants and clump them away. We like a minimum of 2.5 million ions per cm3, which works effectively in reducing airborne allergens. Note, that personal air purifiers are very compact, so they do not include large particle filters, true HEPA filtration, or activated carbon filters for a more effective job against smoke particles, odors, and gasses. For a device that handles all that bigger filtration, you’ll want to check out the top air purifiers for smoke and the leading air purifiers for smoking weed.
In terms of versatility, we like personal air purifiers that use adjustable and flexible lanyards for easy wearing around the neck, discreet enough to not look overly obvious while riding on airplanes or other forms of public transport. Some even have quirky designs (e.g. heavily contours egg-shaped and sleek metallic contraptions) which should catch a comment or two. If you want something larger for your house then you can also consider getting the best plug-in air purifier.
Best Personal Air Purifier Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Efficiency
Look for a personal air purifier that could release a minimum of 2.5 million ions per cm3, which is effective in battling allergies, pollen, odors, and other contaminants in your immediate vicinity. Many personal air purifiers come with a favorable square footage rating (e.g. 25). Note, that personal air purifiers will never be as efficient as larger air purifier units with large particle filters, true HEPA filters, and activated carbon filters. - Versatility
Personal air purifiers should be discreet or make enough design sense to wear around the neck, especially in areas of public transport such as buses and airplanes. Look for the best personal air purifiers with adjustable lanyards for a snug fit. Kudos for built-in fans which can provide a welcome reprieve from blistering hot days. - Run to Charge Time Ratio
Our preference is for personal air purifiers to have a favorite run-to-charge time ratio. Some of the better ones are good for more than 30 hours of straight usage on a single charge. Consider 20 to 25 hour run time on 2 to 3 hours of charge a good bet. Fumbling with USB cords and charging daily is a hassle we’d rather avoid.
