The best air purifiers: They know how to clear the air

Whether you're experiencing seasonal allergies, wildfires or illness, an air purifier unit can help improve the air quality in your home. These compact devices can filter out pollutants like dust mites, mold spores, tobacco smoke and pet dander to help you breathe easier. Here are the top picks.

WHAT BlueAir Blue Pure 311i Max

THE COST $229.99

AVAILABLE FROM blueair.com

Every air purifier was tested in a custom-built test chamber, where a controlled amount of smoke was released. Among medium-size air purifiers, Blue Pure 311i Max was the top finisher at both low and high fan settings, bringing the particle count down to pre-smoke-bomb levels in 6.6 and 2 minutes, respectively. The machine was the second most energy-efficient unit in its class and pleasingly quiet, too, reaching only 46.1 decibels when running at its highest fan setting.

It also features voice controls and comes equipped with a five-color air quality indicator and a pollution-detecting particle sensor. Download the BlueAir App and you’ll be able to track air quality in your home in real time.

WHAT Kenmore Smart 2300e

THE COST $279.99

AVAILABLE FROM kenmorefloorcare.com

Good air quality is particularly hard to maintain in large and open spaces. For this category, the most consistent unit was the Kenmore Smart 2000e. At its low setting, this smart air purifier was able to purify the air in our test chamber in approximately 6.25 minutes, the fastest of the bunch. At high, it came in second, reaching the finish line in only 2.5 minutes.

On top of that, the Kenmore Smart 2300e was one of the most efficient large-size air purifiers tested and would add less to your monthly energy bill than similar-size units like the Coway Airmega 400s or the EnviroKlenz Air System Plus. It wasn’t unreasonably loud, either, keeping the fan noise below 40 decibels at low and medium settings and topping out at 50.6 decibels at its highest setting.

WHAT BlueAir Pure 511

THE COST $99.99

AVAILABLE FROM blueair.com

Among small-size air purifiers, the Pure 511 cleared our smoke-contaminated test chamber air back to nonhazardous conditions in less than 20 minutes at its lowest fan setting. Every other small air purifier tested took at least 35 minutes to clean the air. On the high setting, the Pure 511 cleared the room in a category-leading 7.5 minutes.

It was also the second quietest small-size unit tested, reaching only 44.3 decibels at its highest fan setting.