We've already compiled a guide to the best air purifiers on the market, but this guide is tailored to suit air quality-conscious pet owners or businesses with animals at their core.
One reason for getting an air purifier as a pet owner would be to reduce the odors and airborne particles that our furry friends tend to share with us.
One of the main reasons pet owners invest in an air purifier is to take pet fur and dander (tiny skin flakes) from the air — these can trigger allergies or asthma attacks. HEPA filters, which you will find in all of the models in this guide, trap these particles, reducing the risk of allergic reactions. This is especially useful if you have regular visitors with pet allergies, or even if you suffer from allergies yourself but can't imagine life without a pet!
Activated charcoal filters help eliminate smells. Pets don't bathe daily like we do, so they tend to give off unwelcome odors. We tend to get used to such smells if we live with them, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. Smells can come from wet fur, food, bedding, litter trays and anything your pet might bring in from outside, including dust and pollen (which can become airborne allergens themselves).
Here are our favorite pet-particle-busting air purifiers that are available to buy right now.
The quick list
See the quick list below for a brief summary of our favorite air purifiers for pet owners, or scroll further down for more detailed reviews of each appliance.
Best overall
The Levoit Vital 200S is hard to beat for its pet-friendly features, powerful air-cleaning performance and ease of use — and it is reasonably priced, too.
Best for cats
Designed specifically with cat owners in mind, this quirky air purifier features a tabletop, wireless phone charger, ambient light and fragrance diffuser.
Best for tight spaces
Compact, affordable and easy to use, the GermGuardian AC4825E is a great no-frills air purifier for pet owners with limited floorspace.
Best for large spaces
If you have a large home with multiple pets, this powerful smart air purifier will help keep your indoor air fresh. However, it is also one of the bulkiest units in this guide.
Best for commercial spaces
If you own a dog parlor or run weekly puppy classes, the AirDoctor AD3500 can truly transform your business. It is quiet, immensely powerful and surprisingly portable.
Most stylish
The Rabbit Air A3 offers excellent air-cleaning performance and a dazzling array of designs, easily making it our top choice for style-conscious animal lovers.
The best air purifiers for pet owners 2025: Rigorously tested by our expert health tech reviewers
Why you can trust Live Science Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best ones for you. Find out more about how we test.
The best air purifier for pets
✅ You have pets that shed: The washable pre-filter captures airborne pet fur and dander before it can reach the H13 True HEPA filter.
✅ You want something quiet: Even when operating at full speed, the sound emitted is just 54 dB, but we found auto mode operates at an average of 24 dB.
❌ You want a unit with an ionizer: Ionizers release charged particles into the air to help neutralize pollutants (though these aren't desirable by many).
❌ You want something smaller: This isn't the smallest air purifier on the market and is a bit boxy, but it's still quite attractive.
🔎 Levoit Vital 200S Efficient, quiet and portable, the Vital 200S would be a very solid choice of air purifier for any pet owner. ★★★★½
This is the best air purifier for your animal-loving home thanks to several carefully thought-out, pet-friendly functions. The Levoit Vital 200S's U-shaped air inlet is designed to capture pet fur and dander effectively. It has a pre-filter to catch fur and dander before it reaches the unit's main filter, and a dedicated pet mode that cycles between high-speed and medium settings for maximum efficiency.
The pet-friendly features aren't just clever marketing; they are highly effective. In our hands-on Vital 200S review we were astonished at how quickly the unit improved our air quality, removing almost all harmful air particles in ambient air and in our incense- and match-burning tests.
As with other Levoit air purifiers, this model utilizes the Vesync app, where you can add schedules, timers and adjust fan speeds. You can also get a real-time snapshot of current air quality and a visual of how your air quality changes throughout the day. By monitoring patterns in air quality, you can identify what is causing the unwanted pollutants and take action to improve it.
In our review, we also remarked on how quiet the air purifier was during operation. For the most part, auto mode worked at a whisper-quiet decibel rating of 24 dB.
Although the unit is on the larger side, two handles on the body make it easy to move around the home, and although it is large, it's still quite an attractive bit of kit.
- Read more: Levoit Vital 200S review
Best air purifier for cats
✅ You like extra features: This air purifier serves as a bedside table, phone charging station, fragrance diffuser and ambient light.
✅ You want a quiet unit: The unit is very quiet to run in the lower, sleep-friendly settings.
❌ You want something easy to assemble: With its small screws and a flimsy cable connector, some may struggle to put this air purifier together.
🔎 SwitchBot Air Purifier Table: This stylish appliance combines a pet-proof design with great air-cleaning performance and an impressive set of features, easily making it our top choice for cat owners. However, it is not easy to put together. ★★★★ ½
Every cat owner knows how difficult it is to keep these fluffy creatures from jumping on counters and furniture. Cats are naturally curious animals and, given the chance, will always try to inspect every appliance in your household. This playful nature can spell disaster for most air purifiers available on the market, and even the aforementioned Levoit Vital 200S risks falling prey to their curious paws. So, how can you ensure your appliance is safe for your cats? By playing to their instincts. The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table is a perfect example here — its wide, waterproof tabletop serves as a perfect vantage point for your furry friends. Plus, it features a bite-resistant cord and paw-proof grilles, so you do not have to constantly worry about their safety (or, for that matter, the structural integrity of your air purifier.)
The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table not only cleans the air and doubles as a bedside table, it also features a wireless phone charging station, an essential oil diffuser and a stylish ambient light in multiple colors. On top of that, it is very user-friendly. During our SwitchBot Air Purifier Table review, we were particularly impressed by how quiet it was. When we measured its noise levels at the lowest fan speed, we recorded just 21 dB — equivalent to a whisper or leaves rustling in the wind. We also liked its smart features and light, compact design. It is a fabulous option for gadget geeks.
However, this air purifier also has some shortcomings. For example, the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table is not particularly budget-friendly or powerful enough to suit large spaces. What's more, we found it relatively difficult to assemble. That said, it is still a great air purifier if you can look past these minor flaws.
- Read more: SwitchBot Air Purifier Table review
Best air purifier for large spaces
✅ You have a smart home: It can be seamlessly integrated into a smart home and can be controlled using an app or your voice.
✅ You want something quiet: The maximum noise output is 55 dB, although in sleep mode it runs at just 26 dB.
❌ You're short on space: This is an imposing unit with a recommended room size of 147 sq m.
🔎 Levoit Core 600S This is our best overall air purifier thanks to its air-cleaning performance; it would suit larger spaces like grooming parlors, catteries or pet sitters. ★★★★ ½
The Levoit Core 600S costs around $300 and is a smart air purifier designed for large spaces. It would suit a large home with multiple pets, or a business such as a grooming parlor or cattery.
Its three-stage filtration system captures airborne particles and the activated carbon filter targets household odors like smoke, wet fur and cooking fumes. In our hands-on Levoit Core 600S review, we were impressed by how efficiently the unit improved the air quality across all of our tests.
In operation, the unit is very quiet, even more so when it's in night mode (just 26 dB), so the noise is unlikely to cause any disturbance to noise-sensitive pets.
We love that the Core 600S is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant and is controllable by the dedicated VeSync app, although we found it also worked wonders in 'auto' mode. It has an intelligent sensor that automatically adjusts fan speed based on air quality readings, and a handy PM2.5 display that shows particulate levels for anyone curious to monitor it.
The only real downside to the unit is that it is so big. It would take up too much space and be overkill if you only have a small apartment, but in a larger house or commercial area, it's worth its larger footprint.
- Read more: Levoit Core 600S review
Best air purifier for tight spaces
✅ You want a no-frills but efficient system: There's no fancy app or smart features, but that keeps the price low.
✅ You're short of floor space: It's 21.5 inches tall and 6.75 inches wide, and suitable for rooms 153 square feet or smaller.
❌ You're a smart home fanatic: Although the operation is simple, you'll miss app/voice control if you use those things for other equipment around the home.
🔎 GermGuardian AC4825E A compact but functional unit that will quietly get on with the job from the corner of your room. ★★★★
Despite the GermGuardian AC4825E being a compact, no-frills air purifier, in our hands-on review, we were impressed by the reduction of particles in our match and incense tests. It removed 41% of 0.3-micron particles from ambient air, 63% after match smoke exposure, and 75% following incense burning.
The unit, like most in this guide, has a HEPA filter and charcoal filter to tackle odors and help maintain a fresh living space. It is quiet in operation at low speeds, but noisier at the top fan speed setting. One standout feature for an air purifier in this price range is its built-in UV-C sanitizer, designed to reduce harmful germs.
Due to its compact size, this purifier is best suited for single rooms rather than large areas. Although the unit's design won't be to everyone's taste, the small footprint (21.5 inches tall and 6.75 inches wide) means it's pretty unintrusive. It's functional and gets the job done rather than trying to impress anyone with aesthetics.
A filter change indicator alerts users when it's time to replace the filter to maintain optimum performance, but that's the “'smartest”' feature of this model. There is no app or smart functionality, but these are “nice to haves”rather than being crucial to air purification.
- Read more: GermGuardian AC4825E review
Most stylish air purifier for pet owners
✅ You want to choose how your air purifier looks: It comes in a range of colors and designs, bucking the trend from the usual black or white units.
✅ You want air purification in the bedroom: The maximum sound output is 51 dB with the lowest setting emitting just 20 dB, so it won't disturb your sleep.
❌ You don't want to spend a lot: This unit will set you back over $740, and replacement filters are expensive, too.
🔎 RabbitAir A3 An air purifier for animal lovers who aren't afraid to splash the cash. The unit is impressive in terms of performance, but requires a large upfront investment and further spending on expensive filters. ★★★★
The premium-priced RabbitAir A3 stands out from the crowd with its unique color and design options. From a stylish black and white cherry blossom to Van Gogh's “Starry Night”, there are more than 10 designs to choose from.
The Rabbit Air A3 comes with a pre-filter (to catch things like cat fur), a medium filter, a charcoal filter, a BioGS HEPA filter and a customizable one that's selectable between Germ Defense, Pet Allergy, Toxin Absorber or Odor Remover (charcoal). You can read about the differences in our hands-on Rabbit Air A3 review.
As you'd expect from a unit at this price point, smart functionality is built in, including an auto mode that adjusts the fan speed based on its own air quality readings, and five fan speeds when on a manual mode. Users can control settings via the unit itself or using the RabbitAir App.
Although the unit is fairly compact and lightweight, it lacks handles, making it a little awkward to move if you plan on changing its location often. It is perhaps more suitable to be wall-mounted (which is possible thanks to its built-in fixtures). The unit will purify air up to 1,070 square feet (99 sq m).
- Read more: Rabbit Air A3 review
Best air purifier for commercial spaces
✅ You want something for a large space: The Air Doctor is best suited to large commercial spaces such as open-plan offices or warehouses.
❌ You only need something for small spaces: This unit can cover a huge 1,260 sq ft (117 sq m), so it would be overkill for your kitchen!
❌ You want something cheap: This unit will cost you over $750; it is best for small organizations rather than for personal use.
🔎 AirDoctor AD3500 A great functional unit for large spaces. It won't win any style awards, but it does a great job of purifying the air. ★★★★ ½
The AirDoctor AD3500 is a high-performance air purifier designed for large spaces, offering advanced filtration and user-friendly features. It is designed with functionality in mind, which is perfectly fine for a commercial space.
It would be suitable for keeping the air clean at puppy training classes, kennels, catteries and so on, rather than for your average home pet owner. It has a vast coverage area and comes equipped with its own air-quality sensor that controls 'auto' mode, so once it is placed into position, it can be forgotten about. The pre-filter prevents hair and fur from clogging up the primary filter.
There are two versions of this unit. There’s the basic model, or for $50 more, you can pick up the smart-enabled option (the AirDoctor AD3500i) to benefit from a remote control, air quality readings and filter change alerts. It is nice to be given the option.
During our hands-on AD3500 tests, the unit demonstrated impressive air-cleaning capabilities. It removed 91.5% of 0.3-micron particles and 100% of 2.5-micron pollutants within 30 minutes in ambient air tests. During smoke tests, it achieved near-complete particle removal in an equally short time frame.
Overall, this is an excellent choice for pet/animal-related business owners who need a high-performance air purifier and don't mind if it is less than aesthetically appealing.
- Read more: AirDoctor AD3500 review
Best air purifiers for pet owners: Comparison
Product | Rating | ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons | Filters | CADR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Levoit Vital 200S | ★★★★½ | Performance, pet mode, ease of use, price. | Boxy design. | Washable pre-filter, HEPA, Activated carbon. | 245 CFM |
Levoit Core 600S | ★★★★½ | Value for money, smart features, coverage. | Big and bulky. | Pre-filter, HEPA, Activated carbon. | 410 CFM |
GermGuardian AC4825E | ★★★★ | Small footprint, ease of use, price. | No auto mode, small coverage. | HEPA, Activated carbon. | 125 CFM |
Rabbit Air A3 | ★★★★ | Performance, stylish design, customizability. | Chunky design, price. | Pre-filter, Medium, HEPA, Activated carbon, Customizable filter. | 315 CFM |
AirDoctor AD3500 | ★★★★½ | Portability, optional smart features, coverage. | Unappealing design, price. | Pre-filter, HEPA, Activated carbon. | 340 CFM |
SwitchBot Air Purifier Table | ★★★★½ | Pet mode, multi-purpose design, portability. | Tricky assembly. | Pre-filter, HEPA, activated carbon. | 236 CFM |
Our expert consultants
Dr. Daniel DiGiacomo is a board-certified pediatric allergist and immunologist based in Neptune, New Jersey. He obtained his medical degree at Tulane University School of Medicine and completed his training at Children’s National Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital. He discussed how air purifiers can help manage pet allergies and advised which units are likely to produce the best results.
Dr. John McKeon is the CEO of Allergy Standards, a certification body for domestic appliances and household products, and a principal at the Indoor Air Innovation & Research (iAIR) Institute. He also works as an adjunct professor in the Centre for Practice and Healthcare Innovation, a research center based at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. He told Live Science how activated carbon filters can help with odor removal.
Dr. Liza Cahn is a small animal veterinarian based in Seattle, Washington, and a veterinary consultant with Embrace Pet Insurance. She graduated from Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and has over five years of clinical experience. For this piece, she commented on whether air purifiers are safe for animals and whether they can benefit their health.
Anthony Abate is an indoor air quality expert and vice-president and chief technology officer at AtmosAir Solutions, a sustainable indoor air purification and monitoring technology company in Fairfield, Connecticut. He advised Live Science on how to choose an air purifier.
Best air purifiers for pet owners: Frequently Asked Questions
Do air purifiers help with pet allergies?
Yes, air purifiers can relieve symptoms of pet allergies. Pet dander — tiny dead skin flakes, hair and other debris shed by animals with fur or feathers — is a common airborne allergen. Air purifiers with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters can trap these microscopic particles, significantly reducing allergic reactions.
"Animals can especially contribute to air pollution if they shed a lot or have respiratory issues. Air purifiers can improve overall air quality, making it healthier for everyone in the household," Dr. Daniel DiGiacomo, a board-certified allergist and immunologist based in Neptune, New Jersey, told Live Science. In addition, air purifiers can capture other allergens that pets can track in, such as pollen and dust mites, DiGiacomo said.
That said, air purifiers are not a complete solution to pet allergies and should not be treated as a replacement for regular cleaning. "They are most effective when used in conjunction with other cleaning methods, such as vacuuming and dusting," DiGiacomo emphasized.
While some studies have shown that air purifiers can remove over 90% of indoor pet allergens, many of these allergens may remain trapped in carpets, clothes and other soft furnishings, according to a 2024 review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
How long should you run an air purifier for?
Air purifiers can create a healthier and more comfortable environment for both you and your furry friends, but they have to be used correctly, DiGiacomo said. This means they have to run long enough to make a tangible difference to air quality.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America recommends running an air purifier for at least four hours a day to effectively reduce your exposure to pet allergens.
Do air purifiers help with bad smells?
Some do, but not all of them. If pet odors are your primary concern, consider an air purifier equipped with activated carbon filters. These charcoal filters are uniquely designed to absorb tiny gaseous pollutants, including odor-bearing particles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
While High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters trap particles as small as 0.3 microns, they are not capable of trapping much smaller odor-bearing particles, some of which can measure less than 0.001 microns in diameter, Dr. John McKeon, CEO of Allergy Standards, an international certification body for domestic appliances, and a principal at the Indoor Air Innovation & Research Institute, told Live Science.
Are air purifiers safe for animals?
The short answer is yes. Air purifiers are generally safe for animals, and improved air quality can be beneficial to them, in the same way it is beneficial to us. However, there are a few considerations that pet owners need to take into account when choosing an air purifier, Dr. Nick Horniman, a British veterinary surgeon and founder of online pet pharmacy MyPetsVet, told Live Science last year.
HEPA and activated carbon filters are ideal, but ozone-generating purifiers should be avoided. Ozone is a respiratory irritant for both humans and animals, and it can be released as a by-product by some ionizers (devices often built into air purifiers to magnify their purifying power).
There are physical considerations, too. "Be sure to place the air purifier in an area where curious pets can’t knock it over or become tangled in the cords," Dr. Liza Cahn, a small animal veterinarian based in Seattle, Washington, and a veterinary consultant with Embrace Pet Insurance, told Live Science. The good news is that most air purifiers are designed to be safe in the presence of young children, so the internal mechanisms should be safe enough for those curious noses and wagging tails.
Lastly, the noise. When buying a pet-friendly air purifier, you will want to look at how loud the unit is when in operation, because some animals are sensitive to loud noises and can become stressed, our experts said.
Can air purifiers help animals with allergies?
Air purifiers can help ease some of the symptoms of airborne allergies and shield our respiratory system from harmful pollutants, but do they have the same effect on our pets?
The short answer is yes. "Air purifiers can be especially helpful for animals with environmental allergies or respiratory conditions, such as asthma. While they will not cure their allergies, they can help manage their symptoms," Cahn said.
However, it is important to note that animals tend to react differently to airborne allergens than we do.
"Unlike people, dogs and cats with allergies rarely get upper respiratory signs; instead, their symptoms include itchy skin (pruritus), biting, licking, scratching, redness and hair loss. This results in painful skin and ear infections," Cahn said. "While air purification will not replace the need for veterinary diagnostics and treatments, reducing allergen exposure can have a significant effect on the itch threshold (the cumulative level of itch-causing factors that an allergic animal can tolerate before they start to scratch)."
How to choose an air purifier for pets
How do you choose an air purifier that is suitable for households with animals? There is no single answer to this question. In this case, the ideal air purifier would reflect the needs and preferences of both pets and their owners, and its specs would largely depend on how and where it is used.
"First and foremost, make sure that the capacity of the purifier matches the size of the room you want to place it in," Anthony Abate, an indoor air quality expert and vice-president and chief technology officer at AtmosAir Solutions, a sustainable indoor air purification and monitoring technology company in Fairfield, Connecticut, told Live Science by email.
Look for the unit’s CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) rating — this will tell you exactly how many cubic feet of air the device can clean per minute. Generally, pet owners should look for air purifiers with CADR ratings of 300 or more, because they are best suited for removing pet dander and other pet allergens, Abate said.
Secondly, make sure your air purifier is equipped with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter as well as a pre-filter and activated carbon filter. "HEPA filter is essential for capturing pet dander and other allergens, activated carbon filter is important for neutralizing pet odors and pre-filters trap larger particles like pet hair, reducing the amount that settles on furniture and floors," DiGiacomo said.
Pre-filters can also help extend the lifespan of HEPA filters by collecting large amounts of hair and pet dander before it can reach them, Abate said.
As we mentioned before, noise is another factor to consider when choosing an air purifier. "Some air purifiers can be noisy, especially on higher settings, and this can be disruptive to both pets and humans," DiGiacomo said. This is particularly important if your four-legged friends are sensitive to high-pitched sounds. "Some pets may be wary of the noise it makes at first," Cahn said.
Lastly, make sure your air purifier is certified ozone-free. "Some older or less reputable air purifiers produce ozone, which can be harmful to pets and humans," DiGiacomo said. As we mentioned before, this applies particularly to appliances with built-in ionizers.
You may also consider an air purifier equipped with a UV-C light. "This feature can help kill airborne bacteria and viruses, which can be beneficial for pets with compromised immune systems," DiGiacomo said.
However, it is important to remember that UV-C light may not be as effective in air purifiers as it is in other household appliances. "UV-based technologies can be very effective at sanitizing a surface where the light can shine continually on it, but in a moving airstream, they are less effective. The light needs a contact time of 6 to 10 seconds to effectively remove harmful microbes," Abate said.
How we tested these pet-friendly air purifiers
How we test the best air purifiers for pet owners
Our expert reviewers know air purifiers inside out, having spent years trying and testing different appliances. They are big animal lovers, too — many of our testers are (or used to be) pet owners who are deeply familiar with the day-to-day woes like pet hair, dander and smells. They can personally vouch for the reliability and performance of each air purifier in this guide, simply because they use them themselves.
However, we do not just say that something works — we base our judgment on an objective testing protocol. Each appliance in this guide was reviewed using the same procedures and measurement tools:
Design. First and foremost, we assess whether the air purifier in question is pet-friendly. This means that it is equipped with a HEPA-style filter capable of trapping minuscule pet allergens, and, ideally, a pre-filter for catching hair and an activated carbon filter for removing odors. Then, we assess the size, portability and looks of the air purifier, and check whether it comes with any additional pet-friendly measures, such as paw-proof grille and bite-resistant cords. We also note the energy consumption of the unit, the cost of replacement filters and the length and conditions of the warranty.
Features. We assess whether the appliance is functional for pet owners. How many fan speeds and pet-friendly modes does it have? Can it be operated remotely? Does it come with an ionizer, and if so, is it certified ozone-free? Can it measure your air quality, and if so, how detailed are the readings? Also, is it compatible with any smart home assistants?
Performance. The most detailed part of our testing process. We check how noticeable the purifier will be in an average home by measuring the noise levels it generates on different settings. Then, we perform multiple air quality tests using a professional-grade Perfect Prime AQ9600 air particle monitor, a device capable of detecting airborne pollutants as small as 0.3 microns (which is the size of many pet allergens.) We check exactly how much particulate matter the air purifier can remove in different circumstances.
We start with an ambient air quality test. We put the appliance in an enclosed, medium-sized room, take baseline air quality measurements, and then run it for half an hour on auto mode. We take air quality readings after 15 and 30 minutes, then calculate the percentage of particulate matter removed by the air purifier.
Next, we perform smoke tests. We burn a handful of matches and incense sticks to create heavy pollution, then run the air purifier for half an hour on the highest fan settings (and auto mode, if applicable). We measure changes to air quality readings after 15 and 30 minutes, then calculate the percentage of particulate matter removed by the appliance.
What the users say. Finally, we read through online user reviews to see what others think about the air purifier, and (if applicable) we test for any problems or defects that users seem to mention a lot.
