Most and Least Reliable Air Purifier Brands

Breathe easy knowing which air purifiers are worth the money, according to CR members

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Many air purifiers perform well out of the box—but will they remain reliable over time? That’s where CR’s new Air Purifiers Reliability & Satisfaction Survey can help provide some insight. Conducted in the summer of 2022, CR queried 7,441 members about 8,377 personal air purifiers purchased between 2012 and 2022. The results (which are now factored into a product’s Overall Score) suggest that some models are a better investment than others.

Knowing which air purifiers are built to last is important now more than ever. According to Mintel, a U.S.-based marketing intelligence agency, 72 percent of consumers who do not already own an air-treatment device are interested in having one in the future. With an average price tag of over $200, portable home air purifiers are pretty pricey. And beyond the typical culprits (pollen, dust, dander), there are new concerns, like wildfires and viruses. “People are undoubtedly thinking more about the quality of the air they breathe at home,” says Misha Kollontai, the senior test project leader for air purifiers at Consumer Reports.

Indeed, the main reason respondents were compelled to buy, according to our survey, was because of indoor air quality (71 percent). The second most-compelling reason people bought an air purifier was because of allergies (60 percent). “An air purifier in your home can provide a line of defense between external irritants and your lungs,” says Kollontai, “and people are becoming more keen to the benefit that brings.”

Most of our survey respondents have purchased their air purifier only recently: 64 percent bought their machines in or after 2020. For most folks, things are going well so far. Ninety-six percent of them said they never had a functionality issue with their purifier, and 98 percent of the air purifiers purchased in that 10-year period are still in operation today. Of course, your actual experience depends on which model you own—and a brand’s track record for air purifiers provides a good clue.

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Given an air purifier’s dependable design, generally speaking, it’s not surprising that a little more than half of the brands in our ratings—10 out of 19—rated favorably for predicted reliability.

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