Compact Air Purifier: How to Size One for a Bedroom or Office
A surprisingly useful upgrade for bedrooms, offices, and small apartments.
Typical price: $79 (approximate — check the retailer for current pricing)
See options and current priceThe number that matters is CADR, clean air delivery rate, measured in cubic feet per minute. A useful rule of thumb is that CADR should be roughly two-thirds of your room's square footage. A 150 square foot bedroom wants a CADR around 100. Anything well below that is moving air rather than cleaning it.
True HEPA filtration captures the fine particulate that causes most allergy symptoms. An activated carbon layer handles odors, which is a separate problem with a separate filter — if smell is your reason for buying, confirm carbon is included and not a token dusting.
The other spec worth checking before you buy is noise on the lowest setting. A purifier you turn off because it is loud does nothing. In a bedroom, the low setting is the setting, so that is the number to compare.
Who it suits
- Bedrooms during pollen season
- Homes with cats or dogs and visitors who react to them
- Apartments near traffic, construction, or a neighbor who smokes
Before you buy
Filters are a recurring cost. Look up the replacement price and interval before buying, because some cheap units are priced like printers. Avoid ozone-generating or 'ionic' models marketed as filterless. Skip anything that requires proprietary filters from a brand you have never heard of.
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