If you’ve been on the hunt for the best air purifier for your dorm room, then look no further!
In this proHVACinfo guide, you’ll learn:
- What are air purifiers for dorm rooms (are they any different?)
- What are the different types of air filters for dorm rooms? (learn what to focus on when shopping)
- How do air purifiers for dorm rooms work?
- What do you look for in the best air filters for dorm rooms? (cut out the fluff and focus on what matters)
And much more!
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
January 2, 2022
LEVOIT HEPA Air Purifier
Check on AmazonThere is a lot of competition on the market when it comes to dorm room air purifiers.--break--After a lot of research, we decided to name the LEVOIT LV-H126 our number one choice for college dorm room air purifiers.--break--Why?--break--LEVOIT has produced a great little air purifier that will more than serve the needs of the average college student in their dorm room.--break--It performs well against odors, allergens, and other airborne contaminants.--break--Replacement filters are easy to find and because of the compact size, it shouldn't clutter even a small dorm room.--break--This purifier has a good cleaning footprint, a low power draw And it's super easy to operate.
Below is a quick summary of our top picks. Keep reading for our full guide to air purifiers for dorm rooms!
| Image | Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Our Top Pick | Our Top Pick | LEVOIT LV-H126 Air Purifier
|
| View on Amazon |
High-End Pick  | High-End Pick | Bissell MYair Air Purifier
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| View on Amazon |
Best Budget Pick  | Best Budget Pick | Jinpus Air Purifier
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| View on Amazon |
 | Holes 3-Speed Desktop Air Purifier
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| View on Amazon | |
 | Toshiba Smart Air Purifier
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| View on Amazon |
What's in This Guide?
What Are Air Purifiers For Dorm Rooms?
Air purifiers are household devices that are designed to Clean and sanitize the ambient Air within the room that they operate in.
To do so, they employ a number of different technologies, the most common being physical filter media, but increasingly so, more Hi-Tech varieties are appearing on the market such as electrostatic precipitators and purifiers using UV-C light.
Some purifiers take advantage of activated carbon, sometimes known as activated charcoal, in conjunction with other purifying technology to reduce odors caused by cooking, smoking, pets, chemicals, VOCs, and other pollutants.
While there are no purpose-built purifiers for dorm rooms, the most appropriate types are going to be budget-friendly units capable of dealing with allergens, dust, and odors.
What Are The Different Types Of Purifiers For Dorm Rooms?
The most commonly found types of purifiers suitable for college dorm rooms are:
HEPA Filtration
HEPA is widely regarded as one of the highest standards of physical media filtration available.
A true HEPA filter is capable of removing 99.97% of all particles greater than 0.3 microns in diameter from the air that passes through it.
UV Lights
Much like negative ion generators, UV lights are also usually fitted to other types of air purifiers as an additional feature.
Not all spectrums of UV light can be used for sanitizing purposes – the type of light you will find in a dorm room air purifier will be UV-C.
Because of its short wavelength, UV-C Delivers enormous amounts of energy to pathogens at a cellular level.
This burst of energy destroys certain elements of those microorganisms, which prevents them from reproducing, and eventually causing illnesses.
The UV-C light is typically directed a physical filter media and will sanitize air as it passes through.
Check out our review of the best UV Air Purifiers
Activated Carbon Filtration
Activated carbon is often referred to as activated charcoal because charcoal is used in the production process. the charcoal undergoes superheating and a chemical treatment which gives the carbon molecules an extremely porous structure.
This porous structure results in an enormous surface area, perfect for use in an air purifier.
As odor-causing contaminants such as VOCs pass through the activated carbon media, they are bound to its surface by the process of adsorption.
These particles are chemically bound to the charcoal filter, and because of the change to their molecular structure, odors are neutralized.
Ionizing Purifiers
Ionizing purifiers use a device called a negative ion generator to release large streams of negatively charged ions into the room.
These ions remain Airborne until they bump into a contaminant such as dust dander or pollen, and then bind to it.
The end result is that the Airborne contaminants then drop down to the floor, or some other surface, effectively removing the pollutant from the air that you’re breathing.
Negative ion generators are typically add-on features on other types of air purifiers. they can usually be turned on or off depending on whether you want to use them.
How do Air Purifiers For Dorm Rooms Work?
Air purifiers for dorm rooms are usually built with a variable speed fan.
This fan is used to draw in air from the room, pass it through, or over the purifying media, whether that’s a HEPA filter, UV light, activated carbon, or a combination of all of these technologies.
Once the air has been cleaned by the purifying section of the unit, it is returned to circulation within the room, again, by the use of a fan.
The longer the air purifier is allowed to run, the more cleaning cycles it will complete, resulting in a cleaner environment, free from dust, pollen, and odors.
What Do You Look For In The Best Air Purifiers For Dorm Rooms?
While many dorm room air purifiers take advantage of the same technologies, some are inherently better than others owing to these functions and features.
To find the best air purifier for your dorm room, be on the lookout for the below:
High Particle Removal Percentage
If you’re going to the trouble of investing in an air purifier for your dorm room, you will definitely want to look for one that filters out the maximum amount of Airborne pollutants and contaminants.
Those with HEPA filters are a great choice due to the fact that they will remove 99.97% of particles greater than 0.3 microns in diameter.
Quiet Operation
As most dorm rooms are shared spaces, it’s a good idea to look for an air purifier with quiet operation. Especially if it’s not a joint purchase between you and your roommate, a noisy air purifier will be a fairly quick way of getting on each other’s nerves!
Construction Quality
Here we are looking for a blend between good build quality and affordable prices. Yes, there are air purifiers that cost several hundred dollars that would be perfect for a dorm room-sized application, but tuition is expensive enough without worrying about spending so much on a purifier.
You should look for an air purifier that doesn’t squeak, knock, or rattle when it’s picked up, and especially when the fans are running.
Ongoing Maintenance
Investing in an air purifier for a college dorm room goes beyond purchasing it, turning it on, and forgetting about it.
The vast majority of air purifiers require frequent filter changes and often require that you physically clean pre-filters and other cloth elements.
You should be looking for air purifiers with readily available, low priced replacement filters, and if the purifier has a filter change reminder, even better!
Want to avoid the hassle of filter replacement? Take a look at our review of the best filterless air purifiers
Our Review Of The Best Air For Dorm Rooms
LEVOIT LV-H126 (Our Top Pick)
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Our overall best purifier for dorm rooms was the LEVOIT LV-H126.--break--This tiny little purifier has an impressive cleaning footprint of up to 161 square feet.--break--We love the way it looks, with its bookshelf speaker appearance - the attractive blue grille cloth is an especially nice touch.--break--It boasts true HEPA filtration, and it is capable of removing 99.97% of dust, pollen, smoke, odor, and more from the air in your dorm room.--break--In addition to the HEPA filter, this unit uses a replaceable pre-filter and activated carbon filter.--break--The pre-filter requires replacement every two to three months, and the HEPA filter lasts an impressive 6 to 8 months, making it an extremely economical choice.
Pros
- Excellent filter lifespan--break--Great performance against smoke odor--break--Helps with allergy symptom reduction
Cons
- Requires some set up before use--break--Not particularly quiet
Bissell MYAir (High End Pick)
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Bissell is well-known for its excellent household cleaning appliances, and the MYAir purifier is no exception.--break--It works by way of a three-in-one mesh filter with activated carbon and pre-filter for odor control and large particle capture.--break--This is a more expensive purifier for dorm rooms, but it has several excellent features to justify that cost, including a quiet sleep mode, a touch screen display, and a filter change indicator to alert you when the media requires replacement.--break--It's a convenient size for a nightstand, too, so no need to worry about it cluttering your space!
Pros
- Easy to change filters--break--Simple controls--break--Quiet fan
Cons
- Doesn’t display air quality index--break--Not a True HEPA filter
JINPUS Air Purifier (J2103) (Best Budget Pick)
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Our best budget pick was the JINPUS J2103 - it boasts an extraordinary feature set at an incredibly low price, and for that reason should definitely be on your radar when looking for a dorm room air purifier.--break--It features 3-stage filtration, including a fine preliminary filter, an activated carbon filter, and a true HEPA filter.--break--We loved the easy one-button operation, the quiet fan, and the convenient USB power.--break--It is capable of cleaning a room up to 150 square feet, and because it features true HEPA filtration will remove up to 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns and larger.
Pros
- Great size for dorm rooms--break--High-quality materials--break--Powered by USB cable
Cons
- No USB cable adapter included in the box--break--Night light cannot be turned off, only dimmed
Holmes Desktop Air Purifier
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This desktop purifier from Holmes makes an excellent choice for dorm room applications.--break--It uses a true HEPA filter to remove fine particles from the air and also features a negative ion generator that can be turned off whenever you don't want to use it.--break--It has three fan speeds and is a great choice for small rooms due to its slim design.--break--A unique feature of this purifier is that it can be placed either vertically or horizontally on a desktop or nightstand to clean the air of rooms up to 109 square feet, or 10 feet x 11 feet.
Pros
- Easy to find filters--break--Filter replacement indication--break--Small size good for dorm rooms
Cons
- Not a True HEPA Filter--break--Fan is loud
Toshiba Smart Air Purifier
Check on Amazon
This air purifier for dorm rooms comes from Toshiba, a very well-known electronics brand.--break--This is the largest of the purifiers included in this test, but if you have the room in your dorm, and you're looking for serious purification, this could be the best option for you.--break--If you have your dorm room set up as a smart room using Amazon Echo devices, this purifier can be integrated for voice commands using Alexa.--break--It makes use of a three-in-one filter, including a pre-filter, a HEPA filter, and an activated carbon element, making it effective against particles and odors.--break--It also includes a germicidal UV-C light, which is effective even against bacterial and viral particles.
Pros
- True HEPA filter--break--Low fan noise--break--Filter change reminder
Cons
- Larger size can be problematic for dorm rooms--break--Replacement filters are pricey
Final Thoughts On The Best Air Purifiers For Dorm Rooms
We are currently living in an age where the quality of the air that we breathe is more important than ever.
Between smog, wildfires, viruses, allergens, and any number of other airborne contaminants, there are a lot of potential causes of harm or discomfort to your respiratory system.
This is amplified by the fact that dorm rooms are usually small and shared with other people.
No matter how much you clean your room, there is still likely to be an unavoidable odor; but fear not, the right air purifier can help your dorm stay fresh!
By making a small investment in one of the purifiers covered in this proHVACinfo guide, you will be taking control over the air quality in your dorm room, which can potentially keep you more comfortable, healthier, and even better rested.
