Best Air Purifier for Babies (2022 Review)

Looking for the best air purifiers on the market for your baby?

You’re in the right place! In this proHVACinfo review, you’ll learn:

  • What are air purifiers for babies (are they any different?)
  • The different types of air purifiers for babies (know which is right for you)
  • What to look for in the best air purifier for babies (keep these 4 things in mind!)
  • Best air purifiers for babies (2021 review)

Let’s get started!

Short on time? Below you’ll find a quick roundup of our Best Air Purifiers for Babies – keep scrolling to learn more!

ImageProduct
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LEVOIT Smart Air Purifier (LV-PUR131S)
  • Best Overall Value
  • Good Coverage Area
  • Smart Features
  • Best Overall Value
  • Good Coverage Area
  • Smart Features
View on Amazon
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RabbitAir MinusA2 Air Purifier
  • Customizable Features
  • Excellent Performance
  • High-Quality Build
  • Customizable Features
  • Excellent Performance
  • High-Quality Build
View on Amazon
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Airthereal Air Purifier (ADH80)
  • Quiet Operation
  • Compact Size
  • Dedicated Prefilter
  • Quiet Operation
  • Compact Size
  • Dedicated Prefilter
View on Amazon
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KOKOFIT Home Air Purifier
  • Large Coverage Area
  • 3 Filters
  • Filter Replacement Indicator
  • Large Coverage Area
  • 3 Filters
  • Filter Replacement Indicator
View on Amazon
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Vornadobaby Purio Nursery Air Purifier
  • Dedicated Sleep Mode
  • Designed For Children
  • Auto-Lock Features
  • Dedicated Sleep Mode
  • Designed For Children
  • Auto-Lock Features
View on Amazon

What Are Air Purifiers for Babies (are they any different)?

Simply put, air purifiers for babies are household devices designed to quickly and effectively clean the air you and your baby breathe without disturbing your little one.

The right air purifier can remove microscopic air contaminants your baby would otherwise breathe, making the air cleaner and safer.

When buying an air purifier for your baby you probably have a few specific use cases in mind (in your baby’s bedroom, for example).

There are a few special considerations to keep in mind for this type of air purifier – read on for our review of what to look for in the best air purifier for babies.

First, let’s take a look at the main benefits:

Removing Potential Allergens

Concerns about allergies are perhaps the most common reason to invest in an air purifier for your baby.

Indoor air usually contains a variety of airborne allergens in the form of pollutants. Children can inhale these contaminants which can cause (or exacerbate) allergies.

There’s a 25% chance that a child shares an allergy with a parent, and that risk more than doubles if both parents share the same allergy.

The great news is that an air purifier can really help. These can remove allergens at the source, which means the baby will breathe fresh air, and the impact of allergies will be mitigated.

Eliminate VOCs

VOCs (short for “Volatile Organic Compounds”) are another common reason parents seek out air purifiers for their babies.

Essentially, VOCs are chemical compounds found in gaseous form in many household products (think of perfumes, aerosol, air freshener, paints, furniture cleaner, etc.).

In sufficient concentrations, they can be harmful to humans, and studies have shown that babies are at unique risk for exposure.

However, you don’t have to stop using these common household products for your child’s sake. An air purifier can help cleanse the air of VOCs as well.

If you’re concerned about VOCs, we recommend an air purifier with both a True HEPA and activated carbon filter for best protection against VOCs. More on filter types below!

Put an end to unpleasant odors

Regardless of how clean your home is, chances are you’ve noticed an unpleasant smell at one point or another.

This could come from the kitchen, trash, baby diapers, etc.

If you’ve noticed it, chances are your baby has noticed it too!

Air purifiers can again come in handy here.

If your main concern is that you’re noticing unpleasant odors around the house and don’t want it to affect your baby, we recommend an air purifier with a strong activated carbon filter.

Activated carbon filters are specially designed to remove indoor odors. More on that below!

Different Types of Air Purifiers for Babies

The main distinction when it comes to air purifier for babies are similar to those for other air purifier categories.

We’ve alluded to this above; at the end of the day, that distinction comes down to your main goal with the air purifier.

Are you worried about allergens, or VOCs? The source for both these irritants are air particles, so you’ll want a purifier with a strong particle filter.

The gold standard for particle filters is True HEPA filtration. These are the most effective and efficient purifiers on the market.

Note: Some manufacturers market their purifiers as “HEPA-like”. These purifiers are typically less expensive, but they don’t meet the same rigorous standards as True HEPA filters (or they would use the label “True HEPA”).

On the other hand, if you’re primarily concerned about odor or smoke in the house, you’ll want a purifier with a good activated carbon (or “activated charcoal”) filter.

Note: All our recommended air purifiers below have both True HEPA filters and strong activated charcoal filters!

You can learn more in our article: How do Air Purifiers Work?

What to Look for in the Best Air Purifier for Babies

Here is our list of key factors to consider before getting an air purifier for your baby:

  • Device Size
  • Filtration and Filter Life
  • LED Lights
  • Noise

Device Size

To choose the correct size air purifier, consider the square footage of your baby’s room.

Air purifiers are rated according to the square footage they can cover. The main metric for this is the Clean Air Delivery Rate (“CADR”). The following table shows the EPA’s recommended CADR , based on room square footage.

Source; EPA

All manufacturers list the CADR of their air purifier, so make sure you get one in line with the size of your baby’s room.

Filtration and Filter Life

As discussed earlier, your filtration needs will vary based on what exactly you want to filter.

A HEPA filter isn’t as helpful if you’re worried about a odor from smoke, and likewise a strong charcoal filter won’t do you much good if your concerned about allergies!

You’ll also want to keep in mind what the average filter life is for the model you buy. Generally, filters need replaced after a certain period of use, and those costs can add up over the life of your purifier.

Filters vary in price too, so keep that in mind!

LED lights

This is one of the most overlooked considerations when it comes to air purifiers, especially if you’re purchasing for your baby’s bedroom.

Many air purifiers come with user-friendly controls on their front panel that are backlit with LED lights.

The problem is that on some purifiers these LED lights can’t be turned off, even in sleep mode! You can imagine how this can disrupt sleep for an adult, let alone for your baby.

Before buying, it’s best to confirm the model has LED lights that shut off completely, either manually or after a few minutes in “sleep” mode.

Noise

On the same note as our previous point, noise level is important in case the purifier is going in your baby’s room.

Air purifiers are rated according to the amount of decibels (“dB”) they produce.

Most purifiers can run at a variety of fan speeds, so the decibel rating will naturally vary with the fan speed.

What’s important is that the unit can function at a low enough noise to allow your baby to sleep (generally anything under 40 dB will do the trick).

Best Air Purifiers for Babies (Reviewed)

Final Thoughts on the Best Air Purifiers for Babies

Air purifiers for babies can be a great choice for parents who are worried about allergies, smoke or other pollutants in their house.

We’ve assembled a great list of powerful yet quiet air purifier options that will give you peace of mind about the air your baby breathes.

What’s your favorite air purifier from the list?

Stephen Marks

Stephen Marks

Stephen is an HVAC and home-repair enthusiast. He's here to answer any of your questions about HVAC!

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Stephen Marks

Stephen Marks

Stephen is an HVAC and home-repair enthusiast. He's here to answer any of your questions about HVAC!

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