If you’re a bird owner looking for the best air purifier to deal with bird dander and odors, you’ve come to the right place!
In this proHVACinfo guide, you will learn the following:
- What are air purifiers for birds? (why you need specific purifiers)
- What are the different types of air purifiers for Birds? (why they’re different to other purifiers)
- How do air purifiers for Birds work?
- What do you look for in the best air purifiers for birds? (don’t miss this section)
Let’s get started!
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
January 2, 2022
Bissell air320 Smart Air Purifier
Check on AmazonAfter careful consideration, we came to the conclusion that the best air purifier for birds is the air320 Smart Air Purifier from Bissell!--break--Why?--break--This is a known and trusted brand.--break--They've made a product that looks sleek in any setting, and is packed with particle capturing and odor neutralizing features.--break--The 3 stage filtration, which includes a pre filter, a HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter, makes light work of odors and airborne dander associated with birds.--break--In a welcome relief for those struggling against odors caused by their birds, the air320 features an activated carbon filter layer for excellent neutralization of any unpleasant smells.--break--We loved the smart, automatic CirQulate function, that detects poor air quality and increases fan speed to cycle more air through the filter.--break--On top of the superb functionality, it looks great, too. Because it looks a lot like a high-end hi-fi speaker, it’s quite discreet – something many homeowners will love about it.
Short on time? Below you’ll find a quick list of our top 5 recommendations. Keep scrolling to learn more!
| Image | Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Our Top Pick | Our Top Pick | Bissell air320 Smart Air Purifier
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| View on Amazon |
High-End Pick  | High-End Pick | Molekule Air Mini
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| View on Amazon |
Best Budget Pick  | Best Budget Pick | Blueair Blue Pure 411
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| View on Amazon |
 | RabbitAir Minus A2
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| View on Amazon | |
 | Airmega 400S
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| View on Amazon |
What's in This Guide?
What Are Air Purifiers For Birds?
Air purifiers are household appliances that capture particles, impurities and other contaminants, such as odors causing VOCs from the air, and cycle clean, fresh air back into your home.
Birds are known to have very delicate pulmonary and respiratory systems, and typical household air is laden with contaminants that can be very damaging to a bird’s lungs. Investing in an air purifier will help keep your beloved avian friends in much better health.
Please note, you shouldn’t rush to buy any old air purifier. Because of their sensitive lungs, as briefly mentioned above, birds are more sensitive to ozone than humans. A safe level for people may be well above tolerances for birds, so, to err on the side of caution, we recommend avoiding ionizing or ozone producing purifiers for bird owners.
What Are The Different Types Of Air Purifiers For Birds?
To reduce airborne bird dander and odors caused by their droppings, we recommend purchasing an air purifier for birds that uses one, or a combination, of the following technologies:
HEPA
HEPA, or “High Efficiency Particulate Air” filtration is pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to removing airborne contaminants and allergens.
New bird owners might be surprised to discover that their pets can produce as much dander as domestic animals with fur like cats and dogs.
The fine mesh of a HEPA filter captures both macroscopic and microscopic particles, including pollen, dander, dust, dirt, and even contaminants as small as bacteria, viruses and mold spores.
While HEPA filters don’t neutralize odors, they will capture many of the particles that cause them, which is why when they are paired with activated carbon or other smell destroying filters, they are extremely effective.
Activated Carbon
You will sometimes see this referred to as activated charcoal, but either way, it’s one of the best lines of defense in the fight against odors in the home.
An air purifier that makes use of activated carbon has a filter coated in a specially prepared charcoal layer.
The charcoal, or carbon, is treated in such a way that it chemically binds to the odor causing particles.
This traps them and also changes their structural makeup, effectively removing the smell.
PECO (Photo Electrochemical Oxidation)
One of the latest developments in air purification is PECO, which stands for photo electrochemical oxidation.
PECO air purifiers have a special filter media that, when exposed to UV-B light, creates a catalytic reaction that doesn’t just capture particles and contaminants, it completely destroys them.
As an additional benefit, they are inherently mold and mildew resistant, and will destroy any ozone particles, too, making them a great choice for bird owners.
How Do Air Purifiers For Birds Work?
Many species of commonly kept birds create a fine keratin powder to keep their feathers healthy. While this is necessary for the birds, it can quickly develop in excess and become an airborne irritant.
By using any of the above filter technologies, air purifiers for birds combat these airborne particles, which are not only irritating, but can also cause allergic reactions. As well as making life more comfortable for the humans of the house, the purifier also improves the air quality for your birds, too, so it’s a win-win.
If you choose a purifier with activated carbon, too, you’ll be removing volatile organic compounds, or VOCs from the air. These VOCs are usually the culprits when it comes to unpleasant odors and potentially harmful air quality for your bird.
What Do You Look For In The Best Air Purifiers For Birds?
So, what separates a regular air purifier from one that’s great for birds? Read on to find out!
Strong Fan and Motor
The stronger the fan and motor, the larger the room that your purifier can handle. Even if your purifier is in a small room, one that is capable of cleaning a much larger space will be able to perform more full air exchanges in the same time period as one with a weaker motor.
This results in better cleaning performance overall, and fewer noticeable odors.
Maximum Filtration
Make sure that your air purifier for birds is capable of removing at least 99.97% of airborne particles under 0.3 microns.
These ultrafine particles are the most dangerous of all as they can build up easily in your lungs without much warning, and cause pulmonary problems very quickly thereafter.
Bird dander is much finer than that from cats and dogs, and is therefore more likely to linger in the air and cause irritation, and the more you can filter, the better.
You’ll know you’re buying best-in-class filtration when you see a purifier with HEPA filtration.
Bird Safety
As we mentioned earlier, ozone in any concentration is bad for birds. It can damage their respiratory systems and make it hard for them to fight infections should they get sick.
While none of the purifiers on our list have dedicated ozone producers for that very reason, if you are set on buying a purifier with any kind of ionizing technology, make sure that the function is optional, and that you turn it off when you don’t absolutely need it.
Our Reviews Of The Best Air Purifiers For Birds
Bissell air320 Smart Air Purifier (Our Top Pick)
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We really love the air320 from Bissell – it’s a previous test winner that also happens to be a phenomenal purifier for bird owners.--break--The honeycomb design provides a massive filter surface area, making it extremely efficient at plucking bird dander from the air, while still providing excellent flow.--break--It has true HEPA filtration, and features activated carbon for essential odor control.--break--It features real time air quality indexing, so you know exactly what the situation is at any given time.--break--On top of all of this, we really loved the way it looks.
Pros
- Up to 1000 sq ft coverage--break--Easy filter access--break--Tactile controls
Cons
- Fan noise excessive on high setting--break--Air quality sensor temperamental when dirty
Molekule Air Mini (High End Pick)
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Our best high end air purifier for birds is a scaled down version of the Molekule air we featured in the best air purifiers for basements list.--break--This features the same great PECO technology, which uses a special electrostatic filter combined with UV light to destroy all contaminants, including dander, and odor causing VOCs.--break--The form factor is beautiful, and it’s portable enough that it can be kept right by your bird cage or aviary for maximum effect.--break--The Molekule Air Mini has responsive touchscreen controls, and can be controlled by a mobile app, too.
Pros
- 5 Fan speeds--break--Excellent odor control (important for birds)--break--Compact size
Cons
- Limited range of 250 sq ft--break--Replacement filters are pricey
Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto (Best Budget Pick)
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The Blue Pure 411 offers a lock of bang for your buck, which is why it earned our top budget air purifier for birds spot.--break--It’s the only purifier on test with independent 3rd party performance testing from AHAM Verifide – which should give you reassurance that it is effective as Blueair claims.--break--It features a HEPA filter, and will readily capture 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns.--break--In addition to the HEPA filter, it’s also equipped with activated carbon of odor neutralization.--break--It’s nice and compact, and has a cleaning footprint of 190 sq ft.
Pros
- Price--break--Low energy consumption--break--Quiet operation
Cons
- Alternative colors sold separately--break--Filters are delicate
RabbitAir MinusA2
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Rabbitair specialize in air purifiers for pet owners, and it shows.--break--They employed a thoughtful design principle that actually allows you to wall mount this model, a pretty unique feature in the world of air purifiers for birds.--break--The MinusA2 uses a pre filter, together with a true HEPA filter, an activated carbon odor neutralizing filter, and a proprietary pet dander filter.--break--It does feature a negative ion generator, which as mentioned earlier will create small quantities of ozone – fortunately, this element of the filter can be turned on or off, and for this reason we recommend leaving it off.
Pros
- Specialist pet dander filter--break--Large room coverage--break--Customizable panels--break--Can be wall-mounted
Cons
- Price--break--Some users had connectivity issues with the Wi-Fi
AIRMEGA 400S
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The Coway AIRMEGA 400s is a beast of an air purifier.--break--It’s physically quite large, but it also has a huge cleaning footprint and can perform two full air exchanges of 1560 square feet per hour.--break--It uses a Coway Max2 filter, which combines activated carbon and a true HEPA filter for excellent performance against pet dander, debris and odors.--break--Another great feature is the real time air quality index reporting.--break--The AIRMEGA 400s lets you know exactly what the condition of the atmosphere in your home is, so you can tell right away whether the air is safe for you and your feathered friends.
Pros
- Amazon dash replacement--break--Air quality monitors--break--Great cleaning performance
Cons
- Legs feel cheap--break--App user interface could use improvements
Final Thoughts On The Best Air Purifiers For Birds
If you’ve never had a bird in your home before, don’t let the thought of allergies and odors put you off!
Modern air purifiers have worked wonders for people with sensitivities to many domestic pets, and with any one of these air purifiers for birds from this proHVACinfo guide, you can achieve the same results.
If you’re already a bird owner, and you’ve been living without a quality air purifier for birds, then you probably already know that your air quality could be better, not only for you, but for your bird, too.
We’re sure you’ll notice an almost immediate difference, and you’ll probably wonder how you ever survived without one!
