The benchmark
Coway AP-1512HH Mighty
A compact, long-selling unit: true HEPA, quiet on its low speeds, frugal on power, with filters that don't cost a fortune. Sized for bedrooms and home offices; check the room size on the box against your room.
Gear guide · Air · updated October 12, 2026
Air purifiers (HEPA)
A true-HEPA purifier sized for the room works fast: it pulls wildfire-smoke particles, renovation dust and allergens out of the room you're in. It treats symptoms, not causes. Mold needs its moisture source fixed and radon needs mitigation, but on a smoke day or in the middle of a project, it's help you can plug in right away.
Not sure this category applies to your home? The testing guide covers which tests matter. For the testing side, see the mold & indoor air guide and the lead paint guide.
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The smoke and odor pick
Winix 5500-2
True HEPA plus a washable carbon filter. The HEPA catches wildfire-smoke particles and the carbon takes on the smell, which a HEPA filter alone doesn't.
The big-room unit
Levoit Core 600S
Moves enough air for open-plan main floors and basements: Levoit lists a CADR of 391 and about 600 sq ft at 4.8 air changes an hour. App control, plus a particle sensor that drives auto mode.
$300 list
Find on Amazon.com ↗Before you buy
- Size by the room. EPA's guide says to choose a CADR large enough for the room and compare it with the maximum room size on the box. Its table runs from a CADR of 65 for 100 sq ft to 390 for 600 sq ft, with 8-foot ceilings. Buying above your room lets the unit clean on its quiet speeds.
- "True HEPA" is the phrase that matters; "HEPA-type" filters are not the same thing.
- The real cost is filters. Price a year of replacements before you choose, and keep a spare set on hand before wildfire season.
- Renovating a pre-1978 home? A purifier adds to lead-safe work practices (containment, HEPA vacuuming, wet cleaning) and never replaces them, and paid work that disturbs paint there needs an EPA lead-safe certified firm. Leave suspected asbestos or vermiculite insulation undisturbed.
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Measure, then act
Gear tells you what is happening; an energy audit tells you why. A certified auditor measures air leakage, insulation and combustion safety, and can tell you which of these categories matter in your home.
Also in gear guides: Radon monitors & test kits · Indoor air quality monitors · Carbon monoxide alarms