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Air purifiers for allergies: compare pollen cleaning rates

Every air purifier sold in the US that is ENERGY STAR® certified under the current requirements: 244 models from 75 brands, with the pollen, dust and smoke cleaning rates each maker reported, the room size, filter type, ozone and energy use. Pick your room size and the order. Nobody pays for a place here.

Editor: Ara OhanianUpdated EPA’s list as of October 29, 2026

Choose your room and order

Length times width. Sizes assume an 8-foot ceiling.

Only show

All 244 models

Showing 1 to 24. Sorted by brand, A to Z.

ENERGY STAR® certified room air cleaners, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (data.energystar.gov). Cleaning rates as each maker reported them for certification.

How to read the numbers

Each number in the finder comes from EPA’s list of ENERGY STAR certified room air cleaners. The list describes the cleaning rates as reported by the makers.1

Clean air delivery rate (CADR). EPA’s guide to air cleaners says that the higher the CADR, the more particles an air cleaner will remove and the larger the area it can serve.3 The guide explains that tobacco smoke, dust and pollen are used to represent small, medium and large particles.3 The finder shows all three for each model, in cubic feet per minute.1

Room size. ENERGY STAR’s list gives each model’s room size as its smoke CADR multiplied by 1.55.1 The CADRs in ENERGY STAR’s sizing chart assume an 8-foot ceiling, and it says that with higher ceilings you may want a model with a higher CADR.2

Filter. The list says a HEPA filter removes at least 99.97% of particles 0.3 micrometers across, and that filters described as “HEPA-type” have not demonstrated that they meet the HEPA standard.1

Energy use. The yearly figure assumes 16 hours a day in active mode. Energy efficiency is given as cubic feet per minute of clean air for each watt, counting standby as well as active use, and a higher number means a more efficient model.1

What air cleaners can and can’t do

EPA says portable air cleaners and HVAC filters can reduce indoor air pollution, but they cannot remove all pollutants from the air.4 It says the most effective ways to improve indoor air are to reduce or remove the sources of pollutants and to ventilate with clean outdoor air, and that research shows filtration can be an effective supplement to both.4 Our guide to allergies at home in winter covers those sources, from dust mites to pets and mold.

EPA’s guide says multiple studies with portable HEPA air cleaners have found improvements in one or more allergy or asthma symptoms, but that the studies do not always show major improvements, and do not show improvements in all symptoms.3 On its air cleaner page, ENERGY STAR adds that EPA does not endorse manufacturer claims about how far a specific product will make indoor air healthier.2

Ozone

EPA’s guide advises avoiding air cleaners that intentionally produce ozone, which it calls a lung irritant.3 It notes that in some cases, air cleaners with electrostatic precipitators, ionizers or UV lights without adequate lamp coatings, and plasma air cleaners, may have the potential to emit ozone.3 The finder shows each model’s measured ozone emissions in parts per billion, as ENERGY STAR lists them, and lets you keep only models measured at zero.1

Using one

EPA’s guide suggests placing an air cleaner in the rooms you spend the most time in, away from curtains or anything that might block the airflow.3 It says the longer an air cleaner runs, the more air it filters, and that all filters need regular replacement.3

What this finder can’t tell you

  • It lists only models certified to ENERGY STAR’s current requirements and sold in the US.1 Air cleaners without certification aren’t in EPA’s list, so they aren’t here.
  • The cleaning rates are the makers’ own, as reported for certification.1 We don’t test air cleaners.
  • It doesn’t show prices, and nobody pays for a place in it. Models are listed by brand, A to Z, unless you choose another order.
  • It doesn’t check recalls. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission posts product recalls, including air purifiers.5

Read more on AllergyNest

Sources

  1. ENERGY STAR Certified Room Air Cleaners V3.0 (dataset and column descriptions). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ENERGY STAR. Read on October 29, 2026.
  2. Air Cleaners. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ENERGY STAR. Read on October 29, 2026.
  3. Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Read on October 29, 2026.
  4. Air Cleaners and Air Filters in the Home. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Read on October 29, 2026.
  5. Recalls & Product Safety Warnings. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Read on October 30, 2026.

Ara Ohanian, editor. Parent of two children with allergies. Seven years working with US allergy clinics and allergists on growth, patient outreach and allergy data.

The list is EPA’s, rebuilt from its file each month; AllergyNest isn’t affiliated with ENERGY STAR or EPA, and neither endorses this site. The words were drafted with AI help from the sources above, then checked against them in a separate AI fact-check pass. How we write these pages.