How to Choose the Right Air Purifier for Your Home in Australia

How to choose an air purifier comes down to three questions: what are you trying to fix, how big is the room, and what will it cost to live with? You can answer all three in ten minutes with a tape measure. AeroPure's plug-in ion air purifier is one option to compare, with no filters to replace, free tracked shipping and a 60-day money-back guarantee.

This guide follows the order we would use ourselves. If you only need a quick answer on size, our small air purifier guide is the shortcut, and our air purifier for home plan counts the rooms for you.

Why bother thinking about indoor air at all? Because we live in it. The EPA's indoor air quality report says Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, and Australians are rarely far behind. The rooms you use most are the right place to start, and a plug-in unit makes that easy.

How to choose an air purifier: start with the problem

Dust, pollen, pet dander, damp and stale bedroom air all behave differently, so name your main worry first. It tells you where the unit should go and what else to do around it.

If it is dust, our guide on whether an air purifier removes dust explains what to expect, and the dust mite bedroom guide covers the bed, where exposure is greatest according to the National Asthma Council.

For pollen and general allergies, start with our guide to managing indoor allergies in Australia. If damp is the issue, the National Asthma Council notes that mould is common in bedrooms with ensuites and built-in wardrobes, and our air purifier for mould guide has a three-step plan. If sleep is the goal, read whether an air purifier can improve sleep.

Pet homes have their own entry on the list. The National Asthma Council includes this in its advice for people who live with pets:

“Use an air purifier to help filter out pet allergens from the air.”

AeroPure makes a unit for exactly that: the Pet Odour Air Ioniser, which the company says helps reduce airborne pet dander and odour particles.

Size comes next: measure the room in square metres

A portable air purifier looks after one room, and the EPA says so in its guide to air cleaners:

“designed to filter the air in a single room or area”

So measure the floor. Multiply the length by the width, and you have the area in square metres. One unit covers rooms up to 11 m2, so divide the area by 11 and round up. A 3 m x 3.5 m bedroom is 10.5 m2, which takes one unit. A 4 m x 3.6 m main bedroom is 14.4 m2, which takes two.

Living areas are bigger, so the count jumps: a 20 m2 lounge takes two units, and a 27 m2 open-plan space takes three. For open plan, split the space into rectangles and size each one. Our air purifier for home guide works through a flat, a house and a family home in full.

What type of purifier suits you?

The EPA guide groups portable air cleaners into filter-based units, electronic units that include ion generators, hybrids that combine the two, and ozone generators, which it advises avoiding in rooms people use (EPA on ozone). That gives you a simple way to compare.

With a filter-based unit, check filter prices and noise, because the EPA notes that all filters need regular replacement and that noise depends in part on fan speed. With an ion unit, check ozone information.

The maker says its unit produces no harmful ozone, chemicals or residues, and lists no filters, fans or motors. As with any ioniser, you can ask for the test information, and our guide asks whether ion air purifiers are safe if you want the full checklist.

Whichever type you choose, the room size, the noise and the running cost matter more than the label on the box.

What will it cost to live with?

For this unit, very little. It draws under 3 watts, so running it around the clock uses about 26 kWh a year, which is roughly $8 at an example rate of 30 cents per kWh. The maker says it costs less than $1 a month in most homes, and your own tariff decides the exact figure. There are no filters to reorder.

When you compare any two units, add the filters to the electricity. A cheap unit with a filter keeps costing you each time the filter is due, and a unit with no filter is one purchase.

Is it quiet enough for where it will live?

Put the quietest unit where you sleep. The EPA says noise depends in part on fan speed, and the maker lists no fan or motor and calls the design whisper-quiet. That suits bedrooms and nurseries, and our plug-in air purifier guide compares the specs and the running costs in more detail.

The manufacturer also designs the unit to be safe around children and pets. As with any plug-in device, keep the unit and cord out of reach of small children.

How do you read a product page like a buyer?

Spend three minutes on the spec sheet and you will know more than most reviews tell you. Look for the coverage in square metres, because a unit with no stated area is a guess. Look for the wattage, which sets your electricity bill, and for the words fan, motor and filter, which tell you about noise and upkeep. Then find the delivery window and the return policy, because a trial only works if you can send the unit back.

Finally, look for safety information, especially on an ioniser. This unit answers each of these on its product page: up to 11 m2, under 3 watts, no filters, fans or motors listed, tracked delivery and a 60-day guarantee.

Which pack for which home?

Start with the room where you spend the most hours, usually the bedroom, then add rooms as you like. Each unit works the moment you plug it in, so nothing is wasted while you build up.

The packs on the product page scale from there: the Bedroom Pack has 2 units and saves 25%, the Home Pack has 4 units and saves 35%, and the Whole Home Pack has 6 units and saves 45%. Here is how they match real homes:

Where should you put it?

Choose the outlet nearest where you sit or sleep, with clear space around it. The EPA advises keeping air cleaners away from curtains and anything that blocks airflow. In a bedroom that means the outlet beside the bed, and at a desk it means the outlet nearest your chair. A plug-in unit needs no shelf, no floor space and no assembly, and you can unplug it and move it whenever you like.

Delivery, returns and the trial

You can try the unit at home before you decide. Orders are processed in 1 to 3 business days, and estimated delivery is 5 to 10 business days from dispatch, so plan on about two to three weeks. Shipping is free across Australia and New Zealand, with tracking. You then have 60 days from delivery to decide, and a refund is one email to support under the refund policy. More answers are on the FAQ page.

Common questions

Do I need a HEPA air purifier?

Not necessarily. HEPA units trap particles in filters you replace regularly. A plug-in ion unit has no filters, so the choice comes down to room size, noise, running cost and what you are comfortable with. Either way, size the room first.

Can one purifier cover the whole house?

One portable unit looks after one room. A whole home is covered by a unit in each room you use, which is what the packs are for.

How many air purifiers do I need?

One for each room you use, sized by area. Divide each room by 11, round up and add the results. Our air purifier for home guide has the method and three worked examples.

Can I leave it on all the time?

Yes. It is designed to run 24/7 and draws under 3 watts.

Is a small unit enough for a bedroom?

For most bedrooms, yes. A bedroom up to 11 m2 takes one unit, and our small air purifier guide shows how to size the rest.

The short version

Name your problem, measure the room, divide by 11, and compare noise and running costs. Then choose a pack that fits your home and use the trial to judge the difference. Filter-free ion units make the maths simple, and the 60-day guarantee keeps the decision easy. You can see everything in the full range.