It’s a great idea to have a high quality air purifier in your nursery to reduce allergens, toxins, mold spores, pet hair and dander, and more. However there are a multitude of different air purifiers on the market. There are seemingly countless brands, various sizes, and a wide variety of price points that make shopping for an air purifier very confusing. When looking for the best air purifier for nursery there are a handful of high quality choices that you can select from.

Although there are hundreds of brands and models on the market, they are not all nearly created equal.

You want a high quality air purifier for the nursery that removes particles up to .01 microns in size and has both a real HEPA filter as well as a charcoal filter. We have done all the research for you and in this post will be sharing the best air purifiers for your nursery.

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best air purifier for nursery

 

What Are the Benefits of an Air Purifier?

Did you know that there are more toxins in the air within your home than there are outdoors most of the time? (source)

That fact might surprise you, but it has been proven true repeatedly. You might wonder why this is? With all the transportation, manufacturing, and more going on constantly outdoors you might readily think that is where there would be more toxins in the air.

Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, indoor air pollution is most often worse than that of outdoor air. Some contributing factors to poor indoor air quality are:

  • cleaning with toxic chemicals
  • burning traditional candles
  • air fresheners and fabric fresheners
  • the building material we use for most homes
  • VOC off-gassing from the products we purchase as well as products we use indoors (This refers to the volatile organic compounds that come out of many things but consider mattresses and paint for a couple of examples.)
  • Poor ventilation
  • No cross breeze of outdoor air
  • Hidden toxic mold (whether in HVAC systems or within walls)

Knowing that all these things can cause poor air quality inside, a powerful air purifier is a fabulous idea to include in your baby’s nursery.

 

What Makes Some Air Purifiers Better Choices Than Others

If you are stepping into the world of air purifiers for the first time, you might not know what makes one better, what specs are important to look for when selecting the right air purifier, and what the purifier specifications even refer to.

You want the best for your baby, so that’s why we’ve done all the research for you and are bringing you the top best air purifier for nursery list today.

Types of Filters

When selecting the right air purifier for your nursery or even other rooms of the house, one of the most important things to consider is the type of filter within the purifier. You will want a filter proven and tested to remove particles down to at least .03 microns in size and ideally down to .01 microns in size to remove even the smallest toxins for the cleanest indoor air possible. (Typically air filters that remove smaller particles will have a higher price point.)

The only type of filter that can do this is a true HEPA filter. HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate air filter. A true HEPA filter can remove particles like dust, pollen, mold spores, smoke particles, and bacteria from the air. Other filters will remove dust and pet hair but not the smallest and most potentially dangerous particles. You will always want a true HEPA filter, H13 (HEPA 13) filter (which removes 99.7% of particles in the air, or an H14 (HEPA 14) filter (which removes 99.9% of particles in the air).

An additional type of filter that is very beneficial to have within your air purifier is an activated carbon filter. You are likely aware of the effective detoxifying effects of charcoal and carbon. It is used in fish filters, detox regimes, and in hospitals in overdose situations. 

A carbon filter within your air purifier will remove odors, gases, and harmful VOCs. This is a very helpful addition to your true HEPA filter.

 

The Size of Particles That Are Removed

When considering an air filter to remove indoor air pollutants within your nursery, the size of particles that are removed is important. While almost any air filter is able to clean the air of dust mites and pet dander, only high-quality air filters can remove very small particles. For instance, most bacteria are .2-1 micron in width, mold spores go down to 1 micron in size, and mycotoxins (the toxic chemicals released by molds) are .01 microns in size.

Only true HEPA filters will remove these types of airborne particles. You want to get the best air filter that you can afford to remove the smallest particles possible for the cleanest air in your nursery.

 

Pricing Matters Too

Of course, quality and efficacy are not the only major contributing factors to choosing the best air purifier for nursery, price matters too. There are various price points available for air purifiers from $50 to $1000. You should get the best one within your budget. 

Another factor to consider before your purchase is the price of replacement filters. Air purifier filters need to be replaced every 4-6 months on average. Some air purifier companies offer discounts if you subscribe to replacement filters. Others need to be replaced even less often than that. 

Be sure to weigh these options prior to making your air purifier purchase as the ongoing price of maintaining clean air is important as well.

 

Additional Features to Consider

The last feature of air purifiers that is imperative to consider when making your selection is the clean air delivery rate and square footage that it can clean. Air purifiers are designed to clean a certain square footage of air within a certain time frame. $50 units can clean a small room while $400 units can typically clean an entire apartment.

If your air purifier is built for a much smaller room than the large room you are attempting to have it clean, it will not be truly effective. Ideally, for fully clean air you want the air purifier to cycle all the air within the room 4 times an hour.

When you read the specs on each air purifier it should state the CADR (clean air delivery rate) on each fan setting. To select the right air purifier for your nursery use the 2/3 rule. The CADR should be at least 2/3 of the room’s square footage and equal to the room’s square footage for the smallest particles like smoke.

The fan speed and decibel rating are other factors to consider when selecting an air purifier, especially when you will be keeping it in the nursery. Less costly models will have fewer fan speeds to set the air purifier at, but overall most air purifiers have 3 to 4 fan speeds.

Frequently the highest fan speed (which is the clean air speed that you will see each model advertising) is VERY loud, even on the models that claim to have quiet operation. Expect that you won’t always be running your air purifier at its highest and thus loudest speed and select your CADR accordingly.

On the air purifiers that I have personally used the sound difference between the fourth and highest fan speed and the third fan speed that is only one setting lower is immense. Expect to use the highest fan speed to quickly clean a room but to use the slightly lower speeds for daily clean air maintenance.

The noise emitted by the air purifier can be a beneficial white noise for your nursery, but the fact that it can also be quite loud in the highest settings is also worth mentioning.

 

How to Select the Best Air Purifier for Nursery

best air purifier for nursery

Now that you know all the important specifications to look for when selecting a high-quality air purifier for your nursery let’s go over how to choose the best one for your personal situation. What is the best for you may not be the best fit for someone else.

When selecting any air purifier first consider the types of filters in the air purifier (the ones on this list will all have true HEPA filters as well as carbon filters in them to ease your mind).

Next, you will want to choose between an air purifier for large spaces for your entire apartment or home, one for small spaces that will cover only the square footage of your baby’s room, or multiple air purifiers for various rooms throughout the house.

From there factor in the room size and the CADR. Remember to utilize the 2/3 rule and that it’s ideal (not always realistic though) to have 4 complete air cycle changes per hour.

Then find the price of replacement filters for the air purifiers that match the specifications you need for your nursery. Filter replacement should be the only ongoing cost associated with your air purifier once it’s purchased and should fit within your budget to maintain clean indoor air.

Finally, select the best air purifier within your price range.

 

Best Air Purifier for Nursery Recommendations

Medify Air

Medify MA-40 Air Purifier with True HEPA H13 Filter | 1,793 ft² Coverage in 1hr for Smoke, Wildfires, Odors, Pollen, Pets | Quiet 99.9% Removal to 0.1 Microns | White, 1-Pack

Medify air is a very high-quality air purifier that removes particles down to .01 microns in size and can be purchased at a reasonable price. They have various models that range from $60 for a small air purifier for your desk, to a large one that can clean an entire house. I know people who use this brand and can attest to its quality. 

Medify air also comes with a lifetime warranty on their products and a subscription for reduced-priced filters should you choose to sign up. This is the perfect air purifier for someone on a budget who still wants a guaranteed high-quality product. This size model is the perfect air purifier for very effectively cleaning just a nursery.

 

Blueair Purifiers

BLUEAIR Air Purifiers for Small Rooms, Bedroom, Cleans 1,052 sqft in one hour, HEPASilent Air Cleaner for Home, Baby, Nursery, Pets, Allergies, Virus - Blue Pure 411i Max

Blueair is another reputable company with high-quality air purifiers for a reasonable price. They have a range of products that claim to have more quiet filtration while being equally as effective. 

Blueair purifiers can also clean 99.97% of particles out of the air down to .1 microns in size to remove almost all harmful airborne pollutants. They can be controlled through an app which has both pros and cons.

Some people love the ease and versatility of a wifi device (if it helps you use healthy items more often, it becomes more effective and is beneficial in your case) while other users are concerned about the EMFs emitted. The most sensitive individuals will need to consider this. Weigh the pros and cons of this feature for your own life to make the best choice.

Blueair also has air purifiers for very small rooms like a nursery, whole house air purifiers, and everything in between in addition to a filter replacement subscription to save on replacements.

 

Intellipure Air Purifiers

Intellipure Ultrafine 468 Air Purifier - White | Ideal for Medium or Large Spaces Up to 1,200 Square Feet

Intellipure also makes excellent quality air purifiers in various sizes to meet your needs. Their website claims to remove 99.99% of the “bad stuff” from the air such as mold, bacteria, and viruses which is exactly what you want in your nursery.

Intellipure air purifiers have an additional DFS (a disinfecting filtration system) on top of their HEPA and carbon filters, which is a great feature to kill even more harmful bacteria and viruses.

Intellipure is very transparent with its ratings, certifications, CADR, and more. They offer small space air purifiers, large whole-house units that roll for easy transportation, and everything in between.

 

Air Doctor Air Purifiers

AIRDOCTOR AD2000 Air Purifier for Small & Medium Rooms and Small Bedrooms. 3 Stage Filtration with Pre-Filter, UltraHEPA, Carbon/VOC (AirDoctor 2000)

Air Doctor is one of the most trusted brands of portable in house air purifiers, but they do come at a higher price point. However, the higher price point does come with other valuable features that are important for the best indoor air quality. 

Air Doctor’s smart air purifiers come with:

  • indoor air quality alerts
  • local weather, pollen, and particle counts
  • filter change alerts (no more guesswork!)
  • indoor temperature and humidity monitoring (which is a huge benefit towards preventing mold growth and more potential indoor toxins)
  • control from the app

Air Doctor’s purifiers use UltraHEPA air filters with multiple layers. They offer many models from the 1000 which is perfect for a nursery up to the 5500i which can maintain clean air in a large house with a square footage of 1000-2000 sq ft.

If the Air Doctor pro is within your budget, it’s highly recommended.

 

Austin Air Purifiers

Austin Air Healthmate Plus - Powerful Air Purifier with HEPA Medical-Grade Filtration System, Eliminate Harmful Airborne Contaminants, (Sandstone)

Austin air purifiers are superb air purifiers that clean particles in the air of your living space down to .1 microns in size, picking up even the smallest of particles. Harmful pollutants will stand no chance in your nursery when you own an Austin Air purifier! 

Austin Air comes with a manufacturer’s warranty as well as a warranty on their replacement filters, guaranteeing their quality and performance. On their website, they claim to be medical-grade air purifiers for the best clean. Austin Air provides highly-rated air purifiers in multiple sizes to fit your needs.

 

Levoit Core

LEVOIT Air Purifiers for Home Large Room Up to 1980 Ft² in 1 Hr With Air Quality Monitor, HEPA Sleep Mode, Auto Mode, Smart WiFi, 3-in-1 Filter Captures Pet Allergies, Smoke, Dust, Core 400S-P, White

The Levoit is a budget air purifier but still fairly good quality. It removes particles down to .3 microns so it won’t get the absolute smallest particles but still gives you a high quality cleaning and will vastly improve your indoor air quality.

Some reviewers also mentions that it seems to help with humidity a bit too more than the other air purifiers on this list.

The Levoit air purifiers have a 12-hour timer and very affordable replacement filters. This is the highest quality budget air purifier available. They also come in a variety of sizes to fit any room to give you a healthy environment indoors.

 

Wrapping Up The Best Air Purifiers for Nursery

Learning the world of air purifiers does take a bit of knowledge and research. That’s why I’m happy that the All Natural Mothering team is here to do that bit for you and bring you the best tested and reviewed air purifiers for your nursery.

Every air purifier brand on this list cleans particles from the air down to a size of .3 microns and most down to .1 microns in size. They also each have a certified HEPA filter as well as a charcoal filter to remove odors, VOCs, smoke, mold spores, mycotoxins, dust, pollen, pet dander, viruses, and bacteria.

Many have additional beneficial features beyond that.

Be sure that you select the right size unit for the room you are attempting to clean and try to select a unit that can cycle the air in the square footage you need cleaned approximately 4 times per hour.

Breathe easy!

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