While some think a basement air purifier isn't a worthy investment, they're probably overlooking how any build-up in an abandoned basement can affect the rest of the house. If you don't want to go through this hassle, check out this list of the best air purifiers for basement use.
Best Air Purifier For Basement
- Alen BreatheSmart FLEX Air Purifier
- AeraMax 300
- SilverOnyx Air Purifier
- Honeywell HPA300
- Coway AP-1512HH
- GermGuardian AC4825E
The 6 Best Air Purifiers For Basements in 2021
1. Alen BreatheSmart FLEX Air Purifier
The Alen Breathesmart Air Purifier features a minimalistic and sleek design, so you can put it anywhere without standing out too much. The many-colored panels it comes with enable you to match it to the creation of your entire ground-floor basement, which is a considerable pleasure.
With an ability to cover a 700 sq ft area, this is one of the excellent air purifiers for an ample basement space. That's not only because of its wide range coverage area but also because it uses ionizer technology to ensure that no harmful particles are left after it gets to work.
Moreover, the Alen BreatheSmart features an actual HEPA filter layer with a dust and odor filter to guarantee that all the air is cleared out. The activated carbon filter holds 0.66 pounds so that the cleaner can eliminate any VOC (volatile organic compounds), household chemicals, smoke, and more. It can deal with odors, pet dander, allergens, fur, and dust and effectively prevent basement mold or bacteria growth.
You can pick four different air filters to suit your personal needs, but this versatility will cost you a little. And despite the Alen BreatheSmart being on the more expensive end of the spectrum, it's worth every penny.
Still, this is because it won't make you worry about making adjustments between the four filters; it has a built-in air pollution sensor that can adjust automatically according to the air quality levels (like the mold smell) to make the job easier for you.
Pros:
- Compact design
- Excellent air ventilation quality
Cons:
- Pricey
2. AeraMax 300
This fantastic air purifier works well on many levels, and it's so safe that it's suitable for people who suffer from asthma or allergies.
The AeraMax 300 comes with four filters, including pre-filter and plasma accurate technology, which will eliminate all pollutants in the air with the ionized field. You can still turn the ionizer off if you don't feel it's that necessary– the air purifier is entirely customizable.
The cleaner's AeraSafe antimicrobial treatment technology also boosts the actual HEPA filter performance to kill any bacteria that cause odors and prevent any fungi or mildew from growing.
Mix that with the odor eliminator, and the air purifier will capture all the germs, dust, mold, and smoke from the air with no issues. It has a special high-performance mode that enhances the effects of the air purifier for cold, flu, and allergy seasons.
Moreover, the AeraMax 300 can cover 300 to 600 sq ft of area, so it's one of the most powerful air purifiers. With the aerasmart sensor, the air purifier can monitor air quality and adjust the fan's speed accordingly, optimizing the air purification process.
The AeraMax 300 is a pretty quiet choice to enhance your basement air quality, as it operates on an average of 36 dB.
Pros:
- Tackles odors
- Features can be customized
- It suits people with allergies or asthma sufferers
Cons:
- The modern design may not suit every taste
- The warranty is rather short
3. SilverOnyx Air Purifier
The SilverOnyx comes with a solid set of filters, including a true HEPA filter, an activated carbon filter, a pre-filter, ultraviolet light (UV-C), and an ion generator, as well as a UV light sanitizer, so you can count on it to clear away airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns in size with a 99.97% accuracy.
With its five air filtration cleaning levels, you won't be bothered by dust, musty odors, mold spores, pollen, pet dander, dust mites, or airborne pollutants. To give you unprecedented air quality, the SilverOnyx comes with an ionizer and one of the most effective activated carbon filters to ensure fresh air. At the same time, the PM2.5 (Particulate matter) sensor makes automatic adjustments.
The most impressive part about the SilverOnyx is that it covers an area of 500 sq ft. It does so a little noisily, though, as its operation noise ranges from 25 to 56 dB.
Also, the SilverOnyx comes with a sleep mode button that allows you to use your air purifier economically. The on/off timer also helps in that aspect, while the brushless DC motor ensures that it doesn't consume too much energy during operation in the first place.
This HEPA air purifier is also a tremendously ideal choice for those who love to vape as it's very effective at capturing the vape particles. However, you'll need to vacuum the outer filter monthly; otherwise, it could become so dirty that it hinders the unit's functionality.
Pros:
- Efficient air purification systems
- Features UV light (UV-C)
- Large coverage area
- Affordable price point
Cons:
- Noisy operation
4. Honeywell HPA300
The Honeywell HPA300 is the perfect fit for medium-sized basements thanks to its coverage area of 465 sq ft and its compact size, where the most significant dimension doesn't exceed 22 inches.
Despite its small size, it offers you plenty of purification power, coming with a true HEPA filter that'll eliminate all mold spores in your basement and 99.97% of particles. At the same time, the activated carbon pre-filter stops any musty smells from building up.
The ACH (Air Changes per Hour) rate is an impressive 5, which means that throughout the day, it'll freshen up the room with circulation up to 120 times.
It has four different fan speed settings, all operating at tolerable noise levels ranging from around 43 to 60 dB.
If you pair the Honeywell HPA300 with a dehumidifier, you can rest assured that you'll never suffer from mold spores for the rest of the time.
There isn't anything complicated about setting up and maintaining the Honeywell HPA300, though its pre-filter will require changes every three months, which might be a hassle for some.
However, the true HEPA filter needs replacement only once per year, with a process that requires no tools. As long as you regularly change the filters and provide your unit with maintenance, it should last you for years and still keep going strong.
Pros:
- It doesn't require much maintenance
- Sleek design
- Excellent for medium-sized basements
- Indicators for filter changing requirements
Cons:
- The pre-filter requires changing every three months
5. Coway AP-1512HH
In the air purifier market, the Coway AP-1512HH makes it to the top, especially the one for air purifiers for basements, thanks to how reliable and efficient it is.
With an ability to cover 361 sq ft, its coverage area is not the largest, but its operation is flawless.
It comes with a 4-stage system of filtration, including an activated carbon pre-filter, a deodorization filter, a Vital Ion, and a True HEPA filter. This enables it to eliminate up to 99.97% of 0.3-micron dust particles, including pet dander, airborne pollutants, pollen, and other allergens.
Moreover, the Coway AP-1512HH comes with a pollution sensor that indicates the poor air quality in your basement in real-time, while the LEDs of bright colors indicate the level of clean air you're getting. It also has a filter lifetime indicator that tells when the filters need to be replaced. This helps you maintain a clean HEPA filter and other filters.
As for the fan speeds, the air purifier has three settings that automatically adjust to optimize the air purification process. There's also a timer feature that you can set to 1, 4, or 8 hours before it powers off on its own.
Also, its operation noise levels are pretty quiet, ranging between 24.4 dB and up to only 53.8 dB.
Pros:
- Looks great
- Extensive filtration system
- It comes with a filter replacement indicator and an air quality one
- Decent coverage area
- Automatically-adjusting 3-speed fan
Cons:
- It gets noisy after a while
- Doesn't consume energy efficiently
- A little on the pricey side
6. GermGuardian AC4825E
The GermGuardian AC4825E has been gaining a lot of popularity in the air purifiers market as one of the best basement air purifiers. It provides excellent value for the money and quality air that stops your runny nose.
This 22-inch tall purifier with 3-speed settings uses ultraviolet light (UV-C light) and Titanium Dioxide technology to clear up rooms to 167 sq ft from all VOCs, dust, dust mites, pollen, and smoke. The UV-C light also kills airborne viruses, including rhinovirus, staph, influenza, and the current COVID-19.
It does have pretty CADR ratings, with 108 for smoke, 125 for pollen, and 118 for dust, which are numbers that compare to units of a larger size.
However, the GermGuardian AC4825E isn't the best for keeping the stagnant air free from any pollutants; it's better suited for bigger odor-causing particles than tiny ones, even though it comes with both a true HEPA filter and charcoal filters (carbon filter) that work on minimizing odors arising from paint fumes, cooking fumes, smoke, and pets.
Moreover, the unit is Energy Star-certified, which means that operating is energy efficient and won't cost you an arm and a leg, even for extended periods. It's also AHAM-certified and CARB-compliant.
However, it's not the quietest choice as it operates at 40 dB on the lowest setting. The medium one produces 50 dB, and the highest one is 55 dB.
Pros:
- Lightweight and portable
- An activated carbon filter works on purifying air and clearing odors
- AHAM- and CARB-certified
- UV-C light and Titanium Dioxide technology eliminate all pollutants
Cons:
- Quite noisy
- It only works effectively with bigger particles
7. Other basement air purifiers that we looked at
Our review rating also looked at the best air purifiers equipped with HEPA filters to keep your small or large basement from airborne contaminants and poor ventilation, making your cellar clean: Rabbit Air MinusA2, GermGuardian AC9200WCA, Winix 5500-2, and IQAir HealthPro Plus.
Turn your poor indoor air quality and musty basement smell into a perfect basement free from dust mites, molds, and mildew as you choose the correct size air purifier.
Choosing an Air Purifier
When choosing air purifiers or air cleaners to enhance basement air quality, you must not just look for an Energy Star-certified unit. Still, you also have to be extra cautious for several reasons. A cleaner in the basement won't be checked regularly, and it must be big enough to have a wide coverage area, especially if it's a large basement.
Here are the most important factors to consider when shopping for an air purifier for basements without further ado.
Carbon Use
A lot of activated carbon is required for high-volume chemical removal and purification, which is why you should ensure that your cleaner is big enough to have an abundant stock of carbon. This is why air purifiers for MCS can't be too compact; otherwise, they won't be as effective.
However, you should remember that the type of carbon you use can have significant consequences, so make sure you know the difference between treated and untreated activated carbon.
To sum it up, treated activated carbon is more commonly used for powerful air purifiers, so if you get an air purifier for basement use, it'll probably use that. Treated activated carbon usually comes with extra additives, enabling the purifier's carbon to have more reactive or adsorptive chemicals. There are also washable carbon filters to maintain its operation.
And while those additives might be detectable, it won't be that much trouble if you're getting your air purifier for basement use. Knowing how air purifiers work is suitable for understanding how these factors, such as Hers and carbon filters, affect their performance and air circulation.
Available Space and Coverage Area
Basement air purifiers are known for being big, but the most important thing is to find a balance between the size and the coverage area. If you get one too small, it won't purify your stale basement air and will become more or less useless.
Also, you should check the air purifiers' CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate). Take the area of the room in sq ft and get an air purifier with two-thirds of that number for the CADR. So, if the space is around 120 sq ft, the Clean Air Delivery Rate should be 80.
Construction
You should ensure that your air purifier is made from metals or, at the very least, high-quality plastics. Otherwise, it could leak gases and airborne chemicals, which end up irritating the air purifier's operation.
Avoid units that use fiberglass or glue in order not to have them off-gas and defy the whole point of getting a cleaner for basement use.
HEPA Filters
s. HEPA filtration ensures that your basement is free from pollutants such as pet dander, bacteria, allergens, pollen, dust, and, most importantly, mold sporeTrue HEPA filters are quite effective at trapping 99.97% of small particles and airborne contaminants in the air, which could be as small as 3 microns. s. Combined with an activated carbon filter, they can trap VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), such as formaldehyde, from the air.
Fan
A solid indicator of how powerful most air purifiers are would be the power of the fan's motor. The fan is responsible for taking in the air in the room and pushing it out again - a process that repeats several times per hour for hours on end. So, to ensure the effective operation of your air purifier, get one with a robust fan.
Extras
Getting a basement air purifier with a customized filter change indicator light would help you remember how often you need to change the filters. That's especially important because a cleaner in the basement wouldn't be as visible and, therefore, might go unnoticed.
Moreover, since a basement air purifier would be left to its own devices for extended periods, it's best to get one that's able to run on automatic settings. In other words, it should be able to detect the air quality in the basement and adjust its purification levels accordingly. This spares you the need to go down your basement to make changes frequently.
Other Factors
Some small but essential factors come into play when it comes to choosing the best basement air purifiers, including the noise level (dB) it makes, UV light components, the cost of replacing the filters, and the year it was manufactured, which indicates how easily you'd find replacement filters and parts.
Moreover, you want to get a unit with around 5 ACH as an ideal number, which means that the team provides five air changes per hour.
Why Is Mold Found In Basements?
Typically, mold grows in areas that have water problems. Because a basement space lies at the bottom of the house, it collects any water that results from heavy rainfall, leaky pipes, or any reason for flooding. And since a basement is usually humid, it leads to condensation, especially if it's cold outside. All of this maks significantly larger basements a ripe spot for mold growth. That is why they are the ideal is to input your air filter, air conditioner, or air purifier, as they make the basement air clean.
Should I Leave the Basement Air Purifier Running at All Times?
There's no absolute answer here; it all depends on the air quality inside your basement. If your basement has no windows, there's a high chance it'll collect excess moisture and humidity, inviting mold in.
And if you use it for any purposes, you'd need to keep it on all the time not to have to wait a while before it starts becoming effective and providing fresh air.
What's the Ionizer Function?
Ionizers send negatively charged ions into the room, electrifying several particles by sticking to them, including dust, pollen, and more. This improves air circulation inside the living space and basement. After that, the positively charged plates inside air purifiers suck the negatively charged particles, providing you with an area clear of any pollutants.
Should I Get a Humidifier With the Air Purifier?
While both devices help with the quality of the air, each of them serves a different purpose. A humidifier suits solving dry air problems, while a reliable air purifier is a suitable solution if you're looking to eliminate contaminants from the air. Together, they moisturize the air and clarify it, and a good option for that case would be to get a combo unit.
Are There Side Effects to an Air Purifier?
In general terms, air purifiers don't have any side effects. However, other air purifiers use ionization technology, which uses electrostatic precipitators, which tend to leak tiny levels of ozone, which may be detectable if you're very sensitive to chemicals. However, since you'll be keeping the device in the basement, where you don't go often, it would be pretty harmless.
Final Thoughts
Now that we're done with our reviews, hopefully, you've managed to make which one of them from the air purifier listed is the best air purifier for the basement for you or at least narrow it down to two. If not, here's a quick recap:
The Alen BreatheSmart is easily the best air purifier overall for what coverage area it has to offer, its ionizing technology, and its set of effective filters. You can even customize it to four different types of filters to perfectly suit the air quality you're seeking.
If you're looking for the best air purifier for versatile use, the AeraMax 300 is a perfect choice. It can cover from 300 to 600 square feet and has an intelligent sensor that adjusts the fan's speed accordingly.
Finally, if you're looking for more than just carbon and HEPA filters, you'll love the 5-stage filtration system that the SilverOnyx comes with. Ultraviolet light makes it one of the most effective air purifiers for getting rid of all mold spores and pet dander from areas of all sizes.
