Updated Fall 2021
This post lists and compares the 7 best air purifiers to reduce VOCs (offgassing from new building materials).
I also focus on which units have the least amount of offgassing and are best for the chemically sensitive.
I have a separate post for air purifiers that work best for mold, however the True HEPA filter in these units does help in capturing mold spores.
This post contains affiliate links. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission through affiliate links at no extra cost to you.
What to Look for in a good Air Purifier:
- Good Amount of Tolerable Sorbent Material – How many lbs, type of material, tolerability of material, does it have potassium permanganate (which may be harder to tolerate but provides better absorption of many VOCs), do they have test kits to try the material.
- Ideally “True HEPA” – 99.97% of particles done to 0.3 microns.
- Around 5 ACH – CFM to tell you the air exchanges/hour, you want a least 1 ACH, ideally 5.
- Minimal Offgassing – Plastic or glue in the unit? Glue in the filters? Motors “burned in” or encased/sealed?
- Other Comparisons – How loud they are (dB), the cost of replacing filters, and year established (so you can feel certain they will be around to replace filters and parts).
Air Exchange Per Hour (ACH)
What are Air Exchanges Per Hour (ACH) – Air exchange per hour is how many times you are “replacing” the air in the room per hour, this is a key area of comparison with air purifiers. ASHRAE (The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) recommends a minimum of 4 ACH for patient rooms in hospitals, 5 for intensive care units and 25 for operating rooms.
How Many ACH Do We Need – For the purposes of those extremely sensitive to mould and VOCs, we want about 5-10 air exchanges per hour. To maximise how much air in the room the air purifier can process, put it in a central location.
How Do You Calculate the ACH From a Unit’s Specs – You always want to find the CFM of the unit. The CFM is the capacity of the unit to move air – how much air it moves through the machine. CFM stands for Cubic Feet Per Minute. You need the CFM to calculate ACH. I have two calculators here to properly size these units.
If you are interested in PCO technology that is more geared towards filtering mold, see my article on air purifiers that use that technology. This article is about the classic types.
Top Brands of Air Purifiers for MCS and Offgassing
1. AllerAir
AirMedic Pro 5 Ultra
$1049 * 28-30 lbs carbon * “Super HEPA” * 400 CFM * dB 50-75 @1ft * EST 1994
Filter replacement: Carbon Filter 2-5 years $172; Super HEPA 2 years $131;
Pre-filter 3 months $132
Some of the most extremely sensitive folks prefer this brand but not all have tolerated it. All-metal. Filters don’t offgas. No glue on the HEPA like true HEPA has. Option to have true HEPA which has glue.
AirMedic Pro 5 HD MCS is made for MCS – The burn-in motor by running and offgassing it for 6-8 hours. You can choose the carbon blend from an option of 7 blends in a test kit. It has 24lbs carbon and is dB 35-60 @1ft.
You can buy some models at Walmart or through some sellers on Amazon.
2. AustinAir
Healthmate Plus
$885 * 250 CFM * 15 lbs of Activated Carbon Impregnated with Potassium Iodide and Zeolite * True HEPA * dB 50-66 3-5ft (they are not sure) * EST early 90s
Filter replacement: HEPA/carbon prefilter 3-5 years (5-year warranty filter warranty) $360
There are different filter options with different types of carbon/absorptive material. Again, reactions are often attributed to Potassium permanganate. You can test out their different filter options.
Steel units, plastic on the wheels, not plastic inside.
Some with extreme MCS have picked up offgassing, but many with MCS prefer this brand.
You can buy them at Green Design Center, and Amazon.
3. EnviroKlenz
$699 * CFM 250 * dB 50 on high @6 ft
EnviroKlenz is a slightly different technology than the others here. I have been using this unit and been happy with it.
Like the others, this unit has a HEPA filter, but instead of charcoal/PP/zeolite it uses minerals including magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide to neutralize VOCs, chemical odors, and smoke.
The EnviroKlenz according to the literature, destroys most pollutants. Contrary to odor masking methods, the nanocrystalline materials contact, adsorb and then neutralize the odor-causing substances.
It is effective against aldehydes and pollutants and particularly effective against different kinds of smoke and pesticides. Activated carbon does not help that much with formaldehyde and smoke can be difficult to filter as well. My preference for this unit comes from its ability to deal with formaldehyde and smoke.
EnviroKlenz materials will chemically dismantle many VOCs. Hydrocarbons will be absorbed but not chemically modified.
The company has a number of patents and it has been tested you can see that info here (you can search and read patents here), and for a summary of research articles and references on this technology the company also provides a technical report.
Filter replacement costs: Mineral cartridge 4-5 months 100$, HEPA every 2-3 years $150. Rated the same as true HEPA.
This air purifier has been in production for 8 years.
4. E.L. Foust
400 Series Air Purifier
$775 * CFM 380 * 60% Coconut shell carbon / 40% potassium permanganate (Standard Mix) 8 lbs * not true HEPA, 99.97 * dB 22-24 @3ft * EST 1974
Filter replacement: HEPA which can last up to 2-3 years $112. Pre-filter 2-3 months $13. Carbon media tray 6-9 months, up to a year $75
They have a sealed motor – bearings are sealed in. They run the motors outside for 2-3 days first to offgas them.
Metal construction uses no adhesives, have HEPA filters without any glue. These are made for the chemically sensitive and some of the most extremely sensitive like this brand.
They sell filter sample kits so that you can check out the different materials used. Generally, for the extremely sensitive, PP is difficult to tolerate. The most sensitive should start with their pure Bituminous coal filters.
Having a sealed motor will be key for the most sensitive. The downside is this one has a lot less carbon than the other models.
Purchase only from their website.
5. IQAir
IQAir Multigas
$1299 * CFM 300 * 12 lbs granular activated carbon & impregnated alumina (Potassium Permanganate) * True HEPA * dB 35-69 – (the company will not state how many feet this test was done at). * EST 1963
Their HealthPro is (40 to 300 CFM) (2 air changes/hr in 1125 sq. ft), dB 25 to 59
Filter replacement: Multigas cartilage 2 years $400; Post Filter 2.5 year $129; HEPA about a year (on 10 hours a day on speed 3) $109; optional Filter Pads $79
This might be one of the best-known brand names in air purifiers. Some people with MCS swear by it. But, the most severely sensitive do not always tolerate it.
The unit is made of plastic and the offgassing of the unit itself might be an issue. The potassium insert can be hard to tolerate for many (which is not a unique issue to this brand). Some people have sent back filters that smelt especially sweet or strong and received ones that were more tolerable.
Nevertheless, this is a favorite and well-trusted brand for many with MCS who want a robust top of the line air purifier.
You can buy the Healhpro and Multigas directly through the IQAir website. The Multigas can also be found on Amazon.
6. Amaircare
Amaircare 3000
$719 * 225 CFM (in 1688 sq ft 1 ACH) * Claims no offgassing * Depending on the option you choose it contains up to 30 lbs of carbon * True HEPA * dB 43 to 61 @ 6 ft * EST 1994 * Made in Canada
Filter replacement: Prefilters + VOC media/year (12 lbs) $119; HEPA Filter 2-5 years $200
Made of metal, no plastic or foam. The HEPA is rated at 2-5 years when the prefilter is maintained. One person with moderate MCS said the HEPA filters smelled like chemicals. He requested a new one which was better.
You can find the 2500 model at Walmart, or through some sellers on Amazon.
7. Airpura
Airpura C600-DLX
$900 * 440 CFM (2 air exchanges an hour 2000 sq. ft. with) * 26 lb Coconut Shell Carbon * dB 28.1 – 62.3 @6ft. * EST 2004
Filter replacement: Carbon filter 2-3 years $350; Post filter 1 year $100; Pre-filter 6-12 months $40; HEPA (not true HEPA) 1-2 years $60
Claim all-metal housing, ensures no plastic vapors are emitted.
It didn’t work for some people with MCS although some do well with it.
They sell these at Walmart.
Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 7 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.
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Elizabeth says
Hi, I’m a non-consenting host to TILT (toxic-induced loss of tolerance aka MCS) & I’ve had Foust 160R2 Air Purifier for abt 1.5 years. I’ve been having a LOT more laundry fragrance smells coming into my 817sq ft condo in the last 10 or so months—I put the Foust in my bathroom w/door closed due
to INTENSE/cut-it-w/a-knife laundry-soap/dryer-fragrance/gases and NO CHANGE/just as intense. So I figured I was due for new filter/outer sock, but no improvement w/the replacements-it used to clear air in abt 20min after I closed windows/patio-slider. I live in a neighborhood full of 3 deckers/can be hard to tell where VOCs’ coming from, but I finally realized it was coming from somewhere IN our 3-decker (I wish you could photograph off-gas-ing smells!!), Today realized it’s coming from bath-laundry-room below me downstairs neighbor who said she has changed to “Tide Original.” Think Kryptonite. Despite knowing it makes me really ill, she refuses to reconsider switching brands (even if I agree to pay for an unscented/safe one). I feel so controlled by this condition/stupid-unnecesary chems so much of the time & today I felt powerless/trapped—b/c you can’t even think –‘oh ok, I’ll move’ b/c you not only get joint pains/migraines, etc, but also the chems make it so you can’t-focus/think-clearly/get foggy-weird brain so trying to organize a move feels impossible/overwhelming & you already have a lot on your plate trying to manage CFS, et al…Then I remembered reading your info re: most filters don’t do much for fragrances or creosote (wood-burning stoves/barbeque swhich can also be painful), but that you found one that does. So, I came back here to look at that one, but now see the comment about it off-gassing & smelling weird & maybe it is ozone producing…do you think they might run it to off-gas it the way Foust does? Or maybe I can use it to get rid of the TideDetergent’s VOCs & the simultaneously run my Foust to eliminate any of it’s initial off-gassing? Thanks for reading all of this & for having this helpful info/site.
Elizabeth says
Hi, I’m a non-consenting host to TILT (toxic-induced loss of tolerance aka MCS) & I’ve had Foust 160R2 Air Purifier for abt 1.5 years. I’ve been having a LOT more laundry fragrance smells coming into my 817sq ft condo in the last 10 or so months—I put the Foust in my bathroom w/door closed due
to INTENSE/cut-it-w/a-knife laundry-soap/dryer-fragrance/gases and NO CHANGE/just as intense. So I figured I was due for new filter/outer sock, but no improvement w/the replacements-it used to clear air in abt 20min after I closed windows/patio-slider. I live in a neighborhood full of 3 deckers/can be hard to tell where VOCs’ coming from, but I finally realized it was coming from somewhere IN our 3-decker (I wish you could photograph off-gas-ing smells!!), Today realized it’s coming from bath-laundry-room below me downstairs neighbor who said she has changed to “Tide Original.” Think Kryptonite. Despite knowing it makes me really ill, she refuses to reconsider switching brands (even if I agree to pay for an unscented/safe one). I feel so controlled by this condition/stupid-unnecesary chems so much of the time & today I felt powerless/trapped—b/c you can’t even think –‘oh ok, I’ll move’ b/c you not only get joint pains/migraines, etc, but also the chems make it so you can’t-focus/think-clearly/get foggy-weird brain so trying to organize a move feels impossible/overwhelming & you already have a lot on your plate trying to manage CFS, et al…Then I remembered reading your info re: most filters don’t do much for fragrances or creosote (wood-burning stoves/barbequeswhich can also be painful), but that you found one that does (EnviroKlenz).So, I stopped crying & came back here to look at that one, but now see the comment about it off-gassing & smelling weird & maybe it is ozone producing…do you think they might run it to off-gas it the way Foust does before sending it out? Or maybe I can use it to get rid of the TideDetergent’s VOCs & then simultaneously run my Foust to eliminate any of it’s initial off-gassing? Also, it’s listed here as $699.00, but their page says $799.00—do they give a promo code thru your site? Thanks for reading all of this & for having this helpful info/site.
Corinne says
I would read the post on keeping out fragrances and smoke from neighbors. It’s listed at 699 now.
Cynthia Lewis says
Can you tell me are there any office desktop units for MCS, I need VOC and formaldehyde removal.. They spray chemicals for disinfection, bug spray and just got all new office furniture, I have been working from home due to my reactions to all this, however they want me to return to the office with the new renovations. The last few times I have tried I continue to get major reactions. Thanks
Corinne says
The desktop units wouldn’t be big enough to make an impact, I would use one of these in your office.
Helen says
When my neighbors do laundry, my house and yard are basically enveloped in a heavy cloud of fragrance. My ventilation system was pulling the scent in, so, after getting some professional advice, I installed an IQ Air whole home filtration system that is combined with an Amaircare filter — all the air that comes into the house passes through both systems and they also filter the air that’s already in the house. I was expecting great things… and then my neighbors started their laundry and my house filled up with the scent cloud. These might be great filters, but they are no match for modern fragrance chemicals.
I also have a portable IQ Air multigas and this unit eliminates fragrance chemicals in just a few minutes. I LOVE this unit. I just wish they made a whole house system using this filter.
A while ago, we finished some floors in our house with something that was supposed to be totally non-toxic, but turned out to be beyond awful. The fumes were horrendous. When we went to sleep, we locked ourselves in one room with the Austin air filter and put our animals in another with the IQ Air multigas. In the morning, the room with the IQ multigas filter smelled like a forest. Having slept with the Austin filter, I felt completely poisoned. It hadn’t worked at all.
Just sharing my experience in case it’s of help to anyone doing research.
Helen says
I should also add that for general day-to-day filtration, I’ve been happy with all of my filters. It’s just when it comes down to really heavy-duty air cleaning, most of them completely fail.
Jillian says
I have MCS and am so so sensitive to odors. I started using an AirDoctor air purifier some months ago and found out it emitted and odor and scrambled my brain, nervous system, and hurt my lungs to the same extent that an ozonator did years ago. It has an ionizer option and I wondered if it was giving off ozone. I stopped using it and did research and purchased in Austin Air Healthmate Plus purifier specifically to remove ozone odor. It did not remove the odor I was reacting to and actually seemed to emit the same odor. I now am left wondering if I’m reacting to potassium iodide, activated carbon, or residual ozone. Whatever the smell is, it is now stuck in my hotel air conditioning unit, my safe space. Making my life hell. I have a small Germ Guardian that uses activated carbon but I don’t seem to react to that. Any thoughts? Tips?
Corinne says
There are a number of odors from air purifiers, the motor when new, the plastics and other components, the filter materials – people can react to the charcoal, potassium permanganate, it’s possible to react to one brand and not another, and then the ionizer yes, almost all ionizers give off ozone. Some UV lights give off ozone as well.
Helen says
The IQ Air multigas removes ozone — I checked with the company just a little while ago. I can’t recall the percentage of the ozone it takes out, but it was very high. If this is indeed what you’re reacting to, it might help, but it’s an expensive experiment. I’ve tried a few filters and, in my experience, this is by far the best one.
Mandy says
The only thing I care about is how well it will filter out VOCs because of a brand new house. I’m not allergic to anything else, but I am concerned about my health/toxicity. However, I’m worried Austin Air will filter out all the HARMLESS bacteria and viruses and therefore my immune system won’t have any work to do, and I won’t build immunity to bacteria and viruses in the real world. Any comments or recommendations on which would be best given my situation? Best VOC protection.
Corinne says
I wouldn’t worry about that with these air purifiers, they are *that* good at filtering out viruses and bacteria to the point of sterilizing the space. There are lots of other sources of exposure as well other than the air – food, hands, other people, etc
John says
I saw your reply to Anon regarding returns. I would like to caution that I’ve contacted Amaircare’s office in Mississauga, ON, Canada. The sales rep there said that no returns are allowed for any of their products.
Tad says
Dust is a big nemesis for me. How do you think the Enviroklenz and the other units do with dust particles?
Corinne says
For dust I definitely think it’s all about the HEPA and the fan size. Enviroklenze has that covered.
Katie Pollock says
I tried Enviroklenz but it was awful loud and I felt like I was in a wind tunnel! Also didn’t react well to the mineral components—
Very hard to return…
Robyn says
I have mc MCS and bought the Enviroklenz. It made me sooo sick. I swear it produces ozone. The air smelled like after a rain and my chest got super tight and a lot of other issues. By the time I had finally dared to use it, it was too late to return. I am really struggling with dust and mold allergies and finding something I can tolerate even just for that.
Amanda says
Thank you for this post. We have recently moved into a home and we are having trouble getting rid of a chemical smell that I believe is causing migraines. My doctor recommended Triad Aer. Can you tell me if you think this would help? Do you think the ionic types are not effective and/or not safe?
Thank you!
Mary says
Thanks for this post Corinne. Do you know of HRVs (heat recovery ventilators) that have appropriate filtering of incoming air for chemically sensitive people?
Corinne says
On the ones I have seen it’s very minimal but on some whole house units it can be a lot more.
Helen says
If you find a good hvac technician, they may be able to install a whole house filter that connects to the HRV so all the air that comes into your house is filtered. I don’t have an HRV, but I did have a whole house filter install and the techs completely rebuilt my furnace like a maze so that it goes through a couple of different filters more than once
.
Robert says
One thing I want to add here; so far no one can tell me in real terms, and I’ve talked to enough researchers and scientist about UV-C, At this time, I don’t believe it’s safe… EPA says that a UV-C air purifier does not seem effective as a stand-alone unit because it cannot trap or remove particles.
And, it is the production of ozone from these ionic air cleaners that pose a risk to human health.
Corinne says
I only recommend no ozone bulbs in all my posts. No trapping particles does not equal not being safe. I agree on ozone but many UV bulbs don’t produce ozone. Non of the options on this list are ionic.
Robert says
I see a lot of no name filters listed or talked about…make sure they are real hepa’s or true hepa filtration? Just because it says HEPA, doesn’t mean it is a true HEPA filtration. Right now I only recommend two filtration units, IQAir and Air Doctor units, no gimmicks!
Corinne says
IQ Air is good but is absolutely overpriced compared to other quality brands. All of the brands here are good quality known brands. These are definitely not no name. If you are using comments to promote the products you sell that’s not what the discussion is for. Especially if you are going to put down the competition without good reason.
Lauren says
Thank you for sharing this, Corinne. Your site has been very helpful in our remodel decisions. Good indoor air has helped out family so much. Especially living in a moldy city with high PM2.5. We like the Air Doctor for portable options. The Reme Halo has been a great whole house option with minimal off gassing. We use it in conjunction with an Aprilaire ozone free filtration system on our HVAC. The combo was a lifesaver during the west coast wildfires we had a few months ago. I also get a lot of information for the California Air Resources Board website.
Corinne says
Great to hear some good news!
Lesley Davis says
Do you have any knowledge on systems air purifying systems installed in the HVAC system? Two products that I am interested in are the APCO-UV and the iWave system (R or C).
Raven says
You don’t have filter list for the most common problem of actual fragrances….? Pthlates, fabric softener, “vape” which is killing random babies, cleaners etc….
nicole says
is “air doctor” a good unit?
Anon says
We got a 160R2 from E. L. Foust (cheaper than the 400 series you review above, though with less airflow and no UV lamp).
It is somewhat noisier than we expected (and at a varying pitch than can trigger my wife’s tinnitus), and it was a little messy coming out of the box (they warn about bits of carbon coming out of the cylinder, and some of this carbon also got into the fan which then blew out after starting it up). But once it was wiped down with a cloth it was fine.
After turning it one the longer it ran the more relaxed my wife said she was feeling. It was not only clearing the air of the scented candle smell from our neighbors but my wife thinks it may have been clearing the air of pollutants she wasn’t smelling.
We bought the standard mix. The only smell coming from the machine seems to be that of the carbon/purapel mix itself. And this is a smell that reminded my wife of a place she enjoyed, so not bad at all, and anyone else could try out the various other mixes Foustco provides in their sample pack.
It’s not 100%, and doesn’t compare to fresh air from the outside, but this is a purchase we are definitely happy with.. It’s small size is a bonus, as unlike the Enviroklenz or the E. L. Foust 400 series it fits under our table. https://imgur.com/a/QyUXAa7
Anon says
A URL that works: https://imgur.com/a/OROlCzR
Corinne says
Thanks for sharing!
Anon says
I recently bought and received an EnviroKlenz and it immediately started off-gassing a noxious rubber/plastic smell. Based on BBB reviews (mentioned in a one-star review on Amazon with a similar problem) this has happened to other people.
Perhaps running it for the two-day “acclimate the system to your environment” period would fully off-gas, but I live in a small place where this is not possible.
Beware if you don’t have a garage or similar room in which you can isolate it while off-gassing it (presuming this smell does off-gas).
And no, I don’t have MCS, so this isn’t me being overly sensitive.
Anon says
And not to be critical or cast blame, but your review and personal testimonial is one of the primary reasons I chose EnviroKlenz. That’s why I’m posting my personal experience here.
Corinne says
I tried this one too and I did pick up what seemed to me to be a mineral smell and like with all new appliances a bit of a new appliance motor smell. The only other one I have tried is Vornado which also had a new appliance odor. There are a couple brands in the post on air purifiers for MCS that try and offgas the motor first or have it more sealed in.
No dont worry about it sounding critical. All feedback is welcome.
Anon says
Thanks Corinne.
My wife said the odor most closely reminded her of new car scent.
Over the years we’ve also bought Hamilton (box-fan sized) and Holmes (HAP9415) HEPA air purifiers and despite them being made from plastic they did not generate an odor out of the box. (The Hamilton motor seized within the warranty period and was returned to us smelling strongly, but did not smell out of the box.) So I don’t think all new appliances smell.
I emailed some questions to E. L. Foust. If they get back to me we’ll probably try one of their purifiers next.
Anon says
My god I just hung up on a customer service representative. I have never, ever been treated so rudely. Fortunately the rep said I would be fully refunded and could keep the unit (which I will have to dispose of).
Rude customer service agents ad deceptive marketing practices.
Anon says
Last comment, hopefully 🙂
I just received a polite email from another customer support person saying the full refund has been initiated, and that they are scheduling a pickup to ship the product back to them. This polite customer support person also stated to contact him directly if I need to for any other reason.
Hooray, now I can go about my day without seething in anger!
Corinne says
That’s good. Yes I think all are returnable or refundable.
anna says
Please continue to post and keep me in your data base. Appreciate the information. Need safe housing and researching best locale-problem is I need to be near major medical centers for family members health concerns, Thank you-Anna Heltzer [email protected]