The 7 Best Air Purifiers For Mold Of 2024 To Keep Your Air Clean & Fresh

If not handled properly, mold can live in the air around us and on surfaces in our homes, putting us at risk of physical and mental health problems such as brain fog1, anxiety, and chronic fatigue2—but an air purifier can tackle these airborne spores before they become a problem.

Experts say the best air purifiers for mold are those that use a HEPA filter, as they are able to capture 99.97% of particles up to 0.3 micron. We selected air purifiers based on this criteria, while also considering cost, design, coverage, and Clean Air Delivery Rating (CADR).

HEPA status

HEPA filters (or High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters) are the only type that's certified to meet the U.S. Department of Energy's standards3. HEPA filters are able to capture 99.97% of particles up to 0.3 micron. However, the Department of Energy notes that the diameter specification of 0.3 micron responds to the worst case—HEPA filters are still extremely efficient when it comes to trapping particles that are larger or smaller than 0.3 micron.

Cost of filter replacements

Most air purifiers also include at least one additional layer of filtration with the HEPA filter. Depending on the design, this could mean carbon (or activated charcoal) filters that filter smoke, gases, and odors; pre-filters for larger particles; or ionizers to grab the smallest particles in the air. While additional filters can be helpful, you'll want to consider the cost of replacing them. Filter prices range from $30 to $100 for replacements, but the cadence in which you'll need to swap them out varies by machine.

Coverage, or CADR rating

Mold reproduces through tiny particles called mold spores4, which are invisible to the naked eye. Spores exist in indoor and outdoor air, but mold has the highest risk of growing indoors when these spores land on wet surfaces.

While most air purifiers won't eliminate the mold or mildew already growing on your surfaces, these machines help prevent mold spores from landing in the first place. "Top-rated air purifiers have the ability to remove small particles like spores, improving indoor air quality and reducing the chances for indoor mold growth, explains Michael Rubino, mold and air quality expert and author of The Mold Medic, an Expert's Guide on Mold Removal.

Allergist Anjuli Mehrotra, M.D., agrees. "Mold spores are usually under 40 microns in size, so air purifiers with HEPA filters can usually filter out airborne mold spores," she adds. Microns are a unit of measurement equal to one-millionth of a meter—to give you an idea of how small 40 microns is, one grain of beach sand is typically between 100 and 10,000 microns.

"Mold is actually present around us everywhere, both indoors and outdoors," continues Mehrotra. "It does not always cause health issues, but people with allergies and asthma may be more sensitive to molds causing symptoms like coughing, wheezing, or nasal symptoms like sneezing or congestion. Exposure to excessive amounts of mold via airborne mold particles may trigger irritation of the eyes, nose, skin, throat, and lungs. People with suppression of their immune system or chronic lung or respiratory disorders may be at increased risk of infection from mold." 

"For those who are attempting to determine if an inspection is necessary, at-home options such as The Dust Test can begin to set the foundation for figuring out if there's a contamination situation present," Rubino adds.

Clearing the air in your home from pollutants like dust, mold spores, and pollen is a worthwhile effort. Air purifiers make this task easier than ever.