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With growing air pollution and allergens, an air purifier is one of the wise investments that you can make today. A quality air purifier not only takes up a small space but also effectively cleans up the air in no time. And a washable filter means that you can clean any buildup of dust and pet dander right from the comfort of your home. Naturally, this saves you money and reduces landfill waste.

There are quite a few air purifiers with washable filters. The HEPA filter is not washable, unlike vacuum cleaners (see best vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters). Instead, you can only wash the pre-filter or the carbon filter, depending on the make. This filter acts as the first line of defense and traps bigger particles.

And washing these filters is no rocket science. Once you take out the filter carefully, wash it under running cold water for a few minutes and leave it to dry naturally. That’s about it.

Now that it’s settled, here are the best air purifiers with washable filters. But first,

Filteration process: 3-Stage | Coverage: 161 sq. ft

The Blueair Blue Pure 411 is an affordable air purifier with washable filters. The highlight of this device is its colorful and washable pre-filters which give it an attractive look. 

From the purifying point of view, the 3-stage filtration process does a good job of minimizing dust and allergens from the air. It doesn’t have a HEPA filter. Instead, it has a pre-filter, particle filter, and an activated carbon filter. For most parts, you can vacuum or wash the pre-filter to facilitate easy air intake.

At the same time, the 360-degree air intake ups the efficiency of the purifier. It can take air from all sides and pushes it from the top. This design makes it convenient to place it anywhere, whether it’s against a wall or in the middle of the room.

Again, the small form factor means it’s apt for smaller rooms. However, the Blue Pure 411 turns noisy when the fans spin at the top speed.

Like its counterparts above, the filters need replacing after a few months of use. Ideally, they last up to 6 months. Since it uses a fabric pre-filter, you’ll need to clean it using a soft cloth or a vacuum cleaner.

Filteration process: 5-Stage | Coverage: 800 sq. ft

If you want a purifier for a bigger room, the Okaysou AirMax8L makes for a good buy. This one is a standard purifier with a 5-stage filtration process and includes a pre-filter, HEPA filter, anti-microbial filter, activated carbon filter, and a cold catalyst filter. The latter is responsible for trapping ammonia and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) from the air, while the HEPA filter cleans the air from small particulates.

It works as advertised and cleans the air before pumping it out. Even though it’s a 50W device, it has enough power out push our air in full force. The good folks at iMore suggest that the wheel system also reduces the air output.

For the price, it’s an effective air purifier and bundles essential features like touch-sensitive buttons, easy cleaning, and maintenance. Plus, washing the pre-filter is a simple process.

However, it’s not without its limitations. For example, it doesn’t have an Auto mode, which means it can’t change the fan speed based on the air quality. Secondly, the filter is at the back of the device, and you will need to maintain at least an 18-inch gap between the wall and the device.

That said, it’s a popular purifier and is great for people who have to deal with pollen allergies and dust.

Filteration process: 3-Stage | Coverage: 500 sq. ft

Another air purifier that you can buy is the one by Levoit. Like the one above, the pre-filter is washable. The highlight of this device is its quiet operation. You can easily put this device on Low or Medium mode when sleeping, and it will do the deed of cleaning the air. The folks at Breathe Quality say that it generates around 23 dB. For reference, ceiling fans generate 70dB of loudness.

The Leviot Vital 100 comes with a 3-stage air purification process and includes a washable fine pre-filter, carbon filter, and a True HEPA filter. As you may have guessed, the pre-filter traps larger particles like hair, dander, lint, and the like. It attaches via Velcro, and you’ll need to remove it gently for washing.

It doesn’t have fancy frills like auto mode or smart sensors. That means you’ll have to operate it manually and change the fan speed depending on the air quality. The noise on Medium and High settings is not significant, and you’ll be able to watch TV or listen to your songs minus distractions.

The LEVOIT Vital 100 is a popular air purifier on Amazon and has more than 18,000 ratings. Users love its easy-to-clean nature and compact form factor, making it easy to maneuver.

Filteration process: 4-Stage | Coverage: 360 sq. ft

The Winix 5500-2 is an advanced purifier and bundles nifty features like Auto mode, PlasmaWave tech, and air quality indicator. It’s a powerful purifier and can clean the air fast and quickly. It uses a 4-stage filtration process and consists of a pre-filter, AOC carbon filter, HEPA filter, and a PlasmaWave filter. The latter is for cleaning the air of harmful airborne particles.

In the case of the Winix 5500-2 air purifier, both the pre-filter and the AOC carbon filter are washable, which helps you save money on buying filters in the long run. It’s worth mentioning that the filter’s longevity is also on the longer side and lasts up to 12 months on average.

As noted earlier, this air purifier with washable filters is powerful. During their test, the folks at Tech Gear Lab found the air to be 99.99% clean of airborne particulates in a 150 sq. ft room in an hour. Cool, right?

The design is fairly decent. It pulls in air from the front and releases it via the top. And like the Levoit air purifier, it’s not a noisy device.

These were some of the air purifiers with washable filters. Take care to read all the instructions carefully before washing the filters. Alternatively, you can lightly vacuum the filter surfaces to clean out all the dirt, if you can’t afford to have the filters wet for long.

Alternatively, you can check the Hamilton Beach TrueAir Air Purifier. While it doesn’t have washable filters, the filters can be easily vacuumed to clean off danders, hair, and lint.

Buy Hamilton Beach TrueAir Air Purifier

It’s affordable and is apt for small rooms up to 160 sq ft.

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Namrata loves writing about products and gadgets. She has been working for Guiding Tech since 2017 and has around five years of experience writing features, how-tos, buying guides, and explainers. Previously she worked as an IT Analyst at TCS, but she found her calling elsewhere.

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