In this day and age, clean air has become more of a luxury than a basic necessity.

You want to feel safe in your living space knowing that you are away from the countless contaminants that plague the air outside, but unfortunately such conditions are not guaranteed. That’s where air purifiers come in.

Air purifiers were developed to specifically address the problem of indoor air pollution by taking in polluted air and releasing clean air back out. Filterless air purifiers are available for those who are looking to avoid the hassle that comes with cleaning and maintaining air filters.

In this article, we will be exploring the 5 best filterless air purifiers that you can buy to protect your family from the harmful effects of indoor air pollution.

  • Completely silent operation
  • Tilt sensor
  • Night light
  • Automatic shutoff
  • 2-Year Warranty

  • Plug & play operation
  • Attains 100% efficiency
  • Patented thermodynamic technology
  • 2-Year Warranty

  • Small & portable design
  • Zone ozone emissions
  • 18 million negative ions per cm3
  • 10-Year Warranty

  • Reduces allergens up to 99%
  • Unique 100G3 technology included
  • Nearly-silent fan
  • Sleek & modern design
  • Lifetime Warranty


The Airfree Onix 3000 is one of the most popular filterless air purifiers available today, and makes use of Airfree’s patented, environmentally-friendly thermodynamic sterilization technology to eliminate almost 100% of all airborne pollutants by completely destroying them using extremely high temperatures of up to 400 °F.

What’s great about the Onix 3000 is that it’s very small and lightweight–allowing you to place it anywhere at home without worrying about it being obtrusive or noticeable, while still being able to clear areas up to 650 sq. ft. in size.

It is worth noting that the AirFree Onix produces considerable heat– which is usually nothing to worry about, but you may want to place it farther away from couches or beds. Due to the lack of filters, unfortunately, the Onix 3000 doesn’t do a good job of removing dust, pet hairs, chemicals, and odors.

All things considered, the Onix 3000 is definitely a force to be reckoned with. It’s not too expensive, provides a large room coverage, it’s extremely quiet, looks great, and does its job very well.

What more can you ask for?

Pros

  • Completely silent
  • Large room coverage
  • Does not produce ozone, reduces ozone levels
  • Lightweight and compact
  • Attractive design

Cons

  • Unit becomes warm while in use
  • Not good for removing certain chemicals, odors, and dust
  • Works slowly


As far as thermodynamic air purifiers go, the Airfree T800 is definitely the perfect budget option without compromising quality.

Despite the significantly smaller room coverage of only 180 sq. ft., the T800 still has the same Airfree patented, environmentally-friendly thermodynamic sterilization technology that is also capable of totally eliminating almost 100% of allergens, mold, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. It weighs half of the Onix 3000 and costs less than half the price as well.

Its sleek, slim design allows it to be used in most home settings without being too noticeable. Like the Onix 3000, the T800 is also completely silent while it’s running but produces a small amount of heat as well.

Since they use the same technology, the T800 also has the same drawbacks as the Onix 3000. It has difficulty dealing with particulate matter like dust, hair, chemicals, and some odors and also takes its time cleaning the air. However, it’s also able to considerably reduce ozone levels which is a very desirable trait, and overall, the T800 is a great option if you’re only looking for an affordable unit to clean the air in small places.

Pros

  • Completely silent
  • Does not produce ozone, reduces ozone levels
  • Very lightweight
  • Affordable
  • Energy efficient

Cons

  • Small room coverage
  • Not good for removing certain chemicals, odors, and dust
  • Works slowly
  • Has a noticeable plastic smell at first use

The LifeAir Evolution IonFlow 50 is one of the latest models in ionic air purifiers. It is designed to be small enough to placed on desktops and shelves but strong enough to cover large areas up to 540 sq. ft. in size. Not only is it very powerful, it looks great as well.

By releasing up to 19 million negative ions per cm3, the LifeAir Evolution is capable of capturing up to 99.94% of airborne particles as small as 0.007 microns. This means it is able to remove smaller particles that even True HEPA filters miss.

Considering the sheer volume of negative ions it is able to produce, the LifeAir Evolution produces nearly undetectable levels of ozone and is the most energy efficient air purifier in this list. It’s worth mentioning, too, that this air purifier is covered by a long 10-year warranty from LifeAir.

The big downside of the LifeAir Evolution is its retail price. However, it’s undeniable that the LifeAir Evolution is the complete package of looks, efficiency, ease of use, and power.

Pros

  • Attractive design
  • Quiet
  • Large room coverage
  • Easy to clean
  • Very energy efficient
  • Does not produce ozone
  • Long warranty

Cons

  • Very expensive

Our final filterless air purifier uses a sleek, modern design and an ionizer to purify spaces up to 1,000 square feet.

The Air Oasis 1000G3 a quiet fan that it utilizes with a nearly-silent UV light to purify air up to 99%. Likewise, the slick design blends in seamlessly into kitchens and other spaces, so you don’t have to worry about any unsightly products.

Air Oasis also offers a larger variant, the Air Oasis 3000G, for even larger spaces. However, both will certainly run you quite a bit of money–as the Air Oasis is one of the most expensive on our list. Luckily, the lifetime warranty included should allow you to get the most out of your investment.

With such a large and effective coverage zone, mold and bacteria purifying technology, and multiple variants available, Air Oasis offers a lot for the cost.

Pros

  • Powerful and nearly-silent fan
  • Proprietary air purification system
  • Low energy consumption
  • Great warranty
  • Multiple variants avaliable

Cons

  • Expensive
  • No given noise level
  • Cannot turn off blue light when in use

Comparison Chart

FEATURESAirfree Onix 3000Airfree T800LifeAir Evolution IonFlow 50Air Oasis 1000G3
TechnologyThermodynamic SterilizationThermodynamic SterilizationIonizationIonization
Room Coverage 650 sq. ft.180 sq. ft.540 sq. ft.1,000 sq. ft.
Noise LevelSilentSilent< 21 dBN/A
Electricity Consumption51 W45 W5 W15 W
Weight3.3 lbs.1.7 lbs.5.9 lbs.3.09 lbs.
Dimensions8.4 x 8.4 x 10.45.1 x 5.1 x 127.5 x 7.5 x 233.94 X 3.94 X 13.98

Buyer’s Guide:

Filterless Air Purifiers

Still not sure which of these four filterless air purifiers works best for you? Not quite sure of the difference between thermodynamic sterilization and ionization? We’ve got you covered; here’s what you need to know before checking out.

It’s vital to understand how filterless air purifiers work so that it’s easier to determine which air purifier is best suited for you.

Filterless air purifiers rely upon the following technologies: electrostatic precipitation, ozone, photocatalytic oxidation, ultraviolet light, ionization, and thermodynamic sterilization. The most popular models, however, work through either ionization or thermodynamic sterilization:

Air purifiers that use ionizers to clean the air work by generating electrons or protons to charge air pollutants which are usually neutral so that they either have a negative or positive charge. Once charged, they become attracted to surfaces or other pollutants with the opposite charge. As they stick to each other, they become too heavy to remain airborne and settle in the air purifier, effectively cleaning the air.

Air purifiers that use thermodynamic sterilization allow air to pass through temperatures as high as 400 °F to eliminate up to 99.9% of biological air pollutants like bacteria, viruses, dust mite allergens, mold spores, and fungi. It is important to note, though, that air purifiers using this technology do not trap or remove airborne particles.

Some homes are going to be better served by one type of operating style over the other; so for quick reference, we hope you consider the following before purchasing one of these four products:

AIR PURIFIER TYPEPROSCONS
Ionization
  • Removes airborne particles without a filter
  • Remains cool
  • Has no method to kill bacteria
  • Often more expensive
ThermodynamicSterilization
  • Extremely effective at killing bacteria
  • Often more affordable
  • Generates heat
  • Do not trap or remove airborne particles

Now that we’re acquainted with the types of filterless air purifiers, it’s time to discuss what characteristics we’re looking for in a high quality air purifier.

First off, room coverage will always be one of the most important things to consider. An air purifier placed in a room that is larger than the prescribed room coverage will not be able to do its job effectively. As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to purchase an air purifier that is able to cover a larger area than the room that you’re planning to use it in.

Aside from room coverage, you’ll also want to look at energy consumption and noise output, especially if you’re planning on using the air purifier 24/7. Optional features and functions also vary for each air purifier and it would ultimately be up to you to determine which of these would be the most useful to you.

  • What is a CADR rating? Do these filterless air purifiers have CADR ratings?
  • Unfortunately, unlike with air purifiers that use filters, most filterless air purifiers are not given Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) ratings. Note that CADR is a numerical value that represents the capacity of a filter to remove air pollutants in the air. Since filterless air purifiers don’t have filters, they cannot be assigned a CADR rating. This may be a disadvantage for filterless air purifiers since there are no standards that tell us how well they will perform.

  • Are filterless air purifiers just as effective as filtered options?
  • Answering this question depends on what you’re hoping to gain out of an air purifier.

    If you need a purifier that kills bacteria on the spot, than the thermodynamic sterilizing options on our list (the Airfree Onix and Airfree T800) are going to produce some of the best results possible from any purifier–filtered or otherwise.

    However, we can’t deny that some of the best air purifiers utilize filters on top of features like ionization, HEPA technology, and so much more that can make them more of a desired all-in-one product the home.

    However, we highly recommend a filterless air purifier as a great appliance to use in conjunction with other filters, your HVAC system, and for use in situations when filter replacement and maintenance is just too much of a hassle to justify the purchase of a standard purifier.

  • Can my filterless air purifier handle pet odors and cigarette smoke?
  • Yes! Any of these four air purifiers would work wonders on residual cigarette smoke and pet odors. However, it is worth noting that pet hairs, dandruff, and other large particles won’t be removed by thermodynamic sterilizers, and may still be in the air. For pet odors and cigarette smoke, many HEPA air purifiersor purifiers specifically for pets can be helpful as an alternative or as a supplementary product to a filterless air purifier.

Final Thoughts

Filterless air purifiers are great for people who want cleaner air at home but don’t want the burden of having to replace or clean filters regularly. They’re generally quieter and low maintenance compared to their filtered counterparts but may be a little more expensive upfront.

The air purifier that really hits all the right spots, however, and creates the perfect balance of design, power, and functionality is the Airfree Onix 3000. The mid-priced Onix 3000 is capable of covering a large area and is able to remove a wide array of air pollutants at almost 100% efficiency. It’s completely silent and looks great while it does its job effortlessly.

If you’re looking to avoid filterless air purifiers that may be a little expensive upfront, then the Airfree T800 would be your best bet. It’s not too expensive and is just as effective at removing airborne pollutants. Keep in mind that the T800 was designed for smaller spaces. It’s best to place it in a small room so that it remains efficient.

If the Airfree T800 doesn’t appeal to you or you don’t like the fact that it gets a little warm while in use, you can definitely go for the Air Oasis 1000G3. It’s a little bit more expensive but not by a lot and is just effective while covering several times more square footage than the T800 can.

On the other hand, the LifeAir Evolution IonFlow 50 is definitely our top pick if price isn’t an issue. It covers a large space while being able to remove even the smallest particles to ensure that nothing gets away. It’s easy to use, easy to clean, quiet, and looks great.

Further Reading

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Air Purifiers