Best ultraviolet air purifiers 2023

Get on the right wavelength and zap airborne bacteria and viruses with these UV purifiers

Air purifiers represent the perfect way to disarm allergens floating in the home, channelling air through a filter before re-circulating it to you in a vastly cleaner form.

A more advanced wave of ultraviolet air purifiers is moving things a step on, though, killing viruses and bacteria making their way through the system through UV light and germicidal irradiation.

Since there are many different ways to treat the impurities in the air, modern purifiers will often come ready to fight with multiple systems, with just one of them being UV-C light.

There are complex cleaning methods and a wide variance in design, so picking between them, and deciding just how much you value the cleanest air possible is a tough task.

Thankfully, we'll be detailing some top picks at a range of budgets to help you decide.

Affordable and effective

An affordable way to rid your home of viruses and bacteria through UV light.

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Germ Guardian's air purifier is one of the most affordable ways to kill germs through the power of UV rays.

The 7-inch design requires power from the wall socket to function, able to rid your home of odours, bacteria, pet allergens, and cooking smell.

Germ Guardian claims the UV purifying technology is able to eliminate airborne viruses like influenza and staph, using Titanium Dioxide to help reduce volatile compounds. Just be aware the UB bulb will need to be replaced around once a year.

Unique design

An elite purifying tower stacked with five different cleaning methods.

It's certainly not a design that fits every home - since it channels some serious early noughties speaker vibes - but PureMate's 510 is one of the very best options to consider.

It comes with a HEPA filter to take care of airborne allergens, while the UV light, TiO2, active carbon filter, and negative ionizer all work together to take care of viruses, bacteria, and odours.

There are also five different speed settings to pick between, a timer, LCD display, and a filter replacement indicator to help give you complete control over your air purifying.

Impressive purifying

A giant purifying tower that tackles impurities with ease.

Amazon

Eureka's mid-level NEA120 is a great example of how you can kill most household impurities without breaking the bank.

Featuring a HEPA filter to combat allergens, a charcoal filter to tackle odours, and UV light combined with TiO2 to eradicate viruses and bacteria, it's one of the best value-for-money picks available.

You'll have to contend with the 26-inch height, which certainly won't be for every home, but the three fan modes do make sure this is one purifier that can be very much seen and not heard.

Keep it discreet

A small but mighty mid-level air purifier with UV-C powers.

Teetering on the edge of mid-range air purifiers is HoMedics' compact model, which fights the air in your home with three different methods.

The HEPA filter will clean out allergens, while the UV-C light and carbon filter will work to neutralize viruses, bacteria, and odour. And with three speeds, including a night mode for cleaning while you sleep, it can be placed pretty much anywhere in the home for 360-degree cleaning.

HoMedics also offers larger sizes of the same model, but this compact variation is perfect for those who value discretion and quiet purifying.

Purify through multiple methods

One of the most powerful and feature-packed purifiers.

Amazon

If Germ Guardian's 1000 is one of the most affordable ways to purify the air in your home, its 5-in-1 device is one of the most effective.

Though it perhaps represents overkill for some, it comes with a wide range of cleaning methods. The HEPA filter tackles 99.97% of allergens, UV-C light traps viruses such as influenza and staph, titanium dioxide handles harsh organic compounds and an activated charcoal filter fights odours.

The sleep mode is also a great feature for those who want to clean the air during the night, with three speeds in total to choose between.

Pricey but powerful

A top pick with multiple cleaning functions and features.

It's not for those on a budget, but Bionaire's 4-in-1 purifier is one of the top ways to rid the air in your home of unwanted bacteria and allergens.

While primarily managing allergens through the HEPA filter, it's also able to tackle bacteria and viruses through the UV-C and TiO2 filtration, with five different speed settings and a timer function that can range anywhere up to eight hours.

For when the HEPA filter is also running close to the end, the onboard indicator will also let you know.

The complete package

An expert-level purifier that can handle almost all air impurities.

Amazon

Pure Enrichment's PureZone air purifier may not be the cheapest on the market, but the tech inside will give you peace of mind that the air is being thoroughly cleaned.

The company claims that its PureZone is able to clean the air from 99.97% of dust, pollen, smoke, and pet dander, and other odours using a three-stage purification process. First, the air hits the pre-filter before activating the carbon filter followed by the HEPA filter.

Throughout the process, the built-in UV-C light is able to inactivate germs that cause illnesses, too, with three fan speeds available to pick between.

Deceptive power

This neutral-looking purifier provides expert cleaning at a reasonable price.

Klarstein's Vita Pure gives you all the functionality of a top-tier purifier for a mid-level price, combining a number of cleaning methods into one package.

Using a pre-filter, HEPA filter, activated carbon filter, UV-C lamp, and an ionizer, this is a perfect solution for those who want to rid the air of as many impurities as possible without giving up the earth.

There's also a timer setting, different fan modes (for those who want a bit of a quieter run), and also an indicator for when the filter needs replacing.

Fairly complete purifying

A solid purifying tower that can handle most household air impurities.

Amazon

Another mid-level UV air purifier is available from Oion Technologies, which churns out cleaner air through its monolith design.

It features UV light, an electrostatic ionizer, carbon filtration, and ozone power that combine to remove airborne pollutants, allergens, and odours, with a quiet mode and night light for cleaning during your sleep.

Though it does manage to kill off most airborne impurities, it is fair to say that the B-1000 design won't be for every home, too, and those looking for a device with a HEPA and TiO2 filtration will have to look elsewhere.

Compact and reliable

Effective UV filtering in a small package that's perfect for day-use.

Not every home or office is designed for chunky floor purifiers, which is where PureMate's 210 comes in.

It won't give you the same thoroughness of the company's other offerings, but it's enough for those who simply want UV-C light to filter the air.

This treatment should help destroy germs, bacteria, and viruses, with electrostatically-charged dust plates trapping pollutants in the process.

So, if you just want a simple, compact purifier to run during the day, this is a great consideration.

Conor started life in journalism at Digital Spy as a technology reporter, covering everything from Tim Cook's hypnotic dancing to the latest phone launches, before moving to Wareable Media Group in 2017.

As an associate editor of the group, Conor was responsible for the granular testing of every wearable, smart home and fitness device to grace store shelves — even being known to cycle the streets of East London in a wearable airbag — before moving to Pocket-lint in 2020.

Conor is a sport and fitness enthusiast in his spare time, and has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, The Daily Mirror, Metro and The Independent.