Best Air Purifier for Dog Hair — Buyers Guide, Review, and Comparison
An air purifier for dog hair can be a valuable tool for us dog owners. While dogs provide loyal companionship and offer unconditional love, they also shed their hair, dander and can emit some unsavory smells. This can be a recipe for disaster for those with asthma or other pet-related allergies. But an air purifier can help in the war against allergens while also keeping your home as clean and fresh as possible.
Air Purifier for Dog Hair Top Pick
This 5-in-1 system comes with four filters — including two HEPA filters — and an ionizer for eliminating any Eau de pooch from your home. Capable of cleaning the air in rooms as large as 700 square feet, the Hathaspace also features a smart-technology sensor — automatically adjusting the fan speed in relation to the air quality — keeping your air quality at the optimum level.
- Digital display and auto mode constantly monitor air quality.
- True HEPA air filter.
- Catches particles as small as 0.3 microns.
Product Rating: 4.7/5
Air Purifiers for Dog Hair Reviews
| PRODUCT | FEATURES | |
|---|---|---|
 Hathaspace Smart True HEPA Air Purifier | Dimensions: 7 x 13 x 20 inches Weight: 12 pounds HEPA filter: Yes - 4 stage filter Maximum area: 700 sq ft (air change 1x/hr)
| CHECK PRICE AT AMAZON Fast Dogs Review |
 Levoit Core 300 Air Purifier | Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.7 x 14.2 inches Weight: 7.5 Pounds HEPA filter: Yes - 3 stage filter Maximum area: 219 sq ft (air change 5x/hr)
| CHECK PRICE AT AMAZON Fast Dogs Review |
 Germ Guardian Purifier with UV Light Sanitizer | Dimensions: 10.25 x 6.75 x 21.5 inches Weight: 8.55 pounds HEPA filter: Yes - 4 stage filter Maximum area: 743 sq ft (air change 1x/hr)
| CHECK PRICE AT AMAZON Fast Dogs Review |
 InvisiClean Aura II Air Purifier | Dimensions: 12.34 x 6.25 x 17.75 inches Weight: 8.9 pounds HEPA filter: Yes - 2 stage filter Maximum area: 1276 sq ft (air change 1x/hr)
| CHECK PRICE AT AMAZON Fast Dogs Review |
 TOPPIN HEPA Air Purifier | Dimensions: 6.3 x 6.3 x 9.3 inches Weight: 2.3 pounds HEPA filter: Yes - 4 stage filter Maximum area: 160 sq ft
| CHECK PRICE AT AMAZON Fast Dogs Review |
 Hamilton Beach True HEPA Air Purifier | Dimensions: 13.54 x 6 x 8.5 inches Weight: 6.3 pounds HEPA filter: Yes - 4 stage filter Maximum area: 140 sq ft
| CHECK PRICE AT AMAZON Fast Dogs Review |
Best Air Purifier for Dog Hair Buying Guide
While we love our furry friends, we don't always love the odors and pet dander that comes with them. So, for us to fully enjoy our homes and lives with our pets, having an air purifier for dog hair can help get rid of some of the less favorable side effects of having dogs.
Dog Allergy Air Purifier — The Basics
What Is Dog Dander?
While it may sound innocent and harmless, dog dander can wreak havoc on some people. It's akin to dandruff, dander is the dead, flaky skin cells that dogs shed.
When Fido sits down to have a good scratch, not only is his fur falling out, but also super tiny particles. It’s these particles that people are most allergic to — that and saliva.
Dander will get stuck on absolutely everything — whatever it lands on — carpets, clothes, even dust. You could be carrying dander to its next destination as we speak. However, it won’t remain in one place for long, as soon as it's disturbed, it’ll be floating around again — waiting for the next surface to land on — or for someone to breathe in.
How To Remove Pet Dander From Your Home
An air purifier can make it possible for people with pet allergies to enjoy the companionship of a dog without compromising their health. Admittedly, certain hypoallergenic breeds could ease the situation, but in the same way, we can carry dander on our clothes, they can bring in allergens from outside on their coat.
An air purifier for pet hair and dander can clean the air in your home and keep any allergens from your dog at bay.
Air purifiers filter out dirt, hair, germs, and allergens from the air in your home, so you can breathe more easily. You can enjoy spending time with your furry friend and breathe in clean, allergen-free air at the same time.Other Ways to Remove Dog Hair
It can be difficult to permanently remove pet dander from your home but you can reduce the amount circulating around your house. And, while the most convenient way is to use a pet hair air purifier — to avoid pet dander building up in your home, you should also:
- Keep on top of household chores — vacuum and clean soft furnishings like sofa covers and carpets regularly and also wash your dog's bed often.
- Give your pooch a bath frequently — bathing may reduce the dander build-up.
- Brush your dog daily — combing your Collie or grooming your Golden Retriever collects both loose hairs and dander, but do it outside.
- Curb your pup’s access — instead of giving Fido free rein of your home, restrict them to a few rooms. This will help control the dander and hair.
What To Look For In The Best Air Purifier for Dog Hair
When purchasing the best air purifier for dog dander for your home, there are four essential elements to consider.
Area Coverage
How big is your home? One of the top points to consider is the size of the room, or rooms you wish to purify. Concentrate on the parts of the house your pooch uses regularly — ensuring the air purifier is capable of meeting your maximum square footage requirements. To work this out, multiply the width and the length of your space.
Air Quality Features
You’ll find all air purifiers comprise of a number of filters, often described as stages. For example, a four-stage system includes four filters, and so on. The number included can vary from two to four, and each one will have its purpose, here’s a quick run-through of the jargon:
High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA)
This is the most suitable pet dander air filter you’ll want to find in your purifier. These types of filters meet official standards in air purification. They’re built to trap up to 99.97 percent of the super-tiny particles (0.3 microns) floating around in your room — like dust, dog dander or pollen, etc.
Carbon
For neutralizing odors, gases, and VOCs, a carbon filter is the best approach. Hence, if your pooch has an aroma of wet dog about them, this could be something worthy of inclusion. However, they don’t remove dust and minute matter like HEPA filters.
Pre-Filter
The primary role of this stage is to protect and extend the life of your main filter. It helps to trap larger particles such as dog hair.
Ionizer
While not technically a filter, some air purifiers feature additional forms of air quality enhancement technology — ionizers being one.
You may have heard mixed views on these appliances — such as questionable effectiveness or that they emit ozone during operation. However, when partnered with a HEPA filter in an air purifier, they make a good team. It works by negatively charging particles, which in turn, stick together to form larger ones that the filter can scoop up.
If an ionizer function appeals to you, choose one that operates independently from the filter system. That way, you can decide when to use it.
UV Light
Another non-filter piece of tech but still worth a mention. UV lights have an antibacterial effect, defending your home against germs and viruses that could be walked in on your pooch’s paws.
Noise
Some air purifiers are more vocal than others. While this may not be such an issue during the hustle and bustle of the daytime, when you want to relax, it could be a different matter. Who wants a loud humming noise to be the soundtrack to your time at home?
Thankfully, the manufacturers are of the same opinion. There are models offering variable fan speeds, low noise operation — 20 to 30 decibels (dB) — or even ‘sleep’ modes. To give you an idea of sound levels — a refrigerator hums at 40 dB, talking normally generates 60 dB, and whispering will reach 30 dB.Upkeep/Maintenance
Another running cost to factor in when purchasing your air purifier is the upkeep, level of maintenance required, and cost of replacement filters.
Obviously, this cost will vary from model to model and will depend on how often they need replacing, and the amount of use that the air purifier is getting.
If you want to keep ongoing expenses to a minimum, you may want to look for one with a permanent filter that doesn’t require periodic replacement.
The Best Air Purifiers for Dog Hair — Our Picks
To save you from spending hours reading pet air purifier reviews, I’ve put together a list of six of, what I believe to be, the best air purifiers for dog hair.
Best Air Purifier for Pet Odor and Hair
Dogs are adorable, but even a loving dog owner can’t deny that their four-legged friend can be a bit smelly at times. If you’re nodding in agreement — the Hathaspace Smart True Hepa air purifier could appeal. It’s both an air purifier and an odor eliminator.
Offering a total of five stages of air purification — the Hathaspace is ideal for dog allergies. Its HEPA purifier and HEPA pre-filter capture the particles in the air that you can’t see — including the dreaded dog dander. For peak performance, the manufacturer suggests changing the filters around every four months.
Plus, it features a honeycomb activated-carbon filter for absorbing doggy pongs. The ionizer can be operated separately to combat the funkiest parts of your home — like your dog's beloved but stinky bed!
Want to know exactly how clean the air is that you’re breathing in? This pet hair air purifier has a digital display that shows you the air quality in real-time. Using a traffic light system, it’s simple to see the air quality in your room.
Do you have a big house? No problem. The Hathaspace can clean and replace 100 percent of the air in a 700-square-foot space every hour. If you want to freshen the air in larger rooms of your home, the Hathaspace can help.
Furthermore, I love that this air purifier for dog dander, pet hair, and other pollutants has a smart auto-mode technology. This function makes it so easy to clean the air in your home, even if the quality of the air changes frequently. The sensor detects what nasties are in the air, and the fan speed automatically adjusts to ensure the most thorough cleanup.
Product Rating: 4.7/5
PROS:
Best air purifier for pets, dander and pongs.
Digital display shows real-time air quality.
Smart auto-mode.
Takes 60 minutes to clean the air in a 700-square-foot room.
CONS:
- Expensive filter replacements.
Best Low-Noise Dander Air Purifier
If you prefer to enjoy a silent night, you may want to take a closer look at the Levoit pet hair air purifier. Its 'sleep' mode functions no louder than 24 decibels, which if you recall, is on par with whispering — it's barely audible.
What's more, the display light can also be turned off, so there will be no glaring lights preventing you and your dog from enjoying a good night's sleep.
The Levoit is one of the best air purifiers for pet allergies. It arrives with a three-stage Core-300-RF filter system — including a pre-filter that captures any large particles such as pet hair, fibers, or dust. A True HEPA air filter for pet hair that removes 99.97% of airborne particles, and a carbon filter that physically absorbs odors, smoke, and fumes.
However, you do have the option to take the filtration system further — with an additional purchase. The brand makes an air filter for pet allergies, which is designed to target dog allergens. And, according to Levoit, is super effective at clearing the air.
While standing only 14.2 inches tall, its footprint isn't the smallest of my top picks, but its sleek, portable design means won't be a big clunky eyesore in your home. Plus, this doesn't appear to compromise its power — the core 300 model can clean the air in rooms up to 219 square feet in just 12 minutes or five times an hour.
Lastly, the filter's lifespan is around the three-month mark. That said, thanks to the filter replacement indicator, you shouldn't have to leave this to guesswork.
Product Rating: 4.7/5
PROS:
Quiet fan in sleep mode.
Cleans the air in just 12 minutes.
Pet allergy filter — specifically targets dander and pet hair.
Ozone free.
CONS:
Replacement filters are expensive.
Not as good at removing odors from the air compared to other air purifiers
Best Floor-Standing Air Purifier for Home With Pets
The Germ Guardian True HEPA is a 4 in 1 air purifier that’s perfect for your home whether or not you have pets. Not only can it remove pet hair and dander, but it can also eradicate 99.97% of harmful germs, mold spores, and many other allergens.
What’s more, it also comes with a UV light that sanitizes the air and kills airborne viruses, such as influenza — as well as reducing VOCs in the air.
This air purifier comes with a four-stage filter system — including a pre-filter and carbon filter that captures any large particles such as pet hair, and absorbs odors. It also has a True HEPA filter that catches all those dust mites, pollen, and that pesky pet dander, plus a UV-C light that kills airborne germs and viruses.
The air purifier stands at 21.5 inches tall, which makes it an ideal floor-standing unit. Plus, it’s a sleek-looking piece of equipment that wouldn’t look out of place in any home. And, this increased size permits air cleaning in a maximum area of 743 square feet — meaning that it’s fantastic for homes with open plan living areas.
Filters are recommended to be changed around every six months, but this will depend on the amount of use.
Product Rating: 4.6/5
PROS:
Lowest setting can be used as white noise.
Kills germs and airborne viruses.
Pre-filter trap.
Comes with T102 treatment to reduce VOCs.
CONS:
- There is more than one filter as well as a UV bulb to replace.
Best Value Tactical Dog Harness
We all want to do our bit for the environment, and by saving energy, we’re also saving hard-earned dollars. The Invisiclean Aura II is equipped with a low EMF radiation DC motor, which uses up to 82 percent less electricity while also delivering double the air-cleaning output.
At top speed, this machine can cover a whopping area of 1,276 square feet — ideal if you have a home with large open-plan spaces. However, in smaller areas of up to 319 square feet, the hourly air-change rate quadruples.
This air purifier has four speed settings — low, medium, high, and turbo — setting it apart from most other pet air purifiers that only have three fan speeds.
It's a two-stage pet dander filter system. The carbon pre-filter is specifically designed for capturing larger particles and preventing clogs, plus it absorbs doggy odors. The H13 HEPA filter traps the smaller offenders — dander, dust, and even mold spores.
However, there are two additional purification functions — a UV-C light for banishing germs and an ionizer for odors. Both can be operated separately.
Other useful features include ‘sleep’ mode for a low-light display and a timer function, which can be set in two-hour increments up to 8 hours. This takes away the hassle of having to remember to flick that switch — saving you more energy.
Filter replacements are recommended every six to 12 months, depending on your usage levels.
PRODUCT RATING: 4.6/5
PROS:
Energy-efficient air purifier for pet allergies.
Ideal for large areas or a multi-dog home.
Four speed settings.
Timer and sleep functions.
CONS:
Not the quietest operation.
Best Budget Air Cleaner for Pet Hair
Does your furry friend prefer your bed to their own? And, while snuggles with your puppy are the best, you don’t want to pay the price by sneezing and coughing every time your head hits the pillow. The TOPPIN HEPA Air Purifier is a great budget buy for smaller spaces, like bedrooms and home offices.
As well as cleaning the air, covering areas up to 160 square feet, this appliance doubles as an essential oil diffuser. This means you can fill your room with fresh and fragrant air. What's more, it features a subtle blue night light for bedtime.
The TOPPIN is small but don’t let its size put you off, it’s still a powerful air purifier for pet hair and dander. It has an inbuilt four-layer filtration system — pre-filter, HEPA filter, carbon filter, and a nano-silver coating for reducing bacteria. It also comes with a UV light for attacking germs.
Great news if you plan to use this unit overnight — it’s super quiet — running at a low noise level of fewer than 37 decibels on the lowest of three fan speeds.
Filters last for around three to 6 months.
In my opinion, this is a great air purifier if you want clean air in a small space without breaking the bank to keep your pet allergies at bay.
Product Rating: 4.6/5
PROS:
Easy-on-the-pocket air purifier for dog hair.
Diffuses aromas into the air using a fragrance sponge.
Quiet fan when using the low-speed setting.
Night light.
CONS:
- Not ideal for larger spaces.
Best Space Saving Air Purifier for Pets
While a floor-standing air purifier for homes with pets serves its purpose, if you’re after something unobtrusive that could fit on a shelf or desk space, the Hamilton Beach TrueAir could be a solution. This unit is compact, yet extremely effective at removing pet hair from the air.
With dimensions of 13.54 x 6 x 8.5 inches and weighing 6.3 pounds, you shouldn’t have any difficulty finding a space in your home for this. And, as you can position it both horizontally and vertically, you can reduce its footprint even further.
The Hamilton Beach is suited for spaces up to 140 square feet, which would be ideal for bedrooms, home offices, nurseries, or laundry rooms. And, despite its size, it includes four stages of filtration — HEPA pre-filter, plus a HEPA filter and two carbon filters.
Unlike many air purifiers, the Hamilton Beach has a permanent true HEPA filter. The convenience of not having to replace this is the reason why the Hamilton Beach TrueAir is one of the best air filters for pets. To clean the filter, you simply run the vacuum cleaner through it. However, two carbon filters will need replacing on a quarterly basis.
Product Rating: 4.5/5
PROS:
Easy clean permanent HEPA filter.
Pre-filter system designed to capture pet hair.
True HEPA air filter.
Ideal for small spaces.
CONS:
- Loud fan when not using a low setting.
Conclusion
If you love your dog but hate your allergies, an air purifier removes pet dander, pet hair, and pet odors from your environment, as well as cleaning other pollutants, toxins and germs — leaving you with fresh air to breathe.
When selecting your ideal unit — HEPA filters are the way forward, pre-filters will preserve the life of your purifier and collect bigger particles, and carbon filters eliminate the whiff of pooch lingering in the air. Also, consider the size of the area you want to purify, the noise level during operation, and the filter replacement frequency.
These appliances are a must-have for pet owners, especially those who are allergic to dog dander. Plus, who wants their home to resemble Eau de Labrador or a bouquet of Border Collie? An air purifier for dog hair captures all these nasties — leaving your home doggy whiff and allergen-free.
Best Air Purifier for Dog Hair FAQs
Do Air Filters Help With Allergies?
Yes, they can. They remove particles like dog dander and pet hair from the air that may be carrying allergens. An air purifier will not cure your pet allergies, but it can help to reduce your symptoms.
Why Are Harnesses Bad For Dogs?
Harnesses allow handlers to be in control of their dog while preventing damage to a dog's throat - where a collar would normally sit. Many experts are now advising owners to avoid using a standard collar and leash, suggesting it can cause damage to a dog's thyroid, trachea and esophagus.
What Are the Symptoms Of Dog Allergies?
There are many different pet allergy symptoms, and some people experience them more severely than others. These include:
- Coughing.
- Sneezing.
- Watery eyes and/or itchy eyes.
- Nasal congestion or a runny nose.
Many pet allergy symptoms are similar to those experienced by hay fever sufferers and symptoms can be worse for people who also have asthma.
Is an Air Purifier Good for Dogs?
Using an air purifier will not harm your dog. It's safe to use a dog hair air purifier in a room where your pets spend time - air filters do not pose a risk to your dog's health.
In fact, using an air purifier can benefit your pet as they too will be breathing in cleaner air. Dogs can only benefit from breathing in germ and toxin-free air, just the same as their owners do.
Do Air Purifiers Get Rid of Dog Smell?
Air purifiers with a HEPA air filter can remove pet smells, along with allergens, pet dander, and other unwanted or potentially harmful substances from the air.
What Takes Pet Hair Out of the Air?
A powerful air purifier will help to remove pet hair from the air. These types of purifiers are designed to circulate air and remove those particles of pet hair.
Do Air Purifiers Help With Dust and Pet Hair?
Air purifiers can help to remove dust and pet hair as well as pet dander from the air. For those with allergies, an air purifier could potentially allow the person to be in the same room as the pet.