The Best Portable Air Cleaners

IQ Air HealthPro Plus

• The IQ Air HealthPro Plus air cleaner uses four different filtration technologies that clean the air and remove pollutants. The four technologies include the microparticle filtration, granular activated carbon adsorption, pelletized chemisorption and hyperHEP filtration. The technologies combine to eliminate and remove microparticles, volatile organic compounds, harmful chemicals, bacteria, smoke and viruses from the air. The American Lung Association has chosen IQAir as their sole educational partner in the air cleaner industry. As of 2011, the cost of the air cleaner is about $940 and comes with a four-year warranty.

Austin Air HealthMate

• A portable air cleaner that is designed to remove smoke, mold, asthma irritants, chemicals and germs from a room, the Austin Air Healthmate air cleaner takes in over 250 cubic feet of air each minute and passes through 15 pounds of activated carbon. The air passes through a four-stage system; the first stage removes large particles, such as dust and hair, while the second stage removes medium particles, such as molds and pollen. Chemicals and gases are removed in the third stage, and the fourth stage removes harmful microorganisms. As of 2011, the price of the air cleaner is about $450 and comes with a five-year warranty.

Honeywell 50250-N

• The Honeywell 50250-N removes 99.97 percent of particles in the air, including dust, smoke, pet dander and mold spores. The portable air cleaner features a carbon-activated prefilter that also removes household odors from the air. The Intelli-Check filter offers a reminder as to when the filter needs to be replaced. As of 2011, the cost of the Honeywell air cleaner is about $170 and comes with a five-year warranty.