7 Best Personal Air Purifiers

As countries around the world gradually start to reopen post-Covid-19 restrictions and return to some form of normality, we are beginning to venture out and enjoy some of the pastimes we used to take for granted. Whether it’s meeting a friend for coffee, hitting the gym, or heading to the office, these new freedoms will come as welcome news for many. However, one lasting effect the pandemic will have on us all is a heightened awareness of the air we breathe around us. More specifically, what kind of particles and viruses we may be inhaling!

While I’m sure we’d all love to take our trusted whole-house air purifier with us on our travels, you might get a few odd looks whilst lugging it around town. Fortunately, we’ve found the 7 best Personal Air Purifiers that you can take with you, wherever you go. 

These portable purifiers utilize the same filters and technology as the unit in your home, effectively removing a range of pollutants, such as: 

• Pollen, dust, and other allergens 
• Viruses and bacteria
• Fumes from cars or factories 
• Unpleasant smells

If you suffer from hayfever, sit in traffic for long periods, or are concerned about airborne viruses, these purifiers can transform the air quality within your personal space. 

To find our top choices, we researched how and where these purifiers are commonly used, with options for wearable devices – perfect for when you are on the go. We also found purifiers that will comfortably fit in your bag, ideal for use in busy public spaces like cafes or public transport. All the products we recommend are verified to be easily portable as well as effective by genuine users on Consumer Reports. We also analyzed product reviews to remove any fake reviews.

1. AirDinbor Electronic Air Necklace

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The AirDinbor Electronic Air Necklace is perhaps the perfect device for on-the-go air purification needs. It is made in the style of a necklace with a metal chain, and it even comes in 3 different colors. The unit is compact, so it shouldn’t get in the way of anything else you may be wearing. Its small design means that it can go with you in crowded public areas, as well as to parks and on bus rides, and it can stay with you while in the office.

The technology the Air Necklace uses utilizes negative ions, emitting over 7 million per second. This helps the purifier link up numerous airborne pollutants at a time, creating a shielded environment around you that is easier to breathe in. The unit can handle common airborne particles such as allergens and some airborne diseases. It’s simple to know that it is working too, as you can look at the unit to see if the indicator light has turned blue.

This air purifier necklace is long-lasting too. It takes about half an hour to fully charge and, once it is charged, it should be able to work for up to 24 hours. This means that you can easily get a full day’s use out of it, whether you’re out for personal reasons or working.

• Purifier Technology: Ion
• Weight: 34g
• Portability: Necklace
• Battery Life: 24 hours

What we love:

• Works well at removing odors in a compact space
• Works fast at removing the likes of smoke in the air
• Made in a sleek design that can make it easy to wear
• Relatively quiet operation for disturbance-free use

We don’t like this as much:

• Those with sensitive skin should be careful placing the product directly against themselves
• Take care pulling the chain, as the material could be stronger

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2. Ausanat Portable Air Purifier

The Ausanat Portable Air Purifier is a well-made, compact air purifier that is budget-friendly. With its slim design and small carrying strap, you can take it with you almost anywhere. This unit is as good for car travel as it is for lounging at the beach. You can also use it on its own, as a full charge should have the battery lasting anywhere from 8 to around 40 hours. Otherwise, you can plug it in. Thankfully, it’s suitable to be plugged into many different devices. You can use the included USB cord and plug it into an adapter, computer, charging bank, and even a car charger.

It features a built-in turbine cycle with 4 fan levels. There is also a sleep mode function at fan level 1 that you can either use at night or in areas where you can’t make much noise. The unit offers dual fan operation too so that it has a better chance at sucking up polluted air and releasing fresh air at a faster rate.

Alongside that, this compact unit is rather robust in its operation, thanks to the use of a True HEPA filter. This filter captures 99.97% of a variety of airborne pollutants such as mold, pollen, pet dander, dust particles, and even odor-causing pollutants.

• Purifier Technology: True HEPA
• Weight: 43g
• Portability: Built-in carrying strap
• Battery Life: 8 to 40 hours

What we love:

• Lightweight and easy to carry around from place to place
• Appears to purify the air at a rapid pace
• The purifier can still be used while it’s charging
• Multiple fan speeds to get different levels of air purification

We don’t like this as much:

• When it’s on high speed, the battery life might drain a bit faster
• On the highest fan speed, it can make some noticeable noise

3. Airdog FitAir Portable Air Purifier

The Airdog FitAir Portable Air Purifier is a high-end personal purifier that offers continuous cleaning of the air in a 25sqft. space, 3 times per hour. It features highly porous inlets that contain 290 ports. This allows for efficient maximum airflow so that you can truly feel it working. There are even 3 levels of airflow adjustments you can use so that you get the right level of airflow when you need it.

As for the filter, this device makes great use of the H13 HEPA filtration system. This system provides you with 97.8% filtration efficiency, which works to protect you from common airborne particles like smoke and pollen. It even goes to work on some viruses, for you to feel healthier in the long run too while this unit operates.

This modern-looking unit can rest comfortably on a desk or any other flat surface. It is easy to charge up and use via USB charging. Knowing when you need to charge it is straightforward too, thanks to the colored light indicators.

• Purifier Technology: H13 HEPA
• Weight: 5.6oz
• Portability: Carrying strap
• Battery Life: 6 hours

What we love:

• Covers a wide space around you
• Easy to set up
• Highly effective at removing odors in small spaces
• Unobtrusive design that doesn’t get in the way

We don’t like this as much:

• It might move around due to vibrations when used on higher fan speeds
• When running on the built-in battery alone, it might not last that long

4. CALODY Air Purifier Portable

The CALODY Air Purifier is a portable device that is roughly the size of a water bottle. It’s simple enough to carry around, making transportation a breeze. At the same time, the unit boasts a wide coverage of 100sqft. so that it can purify the area in a small space like an office or a car with no difficulty. It has strong airflow and cycles the air in about 10 minutes.

This stands out against other portable air purifiers thanks to the technology used. For starters, it features an H13 True HEPA filter to trap and kill 99.97% of pollutants like dust and particles as small as 0.3 microns. Along with that, there’s an activated carbon filter screen to handle odors and a harmless UVC LED for higher sterilization rates of bacteria and viruses.

Another nice feature about this unit is the aromatherapy. You can drop in your favorite oils to create a pleasant smelling environment while the air is being cleaned. Also, this unit emits a constant, gentle blue light while in use.

• Purifier Technology: H13 HEPA | UV
• Weight: 15.4oz
• Portability: Compact size for easy carrying
• Battery Life: USB operation

What we love:

• Can neutralize smells fast
• The low fan setting doesn’t make much noise
• It easily fits into a cup holder for car travel use
• Easy-to-use buttons for user-friendly operation

We don’t like this as much:

• Unable to turn off the light, so it may cause some disturbance when used at night
• Would be helpful if it came with instructions on how to change the filter

5. AirTamer A310 Personal Rechargeable Portable Air Purifier

The AirTamer A310 is a high-quality personal air purifier that is lightweight enough to go everywhere with you. There is no need to ever worry about replacing the filter, thanks to the use of electrostatic purification with negative ions. Millions of negative ions are released constantly so that both odors and airborne pollutants like pollen are reduced.

This unit is powerful enough to create a 3ft sphere of protection around you while you wear it. This works in every direction too, for well-rounded coverage. It comes with a lanyard and a breakaway connector for easy use and safety purposes. This device even comes with a leather travel case if you can’t wear it but want to keep it with you.

The rechargeable air purifier operates on a built-in battery. It can be recharged via USB, and when you give it time to charge up, it should run for around 150 hours before you have to do it again. A USB charging cable is included, and everything can fit inside the leather travel case.

• Purifier Technology: Ion
• Weight: 1.76oz
• Portability: Travel case and lanyard
• Battery Life: 150 hours

What we love:

• Easy to pack up to take with you on travels
• Simple to wear around the neck for extended periods of time
• Well-made design that feels very durable
• Works well at eliminating allergens

We don’t like this as much:

• It’s not easy to adjust the lanyard for a customized fit
• When seated, there’s a chance you may feel a slight pulse from the unit

6. AVICHE M1 Necklace Wearable Mini Personal

The AVICHE M1 is a wearable air purifier that can blend in seamlessly as you’re out and about. With its built-in necklace, you can slip it on, turn it on, and go in no time. The unit features powerful ion purifier technology that works at reducing the airborne pollutants and nagging odors that litter the air around you. This is great for use outdoors, in stores, and even while riding in the car.

It features a built-in rechargeable lithium battery, using a USB charging cable, in 3 to 4 hours. On a full charge, the unit is known to operate anywhere from 35 hours to 40 hours. You can use it at night too while sleeping, or in areas that require silence such as at work, since it doesn’t appear to produce much noise.

The unit is well-built too and should be able to last through to around 500 charges. Also, since the purifier uses ion technology, there are no filters to replace. In the long run, this may save you more money, as you are not forced to worry about finding replacement filters.

• Purifier Technology: Ion
• Weight: 1.1oz
• Portability: Necklace
• Battery Life: 35 to 40 hours

What we love:

• Doesn’t take long to recharge the unit
• Small enough for hassle-free wearing
• Has a good battery life for long-term use
• Can quickly filter out obvious odors 

We don’t like this as much:

• You can sometimes feel the energy from it
• The necklace cord could be made from stronger material

7. InvisiClean

With InvisiClean, you can create a more comfortable environment around you, no matter where you are or who may be hovering in your space. This unit features ionic purification technology that puts millions of negative ions to work. These ions attach to the airborne pollutants that surround you daily, reducing or outright killing them, so you can breathe better in a fresher, cleaner environment. The device has a range of 1-2ft.

Since there are no moving parts, such as a fan, this unit is completely quiet. It can be worn in public spaces with no problem or even left on at night if you want to sleep in a cleaner environment too. Wearing it is not difficult thanks to the necklace design of the unit. Besides the strap, this device even has a belt clip attachment so you can clip it to your belt, a purse strap, or even your shirt to keep it closer to your face.

This unit features straightforward operation with a single button press. You can readily recharge it with its included USB charging cable, and when the battery is full, this unit should last you about 240 hours. If anything goes wrong, you can always take advantage of the 1-year warranty that comes with the product.

• Purifier Technology: Ion
• Weight: 1.4oz
• Portability: Included neck strap
• Battery Life: 240 hours

What we love:

• Creates an instantly noticeable improvement in air quality
• Simple to operate
• Compact design that doesn’t look obvious
• Runs quietly so you remain undisturbed

We don’t like this as much:

• Included charger cable could be longer
• The charging port would benefit from being more durable

FAQs About Personal Air Purifiers

Why would you want a personal air purifier necklace?

Many people live in cities, and it is no secret that the air is polluted in many built-up areas around the world. There are the likes of sulfur dioxide, ground-level ozone, and fine particle pollution tainting the air. In turn, this can lead to a host of respiratory problems such as asthma. Worst of all, it can further irritate people who may already suffer from such conditions.

Besides people with existing conditions, elderly individuals are at an even higher risk of experiencing complications from air pollution. Even if you aren’t in these categories, you can still come down with unexplained fatigue and even a lower immune system, and this can easily be due to the polluted air you’re breathing in whenever you decide to go outside.

This is why a personal air purifier necklace can be a great advantage. It doesn’t get in the way and it ensures that the air you breathe is better. This not only helps when you’re walking outside, but it can be a lifesaver on public transportation or if you’re stuck in small spaces for a long time, such as at work.

What is an ionizer?

An air ionizer is a popular air filter used in several air purifiers. Also referred to as an ion generator or ionic filter, this utilizes electricity that emits a cloud of negative ions (anions) that will electrically charge the air molecules. From there, those negative ions charge as well, and that will attract the air particles. They then fall onto the charged collector plate or a mechanical air filter. Alternatively, they may even find themselves on a nearby wall or ceiling.

This is a stark contrast to the typical air purifier without an ionizer, which will normally use a fan to pull polluted air into the air purifier.

Which Air Purifier is best for you?

There are many benefits that come with using a personal air purifier. These devices can typically go wherever you go. For example, you can take them with you while you walk if they’re in a travel-friendly form, like a necklace. You can also take them with you to the office to make your personal space that much healthier, and thus, make you more content to spend hours of your time there.

Personal air purifiers are also ideal if you only want to purify a little space without taking up too much room. They are the perfect small-space device as they can set up just about anywhere, such as a nightstand, without you having to move all your other items around.

Many of these air purifiers may not be feature-loaded compared to their larger counterparts, but they offer incredible performance in a compact size. You can find yourself in a healthier environment no matter where you go so that you breathe easier and feel less concerned about the air pollution around you.

• Best Budget Option – Ausanat Portable Air Purifier

• Best Portable Option – AirDinbor Electronic Air Necklace

• Best High-End Option – Airdog FitAir Portable Air Purifier

Last update on 2023-06-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API