What's the best air purifier for allergies? The answer is expensive, but worth it

Lots of people think about air purifiers in the summer, but that’s not actually the most important time to be mindful of your air quality. In the winter, with our windows sealed, we cook, burn, breathe, and carry all sorts of impurities into our home, which is why I’ve been looking at upgrading my current air purifier to one of the best in the business: the Molekule Air Pro Air Purifier.

Even the best air purifiers on the market struggle to make the same claims that the Molekule Air Pro Air Purifier can. Pollen? Gone. Dust and dander? Disappeared. Mould, gases, smoke, and even viruses? The Molekule Air Pro claims to get rid of them all. And the best part is, it looks good whilst working as an easy way to improve the air quality in your home.

I'm aware that they sound like some bold claims, so I wanted to bring the promises on paper to life. So, is the Molekule Air Pro worth it? And how does it compare to Dyson’s Air Purifier?

Molekule Air Pro Air Purifier review

• Room size coverage: Up to 1000 sq ft (92.9 m²) with avg. 8-ft. ceilings
• Detection: Particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) down to 0.3 µm, VOCs, CO2, relative humidity
• Automated modes: Auto Protect: Standard & Quiet
• Control: Touch display & app
• Fan speeds: 6 manual speeds
• Handle: Vegan leather
• Filters: PECO-HEPA Tri-Power filter
• Power consumption: Lowest speed — 26 W/h | Highest speed — 123 W/h (3-prong power plug)
• Sound levels: Lowest speed — 33 dBa Highest speed — 64 dBa
• App-enabled: iOS & Android
• WiFi-enabled: 2.4 GHz
• Cord length: 70.87 in. (180 cm)
• Size: 23.1 in. (58.6 cm) high x 10.9 in. (27.8 cm) wide
• Weight: 22.9 lbs (10.38 kg)
• Warranty: 2-year limited
• FDA clearance: 510(k) Class II: Cleared for medical use to destroy bacteria, viruses & mold, and collect particles

Molekule Air Pro Air Purifier: who would it suit?

If you’ve done your research, you’ll have seen that the Molekule Air Pro is the perfect model for large homes and rooms. This has an astonishing capacity for air purifying. In fact, the website suggests that it's suitable for rooms of 1,000 square feet. I’m not exaggerating when I say that’s hard to come by.

Molekule also tends to be a favourite for those who suffer with allergies and asthma, because it uses technology to capture and destroy pollutants, bacteria, viruses. It's a little different to how most air purifiers work, because Molekule doesn't just use a standard HEPA filter, they have a triple attack system. Context will help here because Molekule was conceived out of necessity. The founder, Dr Yogi Goswami and his daughter, Jaya Rao, created these to help the severe allergies that Dr Goswami's son suffered from. They found most air purifiers didn't help, but PECO (photoelectrochemical oxidation) technology worked.

So, as you might expect, this is an air purifier that goes above and beyond. It's expensive, but worth investing in if you have very serious needs for improving the air quality in your home. It promises to deliver all the benefits of an air purifier to your home, but with some stylish flair too.

Molekule Air Pro Air Purifier: unboxing

As you might expect from a brand that’s conscious about its footprint, the Molekule comes well packaged. The robust, cardboard box has thoughtful touches and illustrations, walking you through the entire set-up from the minute it arrives at your door.

Whilst Molekule offers a lot of hand holding )with physical instruction manuals and online videos) this actually does a great job of celebrating simplicity. I know I’m a bit of a dab hand with air purifiers, but I really think you could get away with setting this up without even needing to glance at the instructions. The only element you might miss is opening up the air purifier (push and twist from the top) to remove the plastic from around the filter. This is standard for all air purifiers, so if you’ve owned one before, you’ll already be familiar with it.

You’ve also got a plug - with a generous lead that wraps discreetly under the Molekule Air Pro when it’s not needed. And when plugged in, the top screen will light up with all the different controls. And I’ll get into how these work in the section below.

Molekule Air Pro Air Purifier: what is it like to use?

Above, you can see the touch screen. When you swipe across, you'll get five different screens. The default, colour coded screen gives you the overall air quality (colour coded), then you get detailed sensor readings for VOCs CO2, particle matter, relative humidity, fan speed, and then mode options, including the filter status, language, and other settings too.

I was really impressed how accessible this is. Plenty of other models will demand that you download an app for feedback (you can do this for the Molekule Air Pro, if you wish), but this has it at the tips of your fingers.

I put the Molekule through all my normal tests: burning a candle, spraying products around it, cooking, having it by a fire, and using it overnight. These test for a whole host of different impurities in the air

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As you swipe through the images above, you'll see the Molekule Air Pro in my lounge, where we burn fires; with a candle and a match burning and smoking in front of it; with aerosols and sprays in front of it; and running in a kitchen. I also had this running in the background of my everyday life for two weeks, because Molekule suggests that this is an appliance that you should keep on. It'll only demand power when there's something that needs it and promises to keep air in a stable condition for you.

I was really impressed at how the Molekule Air Pro handled my more intense tests. Almost as soon as I could see my match turning black when it was burning, the colour of the Molekule's main screen switched to orange. Then, with the candle burning and being blown out, that pale orange turned deeper, but within 20 seconds the colour was restored back to green, for good.

I tried spraying aerosols and make up products around the Molekule Air Pro and had the same results. Again, in less than 20 seconds, any declines in air quality were quickly rectified. I also noticed that this was one of very few air purifiers that didn't leave any fragrance in the room. Normally, I can smell a whisp of smoke or a slight remnant of perfume, but this didn't have any trail at all. It's seriously impressive.

On the bigger tasks, the Molekule Air Pro proved to be equally impressive. My kitchen is open-plan with the dining room and it has high ceilings, which means that there's a lot of air that needs cleaning. I thought a larger room than my normal testing space could create slower responses, but the Molekule got to work at cleaning the air while I cooked really well. I tried burning toast, cooking onions, and roasting vegetables in the kitchen. In theory, these should all cause the air quality to decline, or, at the very least, I should be able to smell what I've cooked in the air. Not the Molekule. It clocked that I was cooking, noted it, increased the speed, and rectified the air quality in the room (which got to dark red when I accidentally burnt my roasted vegetables) in under five minutes.

One of the really impressive elements of the Molekule Air Pro is how silently independent it is. I didn't have to touch it for the Molekule to do its job. Plus, aside from when I burnt the vegetables, the Molekule was steadily quiet at plugging away and keeping the air clean. The loudest it came up to was 57 dB according to my devices, which is much quieter than an extraction fan in the kitchen.

The last test is more of an anecdotal one, but it's worth mentioning if you struggle with allergies. We have a family dog, in spite of my dad's allergies. He normally takes medication to suppress his wheezy, sneezy responses when she's shedding her coat, but was happy to not take them for a little while when I was testing the Molekule Air Pro. Whilst he said his eyes felt a little watery, we were all really impressed at how much this helped to reduce his sneezing and symptoms. Even after a week, he was still off his medication, enjoying breathing and general life in a way that he definitely couldn't when we had the dog without his medication. Naturally, whether this works for you is completely dependent on your allergies, but my dad is willing to vouch for this one's performance.

How does the filter work on the Molekule Air Pro?

With results like that, it's fair to wonder what magic is actually packed into the Molekule Air Pro and what it's filters are made of. Essentially, it combines PECO technology with HEPA filters to catch pollutants and destroy them.

The brand describes its patented PECO technology as "revolutionary" explaining "the PECO technology breaks down organic matter at a molecular level, inactivating harmful pathogens and turning VOCs, viruses, bacteria, mould spores and more into harmless gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor."

They add that the "Air Pro destroys allergens (dust mites, airborne mould spores, pet dander, pollen), volatile organic compounds (formaldehyde, benzene), bacteria, viruses (H1N1, SARS-CoV-2), particulate matter and toxic gases found in smoke, and so much more."

It's a hefty list, but it explains why they can make such extreme claims, as the ones they do. They suggest that Molekule can remove 95% of common airborne allergens, which is data pulled from an independent test. This means they say the Molekule Air Pro is "an effective solution for allergy sufferers."

It's also why they say that the Molekule Air Pro could help with asthma. "The tri-power filter (PECO-HEPA) can help to remove asthma triggers in the air by first capturing pollutants and irritants with HEPA filtration, then PECO technology breaks them down further into harmless carbon dioxide and water." It's really impressive.

How does the Molekule Air Pro Air Purifier compare?

There are lots of different comparisons that I could make with the Molekule Air Pro Air Purifier, but I'm going to make two. The first is with the Molekule Air Pro Mini (a smaller version of this) and the MeacoClean CA-HEPA Air Purifier (a less expensive version of this).

If you're wondering what the difference between the Molekule Air Pro and the Air Pro Mini are, they're actually very simple. Both of these air purifiers have the same filters and functions, so both promise to destroy and remove allergens from the air. The key difference between the two is that the mini is better prepared for smaller rooms and the Air Pro suits bigger rooms. The Air Pro has a higher air flow rate, so suits rooms up to 1,000 square feet, whereas the Air Mini+ is made for smaller rooms of up to 250 square feet. As you might expect, the Air Pro is more expensive and the Air Pro Mini is cheaper. It's relative to your room size.

The MeacoClean, on the other hand, is also an air purifier designed for larger rooms. It promises to cover 500 square foot of room space, which is about half that of the Molekule Air Pro. However, the price reflects that. The Molekule costs nearly £800, whereas the MeacoClean is just under £200. Yes, the Meaco isn't quite as attractive as the Molekule, but it worked quickly and quietly, impressing me with its performance. Whilst it wasn't any slower, it did leave a lightly lingering smell in the room after my tests of perfumes and burning candles, which the Molekule didn't. If you're not looking for a deep deep clean of your air, the MeacoClean is an easy way to save money. If you suffer from allergies and sensitivities, you might want to upgrade.

Should you buy the Molekule Air Pro Air Purifier?

The Molekule Air Pro is undoubtedly one of the most luxurious air purifiers on the market. It's also one of the most powerful and effective in larger rooms. So, whilst it is expensive, if you need a robust, heavy-duty, stylish model, you're in safe hands.

How we test air purifiers

At woman&home, we have a rigorous series of tests that every air purifier has to go through for it to get a review. We cover all the fundamental and important aspects of air purifing, from clearing smoke in the air, as well as aromas, impurities, and general day-to-day pollutants. However, we'll also asses the extraneous factors, such as how it looks, what it's like to use, and how it compares to other models on the market. We'll talk about value, how it compares to other models on the market, and any other elements that you need to know about before you make an investment.

By the end of a review, you should know exactly what you need to before buying an air purifier. If you still have questions, you can email me. I'm always happy to talk about all things air purifying.

You can find out more on our dedicated page on how we test air purifiers.