Clean the air in your home while maintaining healthy humidity with one of these top-rated multitaskers.
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Air purifiers filter out dust, dander and other allergens and then blow clean air back into the home. While these appliances don’t have a major impact on relative humidity, the cooler, fan-circulated air they emit tends to feel drier, especially during the winter months when humidity levels are lower to begin with. That's why combo units that both clean and moisturize the air make sense.
“If you're dealing with dry, dirty air in the home, you'll save money and space by not having two separate devices, plus our tests find that many combo units do both jobs effectively,” says Dan DiClerico, director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. In addition to air purifiers and humidifiers, our experts regularly evaluate all kinds of home comfort equipment, including air conditioners (both portable and window units) as well as dehumidifiers. We used that testing expertise to identify the best air purifier and humidifier combo units available today.
After our top picks, continue reading to learn more about how we test combo units as well as what to look for when choosing one for your home. We also have reviews on more site-specific equipment, like the best humidifiers for babies and the best air purifiers for smoke.
In extensive Lab tests, the Dyson was incredibly effective at cleaning the air and it also does a superb job maintaining ideal relative humidity. "You're paying a premium for the performance, but this Dyson is the best of the best when it comes to multitaskers," says DiClerico.
The superb air cleaning is a result of its True HEPA filtration (a must for air purifiers we recommend), which can remove particles down to 0.3 microns in size. In our Lab tests, the Dyson had no trouble reducing PM2.5 and PM10 particles by more than 95% in just 30 minutes. PM stands for particulate matter, and the number that follows is a measure of the particle's diameter in microns. PM2.5 and PM10 particles have the potential to enter airways and even the bloodstream, causing adverse health effects.
We also found this purifier to be the best of the ones we've tested at reducing air formaldehyde concentrations — in half an hour, it removed 75% of the formaldehyde in our test chamber. This combo unit is compatible with the Dyson app, providing real-time analysis of the different types of air pollutants present, and allowing for easy remote control of the fans, humidifier component and timer settings.
When it comes to adding moisture back into the air, the Dyson also excelled. Its gallon-sized humidifier tank is able to provide moisture for up to 36 hours. Choose between auto mode, which monitors moisture levels for you, or manual mode, which is useful when you want to add a quick infusion of moisture into the air, say, on a cold winter night before going to bed.
All of this functionality comes with a hefty price tag, not including the $80 filter replacements and $30 cleaning kits, which will be needed to keep the machine running smoothly, so this purifier may not be for everyone. It's also fairly large. That said, if you're looking for peak performance and all the bells and whistles, go for the Dyson.
While you can spend top dollar on a powerful two-in-one unit, you don't have to. That's what our experts like about this Afloia. "It's very well priced, plus its compact housing makes it a great fit for tight spaces, like a small bedroom or home office," says DiClerico.
The unit features a multi-stage HEPA filter, which is designed to remove 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter or larger. Its activated carbon filter, meanwhile. helps adsorb bad-smelling particles in the air that the HEPA filter doesn't catch.
While we didn't test this unit in our Lab, we were impressed with its modular design. The humidifier sits atop the purifier component when in use and can be removed and stored when not needed. Standing under 2 feet tall, this unit is smaller than other picks on our list, and the manufacturer claims whisper-quiet operation at only 24dB. Some reviewers noted that the machine isn't as durable as they'd like, and remarked that the plastic felt cheap, but for the price we can't complain.
This unit packs five types of filters into its relatively compact housing to combat an array of air pollutants. While we haven't tested this model in the Lab, our engineers were impressed with its specs: Of the unit's five filters, there are two True HEPA filters that can each capture particles down to 0.3 microns in size. For allergy sufferers, this could be a game changer as the additional filtration component can help further reduce air pollen and allergen content. There's also an on-unit indicator light that shows you how the air quality stacks up in real time and functions like an auto-off setting that can save energy and money.
While we love the auto-humidification feature that adjusts the humidifier's output based on the room's humidity levels, we wish the humidifier component was a bit more robust. It disburses water into the air at a maximum rate of 350 mL per hour so those living in dryer climates or requiring more intensive humidification may want to check out other units on this list, or consider a stand-alone humidifier.
Air purifier-humidifier combos on the market that are rated for large spaces are hard to come by. This model from Sharp is the exception, effective in rooms up to 2,603 square feet. The unit includes both a True HEPA and activated carbon filter as well as a 0.53 gallon reservoir for effective purification and humidification. "It's also fully featured," says DiClerico, "including a weekly scheduler available in the companion app, additional app-only programming and Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa control."
One important note: Good Housekeeping generally doesn’t recommend air purifiers that use ionization, since the technology can release ozone, an irritant that can exacerbate existing respiratory conditions. However, Sharp’s Plasmacluster is not a negative ion generator, the type commonly associated with ozone. Our engineers reviewed 3rd-party testing to ensure that the device’s ozone production is essentially zero, or well below the level permissible by the California Air Resource Board (0.05 ppm).
Floor space is a premium in a tight bedroom. The cylindrical ORB, at only 7.7 inches in diameter, packs a lot of multifunctional power into a compact body. The unit features the True HEPA filtration we require in our air purifier picks as well as an activated carbon filter to adsorb foul-smelling particles. It also has a similar modular design to our best value pick, so you can save even more space by storing the humidifier component when you don't need it.
Besides its compact design, our engineers like the ORB's simple, intuitive controls. We also like that it provides True HEPA, an air quality indicator light and a remote control for convenient operation. Some customers noted that it was difficult to track down replacement filters for this model so you might need to do a deep dive to keep your unit working.
To determine the best air purifier and humidifier combo units for your money, the engineers at the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab constantly survey the marketplace to identify the models that consumers are most likely to find online and in stores. After zeroing on models for review, we began the thorough process of reviewing technical data, owner's manuals and consumer reviews.
We only considered combo units that featured True HEPA filtration (typically H13), which means that they'll remove 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns in size. We also steered clear of models with ionization unless we were certain that it can be turned off, since these kinds of air purifiers can release ozone, and there's limited data showing the advantages of ionization versus classical filtration.
Because the point of having a two-in-one unit is to reduce the amount of space it takes up, we favored models that are more compact while still offering powerful humidification and purification. We read product reviews on major retailer websites to ensure there aren't any concerning defects and look for any potential pitfalls with the product.
For the units that we did get hands-on with, we ran extensive air purification tests in our Lab's airtight climate chamber. We introduced small amounts of pollutants and measured the concentrations of PM2.5, PM10 and formaldehyde prior to starting the test. We then turned on the air purifier to its maximum setting for 30 minutes and then re-measured these contaminant concentrations to get a sense of how well the purifier does at removing them.
Next, we evaluated the efficacy of the humidification feature. This included checking how easy the humidifier tank was to set up and fill, the size of the reservoir and how long it took the humidifier to reach set humidity levels in our Lab.
We also examined the fan speed, sound level (using a decibel meter, pictured) and control interface to find units that were powerful, quiet and easy to use. We also sent units to consumer testers who told us about their experiences with how the machines work in real-w0rld conditions and gave us insight into how intuitive they are to set up and operate.
✔️ Coverage area: Look for air purifier and humidifier combos that are rated for at least one air change per hour for your desired size. We always suggest going for combo units that are rated for slightly larger spaces than the one you have rather than smaller for more efficacious humidification and purification.
✔️ Filtration: The best air purifier and humidifier combos feature True HEPA filters, which is the most effective at removing airborne particles, allergens and irritants. Many combo units feature so-called "HEPA-like" filters, which won't clean your air as thoroughly.
✔️ Water-tank capacity: A larger reservoir means less frequent refills, letting your humidifier do the work for you. If the unit you choose has a small capacity, look for an auto-off or scheduler feature that'll prevent it from needing constant refills when not used optimally.
✔️ Ease of cleaning: It's important to clean the humidifier component of your combo unit regularly to prevent the growth of mold and other harmful microbes. Opt for models that are easy to disassemble and reassemble and don't have too many nooks and crannies where bacteria can accumulate.
Air purifiers and humidifiers have different functions, so they can work together without getting in each other's way. Air purifiers remove physical pollutants from the air like small particles, whereas humidifiers add evaporated water to the air. You might be concerned that an air purifier will remove some of the humidity that a humidifier creates, but this isn't actually the case. The evaporated water is far too small to be caught in the air purifier's filters. Only a condensation process like that caused by a powerful dehumidifier could remove water from the air.
Nikolas Greenwald heads up the Good Housekeeping Institute's in-Lab testing of both air purifiers and humidifiers, regularly evaluating the top performers and newest entries in the sector to find the best ones on the market. He has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and applies his knowledge of fluid dynamics and filtration processes to finding strong contenders in the home HVAC space. For this article, he spent 10 hours researching and evaluating different combination air purifier and humidifier units.
For this article, Nikolas worked closely with Dan DiClerico, who has extensively tested and written about air purifiers for nearly 25 years. He has also spearheaded numerous investigative reports on the topic of indoor air quality, working closely with outside experts from government, industry and the home services spaces. As director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, Dan oversaw the latest round of air purifier testing in our Labs and the continuous in-home, survey-based consumer testing that allows us to evaluate these devices in real-world conditions.
As a data engineer in the Good Housekeeping Institute, Nik (he/him) works with all of our Labs to develop testing protocols and manage data collection and analysis. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2022, Nik worked in the labs of MIT and Regeneron, working on projects ranging from chemical inventory and reporting to the development of bioassays. He holds a degree in chemical engineering from Northeastern University.
Having written thousands of product reviews and how-to articles on all aspects of home ownership, from routine maintenance to major renovations, Dan (he/him) brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his role as the director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. A one-time roofer and a serial remodeler, Dan can often be found keeping house at his restored Brooklyn brownstone, where he lives with his wife and kids.
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Having written thousands of product reviews and how-to articles on all aspects of home ownership, from routine maintenance to major renovations, Dan (he/him) brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his role as the director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. A one-time roofer and a serial remodeler, Dan can often be found keeping house at his restored Brooklyn brownstone, where he lives with his wife and kids.
Diffuser Colour Changing As a data engineer in the Good Housekeeping Institute, Nik (he/him) works with all of our Labs to develop testing protocols and manage data collection and analysis. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2022, Nik worked in the labs of MIT and Regeneron, working on projects ranging from chemical inventory and reporting to the development of bioassays. He holds a degree in chemical engineering from Northeastern University.