Working long hours in the office is hard enough without having to deal with poor air quality as well.
A stuffy environment can really make it difficult to concentrate and get any work done, especially if you suffer from allergies and there is something in the air that constantly triggers them.
How can you improve the quality of air in the office and make going to work a more pleasant experience? Unlike your own home, an office is a place that you share with a lot of other people.
Whatever solution you come up with to improve indoor air quality has to suit everyone else. This makes getting clean air slightly more complicated.
Luckily, there is a great solution that most people are fine with. You can get a budget air purifier with an air quality monitor to improve your office environment.
If you are looking for the right air purifier, this is exactly where you need to be. This article will help you pick the best desk air purifier out of the many products on the market today.
Read on to find out how a simple desktop air purifier can be the answer to all your office air quality problems.
The Best Air Purifiers For Cubicles & Offices In 2022
If you are in a hurry, here are links to our favorite office space purifiers.
| Rank | Name | Picture | Price | Where To Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Triad Mini Aer |  | $149.00 | Visit Website |
| #2 | EdenPure Oxileaf II Thunderstorm |  | $129.99 | Visit Website |
| #3 | PureAir 50 |  | $49.00 | Visit Website |
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Air purifiers remove airborne pollutants in many different ways according to their design features. However, the overall result is the same in that an air purifier produces clean air in a room that was previously filled with pollutants.
Many types of pollutants cause problems in a variety of office environments, such as:
- Volatile organic compounds
- Pet dander (can be carried to work on the clothes of pet owners)
- Smoke particles (either cigarette smoke or factory emissions)
- Dust particles and dust mites
- Pollen
- Mold spores
- Bacteria and airborne viruses
The specific method of removing airborne particles depends on what type of filter it is. The following are the common types of air purifiers that can be used in the office and how they work:
HEPA Filter and True HEPA Filter
A High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter removes airborne contaminants by sucking in polluted air, passing it through a filter, and producing cleaner air.
In the case of a true HEPA filter, the process can remove 99.9% of pollutants that are greater than 0.3 microns in size from the air. The downside of targeting particles as small as 0.3 microns is that the larger particles in the air will wreak havoc with the air cleaner unless a pre-filter is installed.
The efficiency of HEPA filters makes them one of the most common choices for desktop air purifiers in many offices. When most experts are testing the effectiveness of an air purifier, they use the true HEPA filter as a baseline comparison.
However, this does not mean that a true HEPA filter is the only type of air purifier available, nor indeed is it always the best choice for your needs. The true HEPA filter has its own shortcomings, such as the need for a pre-filter, which is why you should consider other air purifiers.
Activated Carbon Filter
One of the best ways to ensure that you are targeting the widest range of office pollutants is to make sure that your air purifier comes with an activated carbon filter.
With an activated carbon filter, you can even remove pollutants that are too small for a true HEPA filter to target. This means if you are struggling with volatile organic compounds or odors that are difficult to remove with an ordinary desktop air purifier, an activated carbon filter might be the solution.
UV, Ionic, and Ozone Emission Purifiers
Many of the latest models of the best air purifiers work oppositely from true HEPA filters.
Instead of drawing in air and passing it through an activated carbon filter, these next-generation air purifiers emit either UV light, ionic compounds, or ozone to improve indoor air quality.
Some of the best clean air delivery rate figures have been produced by air purifiers that work in this way.
The great thing about an air purifier that does not rely on activated carbon filters is that there is no need for installing a pre-filter. No large air particulate matter is being drawn into the machine so there is no risk of clogging up the system.
It is because of the constant need to look for replacement filters and clean the pre-filter that many people are preferring to buy an ionic air purifier or one that emits UV light or ozone.
However, there are some concerns about the risks posed by using ozone or UV-C light around humans and animals. This is why you need to make sure that the office desk air purifier that you choose has been certified as a medical-grade air purifier that is safe for any environment.
Common Sources of Pollutants in Offices
As good as a powerful air purifier can be, it will not have the desired impact unless you take measures to address the source of air pollution in your workplace.
If, for example, you are using a HEPA air purifier, if the source of contaminants is not dealt with, you will always be forced to use the highest setting for fan speed and the life expectancy of your activated carbon filter will be drastically reduced.
Even the best office air purifier will need you to help by addressing the following sources of office pollution:
- Furnishings
- Office equipment
- Occupant activities
- Microbial contamination
- Pesticide applications
- Housekeeping practices
- Cigarette, factory, and wildfire smoke
How We Chose the Best Air Purifier
To come up with what we consider to be the best air purifier for the office environment, we looked at the following essential parameters:
Size and Portability
The best desktop air purifiers are small and easily portable. This is because you are likely going to need to move it from one area to another throughout the day
If you have a large office, larger than 400 sq. ft. for example, you may need to move the air purifier from one end of the office to the other so that everyone gets to benefit.
Type of Office Air Purifier
We considered true HEPA filters as well as next-generation UV, ozone, and ionizer filtration systems. Your choice of the best air purifier will depend on things such as the square feet you need to clean and your budget.
Noise Level
It goes without saying that a desktop air purifier needs to have a quiet operation system, even when running at high fan speed.
Price and Maintenance
Just like other office equipment, all the air purifiers we considered have to be affordable enough to stay within the budget. We also looked for air purifiers with low maintenance requirements, which means those that need replacement filters were not considered.
The Three Best Air Purifiers for the Office
After extensively researching different products in the air purification industry, our air purifier review has finally been trimmed down to the following three best air purifier options:
Triad Mini Aer – Best Air Cleaning Efficiency Overall
If you have an average-sized office of about 200 sq. ft., you will want a small air purifier that will clean indoor air using low power usage. The Triad Mini Aer is one of the most efficient small air purifiers you will find on the market.
While other air purifier options depend on high speed for effective room coverage, the Triad Mini Aer uses cutting-edge design features to eliminate odors and other pollutants.
It comes with an air quality indicator light to let you know the quality of the air that you are breathing. Unlike an air filter that needs a large surface area to pass air through, the Triad Mini Aer is very small while still being able to cover many square feet of office space.
You can easily switch between auto mode and sleep mode to reduce power consumption during times when it is not in use. Its low maintenance means you will never have to worry about the filter replacement cost ever again. Just plug it in and let it do its job.
What Makes It a Great Office Air Purifier
With a large air purifier, you will have to deal with a higher electricity bill every month, which is not the case with the Triad Mini Aer. Its energy-efficient mechanism surpasses most air purifiers on the market right now.
Read Our Full Review Of The Triad Mini Aer
EdenPURE OxiLeaf II Thunderstorm – Best Budget Pick (When You Buy 3 Or More)
With many air purifiers, good quality air comes at a huge cost. However, at EdenPURE, you can a couple of OxiLeaf II Thunderstorm air cleaners for as little as $97 each, or $87 each if you buy three.
That is great value for money for an almost perfect air purifier that comes with three fan speed settings, a filter indicator light, a sleek design, and safe ozone technology.
The low price is in no way a reflection of the capabilities of the EdenPURE OxiLeaf II Thunderstorm. Even microscopic particles hidden behind other objects are no match for this Energy Star-certified air purifier.
If you are looking for a few modern features, you will love the USB ports that are installed on this purifier. This means no matter where you go, you will never have to worry about breathing in harmful substances and ultra-fine particles. Just plug your EdenPURE OxiLeaf II Thunderstorm into any USB outlet and it will start working on improving your indoor environment.
What Makes It a Great Office Air Purifier
Whenever you buy any office accessories, one of the most important considerations to make is your budget. With the EdenPURE OxiLeaf II Thunderstorm, you are guaranteed to get one of the best air purifiers on the market at a very low price.
Read Our Full Review On The Oxileaf II Thunderstorm
PureAir 50 – Best Air Purifier For Up To 325 Square Feet
If keeping the power consumption as low as possible is a priority, your only option will be to buy a couple of PureAir 50 purifiers. The very easy setup that is required to install the PureAir 50 means that using two or more of these in the same room will not be a problem.
Unlike most HEPA-type filter options available on the market, the PureAir 50 does not require any filters to be replaced, nor does it use a lot of energy to clean up dirty air from a large room. With a couple of these purifiers in your office, you will immediately start to notice an improvement in the quality of air.
The PureAir 50 uses advanced technologies such as ionization and activated oxygen to target airborne allergens. It is certified safe to use around humans, animals, and office plants. The purification system also operates quietly, so even with two or more purifiers in the same room you will not hear anything more than normal ambient noise levels.
If you need to change any of its settings, the PureAir 50 comes with a simple-to-use dial that gives you access to all of its smart features. Your search for a safe, whisper-quiet, and energy-efficient air purifier that can generate ozone ends right here.
What Makes It a Great Office Air Purifier
The large room coverage that you get when you combine a couple of PureAir 50 purifiers is fantastic. There is no need for you to suffer from airborne germs anymore, thanks to the excellent performance of the PureAir 50!
Read Our Full Review On The PureAir 50
Final Verdict
You can be shocked at the amount of time you actually spend working in the same few square feet of office space. Your good health and well-being depend on you having access to fresh air constantly.
Invest in a good air purification system today and instantly improve air quality in your office today!