Pet Air Purifiers
Air Purifiers can help to significantly reduce the amount of Airborne pet related allergens in your home however some models are better at this than others. Keep reading to learn more about the features of the best pet air purifiers and view our top recommendation.
Our top recommended pet air purifier in Australia is the Winix Zero+ Pro 5-Stage
The Best Air Purifier For Pets Owners in Australia
Here’s our recommendations for the best air purifiers for pet owners that are available in Australia or view our full air purifier range.
1. Winix Zero+ Pro
Ideal for pet dander with washable AOC pre-filter and pet-specific filter. Also has advanced PlasmaWave technology to neutralise viruses, bacteria, and gases. Suitable for rooms up to a maximum floor area of 120 square metres which is plenty for most Australian loungerooms and bedrooms.
Why We Like the Winix Zero+ Pro:
5-Stages of Air Filtration:
The Winix Zero+ Pro air purifier features a comprehensive 5-stage air filtration system. This includes a pet filter, pre-filter, activated carbon filter, hospital-grade True HEPA filter (99.97% @ 0.3 microns), and PlasmaWave® Technology [1][2]. This multi-stage filtration process ensures the removal of a wide range of airborne pollutants, allergens, and odors.
Dedicated Pet Filter:
The Winix Zero+ Pro air purifier comes with a dedicated pet filter. This filter is designed to capture large particles, dander, and pet hair, making it ideal for households with pets.
Hospital-Grade True HEPA Filter:
The air purifier is equipped with a hospital-grade True HEPA filter. This filter has a high efficiency of 99.97% in capturing airborne pollutants as small as 0.3 microns, including dust, pollen, mould spores, and pet dander.
Deodorisation Activated Carbon Filter:
The Winix Zero+ Pro features a deodorisation activated carbon corrugate filter. This filter effectively captures VOCs (chemical vapours) and offensive odours, providing advanced odour and chemical control.
PlasmaWave® Technology:
The air purifier utilises PlasmaWave® Technology 2.0. This technology creates hydroxyls to instantly neutralise bacteria, odours, VOCs, and viruses – without producing harmful ozone, ensuring a safe and clean indoor environment.
Honourable Mentions For Other Top Air Purifiers For Pets Available in Australia
Us Aussies love our pets – in fact there’s more pets in Australia than humans! However our beloved pets – particularly the four legged kind – can lower the air quality in your home thanks to their dander (the tiny particles shed from their fur) and accompanying odours. This is particularly troublesome for the estimated 1 in 5 Australians who have a pet allergy.
Many Aussie pet owners are turning to air purifiers to remove airborne pet hair and dander from their homes – reducing their symptoms of allergies and removing nasty smells. But not all air purifiers are equally as effective for removing pet allergens and odours – below we’ll run through exactly what to look for when buying an air purifier for pets.
If, by chance, you’re here looking for an air purifier to improve the air quality for your pet breathes, the same rules for buying an air purifier will apply to you as well.
How Air Purifiers Remove Pet Hair & Allergens.
Air purifiers use a mechanical filter, most commonly a HEPA filters to capture airborne particles down to 0.3 microns – in more familiar terms 0.0003 millimetres. To give you an idea of how efficient these HEPA filters are – a human hair is around 70 microns thick.
An internal fan is used to draw air into the air purifier which is then passed through a filter made up of extremely fine strands of plastic or fibreglass woven together to form a net like structure.
Airborne particles, including dust, that are larger than 0.3 microns are trapped in the filter with the purified air then released back into the room.
With household dust particles ranging between 0.5 and 100 microns, any true HEPA air purifier will efficiently capture and remove dust from your home.
It’s important to note that the ability for your air purifier to remove dust and other particles from the air relies on regular replacement of the HEPA filter as it can lose its efficiency over time with regular use.
Why Air Cleaners are Essential for Pet Owners
Common indoor air pollutants in homes with pets include:
- Pet dander – Tiny flakes of skin that become airborne
- Pet hair – Can accumulate on surfaces and circulate in air
- Pet odours – From flatulence, breath, food, litter boxes, etc.
These pollutants can lead to:
- Increased allergy and asthma symptoms in pets and owners
- Respiratory irritation from odours, gases, and particulates
- Unpleasant smells lingering in home
- More frequent cleaning and maintenance
Air purifiers help tackle these issues by:
- Capturing dander, hair, and other allergens
- Absorbing odours through activated carbon filtration
- Reducing particulates like dust and smoke
- Neutralising gases like VOCs through specialized filtration
Ultimately, air purifiers create a cleaner, healthier living environment for pets and their owners with studies showing that air filtration is effective in removing cat and dog allergens and mitigating exposure to allergy causing airborne particles.
What Causes Pet Allergies?
Contrary to popular belief, people with pet allergies aren’t actually allergic to pet hair. Pet allergies are caused by the protein found in the pet’s dander (dead skin cells), urine and saliva. Pet hair is simply a vehicle for the allergen protein. As mentioned, air purifiers which feature a pre filters in conjunction with a HEPA filter are most effective at capturing not only pet hair, but tiny airborne dander particles which caused snoozing, red eyes and running noses in people who suffer from pet allergies.
The Features of the Best Air Purifiers For Pets
If you’re wanting to reduce your exposure to airborne allergens in the form of pet dander – look for an air purifier model that features a multi stage filtering process – most importantly a HEPA filter with a pre filter function to capture larger airborne items including pet hair. The addition of a pre filter ensures your HEPA filter can function at its optimal level for the longest possible period of time before requiring replacement.
Additional features to consider include:
- Activated carbon filter – Absorbs odours, gases, and VOCs
- Washable pre-filter – Catches hair and large particles
- Specialised pet filter – Some models have an extra filter to tackle pet dander
- Coverage capacity – Ensure it’s sized appropriately for room dimensions
- Noise level – Quieter models prevent disrupting pets
- Energy efficiency – Saves on electricity costs with continuous operation
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, air purifiers can capture and remove dog hair from a room – however only the hair that is airborne. Air purifiers can’t remove dog hair that is on the floor, furniture or other surfaces.
Air purifiers which feature an activated carbon filter can assist to remove odours caused by dogs. The effectiveness of air purifiers for removing dog smells depends on a number of factors including size of the room and size of the carbon filter.
Air purifiers which feature a HEPA grade filter do help with cat allergies by removing microscopic particles of dander in the air.
Getting The Best Results From Your Pet Air Filter
Whilst air purifiers can significantly assist to reduce airborne pet allergens, without regular checks and maintenance your unit’s performance can deteriorate overtime.
Here are some useful tips for maintaining and cleaning air purifiers for pets:
- Clean the pre-filter regularly by washing or vacuuming it to remove trapped hair and dander. This helps extend the life of the other filters.
- Replace the HEPA and activated carbon filters as recommended by the manufacturer, usually every 6-12 months depending on use. Don’t wait until they appear dirty, as their filtration capacity reduces over time.
- Wipe down the exterior of the air purifier periodically with a soft cloth to keep the unit free of hair, dander and dust. Take care not to get the filters wet.
- Use a small vacuum crevice tool to gently clean around the intake vents and any small crevices where pet hair may accumulate.
- Check that air can flow freely through the vents and none are obstructed by nearby objects or walls. Keep a minimum clearance around the unit.
- To maintain the carbon filter, occasionally place the filter in sunlight for a few hours which helps to reactivate the carbon and restore odour absorbing capabilities.
- Run the air purifier on a low fan setting for 30 minutes prior to replacing filters to clear out accumulated particulates.
- Refer to the user manual for any specific cleaning procedures recommended by the manufacturer for your model.
- When cleaning filters, don’t use chemical cleaning products or detergents which could damage the filtration material.
Regular maintenance and cleaning will help keep your air purifier operating to its full potential – ensuring that you and your family members aren’t exposed to unnecessary levels of pet allergens.
CADR & Room Size Considerations
As a pet owner, it’s important to select an air purifier powerful enough to handle the allergens in your home. Follow these tips when choosing an air purifier based on room size:
- Measure your room
Use a tape measure to determine the length and width in metres.
Multiply to calculate the total square metres. - Check the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)
The CADR indicates the clean air flow from the purifier in cubic metres per hour. - Look for a high CADR to effectively filter pet dander and hair.
Apply the “2/3 rule” - Choose a CADR at least 2/3 of your room’s square metres.
This ensures it can properly clean pet allergens in the space. - Consider ceiling height
If higher than 2.4m, the room volume is greater so the CADR should be increased. - Select suitable air changes per hour (ACH)
Aim for 4-5 ACH to frequently clean pet odours and dander.
This exchanges the air every 12-15 minutes.
Unfortunately the CADR rating is not a required test so not all manufacturers will list one. In this scenario, your best option is to go off the manufacturer’s room size rating – ensuring it’s more than the area of your home you intend to use it.
What Breeds of Dogs Are Worst For Allergy Sufferers?
Whilst no dogs breeds 100% hypoallergenic – there are many breeds considered to be less hypoallergenic than other (and therefore better for allergy sufferers. On the flip side of the coin, there are many breeds of dogs considered to be worse for allergy sufferers which unfortunately include some of Australia’s most popular breeds. If you or a family member suffer from allergic reaction to dogs and own any of the below breeds, investing in an air purifier specifically made for pets is a wise choice.
- Basset Hound.
- Boston Terrier.
- Bulldog.
- Doberman Pinscher.
- German Shepherd.
- Labrador Retriever.
- Golden Retriever.
- Border Collie.
- Pug.
- French Bulldog.
- Siberian Husky.
Summary:
If you are one of the estimated 1 in 5 Australians who suffer from pet allergies – yet couldn’t imagine life without your four legged friend – investing in a quality pet air purifier can help to control the amount of irritation causing hair and dander in your home. Make sure you look for a model with at least a HEPA filter and ensure you regularly maintain the unit to ensure the best results.
Limitations of Air Purifiers For Pets
While air purifiers can help reduce dander, odors and other allergens from pets in the air, they have their limitations. They do not remove the source of allergens, which is pets themselves. As long as there is a dog or cat shedding hair and skin flakes, producing dander and occasionally other odors like through their food, water or waste, airborne allergens will continue to be produced. An air purifier alone may not be able to keep up with the level of allergens from pets, especially if the pets spend much of their time indoors. Regular cleaning and vacuuming is also needed along with potentially limiting pet access to certain rooms if major allergies are present.