As parents, we consider our children’s safety as the main priority. But aside from the crib, stroller, and baby bottles, there’s one thing many of us overlook: indoor air quality. Babies take more breaths than an average adult, so they are more susceptible to airborne irritants. As the first line of defense, the best air purifier for nursery will be a big help.
However, the challenge here is finding an air purifier that’s both efficient and quiet. You’ll never want an air purifier to sabotage all your efforts of rocking a cranky baby to sleep.
Below, I reviewed eight of the tried and tested air purifiers for nurseries. See which one suits your baby room:
AIR PURIFIER | BRAND | EXPERT RATING | CHECK PRICE |
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![]() | Our Top Pick! Vornadobaby Purio Nursery Air Purifier | ![]() | Check Price |
![]() | Medify Air MA-14-W1 HEPA Air Purifier | ![]() | Check Price |
![]() | Winix A230 Tower HEPA Air Purifier | ![]() | Check Price |
![]() | LEVOIT Core 300 Air Purifier | ![]() | Check Price |
![]() | Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 Air Purifier | ![]() | Check Price |
![]() | RabbitAir MinusA2 Wall-Mounted Air Purifier | ![]() | Check Price |
![]() | Fellowes AeraMax 100 Air Purifier | ![]() | Check Price |
![]() | BISSELL MYair Air Purifier | ![]() | Check Price |
Why do I need an air purifier for the nursery?
According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, exposure to air pollution on prenatal and post-natal conditions negatively impacts a child’s neurodevelopment. The organization said there’s scientific evidence that exposure to ambient air pollution (AAP) is detrimental to a newborn’s motor development.
Aside from that, a 2006 study published in the Pediatrics & Child Health Journal found that AAP increases mortality rates among infants. It’s also found to cause immune system issues as well as respiratory problems. As these health impacts of air pollution compound, the child is foreseen to succumb to school absenteeism in the future.
These facts alone are enough proof of how important an air purifier is. Every day, we are exposed to pollutants like smoke, dust, pollens, molds, and so on. And when we get to home babies, all these irritants can transfer to the indoor air.
Whether you live in a polluted city or fresh-aired countryside, an air purifier will always come in handy for nurseries. You simply can’t put your guard down when it comes to protecting your baby. And if you’re looking for an air purifier to get for this purpose, the eight models I reviewed below are topnotch options.
Best Air Purifier for Nursery Rooms – My Top 8 Picks!
OUR #1 CHOICE
OUR BEST PICK: Vornadobaby Purio Nursery Air Purifier

Product Name: Vornadobaby Purio Nursery Air Purifier
Product Description: When it comes to the best air purifier for nursery, many parents swear by the Vornadobaby Purio. This compact purifier has a True HEPA filter, a carbon filter, and a permanent pre-filter. It can remove up to 99.97% of all airborne particles. This includes molds, pet dander, bacteria, and more. This can also help in neutralizing bad odors in the nursery. Moreover, the Vornadobaby Purio Air Purifier purifies the air 6.3 times every hour. It’s suitable for nurseries not bigger than 125 sq. ft. This will help provide healthy air for your newborn all day long. Aside from that, I like the curiosity-proof design of this air purifier, complete with no pinch points. The base is also wide and topple-resistant, which makes it a great choice as your little one grows older. There’s also a lock feature to prevent your child from removing the purifier cover.
Offer price: $$$
Availability: InStock
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Summary
This air purifier also has three-speed settings for you to choose the level of quiet that suits your baby. You can also use the Sleep or Glow mode with recessed lighting. Unlike other air purifiers, the night light of Vornadobaby is mild and soothing, perfect for babies.
Overall, this is an impressive air purifier, but the one we received had a strong plastic smell. But after running it in our basement for three days, the scent went away. We also replaced the filters to make sure it’s clean and good to go for our nursery.
Pros
- Curiosity proof design
- Soothing night light
- Three-speed settings
Cons
- Slight plastic smell at first, but it went away eventually (aerate it first before putting it in the nursery)
RUNNERS-UP
Medify Air MA-14-W1 HEPA Air Purifier

Another air purifier I recommend for nurseries is the Medify Air MA-14-W1. This is ideal for baby rooms up to 400 sq. ft. or 200 sq. ft. for faster air filtration. Overall, this unit has a CADR of 120, which is perfect for bigger nurseries.
Aside from that, this is equipped with a HEPA 13 filtration system that can sift up to 99.9% of air particles. This includes dust, dander, smoke, VOCs, and more. It can clean the air of microscopic particles up to 0.1 microns. If you have a baby with respiratory issues, this might be the best air purifier to get.
The HEPA filter is paired with a pre-filter that catches large particles as well as an activated carbon filter to eliminate odors.
The Medify HEPA Air Purifier also has an ultra-quiet operation that’s no louder than 55 dB. If you want to make it quieter, you can crank the airspeed in a lower setting. There’s also a sleep mode that dims the panel lights of the unit to prevent it from disturbing your baby.
Moreover, this air purifier has a tried and tested quality. It’s ETL-certified, ENERGY STAR-certified, and CARB compliant. It’s also backed by a lifetime warranty in the United States.
Just make sure that you remove the plastic wrapper of the filter cartridge before use. This includes opening the air purifier, which is surprisingly not mentioned in the user manual.
Winix A230 Tower HEPA Air Purifier

For spacious nurseries, I highly recommend the Winix A230 Tower Air Purifier. This is an AHAM Verifide and ENERGY STAR-certified unit suitable for up to 230 sq. ft. of room area.
Inside, it has a mesh pre-filter that will remove airborne particles like hair and pet fur. It’s paired with a True HEPA Filter that will capture 99.97% of all allergens and particulates in the air. And to keep the nursery smelling fresh, this air purifier also has an activated carbon filter that will neutralize odors.
Moreover, the Winix A230 has PlasmaWave Air Cleaning Technology that breaks down allergens and vapors without producing harmful ozone.
There’s an air quality indicator at the top of the air purifier, which lets you know if your baby is inhaling clean air. The blue light color means good, orange is fair, and red is poor.
Aside from that, I like the auto mode of this air purifier that adjusts the fan speed based on how dirty the air is. You can also use the Sleep Mode to keep the unit quiet at night.
Overall, this is a nice compact unit, but you should know that it will boost the fan speed once the unit detects bad airflow. This will make the air purifier noisier, which can be a problem for very sensitive babies.
Also, the night light is a bit too bright, in my opinion, which can be disturbing at the nursery.
LEVOIT Core 300 Air Purifier

If you want to save some money without compromising the performance, you should get the LEVOIT Core 300 Air Purifier. This has the VortexAir Technology as well as a 360-degree air intake to ensure that your baby won’t inhale the carbon dioxide he exhaled. This keeps the air moving while removing the pollutants of up to 0.3 microns.
Moreover, this compact air purifier is suitable for rooms no larger than 219 sq. ft. It can clean the air up to 5x per hour inside the nursery room.
Aside from that, this has a nylon pre-filter, True H13 HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter. All of these will remove dust, bacteria, viruses, allergens, and smoke inside the nursery. It also does a good job of sucking out bad smells.
The LEVOIT Core 300 operates in a near-silent manner, not louder than 2 dB. This is possible through the QuietKEAP Technology that muffles the noise so your baby can sleep soundly.
At the top, this air purifier has a fan speed indicator, display lock, filter indicator, and timer indicators. It also has a sleep mode to make it as discreet as possible at night.
Overall, this air purifier is ENERGY STAR, CARB, ETL, and CA PROP 65 certified. All of these guarantee that LEVOIT Core is safe to use around your baby.
The only thing missing, in my opinion, is an auto mode. Nevertheless, LEVOIT does a good job of maintaining healthy air inside baby rooms.
Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 Air Purifier

The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 doubles as a fan and an air purifier in one. Unlike typical fans with blades, this Dyson unit uses Air Multiplier Technology. It takes in air and releases it back to the environment at a 350-degree oscillation. You can adjust the fan speed in 10 levels to suit your baby’s needs.
Aside from that, this has a HEPA air filter that removes PM 2.5, PM10, and VOCs in the air. It can capture up to 0.3 microns of air particulates to ensure that your baby is inhaling healthy air.
Also, this has an activated carbon filter that traps gasses to neutralize foul odors in the nursery.
Moreover, the Dyson HP04 can deliver up to 77 gallons of clean air every second. It also automatically senses air pollution and adjusts the cleaning settings accordingly.
Another great feature of this air purifier has its thermostatic heating. It can help warm up the necessary without producing harmful gasses.
In addition, this Dyson unit has Wi-Fi connectivity using the Dyson Link app. Here, you can check the heater and air purifier controls, including time reports and settings of the unit.
Overall, this is a fairly quiet air purifier and fan. But when the highest fan setting kicks in, it can reach up to 62 dB of noise. You can always tone it down to prevent disturbing your baby.
RabbitAir MinusA2 Wall-Mounted Air Purifier

The RabbitAir MinusA2 is a wall-mounted air purifier, perfect as a semi-permanent option in your nursery. It’s made to cover up to 815 sq. ft., which allows you to clean the air of adjacent rooms at the same time.
Overall, this air purifier has six filtration stages, including a pre-filter, activated charcoal filter, BioGS HEPA filter, medium filter, customized filter, and a negative ions filter. It’s a powerhouse air purifier for the most sensitive babies.
This can remove every air pollutant imaginable, including germs and odors. Despite its powerful feature, the RabbitAir MinusA2 remains quiet to keep your baby asleep. It works at an average of 30 dB, thanks to its BLDC motor that operates at five different speeds.
Moreover, this air purifier comes with a remote control so that you can control the settings. I also like the customized panel where you can ask cartoon characters and other designs to be printed. This will let you match the air purifier to the theme of your nursery.
While the RabbitAir MinusA2 comes at a higher price, the splurge is worth it. It’s well-built inside and out, which means the unit can last for years. Your baby will already be running, but this air purifier will still be working just the same.
Just make sure that you choose the right pre-installed filter before you purchase this unit. You can choose from Odor Remover, Pet Allergy, Toxin Absorber, or Germ Defense. These are replaceable if you wish to use a different filter in the future.
Fellowes AeraMax 100 Air Purifier

If you’re looking for an air purifier with a small footprint, you’ll never go wrong with the Fellowes AeraMax 100. This has a tower design that can fit on a small corner of the nursery.
Inside the air filter, there’s a 4-stage, hospital-grade filtration system. It includes a HEPA filter, carbon filter, AeraSafe antimicrobial filter, and a PlasmaTrue ionization with no ozone production. All of these will trap allergens, particulates, and odors to keep the air healthy for your baby.
Moreover, this air purifier is designed to work efficiently on 100 to 200 sq. ft., which is more than enough for most nurseries. It’s also a perfect choice for peak allergy season, thanks to its Aera+ Mode that boosts the air turnover rate by up to 35%.
I also like the AeraSmart Sensor that detects changes in air pollution. It automatically adjusts the filtration level based on the indoor air quality.
Aside from that, this unit has three fan speeds on its quiet operation. Just note that it’s normal for the unit to become louder when using the Aera+ Mode.
Overall, this is a great air purifier for the price. However, I find the lighting a bit annoying since it’s pretty bright. Nevertheless, I just turn that feature off to prevent disturbing my baby’s sleep. Make sure that you replace the filter regularly because this thing devours pet fur, dander, and dirt like a mad man.
BISSELL MYair Air Purifier

If you don’t have the budget to splurge on the Dyson unit, this BISSELL MYair Air Purifier is a good start. This has a 3-in-1 filter that combines an activated carbon and high-efficiency filter to trap up to 0.3 microns of air particulates.
Aside from that, this air purifier has a whisper-quiet operation to prevent disturbing your baby’s peaceful sleep. It’s suitable for nurseries not larger than 100 sq. ft. You can also set this in three airspeeds to match the cleaning needs in the nursery.
Overall, this is a compact air purifier with a blue night light. It’s not that blinding, but I wish they stick to white light as blue light tends to affect sleeping patterns. Nevertheless, you can always turn it off if you want.
For babies with allergies, this BISSELL MYair would be a great pick. However, I don’t recommend it in highly polluted areas since it’s small and not as powerful as other premium units reviewed here. Other than that, this air purifier does the job and more.
How to choose the best air purifier for nursery
There are literally hundreds of air purifiers in the market for you to choose from. But when it comes to your baby, you have to be very picky. Here are some of the points to keep in mind:
✔️Select the right size
When talking about the air purifier’s size, it’s more than just the unit’s physical dimensions. We’re pertaining to the unit’s ability to purify air based on the size of the room.
This part depends on the air purifier’s CADR or Clean Air Delivery Rates. Each air purifier has a CADR rating measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). This dictates how well the unit can clean air in a specific room area.
The good thing is that air purifier manufacturers also indicate the ideal room size to where you can use the air purifier. It can be anywhere from 100 to 500 square feet or more.
Most of the time, the CADR rate and maximum room area are indicated side by side. This will let you choose the right size for your nursery without having to deal with too many technical terms.
✔️Choose multiple filtration stages
Another thing you should check is the filtration system of the air purifier. This will dictate how effective the air purifier is in removing specific airborne particles. This is very important, especially if your home has poor indoor air quality.
Here are the widely used filters you can find in air purifiers:
- Pre-filter. This is a basic filter that sifts large particulates. It can filter dust, pet fur, and similar pollutants.
- HEPA filter. A HEPA or High-Efficiency Particulate Air filter does the job of removing minuscule particles in the air. It can sift up to 0.3 microns, which are particulates that are no longer visible to the naked eye.
- (Activated) Carbon filter. A carbon filter works through adsorption, where it traps irritants through a pore structure. This way, the irritant won’t recirculate inside the nursery.
- Activated charcoal filter. This filter also uses adsorption, which complements the function of carbon filters. It’s very effective in absorbing organic chemicals as well as odors inside the nursery (talk about stinky diapers!).
Some manufacturers use their proprietary filters, which are basically enhanced versions of the mentioned types. Whatever it is, make sure that it can filter whatever particulates you want to remove from the nursery.
✔️Avoid ozone
Air purifiers that have not passed third-party testing will often emit harmful ozone. These units intentionally produce the gas ozone to mask odors in the air. It’s often a complementary feature, but it does nothing in removing airborne particulates that your baby may inhale.
Aside from that, some air purifiers with ionizing features also create ozone. Be careful with your choice of air purifier to prevent putting your newborn in harm’s way.
Take note that inhalation of ozone is dangerous for adults, what more small, newborn babies. It can cause chest pains, shortness of breath, coughing, and respiratory infections. This is why ozone is one thing you should avoid when choosing an air purifier to buy.
✔️Opt for ENERGY STAR-certified units
ENERGY STAR-certified air purifiers are energy efficient. It’s also backed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which guarantees its safety. This is very important because you’re using the air purifier near your baby.
You can also look for other certifications like UL-listed or ETL-certified. All of these certifications ensure that the air purifier meets industry standards, especially the ones they promise to deliver.
✔️Noise level
For many parents, the noise level of the air purifier is often the make-or-break part. Besides, who wants a unit that will wake the baby up in the middle of the night?
Just remember that high-powered air purifiers tend to produce an equally higher sound. This is due to the larger motor and higher CADR rating.
The good thing is that most nurseries are small than standard rooms. This is why you can top for small air purifiers or set it in lower settings to avoid excessive noise.
Based on my experience, an air purifier that not louder than 55 dB wouldn’t disturb a baby. Still, this depends on how sensitive your newborn is to various sounds. In that case, you may need to find quieter air purifiers that can work at around 30 to 36 dB.
✔️Consider the cost of filter replacements.
Take note that the upfront cost of air purifiers isn’t the last thing you’re going to pay for. Most of the time, these appliances come with replaceable filters, which you need to buy separately. Depending on the brand and size of the unit, replacement filters can cost an average of $10 to $25.
To save some money, consider getting an air purifier with a washable pre-filter. This will save you from buying one layer of filter. It’s not much, but a saving nonetheless.
✔️Check the price and warranty
Lastly, always look for the right balance between price and value. There are many cheap air purifiers in the market, but most of them are unsafe for babies. When it comes to your newborn, you should consider investing in durable, tested, and trusted units only. You simply can’t put a price on the safety of an infant.
Tips to have clean air in your nursery
We all want the best for our babies, including the air they breathe. To ensure that your little one won’t be exposed to harmful pollution, you should keep the following in mind:
- Don’t use thick pile carpets. These carpets harbor more dust and dirt that vacuuming alone can’t remove. Worst, such irritants can go airborne when you step, jump, or disturb the surface. Instead, opt for thinner carpets that are easier to clean.
- Vacuum regularly. Even though your little one is the only person staying in the nursery, you should still vacuum it regularly. This will help remove particulates that aren’t seen by the naked eye.
- Wipe the windowsills. A closed window can still allow tiny dust particles to enter through the windowsill. This will why you should always wipe the area to keep the nursery air clean.
- Use no-odor paints. When preparing your nursery before the arrival of the baby, be careful about the construction materials you’re going to use. Stick to no-odor paints and VOC-free materials.
- Set up an air purifier. No matter how fresh you think the air is, consider using an air purifier. Your baby’s lungs are far more sensitive than adults. Mild irritants can cause severe irritations to infants.
- Aerate it first. Weeks before the birth of your child, make sure that the nursery has been properly aerated. This is to remove any off-gassing from the paint and materials you used. You should also clean up religiously to make the place spotless.
- Control the humidity. Very low humidity levels can cause dryness in the nasal passages. This will irritate your child and make it cranky for days. Meanwhile, very high humidity will interfere with your child’s body temperature. Keeping it at a healthy level is the key.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I leave an air purifier overnight in my baby’s room?
A: Air purifiers are safe to leave operating overnight in your baby’s room. However, make sure that it has passed rigorous testing and bears multiple quality seals. You should also set the air purifier on a low setting to minimize noise and disturbance while your baby is sleeping.
Q: How do you circulate air in a nursery?
A: To circulate air in the nursery, you can use an oscillating fan. This will help disperse the carbon dioxide the baby has exhaled. An air purifier will also help in keeping the air clean and moving. However, avoid pointing the electric fan directly to your baby and make sure no excessive bedding might suffocate your little one.
Q: How do you keep a newborn’s air clean?
A: An air purifier is the easiest and most effective way to keep your newborn’s air clean. You should also be careful with the furniture you’re placing inside the nursery. Make sure it’s VOC-free and environment-friendly. Regular cleaning of the nursery is also important to remove irritants that may go airborne.
Q: Which is better for my baby, a humidifier or air purifier?
A: Both a humidifier and air purifier work well for babies at the same time. In fact, some air purifiers have built-in humidifier features or vice versa. When in doubt, it’s always best to consult your baby’s pediatrician.
Q: Does an air purifier reduce SIDS?
A: Air purifiers help reduce the risk of SIDS since it removes smoke, which is one of the risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Also, it increases air circulation to prevent newborns from inhaling carbon dioxide they just exhaled.
Q: How to keep air purifiers safe from curious toddlers?
A: Toddlers often love fiddling with items that interest them. To prevent them from tinkering on the air purifier, place the unit away from the child’s reach. You can put it on the other side of the baby gate or behind a bigger piece of furniture.
Final words
The best air purifier for nursery will help provide your baby healthy air to breathe. It’s an added peace of mind for you as a parent, especially if you live in a highly polluted area.
The eight air purifiers I reviewed here are guaranteed safe to use around your baby. They are quiet, efficient, and made to last long.
What do you think of these air purifiers? Share your thoughts below!

Home Air Quality is founded by Bernard K to provide information on Indoor Air Quality in Homes and enlighten people about what they need to know about creating and maintaining a comfortable and healthy home environment.
We believe that “Quality air brings a healthy life.”