So you want to ensure the air you breathe is clean and safe. Next step is of course going on a mission to find the best air purifier in New Zealand! I've been there before and it quickly feels overwhelming with so many models, countless reviews and technical jargon!
A common enough question, “What is the best air purifier in New Zealand?"
Of course, everywhere you look will tell you something different! So let's cut through the sponsored content, marketing gimmicks and articles written by people with no understanding of air purifiers.
Worry not, as we've done the legwork to sift through all this and work out what actually makes an air purifier stand out from the rest. Key parameters like Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR), noise levels, and price are significant indicators that have been thoroughly analysed to aid in your decision-making process.
Key Considerations When Comparing Air Purifiers:
- Understanding the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) is the most important factor as it measures how quickly an air purifier can clean a space.
- A balance between noise levels and purification efficiency is vital for ensuring a peaceful indoor environment.
- The price should reflect the purifier's performance and features, not just the brand reputation.
Understanding CADR:
The Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) is a metric that indicates the volume of air an air purifier can clean within a specific timeframe, measured in cubic meters per hour. A higher CADR number means that the purifier can clean a larger volume of air more quickly, making it the primary factor to consider when comparing air purifiers in New Zealand.
We focus on this measurement rather than the room sizes recommended by manufacturers, because these can often be very misleading.
Noise Levels:
Noise levels, measured in decibels (dB), reflect the operational sound of the air purifier. A noise level under 55dB is generally considered relatively quiet, akin to a quieter conversation or about the upper limit for keeping the indoor environment comfortable. Noise levels between 55-59dB are likened to regular conversation levels, and anything above 60dB can be disruptive. Finding a purifier that balances efficient operation with low noise levels is key to ensuring a peaceful living or working space.
Air Quality and Choosing an Air Purifier:
Indoor Air quality is a key concern for many of us, and having a reliable air purifier can mitigate airborne pollutants like dust, pollen, and microbes. A high-quality HEPA filter ensures the air purifier's effectiveness in trapping minute particles. Additionally, aspects like CADR, noise levels, and the absence of ionisers are important factors to consider when comparing air purifiers.
The pricing often reflects brand reputation and additional features, but as our analysis shows, it doesn't always equate to superior performance.
Comparison Analysis:
So now, let's delve into our comparison. This detailed analysis, conducted in August 2024, focuses on Smart Air purifiers, along with other brands like Breville, Dyson, Sunbeam, TruSens, Winix, Sharp, Samsung, and others, available from popular retailers such as Briscoes, PB Tech, and Noel Leeming.
We researched a total of 69 models, but only 55 provided complete information on noise levels and CADR. Here's what we found:
Budget Air Purifiers under $300 in New Zealand for Smaller Spaces (Up to 40m²)
This price bracket features a number of budget friendly air purifiers, focused on bedrooms, nurseries, and smaller living rooms/apartments. In total there are 14 air purifiers assessed from Fellowes, Breathing Better, Sheffield, Bissell, Sunbeam, Breville, Trusens & more.
Among these, the Sqair is the clear winner with its outstanding performance, with a CADR more than 50% higher than the next best air purifier! For context, this means the Sqair is suited for areas up to about 43m², while the next best will work in areas of up to about 26m² - although they may claim differently!
Combined with noise levels of just 52dB on maximum, it's also between 7 and 12dB quieter than its nearest competitors.
No nonsense and also free of ionisers, making it a safe choice for those with respiratory issues or infants/young children.
Graph 1: Comparing air purifiers under $300 by price, max noise level and cleaning power (Clean Air Delivery Rate).
Table 1: Budget Air Purifier Highlights
| Brand | Model | Max CADR | Max Noise | Price |
| Smart Air | The Sqair | 315m³/hr | 52dB | $299.99 |
| Sunbeam | Fresh Protect | 193m³/hr | 59dB | $248.00 |
| Trusens | Z2000 | 190m³/hr | 64dB | $229.00 |
| Fellowes | Aeramax DX5 | 58m³/hr | 70dB | $262.00 |
The dominance of the Sqair speaks for itself. However we were surprised to see just how poorly the Aeramax DX5 performs, despite costing $262. At 70dB it's very loud and its CADR means it can only effectively clean a space of about 8m²!
Air Purifiers under $500 in New Zealand for Medium Sized Spaces (Up to 60m²)
In this range, while still remaining affordable we can find units suited for spaces including living areas and apartments. In total we assessed 15 air purifiers from the likes of Daikin, Sharp, Winix, Breville, Breathing Better, Xiaomi, Breville & Trusens.
This segment provides some much needed competition! However we believe the the value offered by the SA600 from Smart Air is clear. It comes with the equal highest cleaning power in this segment of 500m³/hr, making it suitable for spaces of approximately 60m².
Moreover, it does so while maintaining a much more comfortable noise level of just 53dB. The next two highest performing units from Xiaomi are rated at 64dB & 63dB respectively, significantly louder!
Graph 2: Comparing air purifiers from $300 - $500 by price, max noise level and cleaning power (Clean Air Delivery Rate).
Table 2: Medium Air Purifier Under $500 Highlights
| Brand | Model | Max CADR | Max Noise | Price |
| Smart Air | SA600 | 500m³/hr | 53dB | $499.99 |
| Xiaomi | Pro 4 Smart Air | 500m³/hr | 64dB | $400.00 |
| Xiaomi | 4 Smart Air | 400m³/hr | 63dB | $325.00 |
| Breville | Smart Air Viral Protect | 130m³/hr | 49dB | $330.00 |
Certainly a closer match, with Xiaomi providing some powerful alternatives. However the noise level may mean people are put off running it on the most powerful setting. On the flip side, we have the Breville model which is only suitable for about 17m²
Air Purifiers for Larger Spaces Under $1000 in New Zealand (Up to 85m²)
Graph 3: Comparing air purifiers from $500 - $999 by price, max noise level and cleaning power (Clean Air Delivery Rate).
Table 3: Large Space Air Purifier Under $1000 Highlights
| Brand | Model | Max CADR | Max Noise | Price |
| Smart Air | Blast Mini Mk II | 740m³/hr | 49dB | $849.99 |
| Oransi | Mod Hepa | 574m³/hr | 49dB | $850.00 |
| Mitsubishi | ElitePure | 508m³/hr | 55dB | $520.00 |
| Dyson | Pure Hot+Cool HP03 | 113m³/hr | 62dB | $899.00 |
The Blast Mini clearly provides outstanding value compared to its competitors.
The Dyson results may come as a surprise to some. We were able to find the CADR for the Dyson from a review website, it's extremely hard to source these figures for Dyson air purifiers as they don't publish them. While they claim their purifiers perform well in their own tests, it's very hard to verify. Consumer NZ has also reported very average results in their testing. We'll let you draw your own conclusions from these numbers!
Large & Commercial Air Purifiers Over $1000 in New Zealand (Up to 130m²)
If you're looking for the best air purifiers for larger homes, gyms, hospitals, classrooms and more then you'll find them here. We assessed a total of 13 units in this section from IQAir, Trusens, Fellowes, Breathing Better and I-Air.
Largely targeted at commercial applications, the Blast Mk II from Smart Air is by far and away the clear winner! It delivers the highest cleaning power of all units checked, and does this at only 43dB on high! Making it perfect for any situation.
This makes it a whopping 14dB quieter than the next quietest models (IQAir range) and 27dB quieter than the loudest model (from Breathing Better). All this while being the second cheapest!
In order to keep our graph readable, we excluded one IQAir and the I-Air unit as they cost over $10,000 each! See table below for details of these.
Graph 4: Comparing air purifiers from $1000+ by price, max noise level and cleaning power (Clean Air Delivery Rate).
| Brand | Model | Max CADR | Max Noise | Price |
| Smart Air | Blast Mk II | 950m³/hr | 43dB | $1249.99 |
| Trusens | Z7000 | 930m³/hr | 66dB | $1830.00 |
| Trusens | Z6000 | 880m³/hr | 63dB | $1700.00 |
| IQAir | CleanZone SL | 820m³/hr | 56dB | $11,500.00 |
| Breathing Better | X-Large Room Purifier | 800m³/hr | 70dB | $1499.00 |
| I-Air | Pro Air Healer | 600m³/hr | 61dB | $12,883.00 |
| Fellowes | Aeramax Pro AM2 | 170m³/hr | 64dB | $1066.00 |
We can let the numbers do the talking here. Surprisingly when you spend more money, price seems to become even less linked to performance! This couldn't be more true with the Fellowes Aeramax Pro AM2, which has a CADR comparable to units costing about $200 and is louder!
We'll also mention the I-Air Pro Air Healer, at a cost of nearly $13,000 it delivers a CADR only slightly more than our SA600 - costing just $499.99! Despite its CADR of 600m³/hr they claim it can purify spaces of up to 500m², which is very misleading.
Wrapping Up:
Our analysis underscores a surprising truth - a higher price tag doesn’t equate to a better air purifier! The range from Smart Air have proven to be strong contenders across all price brackets, offering a blend of powerful, efficient, and quiet air purifiers.
Take a look at our range to find the best value air purifiers in New Zealand!
