There are only a few decent options out there, but hopefully, we can help you choose the best option.
We didn’t include any portable cup holder style purifiers in this article because they just don’t work very well, and they’re not specifically designed for use in vehicles anyways.
Comparing Car Air Purifiers
I’d like to show you a few graphs that will hopefully help you make a decision.
Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)
When it comes to filtering the air effectively, you really want a high CADR or clear air delivery rate.
This is a standardized measurement of how much air a device can effectively clean per hour.
We’ve put together a graph comparing the cost and CADR for 6 popular air purifiers normally suggested for in-vehicle use:
We included two popular “cup holder” style air purifiers so you could see how they stack up. As you can see, they’re not very powerful.
While the IQAir Atem is clearly the most expensive option, you’re also getting the peace of mind that it will clean the absolute crap out of your car’s air.
What about if we compare the CADR directly to the price? In other words, how much filtration do we get per dollar spent?
Check out the graph below!
As you can see, as far as price for performance goes, Medify is the best option, and Pure Enrichment’s PureZone is clearly the worst.
The IQAIr Atem is an interesting one because even though it’s the best you’re also paying a bit more for its performance. (it’s worth it though)
Let’s go over ACH next.
Air Changes Per Hour
Now, the reason the CADR is essential, is we can use that value to estimate our ACH or air changes per hour.
It’s recommended that an air purifier be able to filter through your air at least 4.8 times per hour according to the AHAM.
You can use our calculator below to see how well each of these air purifiers will do in your vehicle, you’ll just need the cubic footage!
Here’s a sample search, notice the EPA interior volume number.
Vehicle Filtration Time Calculator
Find the interior volume of your vehicle and use our calculator to determine how well each air purifier will work!
Hopefully this helps!
The Best Car Air Purifiers
Let’s go over our picks in more detail.
1. IQAir Atem
The Atem boasts a 66 m3/h CADR which is far beyond any other car air purifier.
Not to mention it’s made by IQAir who are well known for their high-quality air filtration products.
It also utilizes a HEPA H13 filter with a combined gas-phase filtration media and offers a larger filter area than the other two options on this list.
It does not have an auto-on feature, but it makes up for this by being Bluetooth capable so if you can’t reach it you can just turn it on and adjust the fan speed with your phone.
The Atem is expensive, that’s for sure, but it’s easily the best option out there, and if you spend any significant amount of time on the road, it’s a very worthwhile investment into your health to pick one of these up.
IQAir Atem
Pros
Cons
2. Medify MA-CAR
The MA-CAR by Medify is the best bang for your buck if you’re on a budget.
It’s got a 20 m3/h CADR which is less than 1/3 the Atem, but it’s also over 4 times cheaper…
The filter it uses is H13 HEPA grade with activated charcoal pellets which is actually quite impressive for a filter this size, so it should handle gas adsorption well.
You operate this with the three buttons on the front panel:
- Power
- Negative Ions
- Fan Speed (1-2-3)
The negative ion generator is cool but it’s unclear how effective it is.
The only issue I ran into with this model is that the tolerances around the fan aren’t great.
Meaning on very sharp turns it will rattle, and if placed horizontally on the dashboard it likes to rattle a lot too. And on the high setting, this is pretty loud.
However, if you strap it vertically around a headrest, it will hardly ever do that, so I personally don’t think it’s that big of a problem.
Medify MA-CAR
Pros
Cons
3. Luftrum C401
If you’re looking for a better air purifier than the MA-CAR, but don’t feel comfortable shelling out $400 for the Atem, the Luftrum is your best bet.
The filters are HEPA H13, and incorporate a similar design as the Atem in that there are gas adsorption materials dispersed throughout the filter media.
According to Luftrum, filters should be replaced every 6-9 months and will run you about $40 each time.
This is quite a bit more than the MA-CAR’s replacements so that’s something to keep in mind.
This bad boy does come equipped with auto-on, meaning it will turn itself on and off with the car, making it far more user-friendly than the Medify MA-CAR.
It also has a built-in air quality monitor that automatically detects and responds to pollution levels!
You can check out our Atmotube PRO review for a much better air quality monitor than can be used in your vehicle!
The Luftrum can be mounted on the dash (comes with suction cup feet) or another flat surface. Unlike the Atem and MA-CAR it doesn’t come with the option to mount it against a vertical surface like a neck rest.
All in all it’s a great air purifier with some awesome features that even the Atem is missing.
Thank you for this amazing article! I initially purchased an IQAir Atem, asking if they had one without Bluetooth as I am concerned about RF/EMF in my car. They said they had one without Bluetooth and sent it, but upon receipt, it said “Bluetooth Disabled” on the box, meaning it was their regular model but they had disabled Bluetooth Connectivity. I’m not sure what that really did, because when I turned the unit on and measured RF with my meter, it had a higher RF reading than my cell phone. They told me sometimes DC motors can give off high RF. I’m not an electrician or scientist…I just know what I saw on my EMF meter. Fortunately, I was able to return the item, but that puts me back at square one in trying to find a good filter to make road trips possible for my family.
I want a purifier that filters as small as 0.03 microns like the IQAir Atem car unit. The Luftrum C401 only filters down to 0.1 microns, but diesel exhaust particles such as lead are often smaller than the 0.1 microns, and that is of concern when we take road trips.
I did purchase a Phillips GoPure that says it filters as small as 0.03 micron particles, but it feels pretty weak in air flow and I don’t really know if it’s doing anything. I can’t find anything on CADR about the unit, so that in itself is a bit alarming.
I’m trying to make road trip travel possible for us. If you have any other non-bluetooth suggestions that get those tiny particles as small as 0.03 microns, I’ll gladly take them! Thanks for doing the work for those of us who don’t have the knowledge and tools to do it! 🙂
Hi Julie! Interested in about the DC motor, I hadn’t considered that or tested mine yet…
An alternative could be to get an DC to AC power inverter and power a normal smaller air purifier from the cars electrical system. I’ve not tried this personally but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Beyond that, we personally just use recirculate during the warmer months, so we only need our air purifier once it gets cold and we need fresh air circulation to prevent fog on the interior windows. So if that’s an option I would opt for that as well!
Thanks, Derek! I never thought about a power converter. I don’t know much about AC vs DC, which I should as I’m the daughter of an electrician!
I usually use recirculate in my car, but I know it’s not ideal, especially on long road trips.
I did just discover that Austin Air has a new personal air purifier that can be used in the car. It has an AC motor and no wifi/Bluetooth capabilities, no ionizer/ozone. The filter has only been tested down to 0.1 microns, but it is a reputable company and they use HEPA fllters, so I may give that a try. It’s a hefty price tag of $475, plus a bit extra for a VOC Carbon wrap, but the HEPA filter should last 5 years, so when I compare that to the cost of filters that have to be replaced much more frequently, it doesn’t seem that bad.
Thanks again for the response!
You can find them on Amazon pretty easily! example
But I wasn’t aware of that model! Looks like it could be a nice compact choice for this.