6 Best Air Purifiers For Mold In 2023 (With UV-C Filters)

Here’s why air purifiers for mold are important:

Visible and even smelly mold growth is one of the most common and most resilient home infections. You know that corner in your kitchen, bathroom or basement that looks darkish? You better hope it’s not the black mold.

Pretty much every air purifier you can find will have an ‘air purifier for mold’ sentence in their description.

But people who have air purifiers at home (even guys with allergies such as asthma with severe symptoms) can still experience mold growth on their walls. So what gives?

Not all air purifiers are designed to remove mold.

The mold-killing air purifiers, however, are very effective against mold and mold spores (must have mold-eradicating air filters). Here’s what the best air purifier for mold in the world can do:

All air purifiers are great at removing dust and smoke from an indoor environment; that’s true. But those are just airborne particles, captured by HEPA filters (they do improve indoor air quality)

Mold, on the other hand, is a fungus contaminant. It’s a living, breathing being that you can’t just filter out even with a True HEPA filter (because the mold spores will start living in that filthy HEPA filter).

The good air purifiers for mold are the ones with UV sterilization filters. On top of that, the best air purifiers for mold use additional AHPCO, Bi-Polar, and PECO filters. Below you will find a list of the 6 best UV air purifiers for mold:

See Comparison Of Best Air Purifiers For Mold With Reviews

To eliminate mold, you need to kill mold and mold spores. When you see the mold forming on your wall, hoping it will just magically go away on its own doesn’t work; a mold air purifier is needed.

It might sound barbaric, but the only way to remove mold and mold spores is to literally fry them.

Which air purifiers are the best for mold removal?

The ones with a strong UV light (creating ozone). According to the EPA, UV light is pretty much the only thing that can decisively remove airborne mold spores by killing them.

Intensive 254-nanometer wavelength UV light filter inactivates mold spores, effectively preventing the mold to spread via air.

Let’s first look at what kind of mold the UV light will destroy and how you can get rid of the mold problem in the long run entirely (with CDC recommendations).

How Do Air Purifiers Help With Mold?

Mold spores can easily enter our home through an open window. Mold loves moisture; that’s why mold spores will grow in indoor areas with high humidity. When the mold spores proliferate enough, they will float through the air as easily as dust searching for a new target.

According to the CDC, ‘the most common indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus‘.

Those airborne mold spores are exactly what we want not only to filter out but destroy entirely (mildew is much the same way). That’s how we can prevent the spread of mold through the air. And for that, we need that mold-destroying UV light filters.

How does UV light air purifier help with the mold?

1. Air purifier gathers all the air that contains Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus mold spores. These mold spores’ size is between 3 and 100 microns; HEPA filters gather these very effectively. Every air purifier does it, including UV light air purifiers.
2. Use UV light with the destructive 254-nanometer wavelength to kill the mold spores. This effectively removes mold from the air. ONLY UV light air purifiers do that.

The key part, obviously, is the UV lamp. Air purifiers without a UV lamp will do a poor job removing mold. The ones with the strong UV lamp, on the other hand, can literally fry the mold spores out of the blue.

Note: You should also check the CADR rating. CADR stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate; the higher the CADR rating, the better.

Here is just one additional piece of advice if you truly want to fight mold growth in your home: Get yourself a dehumidifier with an air purifier.

Dehumidifier And Air Purifier Combo (Fight Mold On 2 Fronts)

One thing that mold loves is moisture. Damp and humid indoor air is a recipe for mold growth. That’s why, for example, we most commonly find mold in the bathroom. The bathroom with all the water is usually the most humid room in our home.

The way to fight the high above 70% relative humidity is with a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier is an HVAC device that filters water out of the indoor air. It’s the only handy device to get relative humidity down to 30% to 50%.

That’s the low level of humidity that prevents mold growth exponentially.

If you have a mold problem, the best solution with be to buy the best air purifier and dehumidifier all in one. That’s how you can find mold on 2 fronts:

1. Air purifier filters out and destroys mold spores with a UV sterilization filter.
2. Dehumidifier lowers the humidity levels and makes it much more difficult for mold to grow (or even take hold on a wall).

The only problem with the dehumidifier and air purifier combo is that there is no such device on the market. An air purifier with a dehumidifier all-in-one would be a perfect solution, but up till now, this kind of device has yet to be developed.

The second-best solution, of course, is to get a UV air purifier and a stand-alone dehumidifier. Yes, you have to get two devices, but when it’s between that and mold eating through your walls, it’s quite easy to understand that mold won’t just magically go away on its own.

List Of 6 Best Mold Air Purifiers In 2023

1. Air Oasis iAdaptAir: Ultimate Best Air Purifier For Mold (Quietest With 3 Anti-Mold Filters; Most Effective).
2. Molekule Air: Aesthetic Mold Air Purifier With PECO Filter.
3. Germ Guardian AC9200W: Good UV Air Purifier For Mold.
4. TruSens Air Z2000AP: Lightweight Air Purifier For Mold.
5. Pure Enrichment Elite: Best Smallest Air Purifier For Mold.
6. InvisiClean Aura II: Cheapest Air Purifier For Mold (Below $200).

Comparison And Mold Air Purifier Reviews:

#1 Air Oasis iAdaptAir: Ultimate Best Air Purifier For Mold (With 3 Anti-Mold Filters, Quietest)

There are UV-C filter air conditioners and there is the Air Oasis iAdaptAir. A great majority of air purifiers use only UV-C light to fight mold. Air Oasis iAdaptAir air purifier is 1 step and 2 filters before them all. It is undoubtedly the best air purifier for mold currently on the market.

Air Oasis iAdaptAir is not a HEPA-only air purifier with a UV light filter. It does have a 24 W UV-C light filter, but that’s just the beginning. In Air Oasis iAdaptAir air purifier, all airborne mold has to face two additional anti-mold filters, namely:

1. AHPCO filter. NASA-based photocatalytic oxidation filter that uses the combo of UV light ith photocatalyst to create mold-killing ions. Its ion output is 20,000,000 positive and negative ions.
2. Bi-Polar ionization filter. This filter ionizes air particles like mold and mold spores and additionally removed up to 99% of all air particulates.

All in all, the Air Oasis iAdaptAir air purifiers use 5 filters (more than any other air purifier, by the way). The indoor air with mold and mold spores has to pass through a HEPA filter, activated carbon filter, UV filter, AHPCO filter, and finally through Bi-Polar filter.

According to Air Oasis test sampling, more than 99.9% of mold is removed:

The next-level technology filters Air Oasis iAdaptAir utilizes take care of mold exceptionally well. What is more, the other ordinary filters like HEPA and activated carbon filters are top-notch.

Due to the intense filtration capability, Air Oasis iAdaptAir air purifiers have a lower-than-average airflow (they work slower but are more effective). That’s also great for decibel levels; with a 25-52 dB noise level, the Air Oasis iAdaptAir units are the quietest air purifier for mold.

In short, with 5 filters (3 of them specifically dedicated to mold eradication), the Air Oasis iAdaptAir units are the ultimate best air purifiers for mold. You can get them in 3 sizes; S size (250 sq ft coverage), M size (550 sq ft coverage), and L size (850 sq ft coverage):

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#2 Molekule Air: Aesthetic Mold Air Purifier With PECO Filter

Molekule Air (MH1-BBB-1 model) represents the new generation of air purifiers. It excels at filtering technology, design as well as price. It looks like something NASA engineers would put together.

With PECO Tech, the Molekule has been the best air purifier for mold prior to entry of #1 Air Oasis iAdaptAir units.

Let’s look at the technology first. You know how all air purifiers use 4 or even 5 filters to deal with mold and other air impurities? Well, Molekule only has 1.

That 1 filter, however, is crazy effective. The tech is called PECO or Photo Electrochemical Oxidation process. It is designed to destroy air pollutants at a molecular level. It is similar to the AHPCO filter in iAdaptAir air purifiers.

PECO has been in development for more than 20 years, and the Molekule is one of the few HVAC devices that already have it built in. The PECO process uses reactive free radicals to break down any pollutants – mold, obviously, and bacteria, viruses, and other allergens.

In essence, PECO can destroy mold spores and other pollutants that are 1000 smaller than what HEPA filters can (Tested by Intertek – Report # 104159832GRR-001a, December 2019).

The free radicals created in the PECO filter (PCO with electrochemical oxidation) tear mold apart like nothing else. Molekule absorbs the air filled with mold spores on the bottom, destroys the mold in between, and pushes out the purified air on the top.

With the 85W, the Molekule is also the most powerful air purifier on the list. Suppose you’re looking to remove mold with an air purifier; that is an excellent thing. The UV bulb usually gets a big share of that power.

The noise levels (30-55 dB) make the Molekule one of the quietest air purifiers currently on the market.

The ease of use is incredible. You get an iOS and Android app and can control the Molekule directly via smartphone. You can read more about all the Molekule air purifiers here.

Some people are baffled by the price. The Molekule Air does cost $699. That is more than any other air purifier for mold. Nonetheless, the combination of the powerful UV bulb, next-gen technology, and sheer power makes the Molekule one of the best, if not the best, air purifiers if you can afford it:

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#3 Germ Guardian AC9200W: Reasonably Good Air Purifier For Mold

All the Germ Guardian air purifiers are made to, guess what, guard you against germs. Germs might include bacteria or viruses but also applied to the mold.

The AC9200W unit is one of the best air purifiers for mold simply because it has a strong UV light bulb. It has several great features, such as being the most effective and with the highest CADR ratings, but as far as mold spores are concerned, the wattage of the UV-C light bulb matters.

The UV light bulb is an integral part of the UV sterilization filter. Every UV bulb radiates mold-destroying 254-nanometer wavelength. Only one thing matters here: the stronger the UV bulb, the more powerful mold-killing effect you will see.

And the Germ Guardian’s AC9200W bulb is fairly strong. That will literally fry even the biggest 100-micron mold spores.

UV-C light technology works with Titanium Dioxide to reduce airborne bacteria, viruses, germs, and mold spores. *Based on test standard GB21551.3-2010 antibacterial and cleaning function for a household. You can read more about Germ Guardian air purifiers here.

What happens when you get rid of all the mold? You can turn the UV bulb off. The AC9200W model offers the optional UV sterilization filter precisely because you can turn it off when all the mold was removed.

On top of that, the Germ Guardian has the highest CADR ratings (216 CFM for 0.9-1 micron smoke particles, 0.5-3 micron for dust, and 5-11 micron for pollen). This means that the air purifier can purify the air and remove smoke, dust, and pollen-sized particles extremely fast. In fact, AC9200W can filter all the air in 335 sq ft about 4 times per hour (ACH = 4).

Pre-filter is used to trap pet dander and other bigger air particulates and protect the HEPA filter and the mold filter.

All in all, with a strong UV light bulb, makes the Germ Guardian one of the best air purifiers for mold. What is more, with such superb specs and an Energy Star certificate, the AC9200W model is one of the best air purifiers in general.

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#4 TruSens Air Z2000AP: Lightweight Air Purifier For Mold

There is no doubt that every TruSens air purifier (the small Z-1000, the medium Z-2000, and the large Z-3000) is a head-turner. The sleek design and the smart SensorPod are the key features that make the TruSens air purifier unique.

However, what we’re really interested in here is how well does it remove mold. Does air purifier help with mold depends, as we’ve learned so far, on the UV sterilization filter.

All TruSens air purifiers come with a UV light bulb. Because of the cylinder-like design of the TruSense units, the mold-killing UV-C filter is located at the innermost part of the purifier:

Obviously, the TruSens does remove smoke, dust, and pollen as well. However, as far as the germs, and, more specifically, mold spores are concerned, UV light is key.

It is important to point out that the TruSens Z-2000 is the best lightweight air purifier for mold. It weighs only 12.3 lbs and has a maximum power of 28W. Because of low power, you will spend less on the electricity bill, but the TruSens won’t be able to filter out the air as fast as other air purifiers. It is capable of 2 air changes per hour (ACH = 2).

The focus of the TruSens purifiers is, of course, on its remote sensor capabilities. The SensorPod will adjust the fan speed to clean the air in your room in the most optimum manner. The fact that UV light can destroy mold spores is just another bonus.

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#5 Pure Enrichment Elite: Best Smallest Air Purifier For Mold

The No. 1 and 2 choice – iAdaptAir and Molekule – cost $500+. However, putting a UV light bulb in an air purifier with a HEPA filter shouldn’t be all that expensive. The PureZone Elite 817387020077 model really shows how low you can go with the price of an air purifier for mold. It costs only about $150.

Pure Enrichment has developed the 817387020077 as a budget-friendly variety purifier that has a lot to offer. Specs-wise, the PureZone Elite 4-in-1 is a bit above average. However, they really went with the safe route to increase the durability of this mold-fighting air purifier.

The UV bulb, for example, will work for about 10,000 hours. That means it can be turned on for almost 1.5 years before you need to replace it. That is something you wouldn’t expect from a $150 air purifier.

Obviously, cheap devices aren’t without problems. The PureZone unit has two: noise levels and materials.

The noise levels can reach 60 dB. It is fairly strong with 60W and above 120 CFM; that means it handles a big air volume. Where there is airflow, there is a noise, and the above 60 dB noise levels are a clear indicator of just that.

The materials used are a bit subpar. The complete weight of the Pure Enrichment unit is 9.3 lbs. That tells you a lot of materials are made out of durable plastics. There is nothing wrong with hard plastic; it’s just that aluminum would be a better choice.

For $150, the PureZone Elite a fine air purifier that is quite capable of removing mold from your air. It doesn’t have that extra spark the $300+ units have, but it will kill mold with its UV light just as effectively.

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#6 InvisiClean Aura II: Cheapest Air Purifier For Mold (Below $200)

Air purifiers don’t really put energy efficiency first. Other HVAC devices such as air conditioners and heat pumps go into great efforts to raise those EER and SEER energy-efficiency ratings. The InvisiClean Aura II 4-in-1 is one air purifier where the energy savings are very evident.

Clearing away mold with UV light is why people who suffer from mold infestation buy the InvisiClean air purifier. It’s quite an inexpensive and effective device. However, the real savings are seen much later.

Aura II 4-in-1 uses a low EMF radiation DC motor that is capable of delivering a strong airflow. In fact, with a CADR rating of 170 CFM, the airflow is almost 100% stronger than with comparable devices.

What is most significant, however, is how much energy it uses. The DC motor is powered by only 47W. That means that the InvisiClean can use about 82% less energy than the most power-hungry air purifiers for mold removal.

With such a low-powered motor, the InvisiClean Aura II is also one of the most silent air purifiers for mold. It operates between 30 and 55 dB.

The only real drawback is that it’s not as visually appealing as some other models and doesn’t have that powerful motor to quicken the mold spores removal. In time, however, it will do the job as well as the most powerful purifier.

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Conclusion

Fighting mold can be challenging, but with the right air purifier and, of course, a dehumidifier, it can be done.

Moldy carpets and wood have to be removed by hand, but HVAC devices can prevent the spread of mold via air.

Here is a request: if someone finds an air purifier and dehumidifier all-in-one, please share it in the comments. That would be a perfect mold-fighting device indeed.

Examples of which air purifiers are not good for mold: Several companies like Blueair, Coway, Alen, Hathaspace, Dyson, Okaysou, and Levoit create brilliant air purifiers. But all those air purifiers have HEPA-based filtration system that doesn’t really stop mold.