Best pollen filters

For folks with allergies or asthma severe enough that air purification is necessary, finding the best pollen filters is critical for seasonal comfort and clear airways. These days, they're not just a panel that you slide into your car's ventilation system, though I did include an example of that style below. Our best overall pollen filter from LEVOIT is a HEPA air purifier meant to be used indoors. It captures virtually every airborne particle it comes across and has a very unobtrusive look. Check out the pollen filters below, and pick your favorite to clean up air wherever it's needed. 

Modern pollen filters have progressed beyond that singular purpose, and are now capable of near-complete air purification. LEVOIT's multi-layer HEPA filter sucks pollen, pet dander, wildfire smoke, and odors from the air in your home or office and can be relied upon to trap 99.7 percent of particulates as tiny as 0.3 microns in size. In just half an hour, it cleans up to 547 square feet thanks to LEVOIT's innovative Core 300 air purifying system. The VortexAir intake is a full 360 degrees, making it even more effective at rapidly cleaning up allergens. It comes with a timer and filter lifespan indicator as well; you'll have total control over your air quality.

SPEARHEAD, a family-owned company, has made top-quality after-market automotive parts for over 30 years. They're known for reasonable prices, and their Breathe Easy cabin filter is no exception. The activated carbon used in this filter is sourced sustainably from coconut shells. It quickly eliminates smoke, pollen, fumes, and road dust. Even foul odors are no match for SPEARHEAD's four-layer, electrostatic filter. So you can rest assured that your cabin air will stay crisp and fresh, no matter what sort of smog you drive through. Blockages, poor airflow, and built-up grime are the usual culprits for musty cabin air. As a rule, you'll want to replace your car's cabin filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. 

Aiming for an all-in-one sort of pollen filter is the way to go since it's not the only contaminant you'll find in the air. GermGuardian's filter not only handles the usual suspects like dust, pollen, and smoke—it also eradicates mold, mildew, pet dander, and amazingly—airborne pathogens both bacterial and viral. It's equipped with a HEPA filtration system to wipe out dust and allergens, as well as a charcoal filter that soaks up unwanted odors from food, pets, and multiple sorts of smoke. The way that it handles germs and the like is via a UV-C sanitizing bulb. I like that GermGuardian is also cognizant of ozone-generated dangers from UV-C sanitizers; they included TIO2, or titanium dioxide, treatment to counteract it. However, what disappointed me was that this filter can only purify 153 square feet of air. It's almost twice the size of LEVOIT's model, so that's tough to make sense of.

You won't find a better choice for a full-featured filter with real-time air quality rankings than AZEUS's HEPA purifier. Like our previous pick, it includes a UV light for germ eradication. Thankfully, it's manufactured within CA's stringent standards, so you can rest assured that the ozone output is trivial. Still, it's got something the Germ Guardian doesn't—an ionizer. This feature boosts odor control, especially in spots like a damp, dank basement. Despite multiple fan speeds and the capability to clean a staggering 1080 square feet of air in under an hour, it still consumes just 60-watts of power. AZEUS also equipped this filter with remote control, making it dead simple to use even if you're across the room from the unit.

Air quality is the last thing you want to worry about on the job in an industrial setting. Breathing in microparticles like sawdust, pollen, lead paint, welding fumes, and drywall dust is highly unhealthy, so it's wise to buy a respirator if you find yourself wheezing, not whistling, while you work. ANUNU's unmissable, bright pink P100 cotton filters flank each side of a comfortable colloid silicone facemask that's adjustable to most adult heads. They're mounted over exhale valves, and should be swapped out every 8 hours, or whenever they're wet or you're having a hard time drawing air.

Bottom line

So there you have it—the best modern pollen filters are devices capable of air purification and so much more. Whether you need one to clean up your car's cabin air or are hoping to overhaul the air quality in your home or office, I made sure there were options above for everyone. Our staff pick from LEVOIT is whisper-quiet and transforms particulate-ridden air into the cleanest, freshest air possible. Pet dander, smoke, pollen, and dust are no match for its true HEPA filter and vortices intake. 

You can easily upgrade to AZEUS's remote-controlled filter if you find that LEVOIT's purifier is on the small side compared to the necessary square footage. However, at a glance, you can see colorful air quality indicators at the top of the unit—a handy feature. Better yet, it includes an ionizer for static reduction and a UV-C bulb to fry any common pathogens. 

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