The 6 Best HEPA Air Scrubbers For Renovation Projects [Updated for 2022]
One of the biggest downsides of any renovation, remodeling, or construction project is the amount of air pollution caused by the work. Everything from sawdust to paint fumes to insulation can cause air irritants that disrupt people in the house, particularly if they have asthma.
In addition, your remodeling project may be the result of some kind of damage to the house. Whether you’re eliminating mildew and mold or restoring fire damage, you’re going to kick up some manner of spores, dust, or charcoal in your work.
This is what makes a HEPA air scrubber such an important addition to your home environment. Air scrubbers are filtration units that suck in the air in your house, process it through filters, and send it back out free of contaminants like gasses, particles, and chemicals. Sewage-derived bacteria and spores from mold can have a huge negative impact on your health.
It only makes sense to invest in a HEPA air scrubber to keep you and your family’s breathing air free of particles and contaminants. Here is a short guide to some of the best air scrubbers on the market, including the features of each one and our recommendations.
The all-purpose air cleaner by BlueDri is our top pick for HEPA air filters because of its versatility and performance.
It’s equipped to purify an entire home of not only chemicals and pollutants but also asbestos particles, sawdust, pet dander, mildew, pollen, and other irritants. This makes the BlueDri Negative Machine a great choice not only for those concerned about chemicals and mold but also for those with allergies.
Pets, painting projects, and cooking can also leave terrible smells in the house that can irritate your sinuses or even harm people’s systems (especially if there are young babies in the house). BlueDri comes with an optional odor eliminator (sold separately) that makes it a great choice to clear out bad smells from a litter box or to keep your salon from smelling like nail polish all day.
Whether you’re looking for an air scrubber to remove mold contamination or to remove pet smells, BlueDri’s three-stage filtration system is an easy choice. Its pre-filter catches mites, pollen, and larger particles, its carbon filter takes care of cleaning chemicals, smells, and smoke, and its HEPA filter finishes the job to get rid of mold, asbestos particles, and other pathogens to keep you and your family safe.
Pros
- Large particle cleaning abilities efficiently remove allergens and irritants
- Precision HEPA filtration takes care of 99.97% of harmful particles
- Three-stage filtration process to take care of any sized irritant
- Optional odor eliminator for art studios, pet-friendly homes, or painting projects
- 1-year and 5-year housing warranty
Cons
- Some find it noisy
- Replacement filters can be difficult to find and slightly more expensive
Our Verdict
The BlueDri Negative Airbourne Cleaner is our pick for the best HEPA air scrubber on the market. Its heavy-duty technology is perfect for construction sites or repair projects and the large particulate pollution that results from it, while its subtler filtration system takes care of chemicals and smells. No matter your filtration needs, you really can’t go wrong with the BlueDri.
Our Rating
The Dri-Eaz DefendAir is a more premium pick, costing twice as much as the BlueDri. For the price, you get a portable air scrubber and negative pressure machine designed to quickly remove fumes, dust, mildew, and other harmful particles from the air.
Its portable chassis is highly damage-resistant and fitted to be able to link up to 4 air scrubbers to one power outlet. This is specially designed for larger remodeling or renovation projects.
The contractor-grade Dri-Eaz air scrubber may be your purifier of choice for projects involving water damage cleanup, mold removal, or house remodeling. Particularly for occupants with allergies or asthma that could be irritated by air pollutants, the Dri-Eaz is a heavy-duty solution to heavy dust environments, crawlspaces, sewage issues, fire damage, and more.
Pros
- Contractor-grade scrubbing technology for heavy-duty construction or remodeling projects
- Housed in a mold that has connectors to link up to 4 purifying units at once
- Competitive flow speeds and efficient power usage
- Two-stage filtration system and 99.97% cleaning efficiency
- Optional carbon filter
Cons
- A bit difficult to move around or transport
- Carbon filter is not included, but it's optional
Our Verdict
The Dri-Eaz is a much more premium pick for much larger jobs. If you’re concerned about pollution on your construction site or remodeling projects in your home, the Dri-Eaz is a contractor-grade solution to dust, mold, sewage, airborne irritants, allergens, and anything else you can think of.
Our Rating
The Colzer Air Scrubber is specifically designed for projects whose air quality you want to monitor, such as your own repair or painting work. We especially liked the high-precision air quality sensors, which can detect the pollution level in your house and read it back to you in real time with a light display.
It comes with a HEPA and pre-filter, with an activated carbon filter sold separately. Weighing only 37 pounds, it’s easy to move around to different projects or set up in your remodeling space for more direct access to the pollutants you’re creating.
This is a reliable, mid-range priced air scrubber that works as well in a beauty parlor as in a water damage restoration project. Its air scrubbing technology is industrial grade, meaning you’re getting a better scrub than the domestic purifiers and high-tech sensor equipment to monitor its progress to boot.
Pros
- 3 levels of filtration, including optional carbon filter
- Light weight for easy transport to any project
- Air quality indicators powered by high-precision laser sensors that measure your air quality in real time
- Industry-grade purifying technology
- Perfect for renovations that require a portable, effective air scrubber
Cons
- Loud on maximum speed
- Red light indicator may sometimes remain on even if the filter has just been changed
- Timer needs some work
Our Verdict
The Colzer 500 Air Scrubber is light, medium-range in price, and industry-grade in air scrubbing technology. We love the light indicator that lets you know exactly how clean your air is, especially useful for those that want to clean up their house after a big project.
Our Rating
This compact air purifier is made of the same durable plastic found in football helmets, so you can be assured that it can take a beating. It has a carrying handle so you can easily lug this 24-pound scrubber to any project that you need, so long as it has an outlet capable of processing a mere 3 Amps.
We love the 5-speed control switch on this 3-stage air purifying unit that lets you customize the XPOWER’s job for any intensity that you may need. It has built-in outlets to combine units and 2 washable nylon filters in addition to the industrial HEPA one.
Pros
- Washable filters
- Convenient carrying size and weight
- Durable outside material
- Able to daisy chain with other units
- 5-speed control switch
- Thermal-protective hardware
- 1-year manufacturer warranty
Cons
- HEPA filter sometimes fill up quickly
- Replacement filters are difficult to find
Our Verdict
The XPOWER is an incredibly portable air scrubber that’s perfect for jobs on multiple sites or in different rooms. Its 3-stage filtration system is industry-grade and its removable nylon filters are perfect for larger particles produced by construction work or seasonal allergens.
Our Rating
The OdorStop is designed specifically for pet dander, dust, pollen, and drywall particles. Its roto-molded case can withstand heavy-duty use for a lifetime, ensuring that you’ll always be able to freshen the air in your house and remove any particles, chemical smells, pet odors, or airborne construction debris.
At 44 pounds, it’s a little heavier but still completely portable. It features an extra-long power cord (25 feet) and the ability to link up to 6 units for purifying work on even the heaviest construction projects.
A pre-filter and HEPA filter are included with the option of additionally purchasing a charcoal filter for specific air scrubbing tasks related to fire damage restoration.
Pros
- Durable, unbreakable casing ensures long-lasting use
- The ability to daisy chain to 6 units for use on larger projects
- Thermal-protective safety housing on the motor to prevent overheating
- Extra-long power cord
- Odor-removal specialty, particularly useful for asthmatics
Cons
- HEPA filter could be better
- No carbon filter included
- Doesn't have a timer option
Our Verdict
OdorStop lives up to its name with pet odor and mildew-removal filtration technology. Its particularly durable casing means that it’s intended for use on heavy-duty projects that require a sturdier unit and its ability to link to 6 units at once makes it perfect for projects that need purification on a much larger scale.
Our Rating
Costway’s Industrial Air Scrubber can filtrate 500-2000 square feet of area, making it a choice air scrubber for home decoration or construction site projects. It’s ETL certified, ensuring that it measures up to manufacturing specifications for advanced equipment safety and quality control.
It comes housed in a sturdy PPT shell that can be dropped or damaged without cracking. Its odor elimination technology is perfect for those prone to seasonal or circumstantial allergies.
For convenience, the Costway comes with eight rubber feet to ensure that the purifier itself doesn’t touch the ground when you lay the unit flat, preventing scratching and denting to the mechanism. Like many on the list, the Costway can be stacked with other units (up to 3) and comes with a 25-foot cord for easy reach from an outlet to your remodeling project.
Pros
- Strong outside corner and durable construction
- Suitable for a wide variety of applications
- ETL Certified
- Eight pads provide all around support and protection for the unit
Cons
- May suffer rain damage
- Replacement filters are difficult to find
Our Verdict
The Costway has a sturdy, industrial-grade construction that makes it easy to carry to heavy-duty projects and purify construction sites, sewage remediation jobs, and water/fire restoration projects. It’s convenient, durable, and its filtration technology is strong enough for anything from medical wards to chemical factories.
Our Rating
What is an air scrubber used for?
Air scrubbers are used for any project in the home that requires air cleanup. This includes construction jobs, remodeling and renovation, sewage remediation, painting, fire and water restoration damage, and mold removal.
In addition, there are many natural pollutants that an air scrubber can remove outside of big projects. For those susceptible to allergies from pet dander or pollen, air scrubbers can help get even large particles out of circulation in your home. Smoke, smells from chemical cleaners, pollen, dust, or even litter box smells are all issues that can be addressed with the right air purifier.
How does an air scrubber work?
An air scrubber works by using a multi-stage filtration system to process the air that it sucks into its mechanism before re-dispersing back into the home or work area.
The first stage is a pre-filter that traps any larger particles. These include dander, sawdust, or any other tangible airborne irritants. Then, a HEPA filter processes the air to remove chemical irritants, mildew, mold spores, and other contagions from the air. An optional odor-filter can also process air for smells from pets, mold, paint, or other irritants.
The air scrubber then sends the air back into the room and continues doing this at whatever speed you set on the control dial that most units have.
Buyer’s Guide
At this point, we can probably agree that your renovation project or daily household air quality could probably use a quality air scrubber. However, what makes an air scrubber high quality depends both on your needs and on the capabilities of your machine. Here are a few main factors to think about before buying your air scrubber.
Make sure it has a multi-stage filtration system that includes a pre-filter, HEPA-filter, and optional or included odor control filter.
Since you’re going to be using this on construction sites or in remodeling projects, you want to make sure that your unit has a durable frame. Check the material construction and make sure that it’s sturdy enough to withstand a little beating without cracking.
Know that if you’re going to be using this for a bigger project, you may need to link multiple units together. Check how many units can be chained to your specific model and also how much air space the scrubber is intended to purify to make sure that it has enough power to finish the job you need.
If you have pets or pollen in your house, make sure the filter lists your specific irritant as one that the filtration unit covers. Some have nylon filters that conveniently collect dander and can be washed by hand.
Other amenities like the length of the cord should be considered if you know the layout of your project. Not all sites have immediate access to a power outlet so buy accordingly.
The Takeaway
An air scrubber is an essential piece of equipment on any construction site, remodeling job, or damage repair worksite. Many of us don’t realize that airborne pollutants in our home constitute the most pollution any of us will ever breathe. This includes dust, mildew, mold spores, paint, asbestos, smoke, chemical cleaners, and many other irritants.
Taking care of these pollutants with an industry-grade air scrubber like the BlueDri Negative Machine Airborne Cleaner will make you and your family safer, particularly if there are old or young people in your home. The BlueDri is our pick because of its accessible design, portability, and 3-stage filtration system that takes care of all these pollutants and more.
A device like the BlueDri cleaner is even useful for no greater purpose than making your house smell better, which could make it more pleasant for guests and alleviate a loved one’s allergy symptoms. Using this buying guide, a professional air scrubber is within your reach to start making your air cleaner and your family safer.
I have an unhealthy obsession with contracting and renovation. I’ve been a contractor for over 15 years and I love tackling challenging projects to make them look amazing.
