Can Air Purifiers Combat Pet Dander? What Our Testing Revealed

According to my dog’s DNA test results, he’s at least partially hypoallergenic. According to the American Kennel Club, there’s no such thing as a 100% hypoallergenic dog. I’m inclined to side with the latter. 

I say this because, although I don’t see clumps of hair falling from his fur at any given moment, I have found accumulations of dander in corners and notice dust returning to surfaces a short time after cleaning. I have come to the conclusion that this may be from my pup Walter, or perhaps it’s simply because my home is old. 

Regardless of the cause, I’ve decided to try to remedy the issue. I’ve begun damp-dusting all the flat surfaces in my home and plugged in an air purifier, specifically one that promises to target pet hair and dander to see if it could make any difference. 

Here’s what I found out.  

Are there air purifiers specifically designed for pet dander?

Pet dander can significantly contribute to the amount of dust circulating in your home, and our air purifier testing has shown that certain models clean the air better than others.

The Oransi Mod Plus Air Purifier MD02, for example, excelled at coarse particle removal, and it’s CNET’s top pick for tackling pet dander and dust. 

But the Dreame FP10, a recently released HEPA-equipped air purifier with a few quirky features, promises something else too: a self-cleaning system designed to cut down on maintenance. I had to try it myself. 

The Dreame FP10’s features

The FP10 has four main modes (AI/auto, pet, sleep and custom) and includes a rotating filter cleaning attachment, a thin component that collects excess hair and dust from the primary filter to help keep it clean for longer.

According to Dreame, the air purifier has a 99.5% hair collection rate and a 99.9% odor removal rate. 

Once that compartment fills up, you’ll have to empty it yourself, so it’s not a 100% self-cleaning air purifier. However, Dreame says the filter can last up to two years, which is likely because the roller brush helps reduce buildup on the filter by taking care of some of the cleaning.

If we’re going purely off aesthetics, though, this is one of my favorite-looking air purifiers on the market. Its sleek design will match most homes, and my guests rarely realize it’s an air purifier when they walk into my living room, despite its large size.

I prefer the app over the device’s buttons

I mainly use the Dreame app to control mine because the buttons on the machine are so tiny and somewhat difficult to see, so it’s much easier to use the app.  

There are several features I liked, including the auto mode, which adjusts the fan speed based on indoor air quality, and the real-time information you can gather from the app. 

When I painted a wall, the TVOC (total volatile organic compounds, which are released by paints, cleaning supplies and more) levels immediately spiked, then rose again when I plugged in an air freshener. I loved getting that data, and the air purifier adjusted as needed to clear the air. In addition to TVOCs, the air purifier also tracks particulate matter (PM2.5), temperature and humidity in the room it’s placed in and outdoors, and the air quality index of your city.

Mine (and my dog’s) least favorite feature

There are some other features, though, that seem less practical, including the optional pet weighing platform that comes with the air purifier. It attaches to the top of your air purifier, but if you don’t want to use it, you can keep the purifier’s original top.  

Maybe I’d feel differently if I had a cat, but my dog hated the weighing platform and refused to sit down. It also displayed 1 pound before anything was placed on it, so I’m not sure about the accuracy of the measurement either. It’s a quirky feature, and not one I see myself using regularly.

That said, when I used the air purifier consistently, particularly on high-speed, I noticed less dust accumulating in my living room. I wasn’t wiping down my coffee and side tables every day anymore, but it should be noted that at high speed, the sound is definitely noticeable and similar to a fan. 

According to Dreame, the max dBA (A-weighted decibels) is 62. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 60 dBA is comparable to the noise of a dishwasher or dryer. 

How the Dreame AP10 fared during our lab tests

The Dreame AP10 is an air purifier aimed at pet owners, but it has a different design and features from the FP10. Although I didn’t test this one out in my home, we ran it through our extensive lab tests to see how it performed. 

At high speed, the AP10 removed fine particles in 1 minute and cleared coarse particles in 2 minutes and 10 seconds. In comparison, CNET’s top pick for the best air purifier, the BlueAir Blue Pure 311i Max, cleared fine particles in 49 seconds and coarse particles in just 45 seconds.

This doesn’t mean the AP10 didn’t get the job done, only that it took a little longer to do so than some top competitors. For most households, that difference may not be noticeable. 

Should every pet owner get an air purifier? 

In my opinion, most pet owners could benefit from an air purifier, especially one that can help reduce fur, dander and general pet odors. 

While the FP10 isn’t cheap at $425, it’s still significantly cheaper than CNET’s current pick for the best air purifier for pet dander and dust, the Oransi Mod Plus Air Purifier MD02 (currently out of stock), which is $850. 

For me, I’ll stick with the FP10. I like the design, features and overall performance, even if my pup wants nothing to do with the weighing station.