If you’re shopping for a dehumidifier air purifier combo you came to the right place. Unlike a lot of other sites, we’re not going to try to lure you into reading a bunch of nonsense before we tell you that if you want a dehumidifier and air purifier… you need two machines.
That’s right, if you want to decrease humidity while cleaning the air you need two seperate appliances. There just aren’t really any dehumidifier and air purifier all-in-one machines available. In fact we can name just one available in the US. It’s the Pure & Dry HEPA70 (there’s also a 50 quart version now). And, even though that means there is “a” purifier and dehumidifier combo that you can buy… that doesn’t mean you should. And, site that tell you that you can are wrong. Sites that drag you in and try to tell pass of a list of purifiers followed by a list of dehumidifiers… are just gaming the system.
We’re here to help. So rather than try to gloss over the differences and give you an ambiguous list, we’ll cover the air purifier vs. dehumidifier question you’re probably asking…
First, here are some of our other guides to help you learn about Air Purifiers – and – Dehumidifiers
- Here’s an Air Conditioner and Dehumidifier Combo
- Find the Right Dehumidifier for Your Basement
- These are our Favorite Air Purifiers to use in a Basement
- Air Purifier and Humidifier Combo’s Exist
There are many more pages and post we’d like to mention but the list would get crazy long. Most of our site (maybe 90 percent) is about finding the best air purifier for your needs. The other ten percent is stuff like this very article… or info on why a ventless AC is not usually a viable option. In the next section we’ll go into why the question shouldn’t be “what is the best dehumidifier purifier combination,” but “what do I need to clean the air”… and “what do i need to dry it a bit.”
It Shouldn’t be Air Purifier vs. Dehumidifier
If you need to remove moisture from the air you need a dehumidifier. Similarly, if you want the cleanest air you can breathe… get an air purifier. Aking if you should buy an air purifier or a dehumidifier is like asking if you should buy a washing machine or an oven. They’re both appliances that are very useful, but they’re made for completely separate jobs. As we mentioned in articles about Humidifier and Purifier all-in-ones (which actually exist); two machines are always better than one. Maybe a better question is “Air purifier vs. dehumidifier… which one do I need first?”
Why you can’t get an Air Purifier Dehumidifier All in One
We don’t know exactly why there’s only one company that has attempted to combine these products. But, we do have an educated guess. It’s all about space and components.
You see… a purifier has a huge (hopefully HEPA) filter, a fan, and maybe a carbon filter. Almost all of the real estate that comprises that purification box is dedicated to moving air through a filter. That’s it. Sure there are controls, and sometimes a sensor… maybe even an ion generator. But, to clean the air you need to move a lot of it through a filter over and over until it’s clean.
Similarly… almost every cubic inch of space inside of a dehumidifier is dedicated to either storing water or pulling water from the air. Since pulling water from air requires a good amount of energy and machinery a large portion of a compressor-based dehumidifier is taken up by the compressor and coil. Not only is that large… it’s heavy. Combine that with 70 quarts of water (best dehumidifier capacity) and things space and weight become big concerns. Six gallons of water weighs about 50 lbs. Add on the dry weight of a dehumidifier, say 47 pounds (like the Frigidaire 70 pint) and you’re almost to 100 pounds. And that’s before you duct tape a hypothetical purifier to all of that. We’ll call it 22 pounds (the weight of a Honeywell 50250-s). This machine would now weigh just under 120 pounds or about as much as our lighter team members at PureAirSupply.com.
How Much would a Dehumidifier Air Purifier Machine Cost?
Well we know that the one you can buy now is about as much as both a great HEPA purifier and a really awesome dehumidifier combined. But, taking into account our experience with Humidifier and Purifier combos… a combo that works well is very expensive. A really good purifier with a built in dehumidifier would be close to a thousand dollars. And, even then it wouldn’t be as good as two stand alone appliances costing half that. And what happens when the dehumidifier breaks out of warranty? Now you have a mediocre thousand dollar purifier and no dehumidifier.
Bottom line… in the world of purifiers, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers buy one for each job. You’ll be better off in the long run.
A brief overview of Dehumidifiers and Purifiers…
We presume that you came here because you want to humidify and purify a room in your home or apartment. Or maybe your office. And, like you, before we got into the air purification game we had no clue that you could not (and should not) buy a dehumidifier purifier all in one machine. So, this next section is written for both you and the pre-purifier business versions of us. We’ll give you a brief rundown of what a dehumidifier does, followed by the same for air purifiers.
Dehumidifier Specifics
The name dehumidifier pretty much gives away what this product does. A dehumidifier takes the moisture out of the air so that it is not humid in your home. There are many reasons to buy a dehumidifier. Most of these reasons are based on health issues and comfort levels. Excessive moisture in a home increases mold and musty odors. It also leaves a breeding ground for several types of insects including clothes moths, fleas, cockroaches, woodlice and dust mites.
Check out our full review of the best dehumidifiers.
How can you tell if you have too much moisture in areas of your home? The first place to check is your pipes in the bathroom, laundry room or kitchen. If your pipes are sweating a lot you have excessive moisture. Also if you can smell a musty odor in your house, especially in your basement that is a sign that there may be excessive moisture. Overall a dehumidifier helps in limiting mold and other allergens from growing in your home but it does not per say kill or remove them. There are several pros and cons to owning a dehumidifier:
Pros
- Reduces humidity so that you are not sticky and sweaty
- Reduces odors
- Decreases mold, fungi, and mildew
- Helps eliminate places for bugs to breed
- Aids in helping with your respiratory problems
Cons
- Does nothing to help with pollen or dust removal… it’s not an air purifier
RELATED: Top humidifier air purifier models
About Air Purifiers
Hundreds of people own air purifiers for their homes these days. An air purifier actually removes the contaminants from your home. Thus it leaves your home with breathable air that has less dust and allergens. Air purifiers also help remove smells from pets, mold, and smoke. Some models will even target and kill pathogens and air borne bacteria that can cause threats to your overall health. These home appliances are great for anyone with respiratory problems, allergies, and asthma or even some just wanting to improve their health. Air purifiers come in all sizes and have a variety of health benefits to the consumer. Just like dehumidifiers, air purifiers have their pros and cons as well. Here are the pros and cons of owning an air purifier.
Pros
- Removes dust and pet dander
- Removes air borne pathogens and allergens
- Good for odors
- Some models kill bacteria and pathogens
- Removes smoke/smoke odors
- Removes pollen from the air
Cons
- Does not eliminate the excessive moisture… it’s not a dehumidifier
So, what first… Dehumidifier or Air Purifier?
So now we know a dehumidifier reduces moisture and an air purifier removes contaminants from your home. Choosing between these two should be pretty easy.
If excessive moisture is a problem in your home then we say go with a dehumidifier to reduce mold and musty odors caused by dampness.
Check out our favorite dehumidifiers.
However, if you have dust, pollen, mold and other contaminants that you wish to get rid of altogether than an air purifier is the way to go. Keep in mind a dehumidifier does not kill mold and an air purifier will not reduce moisture that causes mold to grow.
Keep in mind a dehumidifier does not kill mold and an air purifier will not reduce moisture that causes mold to grow.
If both humidity and allergens are a big problem in your home, then we say buy both. It’s really up to you to decide what you need for your home and lifestyle. But, the best combo unit will never match the performance of a great dehumidifier paired with an outstanding purifier.
This is one of our favorite Air Purifiers to pair with a dehumidifier…
Final Thoughts
Both a dehumidifier and an air purifier have very specific purposes. Our home is not very humid and we don’t have a problem with moisture, so for us, an air purifier was the way to go. We couldn’t be happier with our choice. Choose what works best for you at a price that is within your budget. You will be happy you did.
Now, go check out our detailed guide on which humidifier and air purifier combo to buy. Spoiler Alert: We’re just going to tell you to buy a stand alone purifier and a stand alone humidifier for best result. Plot Twist: Air purifier humidifier combos actually exist (they pretty common), and one is actually a really good humidifier.