a woman next to a floor plan wondering if she place an air purifier in multiple rooms

Can You Move an Air Purifier From Room to Room?

by Karl von Luckwald / January 2, 2024

At first, lots of folks buy an air purifier just for their bedroom.

Later, they start thinking about having clean air in the rest of the house too.

This makes them ask: Can I move my air purifier from one room to another room to equally distribute air purification?

Are you one of those? Don’t worry – we’ve got all your answers in this article.

Can you move an air purifier from room to room?

Most air purifiers are portable, allowing easy movement between rooms. However, using one unit for an entire house is challenging due to its limited cleaning capacity and the need for open space to circulate air effectively.

Portability of Air Purifiers

The good news is that most air purifiers are designed to be portable.

They’re lightweight and easy to carry, making it feasible to move them from room to room. This flexibility allows you to enjoy clean air wherever you spend your time.

a guy holding a portable air purifier in its hand
Most air purifiers are portable and can be easily carried around

For example, you might want the purifier in the living room during the day and in the bedroom at night.

So, moving portable air purifiers from room to room is no problem. But, if you want to purify the air in your entire space with just one unit, you must think about its cleaning capacity.

Understanding an Air Purifiers Cleaning Capacity

It’s important to understand that each air purifier has a maximum effective area it can cover.

This means a single unit might not be enough to purify the air in a large room or an entire level of your house.

Before moving your purifier, check its capacity to ensure it’s suitable for the size of the new room. Most brands provide a square meter recommendation for their units. Also, the CADR rating lets you determine how strong your air purifier is.

a screenshot of an air purifier listed on amazon highlighting the CADR rating
CADR is the key number to gauge an air purifier’s cleaning capacity.

Can You Use One Air Purifier for the Whole House?

Air purifiers can be expensive, so buying one for each room might not fit everyone’s budget.

You might think about getting one powerful air purifier to clean your entire house or apartment. But, this isn’t as straightforward as it sounds.

Imagine your apartment is 80 sqm (861 sqft), and you get an air purifier that says it can cover this area. To make it work for the whole space, you’ll need to keep all your doors open all the time. This helps air move around.

Even with open doors, every wall in your home can still block the airflow. This means your air purifier might not work as well as it would in just one closed room. It could reach its limit quickly and not clean the air as effectively.

If you have a house with more than one floor and open staircases, it’s even harder for the air purifier to do its job well.

So, I wouldn’t suggest using just one portable air purifier for the whole house. It’s better to have multiple units, one in each room.

an open staircase in a house
Even strong air purifiers shouldn’t be used to clean the air of a whole house

How Many Air Purifiers Do I Need?

If you find yourself moving the air purifier often, it might be time to consider getting additional units.

Having multiple air purifiers can provide a more consistent level of air quality throughout your home, especially if you have a larger space.

The number of purifiers you need depends on how big your home is and how many rooms you have.

Focus first on the rooms where you and your family spend the most time. Begin with the bedrooms, then think about the living areas, etc.

For more info read our guide on how to choose the right air purifier. If you’re short on time, just check our list of the best air purifiers in Thailand for this year.

Placement Matters

Remember, the effectiveness of an air purifier also depends on where you place it.

Avoid corners and keep them away from walls to ensure proper airflow. Don’t place it near electronics or in damp areas.

The ideal spot is where you spend most of your time, like near your bed or workspace.

an air purifier leaving a little bit of space to the wall to all air to circulate
Maintain space between the air purifier’s inlet walls

Bottom Line

Moving a portable air purifier between rooms is possible and practical for ensuring clean air where you spend your time. However, for whole-house purification, it’s more effective to use multiple units, as one purifier may not adequately cover a large or multi-level space. Proper placement is also crucial for optimal performance.

FAQ

Yes, you should move a portable air purifier from room to room to enjoy clean air in different spaces as needed.

A single air purifier may not be effective for multiple rooms, especially if they are large or spread over multiple floors.

Place the air purifier away from walls and corners, ideally near where you spend most of your time, like near the bed.

Having multiple air purifiers is better for consistent air quality across a large or multi-story home, as one large unit may not reach every area effectively.

Karl von Luckwald

Karl von Luckwald

Since moving to Thailand in 2019, Karl noticed the lack of scientific integrity in air purifier and water filter reviews. In response, he founded WE DO AIR to champion unbiased, science-based evaluations and empower consumers to make better-informed decisions.