I Finally Tested an Air Purifier That’s So Quiet, and It’s Perfect for Small Spaces

One of the best ways to improve your indoor air quality is to get an air purifier, as they can remove fine particles, like dust and dander, and filter the air in the room they are placed in. As someone who’s tested dozens of air purifiers, and has one in almost every room of her house, I’ve noticed that most purifiers have one thing in common: They can get quite noisy, especially when their fan or motor is working hard to clear the air. Most of the time that’s not an issue, but if you’re looking for something that’s whisper-quiet — say, for a bedroom or baby’s room — it can feel like there are limited options. 

Recently I got a chance to test out Dyson’s HushJet Compact Purifier, which is touted as the brand’s most “compact and powerful, yet quiet” purifier. Here’s how it fared and if it’s worth the purchase.

The HushJet Compact Purifier is Dyson’s most compact, small-format purifier that works for 203-square-foot rooms. The overall dimensions are 18.5 inches high and 9.06 inches in diameter, and it weighs 6.9 pounds. Its unique design is based on jet engines and goes beyond just looks. Its star-shaped hush kit is used to reduce airflow noise and deliver powerful airflow projection at just 24 decibels when it’s in sleep mode. The whole air purifier is “fully sealed,” which means that none of the pollutants it sucks up go back out into the air. 

It has a 360-degree electrostatic filter that captures 99.97% of pollutants as small as 0.3 microns and lasts for up to five years, and an activated carbon filter that removes pet and cooking odors by trapping pollutants, unpleasant odors, and even harmful gases like nitrogen dioxide. You can easily set schedules, control airflow speed and modes (sleep and auto, for instance), and even get air quality reports in the MyDyson app. Or you can go hands-free with compatible voice services, like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. It’s available in two colors: white/silver and black/teal.

My first impression of the HushJet was that it looked unlike any purifier I’ve ever tested. The design is really unique, and it resembles a jet engine. Putting it together was simple; just remember to remove all the packaging from the filter. 

I decided to test the purifier in the smallest bedroom of my home, which I currently use as my office. I take the majority of my Zoom meetings there, so having a quiet air purifier in this space is a must. Because it’s super compact and takes up barely any space, I stuck it in an open corner.

After plugging it in and turning it on, I noticed just how quiet the purifier really was. It defaulted to auto-mode, where it let out a very soft hum that you wouldn’t even really notice unless you were up close to it like I was. I prefer leaving it on auto-mode, which is the energy-saving option that kicks on whenever there’s a change in air quality, but there’s also a sleep mode, which allows it to be as soft as 24 decibels. In comparison, that’s like the sound of leaves rustling — and even quieter than a whisper (30 decibels)!

All in all, I am thoroughly impressed by the Dyson HushJet Compact Purifier. It’s great for small spaces, and I can see it being a perfect addition to a nursery because it’s so silent. It really does live up to its name.

Buy: Dyson HushJet Purifier, $349.99