5 Best Air Purifiers for Musty Smell in 2023

Last updated on January 1st, 2023

The musty smell produced by mildew, mold and poor air circulation is really disgusting and if it ever spawns in your house or room it’s hard to get rid of it. Thankfully, there are air purifiers that can successfully help remove this stinky odor and clean the air in the whole area.

Now let’s take a look at these air cleaning units.

Airpura F600

Airpura F600 is the best portable air purifier you can ever get for a reasonable price if you want to remove the musty smell coming from mold, wet towels, leaky roof or pipe and other sources. It employs a 3-stage air filtration process that effectively removes not just smells, but also bacteria, dust particles, cigarette smoke, gases and toxins from the air. Let’s take a closer look at these stages:

• Pre-filter. The 570 sq. in. media captures large airborne particles and extends the life of the following filters.
• Activated Carbon Filter. This heavy 18-pound carbon bed features premium-quality activated charcoal enhanced with potassium permanganate. It quickly absorbs musty smell, cigarette smoke, gases, toxins, VOCs and lasts up to 2 years. There is also an improved version of this filter that features a whopping 26-pound carbon bed.
• HEPA Filter. This layer can capture particles as small as 0.3 micron at 99.97% efficiency rate. It means it can collect tiny particles of dust, bacteria, viruses, pollen and other allergens. The lifespan on average is 12 months.

All filters are tightly sealed, so air is always thoroughly cleaned when it passes through the system.

This Airpura air purifier can cover large areas of up to 1000 square feet (4 air changes per hour) or up to 2000 square feet if 2 ACH is concerned. The Canadian manufacturer provides a 5-year warranty on parts and a 10-year warranty on labor – the Airpura F600 is built to last for decades and is an extremely powerful air cleaner when you want to get rid of musty smells or want to keep the air clean from various airborne pollutants so often found in the household environment.

Tracs TM250: Removes Musty Smell, Mold, Dust and Kills Viruses

Tracs TM250 is also manufactured in North America, this time in the US. This HEPA air cleaner features a 3-stage air cleaning system as well, but it is slightly different.

The TM250 features a MERV-8 Activated Carbon pre-filter that extends the life of the HEPA filter and captures odors and gases, including musty smell. The excellent HEPA H13 hospital grade filter captures all airborne particles as small as 0.3 micron (bacteria, gases, toxins, dust, etc.) whereas two UV-C lamps inactivate viruses and prevent mold growth.

This unit also has a 5-year warranty and its body is built from welded steel. Units that were bought 20 years ago still working – just replace filters and bulbs on time and you will always breathe fresh and clean air.

Medify Air MA-40

Medify Air MA-40 is a popular, powerful and affordable air purifier to get rid of musty odors and other smells. It features 3 filters (pre-filter, HEPA, Carbon) and an in-built ionizer that helps filters to catch particles and freshens the air in a room up to 800 square feet (however, it is more effective in rooms 300 – 400 sq. ft. in size).

This air purifier from Medify can quickly and easily get rid of offensive musty smell in your basement, living room or other areas of your house. Compared to the two previously reviewed air purifiers, the combined filter isn’t as lasting – it requires a replacement every 4 months on average. But taking into account an affordable price, good filter quality, high CADR rating, Auto mode (automatically adjusts speed whenever necessary) and excellent results I can definitely suggest you buy one.

Winix PlasmaWave 5500-2

Winix PlasmaWave 5500-2 is another great and affordable air purifier to remove various stuffy smells, dust and allergens. The filtration system is identical to the Ma-40. However, whereas the MA-40 features a combined filter that consists of 3 layers (pre, HEPA, Carbon), the Winix 5500-2 has all 3 filters separated from each other.

I already reviewed this air purifier and recommend checking it if you want to know more about this technological masterpiece designed by Winix – a Korean company that has been making high-efficient air cleaners for decades.

Airdog X3 for Small Rooms

Airdog X3 is an air purifier for small rooms to keep them from allergens, dust, bacteria and odors. It can also help with musty smell found in your bathroom, bedroom or other relatively small room.

FAQ

Do air purifiers help to get rid of musty smells?

Yes, the ones I have listed above are going to help you with this strong odor.

What also can help me remove the musty odor?

Take a look at ozone generators – but you won’t be able to be in a room whilst one is working.

What is the best air purifier for musty smells and cooking odors?

All air purifiers are good, the Airpura is the best while the Winix is good & cheap. See also this list of the best air purifiers for kitchen smells.

Will a Honeywell air purifier help with a musty smell?

Honeywell air purifiers are good, you can try one.

What are the best air purifiers for a crawl space to remove a musty smell?

Check this page.