Does an air purifier cool a room? The experts have bad news for those looking to beat the heat this summer

We’re a fickle bunch, aren’t we? We complain when it’s cold and rainy, but then we complain when it’s too hot. So, if you’re looking for a way to beat the heat this summer, you might be wondering: Does an air purifier cool a room?

If you own one of the best air purifiers, there’s a high chance that you’re fully onboard the air purifier bandwagon. This trusty appliance can help you (quite literally) breathe easy in your own home, removing pollutants, toxins, and allergens from your home. Because of this, you might question whether your purifier can go one step further and remove the heat from a room.

Yes, if you want to stay cool in bed or just watch television without the risk of spontaneously combusting, there’s no harm in asking whether an air purifier cools a room or not. But, unfortunately, it’s not a simple answer.

The Ideal Home team agrees that an air purifier is a worthwhile investment, but there are many things you should know before buying an air purifier - especially if you’re wondering if it cools a room. In fact, we have bad news on that front.

Just as a dehumidifier doesn’t cool a room, neither does an air purifier. This is explained by Chris Michael, Managing Director of Meaco.

He says, ‘No, an air purifier does not cool a room. Our air purifiers are designed to improve air quality by removing pollutants, allergens, and other airborne particles through filtration. While air purifiers can circulate air, providing a slight breeze, they do not reduce the temperature of the air.’

Chris Michael

Chris has been advising on humidity solutions and dehumidifiers since 1991 and is well known within the dehumidifier industry across the world as a lead on innovation and sustainability. Since the mid-90s Chris has been a guest speaker at numerous conferences to teach museum conservators how to measure relative humidity. With a wealth of experience in the industry, Chris is committed to helping provide low-energy and low-noise solutions appliances that improve the lives of customers.

This is echoed by Joshua Warren, air purifier expert at AO.com, who says, ‘They do not contain any refrigeration or cooling components like an air conditioner or a fan with a cooling function. Therefore, while they can make the air cleaner and more pleasant to breathe, they do not have any effect on the temperature of the room.’

In fact, it’s important to note that most of the best fans don’t technically cool a room either. Fans work by circulating the air in a room which makes you feel colder (which is why an oscillating fan is always better than a still fan) - but they don’t actively reduce the room's temperature.

If you desperately want to cool down the temperature in a room, you’ll need one of the best portable air conditioners for the job instead. There is an alternative you could consider, though.

How to beat the heat and purify the air at the same time

Although an air purifier does not cool a room, that’s not to say that you can’t beat the heat and purify the air simultaneously. In recent years, a new appliance has made its way out of the woodwork: the air purifier fan.

First and foremost, this appliance is primarily a fan - but it also features air-purifying filters to remove allergens and pollutants from the air. This means it’s perfect for those who want to feel cooler in the summer while also keeping their hay fever at bay.

Of course, it’s important to note that these fans still don’t actively cool a room. But they can make you feel cooler, making all of the difference when the outside temperatures are rising.

At the moment, Dyson is one of the only brands to enter the purifying fan world with its Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09 Purifying Fan Heater (which is incidentally a heater at the same time) and the Dyson Purifier Cool Autoreact, but Phillips is also making its way into this world, too.

So, we can’t imagine it’s too long before purifying fans become a popular addition to the appliance market.

Fan and air purifier top picks

FAQs

Does an air purifier help with hot weather?

In terms of design, air purifiers will not help with hot weather. They’re designed to focus on the quality of the air, removing any airborne pollutants or allergies from your home.

And while air purifiers can let off a slight breeze that may make you feel cooler during hot weather, they won’t cool down a room or lower the temperature. If you want to do this, you’ll need to buy a fan with an in-built air purifier to get the best of both worlds.

Is air purifier good for air conditioned room?

Yes! As air purifiers and air conditioners are two different appliances with two different purposes, they won’t counteract each other and will be able to work alongside each other in harmony.

Some people may actually find that using an air purifier alongside an air conditioner can make life more comfortable, as air conditioners can often irritate allergies or those with asthma. By using an air purifier, you can breathe easily knowing that the appliance is removing these allergens from the air.

Sure, an air purifier might not technically cool a room, but it's still a worthwhile investment.