Air purifiers, dehumidifiers and portable air conditioners worth buying in Australia
Quick answer: Match the machine to the problem. Smoke, dust or pollen in the air: a HEPA air purifier, sized on CADR, such as the Philips 2200 (from $357). Damp, condensation or mould: a dehumidifier sized in litres a day, such as the Ausclimate Large 35L ($449). A hot room you cannot fit a split system to: a refrigerated portable air conditioner, such as the Arlec 3.5 kW ($489) or, for a bedroom, the De'Longhi PACEM93 ($899).
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Our picks at a glance
| Product | Philips Best air purifierPureProtect 2200 Series (AC2220 / AC2221)$357 Appliances Online | Click Best budget purifierCADR 400 Air Purifier (TL2852)$159 Bunnings | Ausclimate Best dehumidifierLarge 35L Dehumidifier$449 Bunnings | Ausclimate Best for cold, damp roomsCool Seasons Premium 10L Desiccant (AU-1910DD)$388.50 Bunnings | Arlec Best value portable aircon3.5kW Portable Air Conditioner (PA1226WH)$489 Bunnings | De'Longhi Best portable aircon for bedroomsPinguino 2.6kW (PACEM93 Silent)$899 Appliances Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why it's here | 420 m³/h CADR and a three-year filter ($109), from $357 at Appliances Online. | 400 m³/h for $159 at Bunnings, with an honest room rating. | Up to 35 L a day at 30°C and 80% humidity, drain hose, $449 at Bunnings. | Desiccant rated down to 1°C, $388.50 at Bunnings. | 3.5 kW from a published 1,300 W, $489 at Bunnings. | 50 dBA Silent mode and a five-year compressor warranty, $899. |
| Watch out for | Appliances Online lists 45 dB when working, so the top speed is far from silent | No published noise figure or filter life | Model numbers differ by retailer (ACD135 at Bunnings, ACD235 on Amazon), with different tank sizes | 730 W is roughly three times a small compressor unit's draw | 65 dBA on both low and high speed, per Bunnings | 2.6 kW is a bedroom-sized unit at a 3.5 kW price |
| Buy | Check Amazon$357 at Appliances Online$449 at JB Hi-Fi | $159 at Bunnings | Check Amazon$449 at Bunnings | Check Amazon$388.50 at Bunnings$488 at Appliances Online | $489 at Bunnings | Check Amazon$899 at Appliances Online$899 at The Good Guys |
420 m³/h CADR and a three-year filter ($109), from $357 at Appliances Online.
$357 at Appliances Online · checked 18 Oct 2026
400 m³/h for $159 at Bunnings, with an honest room rating.
$159 at Bunnings · checked 18 Oct 2026
Up to 35 L a day at 30°C and 80% humidity, drain hose, $449 at Bunnings.
$449 at Bunnings · checked 18 Oct 2026
Desiccant rated down to 1°C, $388.50 at Bunnings.
$388.50 at Bunnings · checked 18 Oct 2026
3.5 kW from a published 1,300 W, $489 at Bunnings.
$489 at Bunnings · checked 18 Oct 2026
50 dBA Silent mode and a five-year compressor warranty, $899.
$899 at Appliances Online · checked 18 Oct 2026
How we picked: We compared these 6 picks on and price, using maker specs, Australian retailer prices and owner reports. We haven't tested them hands-on yet, and maker claims are labelled as theirs. Commission never changes the order. Full method.
Every guide on this site is written for Australian homes and Australian shops. Prices are what we found at Appliances Online, JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys, Bunnings and Dyson on the date above, in Australian dollars; for models also sold on Amazon Australia, check the current price on Amazon. We compare maker specifications, test conditions and retailer listings; we have not run these appliances in our own home, and we make no health claims for any of them.
How to choose
Start with the problem, not the product. These three appliances get confused with each other, and each one does one job.
- Smoke, dust or pollen in the air. An air purifier with a HEPA filter, sized on its CADR (clean air delivery rate), not the room size on the box. See the air purifier guide, the bushfire smoke guide, and Dyson vs Philips if you are choosing between the two big brands.
- Damp, condensation, musty smells or mould. A dehumidifier, sized in litres a day at a stated temperature and humidity. See the dehumidifier guide and the dehumidifier for mould guide.
- A room too hot to sleep in. A refrigerated portable air conditioner, sized in kilowatts, with its hose vented outside. See the portable air conditioner guide.
The number that matters for each
| Appliance | The number to compare | Price range we found | The ongoing cost | Our pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air purifier | CADR in m³/h, divided by your room volume | $159 to $1,499 | Filters: $69 to $179 a year, or none for 5 years on some models | Philips 2200 |
| Dehumidifier | Litres a day, at the test temperature and humidity | $237.95 to $1,446 | Power: 208 to 730 W while running | Ausclimate Large 35L |
| Portable air conditioner | Cooling kW, and power input in watts | $279 to $1,199 | Power: 800 to 1,300 W where listed | Arlec 3.5 kW for value, De’Longhi PACEM93 for bedrooms |
When to buy
Each appliance has a season, and buying a few weeks early gets you choice and a spare filter.
- Air purifiers: December to February, when bushfire smoke arrives. Buy the replacement filter at the same time; Philips’ own filter pages carry owner complaints about filters being out of stock.
- Portable air conditioners: December and January, ahead of the first heatwave.
- Dehumidifiers: February to June, through the damp late-summer and autumn months, and into winter for cold southern bedrooms, where a desiccant model works best.
Read the test conditions
Every category here has a headline number that depends on how it was measured, and makers do not all measure the same way.
- Purifiers. Philips states its CADRs were tested to GB/T 18801-2022. Dyson and Shark both state that their headline room sizes assume one air change an hour. Two purifiers with almost the same CADR are sold for rooms of 48 m² and 166 m².
- Dehumidifiers. Compressor units are usually rated at 30°C and 80% humidity; Ausclimate rates its desiccant at 20°C and 60%. A compressor’s real output in a cold room is well below its box figure.
- Portable air conditioners. Two 2.6 kW units are rated for 15 m² and for about 37 m². Compare kilowatts and power input before the room rating.
Electrical safety and the fine print
Anything that runs on mains power should carry the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM), the electrical safety mark under the Electrical Equipment Safety System; our research method explains what else we check. Smoke advice on this site comes from NSW Health and EPA Victoria, and mould advice from NSW Health, and we link the pages so you can read them yourself.
The one trap
Asking one appliance to do another’s job. An air purifier does nothing about damp, so it will not stop mould coming back. An evaporative cooler sold as a “portable air conditioner” has no compressor, and NSW Health advises against using one during bushfire smoke because it brings outdoor air inside. A portable air conditioner’s dry mode works, but at several times the power of a dehumidifier. Name the problem first, then buy the machine built for it.
The picks in detail
Philips PureProtect 2200 Series (AC2220 / AC2221)
$357 at appliancesonline.com.au · checked 18 Oct 2026
420 m³/h CADR and a three-year filter ($109), from $357 at Appliances Online.
- CADR: 420 m³/h (Philips, GB/T 18801-2022)
- Rated room: Up to 109 m²
- Noise: From 13 dB(A)
- Power: 28 W (Amazon listing)
- Filter: FY2200/30, up to 3 years
- Filter cost: $109 (JB Hi-Fi)
- Warranty: 2 years
Pros
- High CADR for its size: Philips says it clears a 20 m² room in under 7 minutes
- Filter rated for up to 3 years, so the yearly filter cost is low
- Philips' quietest purifier, from 13 dB(A) on the lowest setting
- App control and an air quality sensor that sets the fan speed
Cons
- Appliances Online lists 45 dB when working, so the top speed is far from silent
- Amazon's listing quotes 400 m³/h and 104 m², a little below Philips' own figures
- The 109 m² room rating is generous; size it on air changes, not the box
Paid links: we may earn a commission. Price checked 18 Oct 2026.
Click CADR 400 Air Purifier (TL2852)
$159 at bunnings.com.au · checked 18 Oct 2026
400 m³/h for $159 at Bunnings, with an honest room rating.
- CADR: 400 m³/h
- Rated room: 28 to 48 m² (Bunnings)
- Noise: Not stated
- Power: 45 W maximum
- Filter: Pre-filter, HEPA 13 and carbon
- Filter cost: Not listed on the Bunnings page
- Warranty: Not stated on the listing
Pros
- 400 m³/h for $159, the most CADR per dollar we found
- An honest room rating: 28 to 48 m², which works out at roughly three to six air changes an hour
- Bunnings returns and in-store pick-up
Cons
- No published noise figure or filter life
- No app; auto mode runs off a simple air quality light
- We could not find its replacement filter listed at Bunnings
Paid links: we may earn a commission. Price checked 18 Oct 2026.
Ausclimate Large 35L Dehumidifier
$449 at bunnings.com.au · checked 18 Oct 2026
Up to 35 L a day at 30°C and 80% humidity, drain hose, $449 at Bunnings.
- Extraction: Up to 35 L/day (at 30°C, 80% RH)
- Type: Compressor
- Tank: 5 L (Bunnings) or 6 L (Amazon)
- Rated room: Up to 50 m²
- Runs from: 5°C
- Power: 485 W maximum
- Noise: Not stated
- Warranty: Not stated on the listing
Pros
- 35 L a day for $449, at Bunnings or on Amazon
- Continuous drainage, plus castor wheels and a temperature and humidity display (Amazon listing)
- Runs from 5°C
Cons
- Model numbers differ by retailer (ACD135 at Bunnings, ACD235 on Amazon), with different tank sizes
- Capacity is measured at 30°C and 80 percent humidity; expect far less in a cool room
Paid links: we may earn a commission. Price checked 18 Oct 2026.
Ausclimate Cool Seasons Premium 10L Desiccant (AU-1910DD)
$388.50 at bunnings.com.au · checked 18 Oct 2026
Desiccant rated down to 1°C, $388.50 at Bunnings.
- Extraction: Up to 10 L/day (at 20°C, 60% RH)
- Type: Desiccant
- Tank: 3 L
- Rated room: Up to 50 m²
- Runs from: 1°C
- Power: 730 W (Appliances Online)
- Noise: 38 to 49 dB(A)
- Warranty: 2 years
Pros
- Rated at 20°C and 60 percent humidity, a far more winter-like test than compressor units
- Runs down to 1°C, where compressor units struggle
- Laundry mode and swing louvres
Cons
- 730 W is roughly three times a small compressor unit's draw
- Gives off warmth, welcome in winter but not in summer
- Price varies: $388.50 at Bunnings, $488 at Appliances Online
Paid links: we may earn a commission. Price checked 18 Oct 2026.
Arlec 3.5kW Portable Air Conditioner (PA1226WH)
$489 at bunnings.com.au · checked 18 Oct 2026
3.5 kW from a published 1,300 W, $489 at Bunnings.
- Cooling: 3.5 kW (12,000 BTU)
- Power input: 1,300 W
- Rated room: Up to 20 m²
- Noise: 65 dBA
- Dehumidify: Yes
- Warranty: Not stated on the listing
Pros
- $489 at Bunnings with a published power input, so you can work out running costs
- 3.5 kW from 1.3 kW, a ratio of about 2.7
- Sleep mode, 24-hour timer, window kit
Cons
- 65 dBA on both low and high speed, per Bunnings
- Not inverter
Paid links: we may earn a commission. Price checked 18 Oct 2026.
De'Longhi Pinguino 2.6kW (PACEM93 Silent)
$899 at appliancesonline.com.au · checked 18 Oct 2026
50 dBA Silent mode and a five-year compressor warranty, $899.
- Cooling: 2.6 kW (10,500 BTU/h)
- Power input: 1,100 W (Amazon listing)
- Rated room: Up to 90 m³ (about 37 m² at 2.4 m ceilings)
- Noise: 50 dBA in Silent mode (The Good Guys)
- Dehumidify: Up to 50 L/day
- Warranty: 2 years, 5 years on the compressor
Pros
- Silent mode rated at 50 dBA (The Good Guys)
- Five-year compressor warranty
- R290 refrigerant, window kit included
Cons
- 2.6 kW is a bedroom-sized unit at a 3.5 kW price
- Appliances Online lists 60 dB, so normal running is louder than Silent mode
Paid links: we may earn a commission. Price checked 18 Oct 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an air purifier or a dehumidifier?
They do different jobs. An air purifier pulls air through a filter and reduces airborne particles such as smoke and dust. A dehumidifier removes water from the air and deals with damp and condensation. If the problem is mould, the dehumidifier comes first, after fixing any leak.
Can my air conditioner's dry mode replace a dehumidifier?
Partly. Many portable air conditioners have a dry mode (De'Longhi lists up to 50 L a day for the PACEM93), but they draw around 1,100 W against 208 to 485 W for the compressor dehumidifiers we list, and they need a window hose. For damp in mild weather, a dehumidifier is the cheaper tool to run.
When is the best time to buy?
Before you need it. Demand for purifiers peaks with bushfire smoke from December to February, portable air conditioners with the first heatwaves in December and January, and dehumidifiers with the damp months from February to June. Buying a season early gives you a choice of stock, and spare filters.
Where do your prices come from?
From Australian retailer pages we loaded on the date shown: Appliances Online, JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys, Bunnings, Dyson and Amazon Australia. Amazon prices change often, so for those we link to the listing and ask you to check the current price there.