Sure, you love your pet. But what about the telltale odors that let every visitor know there's a dog -- or bird, or cat -- in the house? Enter The Pet Machine by Austin Air. This air purifier helps doting pet owners address some of their peskiest problems, including allergies and odors.

This is one of the few air purifiers we've found that is designed to operate 24 hours a day, continuously clearing the air of allergens and other pollutants. According to company data, The Pet Machine is most effective when placed near the area where a pet spends most of his time, such as a sleeping room. It uses a three-filter system comprised of a pre-filter, a 15-pound activated carbon-blend filter and a HEPA filter. Keep in mind that if your pet Fluffy is truly a fur ball, you'll need to change the filters more often, probably every four to five months. However, if you only have one or two pets and they don't typically pose much of a hair problem, you can expect the filters to last five- to 10-times longer.

So, why buy an air purifier specifically for pets when a standard air purifier would work just as well? Because, quite simply, we find that the standard air purifiers we tested don't tackle pet hair and allergens quite as well. The carbon-blend filter really seems to get rid of pet odors, and the HEPA filter has an increased effectiveness range to pull in floating pollutants. It can clear a room up to 1,500-square-feet, but it's more effective in smaller spaces.

The Pet Machine isn't small, and that's our one complaint. Weighing 45 pounds, you will probably want to find a permanent home for it. It has all-steel construction and comes in a choice of four finishes: white, silver, sandstone or black. If you're looking for an air purifier built specifically for pet problems, The Pet Machine by Austin Air is it.


Pros: Clears rooms up to 1,500 square feet, designed specifically for pets
Cons: Filter replacements are pricey

Warranty
5 years, limited