The Rabbit Air A3 is a high-end air purifier intended for use in large spaces, available only from Rabbit Air's website. It features a five-stage filtration system, which includes an electrostatically charged HEPA filter and a user-selectable final filtration stage for different kinds of airborne pollutants. Beyond that, the A3 features Wi-Fi connectivity and a particle sensor, so you can monitor air quality while you're away from home or run it in its automatic mode to autonomously adjust fan speed depending on current air quality. Unlike many other air purifiers, it can be wall-mounted, though doing so requires the purchase of an additional bracket.
Our Verdict
The Rabbit Air A3 is a great option for pet owners. At its highest fan speed, it can improve air quality to a good level within a pretty quick span of time and is generally a good fit for larger spaces. Its fan is a little loud at this speed, however, which may scare more skittish pets. Thankfully, while lowering fan speed to a quieter level does have a drastic impact on performance, it can still operate effectively within medium-sized rooms, like larger bedrooms or home offices. It also offers multiple filter stages to trap pet dander and reduce odors, though we can't confirm this unit's efficacy on that latter point. Unlike many other air purifiers, you can wall-mount it to keep it out of reach of more curious pets, though you will have to purchase a mounting bracket from the manufacturer's website for this.
Impressive max particle filtration performance.
Quiet operation below max fan speed.
Particle sensor allows for hands-off operation.
Can be wall-mounted to free up space with a separately available bracket.
Somewhat bulky footprint.
Max fan speed setting can be a little disruptive for some pets.
The Rabbit Air A3 is great for use in bedrooms. Even at lower, quieter fan speed settings, it provides a high enough clean air delivery rate to keep airborne particle levels low. It features a dedicated night mode to minimize distractions when you're trying to get some rest. The built-in particle sensor allows it to change fan speed on the fly, which is handy if air quality dips overnight. Alternatively, you can operate the unit from your smartphone so you won't have to get out of bed to make any adjustments. While its rectangular design is fairly slim, this is still a wide unit, which can be a nuisance in tighter bedrooms where space is at a premium. On the upside, you can free up space around nightstands or desks by mounting it to your bedroom wall, though you will have to buy an additional support bracket for this.
Performance at lower, quieter fan speeds is still sufficient for medium-sized spaces.
Quiet operation below max fan speed.
Particle sensor allows for hands-off operation.
Can be wall-mounted to free up space with a separately available bracket.
Somewhat bulky footprint.
The Rabbit Air A3's particle filtration rate is impressive. Its highest fan speed setting yields a high enough clean air delivery rate (CADR) for this to be an effective standalone option for use in large rooms like living areas or studio apartments. Even at quieter, more discreet fan speed settings, it's an effective option within kitchens or larger bedrooms.
Impressive max particle filtration performance.
Performance at lower, quieter fan speeds is still sufficient for medium-sized spaces.
Quiet operation below max fan speed.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Rabbit Air A3 is available in two standard exterior colors: Black and White. Beyond that, there's also the Artists series, which feature either original artwork or reproductions of famous pieces printed on the exterior casing, for a small additional upcharge:
- Cherry Blossom (White)
- Cherry Blossom (Black)
- Laughing (White)
- Vincent Van Gogh's "Vase With Irises"
- Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night"
- Claude Monet's "Water Lilies"
- Katsushika Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa"
- Jan Davidsz de Heem's "Vase of Flowers"
We bought and tested the standard White model, though we expect the other variants to deliver similar overall performance. For those interested, here's the product label for our test unit.
If you come across another variant of this air purifier, let us know in the comments below so that we can update our review.
Popular Air Purifier Comparisons
The Rabbit Air A3 is a premium air purifier. On paper, it's a solid performer overall, with a high enough clean air delivery rate for effective operation in a wide range of room sizes, quiet overall operation, and Wi-Fi connectivity that allows for mostly hands-free usage. While it's hardly small, it also takes up less room than some other premium options like the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde BP04. As an added bonus, if you buy an additional wall support bracket, it won't take up any floor space. That being said, it faces very stiff competition from far less pricey alternatives: the Blueair Blue Signature Large and the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max outpace the Rabbit Air by a fair margin in terms of clean air delivery rate while making less noise.
If you're interested in alternatives, check out our recommendations for the best air purifiers, the best air purifiers for pets, and the best large room air purifiers.
The NuWave OxyPure is a slightly better-performing air purifier than the Rabbit Air A3. The NuWave has a small edge in terms of clean air delivery rate at both its highest fan speed and in quieter configurations, making it the more effective option for larger spaces. However, the Rabbit makes less noise while running and has a slightly shorter, slimmer profile, and it can be wall-mounted to keep it off your floor with a wall bracket that you'll need to purchase separately.
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max is a better overall air purifier than the Rabbit Air A3. While the Blueair is a little noisier than the Rabbit Air at its minimum speed, there's little to tell them apart in terms of noise at their highest fan speed, where the Blueair outpaces the Rabbit Air by a significant margin in terms of air purification performance. It's worth noting, however, that the Blueair's ionization system can't be disabled; this system produces a negligible amount of ozone while running, which is certified to fall within safe limits, but this can still be a dealbreaker if you or a pet in your home is particularly sensitive to ozone.
The Rabbit Air A3 outperforms the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde BP04. The Rabbit Air is a better option for use in larger spaces, thanks to its higher clean air delivery rate, which allows it to lower particle levels to the same level in an equivalently sized room roughly 40% faster. It also has a slightly less obtrusive design, though it's still a little bulky. That being said, the Dyson does give you more granular control over its fan speed, with 10 fan speed settings compared to the Rabbit Air's five. The Dyson also runs much quieter at its highest fan speed.
The Blueair Blue Signature Large outperforms the Rabbit Air A3 in most key areas. While the Rabbit Air is far from a poor performer, the Blueair offers considerably higher particle filtration performance, being able to provide the same level of air quality over 60% faster than the Rabbit Air, all while producing less noise. While the Blueair has a slightly squatter profile, it can be used as a functional table, though the Rabbit Air can be wall-mounted to free up space with a separately available bracket. It's worth noting that the Blueair's ionization system can't be disabled, which can be a big issue if someone in your household is particularly sensitive to ozone.
Test Results
The wall support bracket can be purchased from Rabbit Air's website.
The Rabbit Air A3 has a multi-stage filtration system, each layer being optimized for different kinds of pollutants:
- Pre-filter: Meant for larger motes of dust and fine strands of hair. Should be cleaned every three months.
- Medium Filter: Meant for particles larger than 1 μm, such as pollen and finer dust. It has a service life of 12 months.
- Dual Hive Activated Carbon Filter: Two-layer granular activated carbon filter to trap odors. It has a service life of 12 months. While this filter contains more activated carbon material than most other household air purifiers, it still likely won't be sufficient to deliver serious odor control, which typically requires somewhere in the neighborhood of multiple pounds of carbon media.
- BioGS HEPA Filter: Primary HEPA filter layer containing electrostatically charged material to discourage bacterial growth within the filter. Meant to trap particles as small as 0.01 μm, like the finest airborne allergens and bacteria. It has a service life of 12 months.
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Customizable Filter: Swappable filter layer, with different variants being optimized for different kinds of airborne pollutants. It has a service life of 12 months. The following filters are available:
- Germ Defense: Our test unit was equipped with this filter variant, which is designed to trap "Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria, airborne Aspergillus niger mold spores, and particles that carry MS2 viruses."
- Toxin Absorber: Designed to trap and adsorb volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde and toluene.
- Pet Dander: Designed to trap pet allergens.
- Odor Remover: Designed to reduce odors from "pets, cigarettes and cigars, cooking, and mildew."
As per the manufacturer's maintenance breakdown, the estimates given for expected service life are based on constant 24/7 usage, so you likely won't have to replace the filters as often if you power off your air purifier every now and then. Replacement parts and filters are available directly from Rabbit Air's online store.
