I do not have allergies but have room size HEPAs, two Sharps and a Kenmore.

My rooms are noticeably less dusty. Consumer reports had a good write up about various kinds of filters years ago, it might be worth finding the article. I also have heard the RabbitAir is outstanding.

As you do your research you might just check the energy consumption of the units you are interested in, because there are real differences between same size models.

There is a lot of controversy about ionizers used in some HEPA filters both health related (the ionizers can reportedly create ozone which can create health problems) and performance related. Sharper Image tried to sue Consumer reports over the review of their Ionic Breeze.

It may be worth your while just to look into whether the IRS will accept as a deduction the cost of one of the larger house size models which can be quite expensive, with a prescription from your doctor.

Share, what kind of heat/air does your home have? Our former house had a heat pump with an electric back-up furnace....and a whole house Honeywell air cleaner. I rarely had to dust, loved it. This house is nicer overall, but has radiant heat in the ceilings, no duct work.... I really notice the difference in amount of dust. If I had the appropriate heating/cooling, I'd install the whole house cleaner in a heartbeat.

I have a couple of room sized air cleaners from Costco that I run while vacuuming and dusting....TheraPure, I'm kind of on the fence about them, I'm not sure how effective.

We've had Aprilaire air cleaners on our forced air systems since 'forever'. Our current home also has a flow-through humidifier that dries out between times the furnace fires/blower starts. (No damp media to grow mold and blow it through the house.)

If I remember correctly, room air 'purifiers' aren't very expensive, but they go through filters fast.

My DH started having skin allergies to products he'd used all his life. Our immune systems weaken as we age.

I'm sure you love your dogs, but you don't want to compromise your health. You don't have them in your bedroom, do you?

I forgot to mention that all Rabbit Air products ship for free within the continental USA. They are also Energy Star rated. The MinusA2 (which we have) can be wall mounted or it can sit on the floor or on a table.

Here are the technical specs and the filters for the Rabbit Air MinusA2. We have the MinusA2 SPA 780 (the larger capacity). Running the purifier 24/7 has an annual filter cost of $85. That's $85 total, to replace all of the replaceable filters (there is one that is permanent/washable). Total annual cost, including electricity and filters is less than $150.

I am allergic to dust, dust mites, cats, dogs (anything with fur) and fall ragweed. I started going to an allergist and he started me with weekly shots. Eventually got to every 3 weeks. They have helped a lot. We also had a HEPA filter installed on the furnace for the dust, plus I have a small one in the bedroom.

May I recommend a company called Mission Allergy. They carry bedding, it is not cheap, but keeps the dust mites out. Nothing worse than a dust mite filled pillows, comforter and mattress pads and covers. They have helped immensely!

Yes, be sure to keep the animals out of the bedroom too.

Good luck. You will need it.

Having had allergies most of my life. I went through the testing and the shots which only worked for a while. It depends on what the allergies do or cause your body to do as to how I approach them. Twice a year I have what I call an allergy cold. Early one caused by trees that bloom in late January February. The other middle of October cause unknown. If I had hives or severe itching I might be more proactive but mine are mostly runny nose type. My old allergist was one of those that believed in avoiding things at all costs while at the same time giving me shots with the allergen in them. While your husband many be allergic to dogs unless he has a reaction to your dogs and not just any shampoo or cleaner that is used on them he may not have an allergy to your dogs. Dogs come in all different types with differing coats and skin. If it is your dogs limiting time with them but then increasing that time might reduce any allergic reaction.

My 20+ year old HEPA filter machine that cleans the volume of half my house is pretty good, but also wastes a lot of energy in the incidental production of heat. In the winter that is okay as it just means less heat for the furnace to supply. But in summer it can really heat up a room where it is placed and makes the air conditioner work harder. I don't know whether the info about incidental heat is easy to find on such products nowadays, but if they have energy ratings that would probably help screen out the bad heat-generating ones.

I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-17000-S-QuietCare-True-Purifier/dp/B000050AQ5/ref=sr_1_74?ie=UTF8&qid=1544156581&sr=8-74&keywords=air+cleaners+for+home+with+hepa+filter

I am VERY allergic to pets, cats dogs and birds, as well as plants and some foods. I use mine during the worst allergen times... and just packed it away last week.

However, I may have to haul it back out, as I used a face mask last night and slept sooo much better... I think, even so the ragweed season is over I may have acted to fast.

Moni

PS, I really stay away from all my friends houses... they all have pets, and I no longer eat coconut. However, since I bicycle and garden a lot I really need the aircleaner to recharge while I sleep.

You should consider a whole house air filtration system. We don't have pets, but we still like to breathe clean air. We have a combination of polarized filtration and UV tubes.

If stuck on a portable, I recommend the Oransi Max. My son has a cat allergy and that's what he's been using for many years. It works.

A good one isn't inexpensive. Expect to pay at least $400 for good results.

Another help to those with dust mite allergies is to get rid of all carpeting (nasty source of dust, including the pad), reduce as much furniture upholstery as possible and use leather where possible. Also make sure all draperies and window treatments are washable.

Kathy is right, they make covers for all parts of the bed and they are a wonderful help. I use products from Nation Allergy, https://www.natlallergy.com/.  They also make a detergent that reduces dust when you wash everything (that doesn't have a cover on) off the bed each week.

Something else to consider is a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Thank you all! Much good info to think about! I am going to spend time researching all of it over the weekend.

Only one dog sleeps with us - she's a toy poodle though so she shouldn't be the cause of any allergies with hair instead of fur. The other 2 are in the room though. We are going to change his pillow cases several times a week. The nurse suggested changing the sheets several times a week as well. I'll have to buy more sheets!

I bought my dh a Neti Inhaler that arrived last night. It worked better than anything he's tried so far.

He goes to the ENT today to discuss treatment options.

Thank you all again for your helpful info!

If it is not too late have him talk to his ENT about rebound when using that type of inhaler. ENT should know what this is and perhaps can suggest another that your husband can switch off of to keep it working.

Get your dogs out of the bedroom if you are going to be serious about this. It is not dog hair, it is dander and saliva that people are allergic to. You need a mattress cover that seals in allergens like dust mites and pillow covers of the same type. Keeping your bedroom as a clean zone with no fluffly ruffly dust catchers shaggy rugs and so forth has always been considered to be the best thing you can do and alas that means no dogs. If the allergies are just inconvenient then you decide which is more important. DH is allergic to cats. He lives with it rather than toss the cats out of the room.