In this guide we'll show you how to determine the best value air purifier for your specific application. We'll end this guide by showing you what is currently the best low cost option on the market.
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We find it's helpful to break down any value analysis for an air purifier into two different categories:
Initial cost involves
This is easy. Is the air purifier cheap or expensive? If it's extremely cheap this certainly makes it an attractive option and a good candidate for having good value. If it's extremely expensive, it may be outside your budget but more importantly, it needs to offer quite a bit for it to be a good value.
Top rated units fall in the $120 to $200 range. We generally do not recommend units that cost less than $100 (If you find this price range unaffordable we recommend that you hold off on your purchase - it's that important).
More expensive units are also not recommended. Not because of their high price but because they don't offer enough at that high price.
Yes, the air purifier you're buying may be cheap or it may be expensive but what do you get for the price?
The two most important 'features' to look out for are
This is easy. Does the air purifier come equipped with a HEPA filter? If yes, then it's an option. If no, then it's not an option.
This is the output of the air purifier. The higher the CADR or CFM the greater the output. Generally, the higher the price, the greater the output ' but not always ' so watch out and definitely read this before you buy.
All top rated units have HEPA filters and a great CFM/$ ratio.
Long term cost gets a little more complicated.
Here we have to take into account
The good news here is that energy costs can be extremely low, if you buy the right model.
In our general buyer's guide, we get into detail as to why we recommend 250 CFM units over any other size air purifier on the market. We make this recommendation for many reasons but one of the primary reasons is this:
250 CFM units can be run on a lower fan speed that provides sufficient CFM
At these lower fan speeds these units draw less than 10 watts of power. That equates to only $10 per year in energy cost even if you run them 24/7, 365 days of the year.
Of course, if you're using such a unit in a larger space you will have to set it to its maximum fan speed to initially lower room particle concentration. But you don't have to run it on this speed all the time and even when you do the power draw is still very reasonable at around 60 to 70 watts.
Top rated units have about 250 cfm of output and because of that are able to have great energy efficiency in many different applications. Those units that do not have low energy efficiency scores in their respective reviews.
Filter replacement can be expensive. We made sure to select top rated units with reasonable filter replacement costs but that's not to say that there aren't models on the market that have rather unreasonable filter replacement costs.
Here's what you should look out for when assessing a unit's filter costs.
1. Manufacturer Recommendations About Filter Replacement Frequency
Don't use them! Manufacturer recommendations vary wildly between different models because there is no industry standard recommendation to make.
Yes, it could be argued that different models have different pre-filters, different design, etc. which can contribute to different filter replacement windows.
However, our testing has shown that replacement frequency much more depends on
If the air you're cleaning is extremely dirty, the filter will 'saturate' faster and will need to be replaced faster. This is no fault of the air purifier. In fact, the quicker the filter saturates the better the air purifier is working ' the cleaner it's keeping your air.
How can a manufacturer know any of these variables, especially the last one? This is why we standardize how filter cost analysis in the following way:
We estimate that you'll only need to replace the unit's HEPA filter once per year in reasonably clean air. We then compare all units on the market according to this requirement.
This presents something important to watch out for:
2. Hidden Carbon Filter Costs
Most air purifiers on the market come equipped with a HEPA filter (for particle removal) and a carbon filter (for gas removal).
Carbon filters, for the most part, need to be replaced much more frequently. This is because
We estimate that you'll need to replace the average carbon filter at least 2x per year* ' compared to 1x per year for a HEPA filter.
HEPA filters and carbon filters are often sold as a combo pack ' meaning you buy them together and not individually. Many manufacturers do not sell them individually at all.
Here's the problem:
Many manufacturers bundle only 1 carbon filter with 1 HEPA filter. This means that you have to buy multiple combo packs to keep up with the very reasonable 2 times per year carbon filter replacement schedule we estimated above.
This means that you're now buying multiple combo packs per year even though you may only need one HEPA filter per year.
*Note: This is actually a low estimate. You'll likely want to replace it at least 4x per year. We just use the lower estimate because a higher estimate would make filter replacement costs even more unreasonable for many models on the market.
The small air purifier, small air filter, small filter cost trap
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Smaller air purifiers have smaller cheaper air filters.
It's unreasonable to compare the filter cost of a small unit to that of a large unit. Here's why.
There's only so many particles in a room that need to be filtered by the air purifier's HEPA filter. As these particles are filtered they begin 'saturating' the filter.
Assuming the same amount of particles, (and the same output ' you can set a large unit to approx. the same output of a small unit by setting it to a lower fan speed. In any case, assuming the same amount of particles and output,) a smaller filter will saturate much quicker than a larger filter. Why? Because the smaller filter has less surface area to saturate.
For example, if filter A has a surface area of 100 sq. in. while filter B has a surface area of 200 sq. in. filter A will saturate twice as fast. If filter A is $5 and filter B is $10, replacement cost is equal because you need to buy two of filter A to remove the same amount of particles as filter B (which will saturate in double the amount of time).
In the example above, filter A is a good example of a filter for a small air purifier while filter B is a good example of a filter for a large air purifier.
The bottomline here is that filter costs for small and large air purifiers are much more similar than they appear at face value. All other factors being equal, filters for small air purifiers are usually not any less expensive than filters for large air purifiers.
Use a meter
The 1x per year HEPA replacement schedule we talked about earlier is an estimate. To truly maximize how long you can use any particular HEPA filter use a particle meter.
Use it at the beginning of the filter's life to see how low the particle concentration gets in the room and on what setting.
Use it again when you think it's getting close to the end of the filter's life. If the particle concentration is still getting just as low on the same settings there's no need to replace the filter.
We're going to wrap things up by giving you an example of a top rated unit that does well in the value analysis we just described ' in other words, we're going to show you a unit that is just a very good value all the way around.
The best least expensive air purifier currently on the market is the Winix -2.
This unit retails for a very reasonable price ' so a very reasonable initial price.
But more importantly, it's a great price for what it offers: First of all - 250 CFM. There's really no other model on the market , at least at this time, that offers this much CFM for this price. So you're getting a great CFM/$ ratio with this unit.
It also has a pellet based carbon filter for gas filtration ' better than fiber coated. It has a HEPA filter ' remember, you absolutely want a HEPA filter.
In terms of long cost this unit does very well also. Filter replacement costs are very reasonable.
The unit's carbon filter is also washable which greatly extends the life of the filter. Not to mention the pre-filter which extends the life of both the carbon and HEPA filter. This unit also has superb energy efficiency.
Have a question or comment? Let us know below.
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We've tested more than 60 air purifiers in the past nine years, and the exceptional Coway Airmega AP-HH Mighty is our top pick among them. It's powerful enough to clean a large room, quiet enough to sleep near, engineered to run for years, and inexpensive enough to set up several throughout a home. But it's not the only excellent air purifier we've found, and if you prefer the looks, price, or features of our other recommendations, be assured that they are also top-notch performers.
Air purifiers are fundamentally simple machines'little more than a fan and a filter. Yet a well-designed purifier can capture virtually all airborne allergens, such as pollen and mold spores, as well as bacteria, viruses, and smoke.
The Blue Pure 211i Max aced our tests, and on top of its powerful performance, it stands out for its energy efficiency, quiet operation, user-friendly features, and good looks.
With quiet operation, good color options, and performance matching our other picks, this is a great choice, although the cost of filter replacements can run relatively high.
This purifier is terrific overall, but it has minor shortcomings, including a stark look, no display shutoff, and slightly elevated electrical use.
Virtually identical to our top pick on features and performance, this purifier is a great choice if you prefer its looks or find it at a better price.
Within 30 minutes, the Coway Airmega AP-HH Mighty reduced heavy smoke pollution in a New York City office by as much as 99.6%; this is comparable to the performance of other top machines and has been consistent in multiple test spaces. We've pushed this machine beyond its on-paper limits in various ways'including running its filters 24/7 for two years, twice as long as recommended'and it has never wavered or weakened. It offers great value on initial and long-term costs, and its compact form, quiet operation, and display-light shutoff make it especially well suited to using it in a bedroom or living room.
The Coway Airmega 200M is virtually identical to Coway's Airmega AP-HH Mighty in every important respect. They're equivalent in noise and performance measurements, their filters are interchangeable, and their similar controls allow you to shut off the display lights. The 200M has a square grille rather than a round one, but that's the only major physical difference. If you prefer the 200M's looks or you find it at a better price, we recommend it.
The Winix -2 is an exceptional performer on particulates air pollution: It captured as much as 99.9% of the smoke in our test room in just 30 minutes on high. We prefer the Coway Airmega AP-HH Mighty for its lower energy consumption, smaller visual footprint, and manual display-shutoff feature. The related -2 and C535 (which is exclusive to the Winix store and Walmart) lack a few of the -2's features, but they perform just as well and may be available at lower prices. We've had similarly strong results with every other Winix we've tested, including the AM80 and Wi-Fi'enabled AM90'not surprising given that the only meaningful differences between them are their looks.
The Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max is similarly excellent in purifying performance to our other standard-space picks and offers notably quiet performance, terrific energy efficiency, and a display shutoff. A re-engineered motor (versus its predecessor, the 311 Auto), a larger and less dense filter, and a more-open outlet grille account for its lower electricity consumption and noise output. The Blueair app lets you monitor your air quality and adjust the machine's settings remotely. And it's a particularly attractive machine, with a tweed-like, washable cover available in several muted colors. One minor knock: The company recommends replacing the filters every six to nine months, pushing yearly replacement costs above those of some similar purifiers.
Levoit's Vital 200S matched the Coway Airmega AP-HH Mighty in performance tests, and the two are very similar in terms of energy efficiency, noise output, and an ability to shut off the display while maintaining the fan setting of your choosing. It's been working flawlessly in our first year of long-term testing in a New York City apartment.
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max, meant for large spaces around 500 square feet, is a stellar performer, reducing smoke levels in our test room by more than 99.9% on its high and high-medium settings. In spite of the power, it's extremely energy efficient and quieter than you'd expect. You can shut off the display while it runs, which helps if you're light sensitive while trying to sleep. There's a child lock for the controls. Its air-quality sensor reads your room's particulate-pollution levels at 1, 2.5, and 10 microns (aka PM1, PM2.5, and PM10'broadly equivalent to smoke, dust, and pollen). An app remotely monitors its readings and can control its settings. It's priced accordingly, and if you're considering this for a small to medium room, you can get more than ample purifying performance for at least $100 less with our other picks.
The diminutive Blueair Blue Pure 511 has many of the same features that we like in the other Blue Pure purifiers we recommend. It's a great performer for a machine of its size and power. In our testing, it cleared 96.9% of smoke particles in half an hour on its highest setting, and it cleared 89.6% on medium. It's also extremely quiet, staying below our 50-decibel limit for comfortable TV viewing and sleeping, even on high. Drawing just 3.5 watts on its everyday medium speed, it's very energy-efficient, too. At less than 4 pounds, it can easily be placed on a shelf or a desk, as well as on the floor. And its display goes dark automatically, so this machine won't be a distraction when you're trying to nap or work.
Below, we also recommend a purifier specifically for reducing VOCs. However, due to its many drawbacks, it's strictly for special cases, where simply opening a window isn't an option.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website maize vibro separator.