The need for the best inexpensive air purifier: Having found out from research that many of the airborne infections that befall us could have being avoided by combating it on a molecular level while it was still in the air, and for this reason, the use of air purification has become more of a common practice in recent times.

Although most air purifiers or cleaners are very expensive, which is only affordable by a few. But over time, new ways have been developed to make available the best affordable air purifiers.

The best inexpensive air purifiers although cheap, stills retain the ability to perform its primary task of removing contaminants from the atmosphere, and one might even get some for really ridiculous prices so to say. This article contains the best affordable air purifiers on the market today, with every single product selected after a high level of considerations and conclusion.

This write-up has an aim to ease your fears about diving into the market with the intention of getting a low priced unit that would function well, and really you might be surprised as there are categories of the best air purifier under $100 or even the best purifier under $50.

Also Read: Best air purifier for mold spores

Are air purifiers a waste of money?

Air purifiers makes use of filters that have being tested and recommended by several standard organizations for cleaning the air, trapping allergens and contaminants.

Tests have also being carried out to a ascertain the effectiveness of having an air purifier around or not, and the result showed a major difference.

Having an air purifier especially greatly reduces the contaminants in the air, and hence the amount of contaminant you breathe in, therefore it isn’t a waste of money.

Also Read: Best air purifier for cigar smoke

Why is air purifier so expensive?

The costly nature of air purifiers is mainly due to the presence of a Hepa filter among its filtration stages. Comparing the prices of purifiers on the market today, those with HEPA filters are mostly more expensive than the ordinary pre-filter or simply carbon filter type.

Hepa filter features a complicated design, consisting of woven fibers which applies a combination of many years of scientific methods in trapping allergens in the atmosphere including smoke, with a 99.97% accuracy.

They are made of fiberglass which depending on the design, could be thicker than some others and are good at the interception of molecules. Hepa filters also have a really good life span, wherein a good quality version can last for up to 5 years if taken care of properly, or some are even permanent.

The cost of a unit also falls down to the brand and size, as brands like germguardian, levoit, coway etc. are most times more costly than others. The larger the unit, the larger the size of the room it can cover, and of course the more expensive it is too.

Will you miss out on anything by purchasing cheap air purifiers?

The major difference between an expensive air purifier unit and the cheap ones is mostly down to the size of room it can cover, the type of filters it uses alongside the levels of filtration and the automated features it possesses.

If you would purchase a cheap unit, you would most times have to forgo more than one of these qualities, which is why the trick is in trying to minimize the amount of quality absent in the unit.

Considering basic functions, a good and cheap air purifier does the basic job of cleaning, and only differs from the expensive ones by the quality of performance.

Top 5 best inexpensive air purifier in the market

1) Envion by Boneco – Therapure TPP440 – Easy to Clean HEPA Type Air Purifier

Special features: led display, energy star certified, item weight; 9.5 pounds

Envion by Boneco - Therapure TPP440 - Easy to Clean HEPA Type Air Purifier
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This is a tower type air purifying unit, meaning its design basically entails a slim and fairly tall nature that spans few feet off the ground. Due to its tower shape, it has a small footprint that means it would barely consume much space in the home, while its height acts as an advantage which helps it drawn in and purify the air directly into the atmosphere layer where humans breathe from, hence its impact might be more quickly felt.

The controls have been placed conveniently at the peak for easy access, while a handle for easy movement exists at the top side.

It has a digital display led screen that’s cool as human interaction aid, and a powerful filtration system with an ability to filter the air in a room of up to395sqft, which is really impressive for its size and qualifies it for basically most rooms in homes today. Since the lights from an air purifier can be a source of a disturbance at night during sleep, the led screen comes with a dimmer effect option for lowing its brightness to a considerably dull level.

The unit possesses an automatic feature in the presence of a 24-hour timer which allows the user to set a working duration of the unit, after which it shuts down. This is especially useful for convenience and energy-saving purposes. Although a timer option already exists which can save energy consumption in the device, the unit is also energy star rated, hence further consuming energy at regular running when compared to other non-energy star units.

Concerning filtration, this unit is designed with a HEPA filter and also UV option, which is able to both remove contaminants greater than 0.3 microns at a 99.97% effectiveness and attack contaminants at a molecular level, including volatile organic compounds in the home.

The filter is it can be cleaned or maintained, hence eliminating the need for a constant filter purchase, and therefore lowering operational costs in the long run, although the absence of a dedicated charcoal filter for removing odors is seen as a drawback. In all, it’s a top recommendation on the best inexpensive air purifier on the market today, and at that quality and capacity, it could easily go for much higher costs.

Pros

  • HEPA filter,
  • suitable for large-sized rooms,
  • UV and VOC function,
  • timer,
  • energy-efficient,
  • one-year limited warranty,
  • cleanable air purifier,

Cons

  • lack of charcoal filter
 

2) Germ Guardian AC4825 22” 3-in-1 True HEPA Filter Air Purifier

Special features: tower type, sleep mode, AHAM verified, energy star rated, height; 22 inches, dimensions 9 x 5.5 x 21.5 inches, weight; 7 pounds.     

Germ Guardian AC4825 22” 3-in-1 True HEPA Filter Air Purifier
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This is another towering type air purifier on our list, spanning 22 feet off the ground, which is quite tall, and also have a small footprint, making it rather suitable for being placed on the floor than a tabletop unit. As per looks, it is pretty basic, and although it doesn’t carry any groundbreaking designs, it still has a touch or two of beauty to offer in your home.

The AC4825 is a very active device that does an excellent job in removing contaminants including smoke, tobacco, and dust from the air, especially when used in its rated room size of about 167sqft. This capacity of the area is quite small, though for many and is seen as a significant downside to this unit. Among its ranks and ratings, this unit can boast of being AHAM verified, which is a guarantee that it does what its specifications say, backed by the independent testing organization.

Since an air purifier would have to virtually be on for most of the times in order to constantly clean and maintain the air cleanness, there have been concerns over power consumption and hence energy bills. For this reason, the unit has been designed to be energy rated; hence, it would consume far less power than a regular air purifier, and hence cheaper bills. The filtration stages have been built to be effective, with the presence of a 3 stage defense.

A pre-filter at the outskirt, holds back large particles from going into the unit, while the presence of a charcoal filter next is meant for dealing with odors from cooking, smoke, and other common sources in the home, and finally a HEPA filter stands to remove up to 99.97% of allergens as small as 0.3 microns from your air before it is let back into the atmosphere.

There is also an option of using the UV-C light for purification. It works with titanium dioxide to attack bacteria and viruses to ensure further you have completely clean air in the home. The filters in the unit do have a really good life span, being able to last up to 6 to 8 months depending on usage and atmosphere contamination level, while the UV-C light bulbs can last up to a year. With all these qualities packed in one, this unit is actually a good choice for your inexpensive budget, boasting really good performances for such a price.

Pros

  • true HEPA filter,
  • UV-C light,
  • three years warranty,
  • filter replacement indicator light,
  • pre-filter,
  • charcoal filter,
  • energy-efficient,
  • long-lasting filters,

Cons

  • suitable for small-sized rooms,
  • lack of a timer.
 

3) HomeLabs 3-in-1 Compact Ionic HEPA Air Purifier

Special features: dimensions 6.7 x 6.7 x 7.5, 4 stage filtration process, item weight 2.9 pounds.

HomeLabs 3-in-1 Compact Ionic HEPA Air Purifier
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This is a small compact unit that comes with an impressive appearance which would make for an excellent addition in any home. Its small size makes sure that it can be carried around the home or anywhere it is being used without any fuss, having a box-like nature wherein it draws air in through the bottom side and in turn, releases the freshly cleaned air into the environment.

The unit boasts a 4 stage filtration system, which is really efficient in doing what it is designed to do, in air purifying action. The first stage is a pre-filter, mounted at the air inlet area, with a duty to remove large particle contaminants from the air before it gets in, hence doing the job of cleaning and also giving the filters in further stages a longer life.

With the presence of a carbon activated filter, this unit removes the odor-causing molecules from your air, hence the ability to deal with smells, smokes and other domestic odors, after which the air is then forced through a HEPA filter. The last stage of cleaning is the ionizer which catches ultra-fine allergen particles, further cleaning your environment as a result.

There are several modes in which this unit can operate, with customizable including a quieter sleep-friendly lower power, or you can opt for a higher and faster capacity cleaning, which is also nosier. On a normal operation level, though, this unit is quiet and would do a good job in its recommended room setting. It doesn’t come with a timer feature too, and is suitable for room sizes for up to 50sqft only which is a really poor coverage size.

Pros

  • ionizer,
  • HEPA filter,
  • UV-C light,
  • carbon filter,
  • filter replacement indicator,

Cons

  • suitable for small spaces only,
  • lack of a timer.
 

4) JINPUS Air Purifier Air Cleaner for Home with True HEPA Filter

Special features: sleep mode, night light, weight; 1.15 pounds, 360 purification performance,

JINPUS Air Purifier Air Cleaner for Home with True HEPA Filter
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If you are the mobile type, always looking to be on the move but still love to retain the best air quality around anywhere you go, then this would be one of your best bet. Due to its literally tiny size, and a relative weightless nature, this air purifier is easy and portable enough to be carried around, hence recreating the comfort of your home where ever you go.

It is also easy to operate with the presence of a single button for toggling between different modes through pressing at a different number of times.

As a mobile unit, and for its size you shouldn’t be so shocked at it only being able to carry serve a capacity of just 161sqft, which in the end is pretty low and unimpressive. The unit comes with a specially designed pre-filter that does the job of filtering particles before the air flows into the unit for further cleaning.

This unit isn’t also lacking in the aspect of a true HEPA filter as well as an activated carbon filter. The HEPA filter like the usual standard is able to capture particles greater than 0.3 microns with a 99.97% accuracy, meaning it would perform just as well as your regular larger sized unit, while the carbon filter is responsible for odor-causing pollutants. These filters have a pretty impressive life span, being able to last for up to 6 months before replacement is needed.

There is also an ionizer among the air purification stages, with specialty in dealing with allergens in the atmosphere, and the unit is really quiet while in operation. Due to its 360 degrees purification performance, it is able to affect the environment more quickly than narrow or one angled types, and at night, there exists an option of a night light which is loved by kids and sleep mode for a more quiet sleep.

Pros

  • true HEPA filter,
  • low noise,
  • activated carbon filter,
  • fine pre-filter,
  • ionizer,
  • long-lasting filter,

Cons

  • lack of a timer,
  • suitable for small rooms only,
  • one year warranty,
 

Factors to consider in choosing the best inexpensive air purifier

  • Room coverage capacity:

When it comes to dealing with air purifiers, the most important feature to be on the lookout for is the size of the room it can cover. Most of the times, you would find out that the more expensive a unit is, the larger the size of room it can cover, and though you are looking out for an inexpensive unit, you should get one that can cover your needs.

  • Filter replacement frequency and efficiency:

The filters in a unit determines the degree to which it can effectively purify the air in the home, and due to the fact that air is always forced through it, most times it needs to be cleaned or changed regularly. For units with expensive filters, eventually they can become more costly than the price of the product itself.

  • Air purifying filters and stages:

Also the quality of filter matters, especially for people with allergies and asthma, therefore for maximum productivity, it is important the unit you purchase has at least a true HEPA filter. Other layers of filtrations like the carbon, pre-filter, and ionizers would also be beneficial.

Cheap but effective air purifier: how to pick

In picking a cheap but effective air purifier, it is important you do a lot of research, including reading customer reviews in order to get the bests possible. Some of the tips to picking are;

  • Determine why you need an air purifier

it is necessary first to determine the pollution causing agent in your home, whether from a pet, their dander, dust, or pollen. Those suffering from allergen problems, respiratory issues, or asthma would also benefit greatly from an air purifier.

  • Pick the best type of air purifier for your needs:

knowing the exact reason why the air purifier is required in your home is actually the first step to choosing. It helps you narrow down the features that are important for your peculiar situation, hence neglecting the not so important ones. For example, a home with odor and smoke problems requires a unit with carbon filter rather than an ionizer or HEPA filter.

  • Go for a standard HEPA filter if you generally want cleaner air in the home.
  • Determine the best type of carbon filter for you if you have specific allergen problems.
  • Get the size of your room.
  • Estimate a budget before diving into the market, taking into consideration the costs of filter replacements in the long run.

Final Verdict: best affordable air purifiers

Air purifiers are essential for any home today, and for our top recommendation on a product that is sure to perform just as expected while not going to strain financial you is the Envion by Boneco – Therapure TPP440.

The unit offers the complete package in one, properly interfacing between the cheap and the expensive air purifiers in the market today, and with the ability to serve large sized rooms up to 395sqft, the device is very complete. It is also more automated than analog, in the timer feature, while it possessing several filtration stages for efficient performance.

The Germ Guardian AC4825 is the next top device on our recommendation closest the envion type, as it possesses a good number of qualities, while being AHAM and energy star rated, making it a good manager of power and hence lower energy bills. It ultimately falls short in the size of room it can serve though, as it is able to cover just 167sqft.

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