{"id":9579,"date":"2022-10-18T16:55:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T22:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housefresh.com\/?p=9579"},"modified":"2025-07-18T10:27:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T16:27:46","slug":"budget-air-purifiers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housefresh.com\/budget-air-purifiers\/","title":{"rendered":"The best budget air purifiers you can buy for under $150"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Air purifiers used to be nice gadgets for those who could afford them. But COVID-19 changed everything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2020, there has been an explosion of interest in devices that can clean airborne particles from the air. Reputable organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> and the World Health Organization<\/a> have stated that portable air purifiers can improve indoor ventilation and remove harmful airborne particles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All this to say that everyone is much more aware of how the air we breathe can impact our health, which is great news. The problem is that this has led to online marketplaces and retailers becoming flooded with cheap units that promise to do it all for a quarter of the price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is A LOT of misinformation out there, powered by paid influencers, sponsored ads and fake reviews. On top of that, every big magazine has decided to monetize its traffic through affiliate commissions, publishing page after page with air purifier reviews without actual testing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you are on a tight budget but need an air purifier for your home, make sure to do your research BEFORE you buy, so you don’t end up like this Redditor<\/a>, who bought two different air purifiers before she realized they didn’t work and had to buy a third one to help with her cat allergies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2020, we have bought and tested nearly 100 air purifiers. I used the data we collected from our tests to select the best-performing options you can buy for less than 150 bucks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/th>SMALL ROOMS<\/th>LARGE ROOMS<\/th>SMART OPTION<\/th>DIY OPTION<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
<\/td>Winix A231\/A230<\/a><\/strong><\/td>AirFanta 3Pro<\/a><\/strong><\/td>Levoit Vital 100S<\/a><\/strong><\/td>Corsi-Rosenthal Box<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
<\/td>\"\"<\/td>\"\"<\/td>\"\"<\/td>\"\"<\/td><\/tr>
Time to PM1 zero<\/strong><\/td>40 minutes<\/td>17 minutes<\/td>37 minutes<\/td>32 minutes<\/td><\/tr>
CADR<\/strong><\/td>154 CFM<\/td>430 CFM<\/td>146 CFM<\/td>274 CFM<\/td><\/tr>
Filter tech<\/strong><\/td>True HEPA + carbon + ionizer<\/td>H11 HEPA + carbon<\/td>Bonded particle + carbon<\/td>MERV 13<\/td><\/tr>
Max room size<\/strong><\/td>231 sq. ft.<\/td>671 sq. ft.<\/td>219 sq. ft.<\/td>680 sq. ft.<\/td><\/tr>
Yearly running costs<\/strong><\/td>$119.54 <\/td>$125.23<\/td>$81.98<\/td>$110.88<\/td><\/tr>
List price<\/strong><\/td>$75.99<\/strong><\/a><\/td>$149.99<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$139.99<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$85.00<\/a><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/path> <\/svg><\/span>Tip<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re on a budget, the best way to get the best cleaning power is to use multiple air purifiers instead of just one.<\/strong> If your unit has a CADR of 150 CFM, two units working together will have a CADR of 300 CFM.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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You need to know that we are an independent publisher and only focus on indoor air quality. We buy every product we review with our money, so we can thoroughly test and review without strings attached. If you buy an air purifier by clicking one of the links in this article, you will support our work, as we will receive\u00a0a small commission<\/a>\u00a0at no extra charge<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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How we test air purifiers<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Read our full testing methodology.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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1. For small spaces: Winix A231\/A230<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At $79.99, the A231 (or Zero Compact, as it’s known in Europe) is a powerful air purifier in a small package.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This little air purifier has an onboard air quality sensor, which allows its auto-mode to kick in autonomously as soon as it detects pollutants in the air. It also has PlasmaWave ionizer technology, which gives the A231 a performance boost but could be disabled if you’re not a fan of ionizers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\n\n<\/path><\/svg><\/span>PRice AT amazon<\/span><\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n\n
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It\u2019s still a small unit, so bear in mind that it will not be suitable for rooms bigger than 230 sq. ft., but it\u2019s still quite powerful and completed our air cleaning performance test in 40 minutes \u2014 that is 14 minutes faster than the Levoit Core 300<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What we really like<\/h4>\n\n\n
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<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>It comes with auto-mode, so you can set it up and let it do its job autonomously in the back.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>The design is small and compact, so it doesn\u2019t take up too much space.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>There are generic filters available, which would bring long-term filter replacement costs down to $15 per year.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>It offers 154 CFM (dust) for just $79.99, which means you get 1.92 cfm per dollar spent.<\/span><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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What we think could be better<\/h4>\n\n\n
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<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>This device doesn’t store your settings memory, so it will go back to default (with PlasmaWave enabled) if it loses power. <\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>Not a con but a warning: this is a small air purifier so it shouldn’t be used for large spaces as it doesn’t have the power needed.<\/span><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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