The air inside your home can be as or more polluted than the air outside, according to the EPA. An affordable air purifier can help remove dust, smoke and other pollutants — many of our favorites, especially for small spaces, cost under $150.
We’ve been using air purifiers for years, and spoke with filtration experts to better understand what to look for when shopping for one on a budget, plus explanations on terms like HEPA, CADR and more.
SKIP AHEAD The best affordable air purifiers under $150 | How to shop for an affordable air purifiers
Selected.Our top picks
We spoke with filtration experts to learn more about the technical aspects of air purifiers. We combined their advice with our experience using air purifiers to select products using the following criteria:
- Price: Every air purifier we selected is under $150.
- Room size: Most air purifiers under $150 are rated for smaller room sizes. Still, we tried to select products that can accommodate different room sizes. An air purifier rated for small spaces will not be effective in a giant room.
- Filtration: Per expert guidance, we selected affordable air purifiers with a clean air delivery rate (CADR, learn more here) equal to about two-thirds the product’s recommended room size.
- Filters: Every air purifier we selected uses a HEPA filter, which is ideally designed to filter out at least 99.7% of particles of 0.3 microns or larger in diameter, according to our experts.
Related
select
selectHow to find an air purifier that won’t keep you up all night
Most of our recommendations are NBC Select staff favorites we have used in our homes for years. Others are top-rated options with unique specs or features. Below each recommendation we share specifications like recommended room size, CADR, sound rating and more.
Editor’s pick: Blueair Pure 511
What we like
- Small and lightweight
- Fabric pre-filter
- Quiet
Something to note
- No auto mode
NBC Select commerce editor Lindsay Schneider received this air purifier from the brand when it launched in 2023 and promptly bought herself a second one after seeing all the dust it collected. It is small, light and easy to use, with one button on the top that switches between night mode, normal mode and boost mode.
The machine pulls unfiltered air in all directions and pushes clean air out the top. It has a machine-washable fabric cover that catches large clumps of dust, lint and hair — I’ve thrown mine in the washing machine a few times with no issues.
Recommended room size (AHAM): 180 sq. ft. | Decibels: 24 — 49 dB | CADR (CFM): smoke: 112, dust: 112, pollen: 112 | Filter lifespan: ~6 to 9 months | Connectivity: n/a | Speeds: 3 | Weight: 4.2 lbs | AHAM verified: Yes
Runner up: Levoit Core 300
What we like
- Small and compact
- High CADR
Something to note
- No auto mode
NBC Select updates editor Mili Godio uses this air purifier in her bedroom — it keeps the room clean of dust and debris, and is barely audible throughout the day and night. Its compact, circular design is easy to place anywhere in your space, in our experience. The screen on top has lights that can be turned off, a nice feature for sleeping.
This model does not have smart connectivity — look at the $149 Levoit Core 300s for that feature.
Recommended room size: 219 sq. ft. | Decibels: 24 — 50 dB(A) | CADR (CFM): smoke: 141, dust: 140, pollen: 145 | Filter lifespan: ~6 to 8 months | Connectivity: n/a | Speeds: 3 | Weight: 7.5 lbs | AHAM verified: No
For medium spaces: Winix A230
What we like
- Fit for medium rooms
- High CADR
- Auto mode
Something to note
- Nothing at this time
This air purifier from Winix is the same price as our picks from Blueair and Levoit, but is fit for larger rooms — up to 230 square feet. It also has the highest CADR scores of any purifier on this list.
It has an auto-mode that automatically adjusts the fan speed based on the air quality detected in your space, according to the brand. Like our other top picks, it draws air in all directions and pushes filtered air out of the top, making it easier to place around the room.
Recommended room size (AHAM): 230 sq. ft. | Decibels: Undisclosed | CADR (CFM): smoke: 147, dust: 149, pollen: 154 | Filter lifespan: ~12 months | Connectivity: n/a | Speeds: 4 | Weight: 6.75 lbs | AHAM verified: Yes
Smart connectivity: Levoit Vital 100S
What we like
- High CADR
- Auto mode
- Smart connectivity
Something to note
- Larger than other top picks
This air purifier is a little larger and boxier than our other picks, but has a few smart features uncommon in the sub-$150 price range. Like the Winix, it has an auto mode that automatically detects the air quality in your room and changes the filter speed accordingly. The wider, U-shaped design better traps large particles like pet fur, according to the brand.
Unlike all our other picks, you can control this air purifier remotely with your phone using the VeSync app. You can also control it with smart home voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
Recommended room size: 219 sq. ft. | Decibels: 23 — 52 dB(A) | CADR (CFM): smoke: 141, dust: 141, pollen: 141 | Filter lifespan: ~6 to 12 months | Connectivity: Yes | Speeds: 3 | Weight: 7.5 lbs | AHAM verified: No
How to shop for an affordable air purifiersWhen it comes to air purifiers, there are a few terms that can help you better understand what to look for when shopping.
HEPAThe Department of Energy defines a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter as one that removes 99.97% of particulates that are 0.3 microns in size.
But there is very little enforcement of HEPA standards, says Michael Corbat, vice president of engineering for Rensa Filtration. Most of the time, you are relying on the manufacturers or third-party laboratories to verify if a filter meets HEPA standards. “For the average consumer, there is simply not enough oversight at this point,” he says.
A small filtration difference — a purifier that filters out 99.94% of particles compared to 99.97% — would likely not make much of a difference in air quality, says Corbat.
CADRCADR (clean air delivery rating) is the best way to determine an air purifier’s performance, says Corbat. CADR is given three numbers: one for tobacco smoke, one for dust and one for pollen. For example, a pollen CADR of 125 means that the air purifier can deliver 125 cubic feet of pollen-free air per minute. (CADR assumes a space with ceilings that are eight feet high). According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturer (AHAM), your air purifier should have a CADR rating equal to about two-thirds the cubic feet of your room.
Corbat recommends air purifiers with CADRs certified by AHAM, otherwise, you are most likely relying on the manufacturer’s self-reporting. Below each product recommendation, we list whether the product is AHAM certified. You can find the CADR ratings of any AHAM-certified air purifier on the AHAM Verifide website.
SpaceIt’s important that the air purifier you have is rated for the size of your space, or else it will not effectively clean your air, says Kenneth Mendez, president of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
An affordable $99 air purifier might not be the best choice for a 1,000 square foot room, for example. Keep the two-thirds CADR rule in mind when choosing an air purifier for your space.
Meet our expertsAt NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Michael Corbat is the vice president of engineering for Rensa Filtration and former president of the National Air Filtration Association.
- Kenneth Mendez is the president of the nonprofit Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Niska Dhawan is a former associate commerce editor at NBC Select.
Harry Rabinowitz is a reporter at NBC Select who covers technology including guides to smartwatches, portable air conditioners, and over-ear headphones.
For this article, Nishka and Harry interviewed experts on the technical aspects of air filtration. They also leveraged the personal experience of the NBC Select team using air purifiers in their own homes.
Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.
