Top 5 Best Air Purifier under $200 Review in 2021

Cleaning out the air in your home doesn’t have to be expensive. Simply place a portable air purifier under $200 in your house and breathe happily. Now, do you really need one?

Did you know that the level of air pollutants inside your house can be up to 5 times higher than outdoor levels? And no, I’m not making this up. This is what the Environmental Protection Agency found out on their research.

If you have trouble with dust or smoke, a good vacuum or an exhaust fan might improve your air quality but won’t be able to do anything to the harmful stuff floating in the air.

Since you are spending most of the time indoors, you might want to consider investing in an air purifier. Now, under 200 dollars, there are a lot of models to choose from.

All the purifiers in this list come with HEPA filters, so that’s one thing that you don’t need to worry about. However, there are other features that you might want to consider looking into, and that’s exactly what I’ll be discussing in this article.

Top 5 Air Purifier under $200 Review in 2021

Here is a list of 5 budget air purifier under 200 dollars that can do a great job of improving the air quality in your house.

Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA

Starting off this list, let me present the best bang for the buck air purifier from Winix. If you battle with a lot of hair and dust on a daily basis, the Winix 5500-2 is currently the top air purifier you can find under 200 dollars. It’s a product that’s not only the highest-rated but has been getting top reviews constantly.

If you want to remove dander/dust/other air particles, the gold standard for filters is definitely HEPA filters. It comes with three of them that are also washable. Depending on the air quality, you might need to wash them from time to time. However, these filters need to be changed after six months.

If you wash them frequently and vacuum your house, you can stretch it to 12. The clean air delivery is rated for 360 square fit. It’s suited for larger rooms as it can cover a very large area easily. The replacement parts are reasonably priced, so you won’t have to worry about costly maintenance.

Moreover, the features that I really liked most about this unit are Auto Mode and Smart Sensors. It monitors the air quality in your house and automatically adjusts the fan speed for better air cleaning performance. You can also control the fan speed manually. As for the noise level, it’s only 27.8 dB.

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Hathaspace Smart True HEPA Air Purifier

Up next, we have a 5-in-1 air purifier from Hathaspace. Now, this is a smart device that is more than just a regular air filter. For the money, you won’t get a better True HEPA filter out there. In addition to that, the cleaning performance is on par with most high-end models on the market.

Just to give you a quick education, if a product states that it uses a True HEPA filter and not a regular one, it means that you are getting the exact air cleaning performance as you would have gotten on a high-end model. It doesn’t matter whether you are using a budget air purifier.

This one can efficiently capture 99.97% of all airborne particles that go down to the 0.3 microns like allergens, pet dander, dust mites, pollens, and mold spores. You can breathe clean air and get rid of your common allergy symptoms like irritated eyes, coughing, and sneezing.

Within its 5-in-1 purification system, you are getting a cellular activated carbon filter, a nano-cold catalyst filter, an antibacterial filter, then the True HEPA filter, and finally, the ionizer. However, it is surprisingly quiet. You will barely hear the fan noise even when it is kicked into full gear.

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Related Guide: Air Compressor under $300

LEVOIT Purifier for Home with True HEPA Filter

Fresh air can be hard to find, especially for those of us that are living in a concrete jungle. However, it doesn’t need to be when you use a high-quality air filter like the LEVOIT Vital 100 air purifier. Just like the previous model, this one comes with a True HEPA filter as well. Enjoy clean air in the comfort of your home.

This budget purifier features three stages of filtration that can capture a wide variety of pollutions, including pet hair, pet fur, and lint. If you are a pet owner and have an allergy problem, go with this model as the filter can easily trap 99. 97% of airborne particles that are as small as 0. 3 microns.

The advanced motor’s accelerated mechanism packs a punch as it can rapidly refresh the air in your room. It has three fan speed settings that allow for enhanced coverage and can purify the air in your room as large as 300 square feet. The large filter of the Vital 100 is also very effective at absorbing unwanted fumes.

If you want to remove any unpleasant household odors like smoke, pet odors, or cooking odors, this machine can be a really good choice. It’s compact, powerful and looks very modern. You will also like how quiet this purifier is. And you don’t have to worry about fan noise during bedtime.

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Germ Guardian Air Purifier

This is a 3-in-1 air purifier that not only traps the germs that float around in your air but also kills airborne bacteria. This tabletop unit from Guardian Technologies is an affordable product that also features a True HEPA filter. If you want to improve the air quality of your room, then this is the one.

The powerful UVC light technology built into this unit helps to kill airborne viruses such as rhinovirus, influenza, and staph. It can also reduce volatile organic compounds. To increase the lifespan of the filter, there is a pre-filter dust trap that can also absorb hair and other large air particles.

This purifier can also reduce unwanted odors from cooking fumes, pets, smoke, and more thanks to the advanced charcoal filter. As for the cleaning performance, it can purify the air in a 338 square feet room up to 4 times in max fan speed setting. You can also choose between three-speed settings.

By using the lowest setting, you can sleep peacefully, knowing that the air is being purified without having to worry about fan noise. If you want to make it even quieter, there is an option called the ultra-quiet sleep mode. However, if you don’t want to leave it on all night, you can use the programmable timer.

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Pure Enrichment PureZone 3-in-1 Air Purifier

Get cleaner air in every room with PureZone’s advanced 3-in-1 filter technology. It can purify the air in your room in three stages. The first stage is the pre-filter that traps all the airborne particles. And the second stage is the activated carbon filter that reduces unwanted odors.

Finally, the last stage is the True HEPA filter that does all the magic. You can also enjoy improved air quality and a deeper level of sanitization thanks to the built-in UVC light. This feature alone makes it a good budget-friendly year-round air purifier that works wonders, especially in the allergy season.

It has a clean air delivery rate of 80 cubic feet per minute and can effectively cover a room up to 200 square feet large. This makes it ideal for large areas such as offices, bedrooms, and living rooms. Whether it’s pet dander, pollen, household odors, or smoke, this one can get rid of them all.

This one doesn’t utilize ionizers or ozone generators. In fact, it is 100% ozone free, which in return helps to keep you safe from lung-related diseases. It’s also very energy efficient, and thanks to the timer function, you can decide how long you want to keep it running.

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LEVOIT Air Purifiers for Home Allergies and Pets

If you’re looking for a reliable and high-quality air purifier, then you should take a look at this product from LEVOIT.

It doesn’t matter if you’re hearing the name for the first time, because it’s been tested by many users and we approve of it. What does it have in offer?

First and foremost, any good air purifier should have a HEPA filter, and this one has it. With a 3-stage filtration system, this will get rid of 99% of the allergens and pollutants from the air around you. To add more protection, it also has an activated carbon filter.

The ultra-silent operation is one of its perks. You won’t hear a thing when the purifier is on and working at 100%. At a sound level of 25 dB, you can sleep deeply without having any humming sound disturbing you.

This purifier circulates the air of your room 4 times every hour to ensure fast purification. And the compact and small size makes it perfect for any room size. It looks nice, too, making it a lovely addition to the room decor.

One thing you’ll appreciate about this purifier is that it doesn’t use UVC light or Anion like other brands as they can be harmful to children and asthma patients.

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Coway AP-1512HH White HEPA Air Purifier

Here we have a tested and proven air purifier from Coway. You can rest assured that you and your family will breathe fresh air as long as it’s working and after it has finished working. The AP-1512HH is capable enough to remove almost 100% of the pollutants from the air.

Thanks to the HEPA filtration system, this purifier can filter airborne allergens and pollutants as small as 0.3 microns.

This TrueHEPA filter, as they call it, is just like any high-quality HEPA filter that catches pollen, pet dander, and other microscopic elements.

One additional point about the filtration system is that it utilizes an activated carbon filter to get rid of harmful gases, bad odors. This is a plus point as low-priced air purifiers don’t usually have this feature.

It includes a pre-filter to trap larger pieces, and the pre-filter is washable. The larger pieces get stuck on the wire mesh screen that is easily cleaned.

And you’ll love the addition of an air quality indicator and a vital ionizer which boosts purification through negative ionization.

As one of the highest-rated air purifier products available in the market, this one doesn’t have any noticeable negatives apart from the fact that it can’t purify a whole apartment.

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Vremi Premium Large Room Air Purifier with True HEPA H13 Filter

If you want good cheap air purifiers for your household, then this product from Vremi can be a good option.

It’s designed with quality features to give you a personalized experience within a small budget. Below, you can see if the specs and features satisfy you or not.

This air purifier has 3 filtration stages. The first one is a pre-filter that takes out the considerably large particles from the air. In this way, the second filter can work longer without the need for cleaning.

The true HEPA filter, as you know, is the best when it comes to taking out small pollutants and allergens as it can detect and clean 99.7% of them.

A good feature of this purifier is the 360° air inlet. What this feature does is that it enables the unit to take in air from all around it for much more efficient purification.

Any hair, pet dander, pollen, or odor is taken out. The activated carbon filter helps in this regard.

Also, the unit has an air quality sensor that enables two features that we appreciate. One is the air quality indicator, and number two is the auto mode.

This unit always keeps reading the sensor and displays the air quality, and it will set the fan speed accordingly to save energy.

We didn’t like the 52dB noise rating as it’s too much compared to the air delivery rate, and more area coverage would have been better.

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Germ Guardian Large Room Air Purifier

Another high-quality air purifier we will recommend is the unit from Germ Guardian. The price is quite affordable, and being a tested product, there should be little doubt about its value. Have a look at its features and specs.

This air purifier unit does 4 things at once. These are pollutant filtration, germ-killing, allergen trapping, and odor removal.

Thanks to the HEPA filter’s 99.7% pollutant filtration capability, you shouldn’t have to worry about having fresh air in your room.

Then the UV-ray light is used to kill germs that eyes can’t see, and the filter can’t catch. However, this UV-ray technology is not appreciated by many as scientific results indicate. But it works efficiently.

The activated carbon filter is a proper filter for taking care of bad odors, which is a great feature at this price.

We all love deep and sound sleep. Some air purifiers have a loud humming sound that makes it hard to rest at night. But this one is free from that blame, thanks to the quiet mode.

Of course, when you put it on the highest setting, it can make a lot of noise. So, make sure to use the high setting when you’re not resting. Another negative is the low area coverage at only 167 sq. ft.

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Things to Consider Before Buying

There are a lot of different models out there, but if you want to get good, clean air, go with a purifier that has a good filter. Since most of the products in this list use HEPA filters, you won’t have to worry about filtering performance.

However, we are talking about budget air purifiers, so there are some other things that you need to consider. While the initial investment might be less, however, you don’t want to end up with a purifier that is pricier to maintain in terms of replacement parts like filters.

Now, with that in mind, let us consider some of the key features that you should keep in mind when buying an air purifier under 200 dollars.

Filters

Most of the products on this list will have a combination of filters. In this case, the more the merrier. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, I suggest you pick a purifier that has a True HEPA filter, a pre-filter, and an activated carbon filter.

You should also take a look at the replacement availability and the cost of replacing those parts. HEPA filters aren’t cheap, and that’s why you should learn how to properly maintain them in order to prolong their lifespan.

Having a pre-filter is a must as it works as a shield that protects the main filter in your purifier. It traps the large dust particles first to prevent them from going into the main filter. Since they are washable, you won’t have to worry about replacing them anytime soon.

There is a downgrade version of the True HEPA filter on the market. You will most likely find them on purifiers that cost less than 100 dollars. While they are not as effective as a True HEPA, they are good enough for regular light-duty use.

Sensors

Most of the purifiers in this list have smart sensors built into them. Some will monitor the air quality in your room while some sensors are built to monitor the light levels inside a room.

A smart sensor will automatically adjust the fan speed depending on the air quality. When it detects high levels of dust, odors, and other contaminants, it will automatically adjust the settings to eliminate the pollutants.

On the other hand, a light sensor monitors the light level. If it gets too dark, the purifier will automatically go into sleep mode. Now, it won’t turn off the machine. It will simply run quieter than usual, which is ideal for nighttime use.

Coverage

To find the coverage capacity of a purifier, look at a CADR rating. At this price point, most manufacturers won’t even bother trying to put a CADR rating. However, you can tell the capacity by looking at the reviews.

Different models have different ranges when it comes to cleaning capacity coverage. Before buying one, consider where you will be placing the purifier in the first place.

If your room is about 200 to 300 square feet, most of the units in this list will be able to cover the entire room. However, for a large living room, you might want to purchase more than one.

Noise

You don’t want to end up with a model that is loud. Check the noise level on the spec sheet because different models will operate at different levels. If you are sensitive to noise, you might want to consider going with a low dB air purifier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Obviously, there will be some trade-offs when you opt for an air purifier under $200. However, there are many products out there that will do a great job of providing you with some relief from dust and allergies. Make sure to look at their reviews before you buy one.

References

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/appliances/air-purifier-reviews/a25252001/do-air-purifiers-work/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_purifier
https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/do-air-purifiers-work