Best Air Purifiers Under $350 for Every Size Room

This GermGuardian model stands out in our tests as one of the top-performing air purifiers for smaller spaces. It does an outstanding job at removing dust, smoke, and pollen, whether on a high or low speed, CR’s testers report. It’s also particularly quiet on a lower setting.

It features a programmable timer, five fan speeds, and an auto mode that detects when air quality dips and automatically shifts to a higher gear. You can quickly gauge how dirty your room’s air is by the changing color of the light indicator. It can also be controlled via a connected app or remote control.

You’ll want to factor in the annual operating costs, which are an estimated $144 per year and include filter replacements and electricity. And according to our latest survey data, CR members who own GermGuardian air purifiers report being just moderately satisfied with their purchase.

The petite Blueair Mini Restful does a top-notch job of removing dust, pollen, and smoke at high speeds and is nearly as effective at low speeds. It comes equipped with a certified HEPA filter but no additional activated carbon filter. It’s a great bedside companion because the Mini Restful also doubles as an alarm clock and a sunrise light that eases you out of sleep.

This Blueair purifier offers three fan speeds, a convenient filter-life indicator, and app connectivity. Annual operating costs are relatively low at $52 per year. Importantly, Blueair air purifiers received excellent marks in predicted reliability and owner satisfaction from CR members.

The Lasko LP200 air purifier is a stellar performer. It earns the highest score for dust, pollen, and smoke removal at its highest setting, and it performs nearly as well when turned down. Designed for floor or tabletop use, it has three speeds and a carrying handle. It’s easy to operate, relatively quiet, particularly when on lower settings, and is reasonably low-cost to operate ($67 per year).

The few downsides: It doesn’t connect to an app or come with a remote control. And, according to our survey data, CR members report just so-so satisfaction with Lasko air purifiers in general.

The Honeywell AirGenius 5 HFD-320 is one of our top-rated models meant for midsized rooms up to 350 square feet. It does a great job removing dust, pollen, and smoke at its higher speed setting. Even with the fan turned down, expect near-top-level performance. It also keeps noise to a minimum. Filter replacements cost $40 per year, and energy costs are estimated at $48 per year. One downside: It doesn’t have WiFi and app connectivity, a remote control, or a particle sensor display.

CR members report that Honeywell air purifiers are very reliable, while owner satisfaction scores are just so-so.

The Blueair Blue Pure 511i Max is a great pick for a midsized space (150 to 350 square feet). It features four speeds, an auto mode that senses when to shift into higher gear, and a filter replacement reminder. It offers app connectivity, where you can monitor your room’s air quality. You can also check the LED light’s color on the machine’s display.

Crucially, the 511i Max receives near-top-level marks in our tests for effectively removing dust, pollen, and smoke particles at its highest speed, though it’s not whisper-quiet while doing so. It performs reasonably well on the low setting, too. The 511i Max comes with relatively low annual costs ($75 per year).

CR members who own Blueair purifiers also report very high owner satisfaction and very few reliability issues.

If you don’t mind some noise, this portable air purifier from GermGuardian AC5900WCA is a solid option. CR’s testers found that it’s very good at removing dust, pollen, and smoke particles from the air when running at high speed. It features a convenient carrying handle, easy-to-use controls, and a programmable timer, but no app connectivity or remote control. The unit is also pretty pricey to maintain because of the high filter replacement costs ($195 per year).

CR members who own GermGuardian air purifiers report moderate satisfaction with their purchase, according to our survey data.

The Blueair Blue Pure 311i+ Max offers excellent performance at a relatively low cost. On its higher setting, it’s terrific at removing dust, pollen, and smoke, but expect a bit of noise. Try it on low and you’ll have more quiet while still experiencing near-top-level results. The Blue Pure 311i+ Max utilizes a washable prefilter, a certified HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter for improved odor control.

This model has a few other handy features, too, like an indicator light that lets you know when it’s time to change the filter and an auto mode that dynamically shifts the fan speed up or down depending on current air quality. You can monitor air quality by glancing at the display’s changing color light or within the paired app.

This model is designed for use in a large space (350 to 650 square feet) and costs about $135 a year to maintain. Because it weighs just 8 pounds, it can be easily moved from room to room. CR members find Blueair air purifiers to be highly reliable and are very satisfied with their purchases.

The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto earns a stellar score for removing dust, pollen, and smoke particles from the air at the high setting, though it’s less impressive at lower speeds. The model features an auto mode and three fan speeds, but, unlike the Blue Pure 311i+ Max shown above, there’s no WiFi or app connectivity. The 211+ Auto can also be relatively loud at higher speeds, and filter replacements can get costly ($140 per year).

In our latest survey, CR members reported very high satisfaction with Blueair air purifiers, as well as impressive reliability.

The Winix 9800 deftly clears away dust, pollen, and smoke at all speeds, particularly when set on high (though expect a bit of a racket when it’s turned all the way up). It uses a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter.

Weighing 19 pounds, the Winix 9800 is designed to be placed on the floor or a tabletop. It has a helpful filter indicator, four speed settings, and can be controlled by an app. Its biggest downside is the relatively high annual operating cost of $164.

All the CR Recommended models rated for extra-large spaces (650 square feet or more) sit above the $350 budget threshold. For example, the top-scoring model for XL-spaces is the particularly impressive Coway Airmega ProX, but it will cost you $850 and then hundreds of dollars for filter replacements each year.

By comparison, the Coway Airmega 450 is one of the most budget-friendly models for extra-large rooms in our ratings that still offers reasonable performance. At its highest setting, it effectively removes dust, pollen, and smoke from the air. (Expect it to perform even better in a smaller space.) And no matter the fan speed, the Airmega 450 is reasonably quiet.

The room’s current particulate levels are easy to read on the display, and it offers a filter-life indicator. It also has an auto mode that kicks the purifier into higher gear when the sensor detects a dip in air quality. Conveniently, this model can be controlled via an app and a remote control. There’s no carrying handle for easy movement between rooms, though, and the machine is heavier than most at 26 pounds. This model costs about $132 a year to maintain, including estimated electricity costs and replacement of the HEPA and activated carbon filters.

CR members find Coway air purifiers highly reliable and are very satisfied with their purchase, according to our survey data.

If you’re on a tight budget, the Coway Airmega 350 is a great choice for extra-large spaces (650 square feet or more). Its performance isn’t quite as impressive as that of the top models, but it’s fairly effective at removing particulate matter at its highest setting, and it’s relatively quiet at any speed. The $103 estimated annual operating cost is on the low end, too.

This model provides a filter-life indicator and an auto mode. You can also gauge your room’s current air quality from the changing color of the machine’s indicator light. CR members find Coway air purifiers highly reliable and report being very satisfied with their purchases.