Best Air Purifiers Under $350

The portable Blue Pure 211i Max features an indicator light to alert you when you need to change or clean the filter. It also has a dirt sensor and four speeds. 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 top-notch results. This model is designed for use in a large space of 350 to 650 square feet and costs about $109 a year to maintain—just more than half that of the Pure 211+. It also weighs only 17 pounds, making it easy to move around. CR members found Blueair air purifiers highly reliable and were quite satisfied with their purchase.

The portable Blue Pure 311i+ Max from Blueair features an indicator light to alert you when you need to change or clean the filter. It also has a dirt sensor and four speeds. 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.

This model is designed for use in a large space of 350 to 650 square feet and costs about $125 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+ earns outstanding scores for particle removal at both high- and low-speed settings. It’s designed for rooms up to 540 square feet. But it can be a pain to move from room to room because this 16-pound unit doesn’t have a carrying handle or wheels. A light will flash when it’s time to change the filter, and this model also has a machine-washable fabric prefilter (a stocking that slips over the bottom half of the appliance and comes in five colors) for capturing larger particles like pet hair, thus prolonging the life of the main filter. One minor caveat: Expect some noise when the unit is running at high speed.

The Winix 9800 deftly clears away dust, pollen, and smoke at all speeds, particularly when set on high (at which point it will make a racket). Weighing only 19 pounds, it’s designed to be placed on the floor or tabletop in a 500-square-foot space. It has a helpful filter indicator and four speeds, but its annual operating cost will set you back nearly $150.

The portable Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto is primarily filter-based and designed for floor or tabletop use in spaces up to 550 square feet. It earns a stellar score in our tests when it comes to removing dust, pollen, and smoke particles from the air at a high-speed setting. The model features a dirt sensor, three speeds, and relatively low operating costs, and it’s easy to use. On the downside, it can be relatively loud when operating at higher speeds, and filter replacements can be costly.

If you don’t mind some noise, this portable air purifier from GermGuardian AC5900WCA may be a solid option. CR’s testers found that it’s excellent at removing dust, pollen, and smoke particles from the air when running at high speed. The unit is pricey to maintain because the filters are relatively expensive to replace. It features a convenient carrying handle, easy-to-use controls, and a programmable timer.

The Honeywell AirGenius 5 HFD-320 is ideal for midsized rooms up to 250 square feet. That said, we recommend purchasing air purifiers that are designed for areas larger than they’re intended for. That way they will perform even better in a smaller space. Filter replacements cost only $40 per year, and energy costs run about $40 per year. This model cleans best at high speed, earning a near-top-level rating for particle removal in that test. And it does so while keeping noise to a minimum, a feat that few high-performing air purifiers can match.

The Clorox 11011 air purifier is designed for use on a tabletop or the floor in spaces 320 sqare feet or less. It features four speeds, a dirt sensor, and an indicator that notifies when the filter needs to be changed. It receives top marks in our tests for effectively removing dust, pollen, and smoke particles at its highest speed and is similarly productive at doing the same while on the low setting. The air purifier is easy to operate and comes with relatively low annual costs, which will typically entail filter replacement. Its only shortcoming is that it can be fairly loud at its lower speeds.

This GermGuardian model stands out in our tests as one of the top air purifiers for smaller spaces. It features a programmable timer and a dirt sensor, and has five speeds. Our tests found it to be especially effective at removing dust, smoke, and pollen at both its highest and lowest speeds. It’s Energy Star qualified and is relatively energy-efficient compared with other models. While this model is easy to use (and even comes with a carrying handle), we did find it to be rather noisy when operating at high speeds.

The Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max does a top-notch job of removing dust, pollen, and smoke at high speeds and is similarly effective at low speeds. It comes with a filter indicator, a dirt sensor, and three speeds. Its annual costs, which include filter replacements and energy costs, are roughly $93 per year. Blueair air purifiers received excellent marks in predicted reliability and owner satisfaction from CR members.

The Lasko FF305 air purifier was a stellar performer in our tests, measuring dust, pollen, and smoke removal at both high and low settings. Designed for floor or tabletop use, it has three speeds and a carrying handle, and is easy to operate.

Its shortcomings include being relatively loud at lower speeds and having higher operating costs than other models we’ve tested. Keep in mind that this unit’s performance is based on the filter it is sold with.