Let’s face it – air pollution is becoming an increasing issue in the world we live in today. The latest report says that the air indoors, on average, has up to 5x more pollutants than the air outdoors – now that is a scary thought! In other words, the air inside can be much more dangerous than the air outside. In order to combat this issue, many people turn to devices known as air purifiers. There are different kinds of air purifiers on the market, but they all share the same common goal – cleaning indoor air. So today we will be looking at the top 5 best air purifiers under $50 for your home.
Cheaper air purifiers are great for anyone looking to get started in the world of air purifying. Another great thing about cheaper air purifiers is that you can always find a use for them, even if you decide to go for an upgrade at a later time. Although air purifiers in the top tier can cost up to $500 and more, do not worry – you can get some great results with cheaper ones. As is true with most entry-level products, the devil is in the details. You can get some really great cheap air purifiers if you know what to look for. So here at IonizerHub, we have gone ahead and took a look at many air purifiers under $50. After analyzing and compiling the data, we have selected the top 5 best air purifiers under $50, available on the market today.
Best Air Purifiers Under $50 Criteria And Comparison Table
We took a very methodical approach when evaluating different air purifier models. In this case, it is important to take quality over quantity. For this reason, we put almost no emphasis on features such as a fancy control panel, led lights, touchscreen, 5 fan speeds, etc. The 4 main factors that we did put heavy emphasis on are:
Room coverage and CADR rating. These two go hand in hand which is why we included them together. While CADR rating does not measure cleaning effectiveness directly, it does tell you the cleaning capabilities in terms of room coverage. Some companies like to exaggerate the room coverage of the devices, but luckily you only need the CADR rating to manually calculate the actual room coverage.
Filtration system. Here we were looking for true HEPA filters, ideally type H13 or H14 (the highest tier). Additional types of filters are a bonus. There are different types of air purifiers on the market, however only the ones that use HEPA filters are worth it at this price point. Other types of air purifiers under $50 do not perform as good.
No ozone. Ozone is harmful to your lungs and health in general. We really do not like any kind of ozone from air purifiers, even in very small quantities. You are not trying to replace one health hazard with another. This is why we have selected air purifiers that do not emit any ozone.
Easy & cheap filter replacement. Filters are a “necessary evil” when it comes to most air purifiers, however some need to be changed more often than others. We looked at the most budget-friendly and durable ones. The last thing you want is a cheap air purifier that requires you to change filters multiple times per year for it to be efficient.
Comparison table
Below you can find our comparison table for the best air purifiers under $50, based on our above-written criteria.
INTEY Air Purifier | RIGOGLIOSO Air Purifier | PARTU Hepa Air Purifier | HAUEA Air Purifier | Marreal AP1211-D1 Air Purifier | |
Price (as of writing) | $$$ | $$ | $$$ | $$$ | $$ |
CADR | 120 m/3 | 30 m/3 | 50 m/3 | 90-128 m/3 | ~96 m/3 |
Room coverage | 215 sq ft | 45.6 sq ft | 107 sq ft | 161-216 sq ft | 150 sq ft |
Filteration system | Pre-filter,true HEPA filter, activated carbon filter | Pre-filter, true HEPA filter, activated carbon filter, negative ions, | Pre-filter, true HEPA filter, activated carbon filter | Pre filter, true HEPA filter, activated carbon filter | Pre-filter, true HEPA filter, activated carbon filter |
Replacement filter cost | $$ | $ | $$ | $$ | $ |
Filter change | 3-6 months | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months | 12 months |
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Read on to see why we chose each one of these as the top 5 best air purifiers under $50.
INTEY Air Purifier with True HEPA filter – Best Overall Performance
FEATURES ✓ Efficient 3-stage filtration system PRODUCT INFORMATION Product dimension: 8.5 x 8.5 x 13.2 (inch) |  |
Our winner in terms of performance. It has everything you would want in an air purifier of this price range. Despite the low cost, it matches many higher-priced purifiers in its effectiveness. It comes with a standard pre-filter, true HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter. While this is a pretty basic setup, it does its job and it does it very well. Pre-filter removes the biggest pollutants such as dust, while the true HEPA filter takes care of other, smaller particles (0.2 micrometers in size). Lastly, the carbon activated filter deal with smells and odors. We picked INTEY Air Purifier mainly due to the high CADR rating, which is way above the majority of other air purifiers that are in the same pricing tier. You can use it in larger rooms and, unlike most other cheap purifiers, still expect good results. The filters are of good quality and durable.
The device also comes with an impressive control panel. While we did mention that features such as this are not something that we put heavy emphasis on… they are always a welcome addition. In this case, you get 3 different modes that fit pretty much all the needs you could ask for. You actually get 8 different timer settings, which you will not find in many other (even higher-priced) purifiers. Easy and intuitive to use, this air purifier can be used in even larger rooms of up to 215 square feet. This is great because you get to use it in your living room or kitchen – most other purifiers can not effectively cover that big of an area.
Latest price and availability:
PARTU HEPA Air Purifier – Runner-up for the Best Overall Performance
FEATURES ✓ Efficient 3-stage filtration system PRODUCT INFORMATION Product dimension: 7.5 x 7.5 x 13.8 inches |  |
We had a hard time initially deciding if this would get the top spot over instead of INTEY Air Purifier. In the end, INTEY took the first spot, but PARTU Air purifier is a formidable second. It has a CADR rating of 50 m/3, which is more than half less of our top pick. However, this CADR rating is still in the top tier for all air purifiers that are under $50. And the 107 square feet of cleaning coverage is above average in this price range. The filtration system is basic but made of durable and good filters. You get a pre-filter, a very good true HEPA filter, and a carbon activated filter for smokes and odors. The top tier CADR for this price range, decent room coverage, cheap replacement filter, and solid filter components made it our second-best pick, performance-wise.
The pretty unique feature that you get with this air purifier is the lock settings. This can come very handy especially if you have children and/or pets in the house. The lock feature prevents anyone from unintentionally changing the settings, or turning the device off. Partu Air purifier also comes with a fragrance sponge, something we have not seen before on cheaper air purifiers. It enables you to put a drop of essential oils on it, which will then blow out together with filtered air, giving it a nice smell.
Compact and easy to fit pretty much anywhere, best used in your bedroom, smaller office, or any room under 107 square feet.
Latest price and availability:
Rigoglioso Air Purifier – Best Cleaning Capabilities
FEATURES ✓ Efficient 3-stage filtration system PRODUCT INFORMATION Product dimension: 9.4 x 6.1 x 5.9 inches |  |
This pick was quite a no brainer. As expected, you do not get as many settings and options as you do with other models. What you do get, however, is superb cleaning capabilities. Rigoglioso Air Purifier is pretty much the only one at this price point that comes with an advanced cleaning system. In addition to your typical 3 stage filtration system, it also comes with a cold catalyst filter and a negative ion generator. As we mentioned before, HEPA filters can remove particles that are as small as 0.2 microns. Many viruses, bacteria, and some allergens are smaller than that, meaning that HEPA filters can not remove all of them. This is where negative ions and a cold catalyst filter come into place – they remove even the smallest sized particles of 0.01 microns.
While the CADR and room coverage are not the most impressive for this device, you will get the best cleaning results, by far. The negative ion generator emits 5 million negative ions per second, which is great for a device that is not a pure air ionizer. This, together with the cold catalyst filter, assures that you get the best cleaning capabilities out of all air purifiers on this list.
Latest price and availability:
Marreal AP1211-D1 Air Purifier – Best Budget Choice
FEATURES ✓ Standard 3-stage filtration system PRODUCT INFORMATION Product dimension: 8.9 x 8.9 x 12.9 inches |  |
In our top 5 best air purifiers under $50 list, we also wanted to include a really budget-friendly air purifier that still packs a decent punch. We believe that to be the Marreal AP1211-D1 Air Purifier. It actually covers rooms of up to 150 square feet, which is quite above average in this price range. The main reason why we chose it as our budget choice is the filter replacement cost and frequency. While the device itself is usually slighty under $50, the filters are almost half the price as most others. When we were looking at a possible winner in this category, filter replacements were our main focus. One thing you always have to keep in mind is filter cost and how often you need to change the filters.
Marreal AP1211 Air Purifier blows the competition out of the water here, as the filters need to be changed merely once per year and are very cheap. Most cheap air purifiers that we analyzed had filters that need to be changed up 2-3x a year and cost up to twice as much!
Latest price and availability:
HAUEA Air Purifier with True HEPA Filter – Biggest room coverage
FEATURES ✓ 4 layers of air filtration PRODUCT INFORMATION Product dimension: 7.87 x 7.87 x 11.42 inches |  |
If you are looking for an air purifier under $50 which has the biggest room coverage, then look no further than HAUEA Air Purifier. In terms of CADR and room coverage, it is just slightly above INTEY Air Purifier (our overall performer winner). The filtration system includes all the components needed for effective air cleaning. HAUEA Air Purifier comes with the standard pre-filter, true HEPA filter, and a carbon activated filter. The device can emit a bit more noise at maximum fan speed – this is expected as it needs a more powerful fan in order to cover such a large area. On low settings, the noise levels are 20dB which is considered very silent.
As the name would already suggest, we recommend the HAUEA Air Purifier if you are looking to get maximum possible room coverage. You also get a modern-looking touch panel that you can use to adjust some settings – 3 fan speeds, timer function, and a nightlight button. This is a very portable device that you can use even in your larger rooms of up to 216 square feet and see great results.
Latest price and availability:
Summary of the 5 Best Air Purifiers Under $50
We hope you enjoyed our top 5 best air purifiers under $50. We have prepared you a short summary of all the models – namely what each one does best.
Best Overall Performance: INTEY Air Purifier
Runner-up for Best Overall Performance: PARTU HEPA Air Purifier
Best Cleaning Capabilities: RIGOGLIOSO Air Purifier
Best Budget Choice: Marreal AP1211-D1 Air Purifier
Biggest Room Coverage: HAUEA Air Purifier with True HEPA Filter
5 Best Air Purifiers Under $50 – which one should I choose?
We would like to end this long review and comparison with some final recommendations. We have given you the 5 most viable options, but which one should you choose? Everyone has their own preference and in the end, the decision is yours to make, but here are some general guidelines. These are our recommendations, based on the above-written categories:
Overall performance. We would pick this option if you are either new to the air purifier world or if you are looking for something cheap and effective, which will last you long. They do everything great, but nothing exceptional. If you are looking for a powerful air purifier under $50 to put in a medium or large room, with the end goal of having clean air – then this is your pick.
Cleaning capabilities. We would pick this if your main concern is removing as many pollutants from the air as possible. Who benefits from this the most? Anyone suffering from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory problems. If you also experience some odor issues, then this choice will give you the best results. Consider this one also if you have any pets. Use only in small areas or rooms.
Best budget choice. Mostly for beginners or travelers that are looking for the best bang for your buck. Pick this if you are looking to have the lowest maintenance cost (in the form of replacement filters), while still having good enough cleaning capabilities. Can use in small or medium-sized rooms, such as a kitchen or bedroom.
Best room coverage. As the name already implies, choose this if you are looking for the biggest room coverage. Suitable for small, medium, or large rooms. Keep in mind that you will experience higher noise level on max fan settings, since a stronger fan is needed to cover so much space. In this regard, it is probably not the best choice for the bedroom, but can be great in a living room.
