7 Of The Best Electric Air Dusters On The Market

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We've all been there. Your PC (or a keyboard, or a camera) hasn't been cleaned in years. And why would it be? Removing dust from your PC is no easy affair. Cleaning a camera and its lenses can be even riskier. However, it has to be done from time to time. That's when an electric air duster comes in handy. You really don't want to aim a vacuum cleaner at your delicate, expensive, static discharge-sensitive electronics. And what if a loose piece of machinery gets sucked into the vacuum? With an air duster, you'll just find it sitting near the back of the case. Not ideal, but much safer than a vacuum. Air dusters have other uses too, like removing dust from the inside and outside of a car, but that'll require a more powerful (and often more expensive) model than what's needed for electronics.

If you don't have an air duster, don't worry — we've got you. First, avoid buying one of those high-pressure air cans. They're cheap, sure, but they only last a few seconds. After just a few uses, a budget electric air duster becomes the cheaper option. If you're on a tight budget, this list includes some reliable electric air dusters that won't break the bank. You might already have a tool for the job. Many handheld vacuum cleaners can also be used as air dusters, since at the end of the day, all they do is move air — just in one direction or the other.

VSGO makes quite expensive air dusters, but they're also some of the most efficient. The popular VSGO Portable Palm Turbo Electronic Air Blower features a modular design. The two different heads, one with a brush and one without, make this tool adaptable to different situations. Some reviews mention that the airflow isn't very strong on its own, but that's not an issue because the brush head can handle what the fan can't. The VSGO air blowers come equipped with a torch as well, useful for inspecting dirty picture cameras, the main purpose of this tiny air blower. This could be a valuable companion to a traditional camera lens cleaning kit.

According to VSGO, the air moving through the fan of the Portable Palm Turbo can reach 75 MPH, with a pressure of 4.2 kPa at the point of contact with dust. Of course, this is only when the device is set to its most powerful level, so it can handle more delicate tasks as well. The expected battery life is one hour of continuous use. It's unclear what kind of use this refers to, but it's likely low fan speed.

Metrovac is possibly the biggest name in the electric air duster market. You might think that's not saying much, but the company's prices clearly reflect its status. Paying as much as $110 for an electric duster feels steep, especially when it doesn't even offer variable speed control. That basic, almost essential feature will cost you another $20, and you'll need to add $25 more if you want a few spare filters and accessories. To balance its price, the Metrovac DataVac Electric Duster offers 500W of power, far more than what you need to clean delicate electronic components, and enough for larger surfaces like those inside a car. Of course, this is only possible because the DataVac is a wired tool, which makes it a little less convenient for some uses.

DataVac's cheapest entry into the wired duster niche is still extremely powerful, with an airflow of 51 cubic feet per minute. If that's not enough power for you, if you need to completely demolish those camera lenses you're trying to clean, you can count on MetroVac's Pro series. The DataVac Pro Series 3 is just about the most powerful electric Duster you'll find for sale. Powered by a frankly excessive 900W, the Pro 3 can move up to 95 cubic feet of air per minute. To be fair, the Pro series is marketed to businesses, like maintenance staff in large offices. Still, it's fun to imagine what this beast would do to your budget mechanical keyboard.

Another $100 air duster, what makes this one different? A few things, actually. For one, the Wolfbox MF100 Electric Air Duster comes with many accessories, from different heads to a handful of brushes. It also seems to go on sale often, or at least more often than other products on this list. Wolfbox, as a company, focuses on car accessories, and their line of air dusters is no exception. That said, there's no reason you can't use their devices to clean a big tower desktop, your beloved low-profile keyboard, or other electronics that are notoriously hard to clean. The cheaper Wolfbox MF50 could probably do a decent job with all the above, but the MF100 is certainly more versatile.

The MF100 is the pricier of Wolfbox's air dusters, and for that, it promises 100 minutes of battery life. The product page on Amazon claims it can move air at a maximum of 45 m/s (approximately 100.7 MPH), but the company's own website reports a much higher speed of 185 MPH. It would've been hard to know which one was correct, if not for independent reviewer Project Farm. Their tests suggest the 185 MPH figure is more or less accurate, making the Wolfbox MF100 pretty much equivalent to other competitors in the same price range. Wolfbox even offers an 18-month warranty, which isn't always matched by products in the same price range.

Before talking about Makita and its strange tools, let's just say — you almost certainly don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on an electric air duster. A $100 device with a decent warranty and some accessories is nice to have, but if you only need to clean your keyboard and blow dust out of some hard-to-reach places, you can safely go cheaper. A lot of handheld vacuum cleaners (but, ironically, not Makita's) also double as small air dusters, since at the end of the day, they're just moving air from one part of the machine to another.

While most users should probably look elsewhere, there's no doubt the Makita GXT Rechargeable Air Duster is one of the best on the market. And it better be. The body alone will set you back $176, and that doesn't include the battery, charger, brushes, accessories, or even a case. At least it includes a vacuum function to minimize dust, according to some retailers. Based on specs alone, Makita's air duster is incomparable to its cheaper handheld alternatives. At Max speed (the highest of four), the AS001G cordless dust blower can move 39 CFM of air at 447 MPH. The battery (which, again, isn't included) doesn't last as long as others, just 13 to 50 minutes depending on the size, but that's to be expected considering the difference in power.

XPower is probably the cheapest among the (admittedly few) reputable producers of electric air dusters. At just $50 for the corded version, the XPower A-2S Cyber Duster includes two speed modes, a washable filter, and three different nozzles (short and narrow, long, and one with a brush). The maximum airflow is 90 CFM, which is higher than some air dusters that are twice as expensive. That's only because the A-2S is corded, though. The A-2B cordless version, of course, is a little less powerful but more convenient, just as bulky as the original but without the hassle of being plugged into the wall all the time.

The XPower A-5 corded model is the next step up in both power and price, but how much of an improvement is it, and is it worth its $75 price tag? The new air hose design looks more comfortable than physically moving the whole machine to aim the airflow. Unlike the original, the A-5 also functions as a vacuum, though again, it's hard to say how effective it is without reviews or more detailed specifications beyond the 100 CFM rating and the promise of a powerful motor. The fan speed is similar between the two products, with the A-2S reaching up to 39,000 RPM at 4.5 amps, while the A-5 tops out at 34,000 RPM but draws 8 amps.

IT Dusters might not make the most popular line of air dusters, but they still have their fans, and you really can't argue with the price. For as low as $35, you can get a somewhat compact, a single-speed duster with six attachments. It's hard to say exactly how much power the IT Dusters AirTec Ultra Type 3 has. The closest thing to a measurement is its 70 CFM airflow, which translates to about 60 MPH – not outstanding, especially when compared to similar but more expensive products. Meanwhile, the 350W motor, which the company calls "super energy efficient," suggests a power level comparable to the other wired air duster we saw.

But air speed isn't everything, so it's possible the Type 3 is more effective than it looks on paper. That's exactly where the Type 6 excels: on paper. With a sleek black tint and almost twice the weight of the original, the IT Dusters AirTec Ultra Type 6 promises professional-grade air dusting at a slightly higher price, just $48. It only delivers marginal improvements, with a 480W motor and 75 MPH airspeed, but that's about right for the price. A price inflated by 37% gets you 37% more power — $35 for 350W, $48 for 480W. Wait, did they do that on purpose?

Despite the completely different name, the CompuCleaner is made by IT Dusters, the same company behind the AirTec Ultra Type 3. This updated version of the CompuCleaner Original is powered by 550W of cabled electricity and features two speeds: one for small areas or delicate tasks, and another designed for outdoor use. The duster's shape is presumably meant to make it easier to get inside a desktop PC, rather than smaller electronics or larger environments like a car or the space behind a heavy piece of furniture. But the shape also highlights one of the CompuCleaner's drawbacks: it weighs 2.5 pounds and has to be picked up and aimed by the body. It would really benefit from a gooseneck accessory, but it only comes with four short attachments.

That said, for $63, the CompuCleaner Xpert Electric Air Duster delivers 550W of power and includes some antistatic nozzle attachments. The cheaper CompuCleaner Original offers slightly less power and fewer accessories. The company doesn't give more data about the performance of these two machines, like fan speed or pressure applied on the surface, but the reviews are generally positive. One more potential downside (depending on where you live): neither model seems to come with American outlet plugs — only European and British. A cheap adapter solves that issue, but if you're shopping for a new product, you might want to choose something more convenient.

We selected these products based on their specs, various professional and user reviews, brand recognition, and warranty. While quality was our main concern, we avoided including any product that was less powerful, less versatile, or more expensive than its competition — unless it offered a clear advantage.