Do Cheap Air Purifiers Work? What You Should Check Before Buying

Maintaining good air quality is a key to ensuring comfortable and healthy living. A dependable air purifier is key to this, as it can cut down on harmful airborne particles such as dander, pollen, bacteria, and even come in handy during more extreme scenarios. Improving your air quality can result in reduced allergies, improved sleep quality, and decreased chance of illness. As you can imagine, the bigger and better brands can go for a pretty penny, and you may be wondering if a cheaper purifier will do the trick. 

Like every household accessory out there, you'll find air purifiers at every budget level, and it's tempting to go for a lower priced option when available. While price isn't always an indicator of quality, it's generally for the best that you avoid going down this route. In most cases, the performance of budget models is sub-par when compared to their premium counterparts, which often contain superior filtration systems that are more adept at capturing minuscule particles. 

As a result, cheaper purifiers often lack the efficiency needed to cover large rooms and may lose functionality all together in a relatively short period of time, making them a greater waste in the long run. Higher end models not only perform better and have longer lifespans, but typically also sport greater versatility with the inclusion of features such as timers, air quality readers, noise level controls, and more. 

While a premium air purifier is the more worthwhile investment in most instances, there are scenarios where a lower cost model can still work out fine. If you only use a purifier on occasions, are in a temporary living situation, or only need to cover a small amount of space, then you may be able to get away with employing a cheaper purifier. However, before getting any budget purifier, there are some important factors to keep in mind. 

Perhaps the most important thing to check for your particular model are the kind of filters it uses and where they can be found. Something that may not be apparent is that finding replacement filters for lower-priced purifiers can be a difficult endeavor. Oftentimes, these purifiers are custom-built to only be compatible with a specific filter that may not be readily available at your local retailer. While you may have luck finding them online, they can come with hefty price tags due to most bargain purifiers being manufactured overseas, meaning that shipping time and costs are likely to go up. 

As filters and regularly replacing them are key to your purifier's performance, this is an aspect that shouldn't be overlooked. Take the extra time to look up your purifier model, what filters it requires, and how easy they are to find. Additionally, taking a deep dive into reviews and ratings from buyers, as well as the overall quality and value of the filter itself, will give you a well-rounded picture of what you're buying.