Affordable air purifiers under $100 from Toshiba, Levoitt and Bissel - NBC News

Posted: 28 Oct 2020 03:15 PM PDT

With temperatures dropping across the country and winter less than two months away, you're likely going to spend more time indoors, and your air quality might be top of mind. Air purifiers are an increasingly popular means to that end. In our guide to the best air purifiers of 2020, the president of the nonprofit Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America told us we spend about 90 percent of our time indoors and take 20,000 breaths a day on average. "If you live in an area with high outdoor pollution, like a metropolitan city, it's essential to monitor the air quality in your home," he continued.

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With an increasing number of Covid cases across Europe and America, you may feel compelled to finally grab an air purifier and keep it on hand. Keep in mind that, as we reported, air purifiers do not prevent the spread of coronavirus. They excel at cleaning up your air, which is significant for anyone spending more time indoors now and in the coming months: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside our homes can be more polluted than the air outside.

You can find air purifiers at various price points across major retailers like Amazon, Target and Walmart. Or Consider buying directly from brands such as Molekule, Bissell, Honeywell and Dyson, four Shopping reader-favorite brands. Most air purifiers are pricey, especially given large spaces. But there are some highly-rated and popular air purifier models that will run you $100 or less, usually sacrificing the size of the area getting cleaned. To help guide your shopping to affordable-and-top-rated air purifiers, we compiled some of the top options that are currently in stock and ready to ship.

1. Toshiba Smart Wi-Fi Air Purifier

Toshiba, a popular purveyor of TVs, created a smart air purifier that's Wi-Fi-capable and boasts Amazon Alexa compatibility, a UV light sanitizer that helps kill airborne bacteria and emits a low level of noise — 32dB at its lowest setting, which the company says is similar to that of a white noise machine. The air purifier can handle rooms as large as 222 square feet, relying in part of its HEPA filter, or "high-efficiency particulate air" filter, which is designed to filter at least 99.7 percent of particles that are .3 micrometers or larger — experts recommend going with HEPA-equipped air purifiers.

2. LEVOIT Core 300

The Core 300 combines proprietary Vortexair Technology, which the brand claims help filter pollutants more efficiently, with a true HEPA filter. Like other three-filter systems, the Core 300 also boasts a pre-filter and a carbon filter to help neutralize odor. The air purifier is designed for rooms that are 200 square feet of space, and is Energy Star-certified, meaning the EPA considers it an energy-efficient product. While the White model costs just under $100, you'll have to shell out an extra $60 for the Black air purifier. Levoit claims the purifier is also notably quiet, emitting just 24dB of noise, which is the noise equivalent to a whisper or rustling leaves.

3. TaoTronics HEPA Air Purifier

TaoTronics makes a quiet air purifier — it emits only 25dB in its sleep mode — that helps clean rooms up to 161-square-feet-large. It includes a pre-filter, carbon and HEPA filter. Beyond the 4.8-star average rating from more than 4,800 Amazon reviews, it also has a nightlight feature to add some non-air-purifying value to the unit.

4. PartU HEPA Air Purifier

Looking to purify your space but also want to enjoy the calming scent of lavender or energizing smell of citrus essential oils? Consider adding the PartU air purifier to your shopping cart. In addition to the three-filter system — pre-filter, HEPA and carbon filters — there is a fragrance sponge built in: Add an essential oil (or several) and the purifier will help fragrance up to 107 square feet of space. You have three fan settings to choose from — low, medium and high — along with a lock screen that prevents curious children (or pets) from changing the purifier's settings.

5. Germ Guardian Air Purifier

With more than 23,000 reviews on Amazon and a 4.6-star average rating, Germ Guardian is the most popular air purifier on this list. Beyond a pre-filter, the true HEPA filter targets pesky pet dander, mold, allergens, dust and germs. There's also an optional UV-C light that you can activate to help kill bacteria. A third charcoal filter is partially helpful for those who want to neutralize unpleasant odors from pets and smoke. If you're having a hard time sleeping, then you may be intrigued by the built-in white noise machine, too. According to the National Sleep Foundation, a white noise machine (also called a sound machine) "can help you create a more relaxing bedroom environment that promotes healthy, high-quality sleep."

6. Jinpus Air Purifier

In need of an air purifier but have a limited budget? Enter the Jinpus air, which costs roughly $35, is quiet (less than 30dB) and is designed to circulate your air faster, courtesy of the brand's 360-degree Purification Performance, fancy for a fully rotating fan build. The purifier boasts a HEPA filter and its sleep mode powers down your gadget after eight hours of use —you can push a button to turn on the dim blue night light. Jinpus says the filter should be replaced every six months, so while you're shopping, consider ordering a backup filter just to be safe. While this model checks all of our boxes for editorial consideration — highly-rated and costs under $100 — it's worth noting the Rigoglioso air purifier is very similar to the Junpus version, as you can see in the product images for both. They both have the same noise level, HEPA filtration system, nightlight and sleep mode, as well as nearly the same amount of Amazon reviewers.

7. Bissell Myair Purifier

Bissell's highly-rated Myair purifier features a 3-in-1 filter — pre-filter, carbon and HEPA filters. The carbon filter is particularly helpful for pet-owners, as Bissell says it will also help neutralize pet odors, as well as general house odors. There are two speed options — high and low — along with a sleep mode for whisper-quiet purification overnight or while attending virtual work meetings from home. It also weighs a little over 4-and-half-pounds so it's easy to move from your home office to your bedroom if you choose. Just remember, the small purifier only works in areas of up to 100 square feet, so if you're looking for a purifier for a larger space, consider ordering the Myair multi-pack or investing in a more expensive model, such as the Bissell Air320 that purifies up to 320 square feet.

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Nicole Saunders

Nicole Saunders is the associate commerce editor at NBC News Shopping, covering wellness and lifestyle.

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