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The air purifier industry is one that continues to grow and evolve. This is despite the controversy surrounding the benefits of using air puriifer.

It really depends on which air purifier reviews you are reading. If you’ve done your research right, I bet you’ll still end up divided.

Your 3-Pronged Strategy Towards Cleaner Air

If there’s one thing you can be sure of, it is this. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), three-pronged strategies are required to tackle indoor air pollution.

Removing junk in storeroom to improve indoor air quality

Step #1: Remove Those Junks

Strategy #1: Get Rid of Junk Items!

First is to tackle the source itself. If you wonder what constitute as pollutant source, it can be anything found in your home. This step requires you to look around the house.

It requires you to discard all things that are idling and spend most of the time collecting dust.

I know it is heartbreaking to throw away stuffs. It is your choice!

Smoke from Wildfire can be Hazardous

Smoke from Wildfire can be Hazardous

Strategy #2: Let the Fresh Air In!

Second is to ensure good ventilation. A properly ventilated house allows free flow of air from inside and outside of the building. One thing to note though.

If you’re living in areas where wildfires are common, this strategy may backfire. On the contrary, it is advisable to keep your windows and doors shut.

Strategy #3: Grab an Assistant!

The third strategy is to use air cleaning equipments. Again, the impact you’ll notice depends on your air purifier selection. Some models cost less but they are less powerful.

If you have a spacious room, you may need few of these less powerful air purifier in place of a single more powerful model.

Budget is often the major reason why air purifier buyers go for lower cost models. I know of some folks who would buy few units in stages.

Top Low-Cost Air Purifier Alternatives


Let me reiterate one thing here. Low-cost air purifiers are not likely to perform better than more expensive models. If you have the budget and seriously need a good solution, go for the ultimate air purifier model.

I’m usually hesitant about giving recommendation for low-cost air purifier alternatives. But since I’ve been receiving such request repeatedly, I guess there are many of you who are in need for the cheaper and more affordable solution.

Again, only go for these low-cost options as a last resort. For now, let’s take a look at which cheap air purifiers are worthy of your consideration.

Most Recommended Low-Cost Air Purifier: Germ Guardian AC4825

Topping our list of best budget air purifier is Germ Guardian AC4825. It is amazing how Guardian Technology (manufacturer behind) is able to squeeze in True-HEPA filter in such a tight budget range.

Not only that, the filter system also includes carbon filter. If you have problems with pet and tobacco odor, carbon filter is responsible to remove those.

As if this is not amazing enough, you still have the UV-C filter built inside the AC4825. If you have problems with humidity and mold, UV-C filter is designed to mitigate such issues.

Impressive. For the lack of a better word, that’s what best describes Germ Guardian AC4825.

One caution though when you consider getting this cheap but all-capable machine. Its filter needs to be replaced every 6 to 8 months. Each filter replacement costs about one-third of the unit price!

So assuming it will last for 3 years (as the warranty period covers). You would have replaced your filter 5-6x.

Of course it is entirely up to you to decide how often you want to carry out the replacement. But let’s say you replace it every 6months. Over three years, the total filter replacement amounts to the equivalent of 2 brand new units.

Not only that, the 3-in-1 filter is lumped into a single piece. If you want to see how much dust it collects (to see if it does its job well), then you’ll not be able to do that with the AC4825.

It is no doubt not the best filter design. But you get what you pay for. With the kind of price tag that the Germ Guardian AC4825 is offering, you can hardly do better than that. I guess.

Hamilton Beach 04383

The closest contender to Germ Guardian AC4825 is the Hamilton Beach 04383. But there is a whole world of difference that sets them apart.

First of all, take note that Hamilton Beach 04383 IS NOT a True-HEPA air purifier. It is ridiculous to imagine that you can get a True-HEPA air cleaner at such price. But some buyers have this notion when they bought this model.

Instead, you will only get a permanent filter! You can clean the filter, but the filter is not replaceable!

Based on my own experience, it is somewhat effective in reducing dust. But it is definitely not the solution you want to consider to alleviate your allergy and/or asthma conditions.

Again, at the price tag it is fetching, you can hardly expect more than what it has to offer.

Honeywell Compact Purifier

Last on my list is the Honeywell Compact Air Purifier HHT-011. Similar to Hamilton Beach 04383, this compact purifier from Honeywell is also NOT a True-HEPA purifer.

But unlike the Hamilton Beach, this compact purifier comes with optional odor filter. Its filter is also washable and replaceable.

However, the cost of the filter replacement may be overkilling. It cost about half the price of a brand new unit.

The key takeaway here is you may find this compact purifier to boast lots of feature. However, don’t set your expectation too high. You may also want to take note of its costly filter replacement.

Go for These Only as Last Resort

You’ve now seen my recommendation for the low-cost air purifier alternatives. Do your maths carefully before deciding and making your purchase.

My advice is only to go for these alternatives only as a last option.