Air Purifier Maintenance Costs: Finding the Best Value

There are many factors when choosing the right air purifier for your needs. Among those include: filtration type, cleaning coverage area, air changes per hour, power consumption, design aesthetics, initial cost, overall maintenance cost, manufacturer reputation and warranty.  One of those factors that is rarely compared between air purifier models is the cost value of replacement filters (cost vs. filter life).  Below I have produced a grid to indicate the “sweet spot” of replacement filter cost value. If low maintenance costs are important in your decision to purchase an air purifier, you should be looking in the UPPER-LEFT quadrant of the graph that would show low cost (left side) and longevity (upper side).

Obviously, there are hundreds of air purifier models to compare, so I chose top-rated, high performing air purifier brands that can handle most rooms 400 sq. ft. or more. In addition, these models will out-live their filters by many years, which is more than we can say about many “bargain models” sold at your local Wal-Mart or Target.

Notice that although the Austin Air receives high marks for filter life (about 5 yrs.), but the replacement cost is one of the most expensive.  I should also point out that not all filters are equal in terms of effectiveness.  The IQAir, for example, stands “head and shoulders” above any competitor in terms of filter performance.

Our favorite is the Surround Air Intelli-Pro. The Surround Air may not be the absolute best in terms of particle filtration, but in terms of VALUE this model receives the prize.  Normal filter life for the HEPA filter is around 2 years with a cost of only about $35.00.

As mentioned above, there are smaller units (like the Honeywell and Holmes) that have low filter replacement costs, but they are neither effective units for medium to large rooms or are very durable in the long run.