Indoor air quality has become an increasing concern for many homeowners in recent years. Air purifiers offer an effective way to remove allergens, pollutants, and irritants from the air to create a healthier home environment. However, the filters in these devices need regular replacement for the air purifiers to keep working properly.
If you own an air purifier or are considering purchasing one, it’s important to understand how much replacing the filters will cost over time. In this blog post, we will share and examines replacement filter prices for some of the major air purifier brands and models on the market.
Factors That Impact Air Purifier Filter Replacement Costs
Several key factors determine how much you’ll spend on new air purifier filters:
- Air Purifier Type – The main technologies used in air purifiers include HEPA filters, activated carbon filters, ionizers, and UV-C light. HEPA air purifiers tend to be the most effective and have relatively affordable filter replacement costs.
- Filter Quality – Higher efficiency filters that can capture smaller particles cost more than standard filters. Name brands also charge more than third-party options.
- Filter Size – The physical size of the filter (measured in square feet) affects price, with larger filters costing more.
- Frequency of Replacement – Some filters need changing every few months, while high-end filters can last over a year. The more often it needs replacement, the higher long-term costs.
With those factors in mind, let’s take a look at typical filter replacement costs for popular air purifier models.
Best Replacement Filters for Different Air Purifier Models
1. Coway Airmega Air Purifiers
Coway Airmega air purifiers use a combination of a pre-filter, activated carbon filter, and HEPA filter to clean indoor air. Their HEPA filters capture 99.97% of particles sized 0.3 microns and higher, including allergens from pollen, mold spores, and pet dander.
The popular mid-sized Coway Airmega 300 model’s Max2 filter set needs to be replaced about once a year and retails for $69. The larger Airmega 400’s filters cost $83 and also last around one year with average use.
Some online retailers offer slight discounts on Airmega replacement filters if you spend a little time searching for deals. But buying from Coway or Amazon directly will ensure authentic filters that meet the advertised particle capture standards.
2. Winix Air Purifiers
Winix manufactures a wide range of affordable and efficient air cleaning systems for home use. Their filter costs are highly competitive compared to other major brands.
One of their most popular models is the Winix 5500-2, which features a true HEPA filter, activated carbon pre-filter, and PlasmaWave technology. Replacement filter sets for the 5500-2 retail at $59.99 on the Winix website and Amazon, giving you both a HEPA and carbon filter.
For the larger Winix 5300-2 model, filter sets cost $69.99 directly from the manufacturer. That includes 1 HEPA filter, 1 activated carbon filter, and 1 washable pre-filter.
Other Winix air purifier systems have filters in the same general price range, making them one of the most budget-friendly options to operate over time.
3. Honeywell Air Purifiers
Honeywell manufactures a wide range of air purifying units and replacement filters at different price points:
- Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Filter: $54.99
- Honeywell HPA200 HEPA Filter: $49.99
- Honeywell HPA100 Activated Carbon Pre-Filter: $24.99
Their higher-end filters have an estimated life of 12-15 months with an average of 8 hours of daily use. More affordable options like the HPA100 usually need to be swapped out 2-3 times per year.
One of Honeywell’s most popular air cleaning solutions is the HPA304, which houses a True HEPA filter, activated carbon filter, and VOC removal filter. Replacement filter sets for that model retail at $99.99 direct from Honeywell.
So you can expect to pay between $50-100 per year on keeping Honeywell HEPA air purifier models freshly filtered, depending on the capacity and features included.
4. Austin Air Healthmate Air Purifiers
Austin Air offers commercial-grade air purifiers designed to filter larger areas than many consumer models on shelves today. Their Healthmate range uses a 15-pound activated carbon filter and HEPA filter to remove airborne allergens and chemicals.
Due to their specialized construction and high filtration ability, Austin Healthmate filters have a higher upfront cost than less heavy-duty options:
- Healthmate Standard Filter Replacement Kit: $129
- Healthmate Medium Filter Replacement Kit: $149
- Healthmate Large Filter Replacement Kit: $199
However, Austin Air filters only need changing once every 5 years for typical home use. That makes them one of the longer-lasting air purifying filter sets available. Over time, the superior durability offsets the higher initial filter expense.
5. AIRMEGA 400S App Based Model
In recent years, WiFi connectivity and app control features have made their way to air purifiers. Internet-enabled models like the Coway Airmega 400S allow remote monitoring and adjustment from smartphone apps.
The Airmega 400S has filter life status notifications, air quality monitoring, scheduling, and automatic fan speeds based on particle readings. Replacing its Max2 filter kit costs $83 from Coway – same as the standard Airmega 400.
So there is little to no price premium for the 400S’s smart functionality and app features. You still get cheap and easy filter maintenance comparable to other top-rated Coway systems.
6. LEVOIT Air Purifiers
Another popular brand among cost-conscious air purifier buyers is Levoit. They are known for affordable devices still packing effective HEPA filtration.
Here are replacement filter prices for three of their top home models:
- Levoit Core 300 Filter: $35 (Change Every 6-8 Months)
- Levoit LV-H134 Filter: $40 (Change Every 12 Months)
- Levoit LV-H135 Filter: $28 (Change Every 6 Months)
As those prices demonstrate, Levoit air purifier filters consistently cost $28 to $40 to swap out. That undercuts replacement costs from many competitor brands.
Just note that their cheaper filters may need replacing more frequently for optimal performance. But the low upfront cost makes it easy to stock up on backup filters.
7. PARTU HEPA Air Purifier Models
PARTU is a certified brand specializing in affordable HEPA air purifiers for wildfire smoke, pet allergies, virus and bacteria removal, and more. Many online reviews praise the low operating costs thanks to ultra-cheap replacement filters.
For example, the PARTU HEPA-13 air purifier for bedrooms and living rooms has a 3-filter system. Each set of 1 x HEPA filter, 1 x activated carbon filter, and 1 x pre-filter retails for only $19.99.
With the ability to change just 1 filter at a time, that means it costs less than $7 per filter cartridge swap. For the price, PARTU still meets common industry certifications for its filters’ particle capture efficiency.
Factors to Consider When Budgeting Long-Term for an Air Purifier
Upfront purchase costs are often the focus when investing in an air purifying system for the first time. But over the total multi-year lifespan of an air purifier, replacement filter expenses usually exceed the initial device price. Being realistic about long-term operating budgets prevents unnecessary surprises or cost burdens down the road.
When estimating a home air purifier’s total lifecycle costs, make sure to research and account for:
● How often the included filters need changing for optimal purification power
● The standard retail price per filter kit or individual replacement filters
● If any recurring promotions or discounts are available on that brand’s filters
Many air purifier manufacturers now responsibly provide public estimates of filter lifespans and retail pricing. Still, double-checking figures instead of assuming can prove worthwhile. Some brands advertise regular prices nearly twice as high as the “typical retail cost” widely available across online sellers.
A few extra minutes spent confirming operating costs can pay off over months and years of long-term filter replacement needs.
Final Words:
Home air purifying systems have filters requiring regular maintenance for ongoing contaminated particle removal from indoor air. While upfront air purifier prices span $100 to $1000+ depending on capabilities, replacing filters constitutes an ongoing expense for years after the original purchase.
When deciding which brands and models fit household air purification budgets, comparing replacement filter costs proves crucial beyond just evaluating one-time device prices alone.
As this pricing guide covered, costs can range dramatically. Entry-level options like Levoit and PARTU filters run as little as $20 to $40. Mid-range Coway and Winix filters for leading air purifier models average $60 to $90 per annual change. And heavy-duty commercial options like Austin Healthmate filters reach up to $199, but offset that by lasting 5+ years.
