AeraMax 100 Air Purifier: Trusted Review & Specs

The AeraMax 100 isn’t really a new air purifier on the market, but it still supplies a little Smart Sensor magic and, most importantly, high-quality air filtration system for bedroom use. However, the limited features somehow make it feel a little expensive. As the best air purifier for bedrooms, we would like to share our AeraMax 100 Review with you to help you make a more informed decision.

AeraMax 100 ranks B in our air purifier ranking list. We give the biggest and most thorough database of air purifier reviews in the world.

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AeraMax is the air purifier brand name of Fellowes, an American family business that has existed for more than 100 years, with advanced technology in not only the air purifier industry but also many important office accessories. Their name even reaches outside the border of the U.S., with 17 subsidiaries worldwide. All of their air purifiers have achieved the Asthma and Allergy Friendly Certification from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). So, get ready for the AeraMax 100 Review.

Other AeraMax’s Air Purifier Reviews: 

AeraMax 100 Price

The international name of AeraMax 100 is AeraMax DX5.

If this brand has the AeraMax Pro III and AeraMax Pro IV, which were designed to mix with air purifier royalty, then the lineup of AeraMax 100, AeraMax 200, and AeraMax 300 is down there scrapping with the low and middle classes. You could say that the main purpose of these devices is to provide a sufficient choice.

AeraMax 100, like any starter for a low ranger, attempts to reduce the size and fan power from higher up the range. But you can expect more, and only from the AeraMax 100. It has an incredible Smart Sensor function that fools people into thinking they are using a luxury air purifier. In an era where your bedroom is covered mostly by the best Levoit LV-H132, an improvement like this AeraMax 100 is truly favorable.

Add to that, we have some fancy features like Aera+ Mode or PlasmaTrue Technology, which I am happy to explain thoroughly in the additional features section. And the AeraMax 100 starts to look a lot like a middleweight contender for the new edge-to-edge generation.

The official price of AeraMax 100 is $129 USD. However, you are always guaranteed to find a better deal on our website, with prices starting as low as $94! You can grab this deal right below.

The AeraMax 100 is how Fellowes fires back at others in the low-range segment, like Blue Pure 411, GermGuardian AC4825, GermGuardian AC5000, PureZone and Honeywell HPA060. While it’s a solid effort from one of the world’s biggest manufacturers, however, there are a few notable shortfalls that might make you question whether it truly provides value for money.

Related post: Best air purifier 2024.

AeraMax 100 Design and Size

A quick comparison of the AeraMax 100, AeraMax 200 and AeraMax 300 designs.

	AeraMax 100/90/DX5	AeraMax 200/190/DX55	AeraMax 300/290/DX95
Height (inches)	27.25	20.5	25
Width (inches)	7.25	13	16
Depth (inches)	8.5	7	8
Weight (lbs)	9.24	9.9	13.5

Just like the rest of the air purifier world, AeraMax has switched to a thin-and-tall design philosophy. The AeraMax 100 has a relatively small base, a minimal but necessary control panel, and a quite unique airflow system concept that doubles the direction of the fresh air to the users.

In keeping with the obvious debt it owes to the GermGuardian Ac5250PT, the AeraMax 100 is not just a typical tower air purifier. It stands as high as 27.25 inches, which is slightly shorter than the 28-inch air purifier from Guardian Technologies. But with 7.25 inches in width and 8.5 inches in depth, the AeraMax 100 is more like a 3D rectangle than the typical cylinder shape of the air purifiers in this price range.

Though the airflow system concept in this AeraMax 100 is backward, we can see that Fellowes has taken a fresh approach to design with the new air outlet grill. It is located behind the front plate, allowing the AeraMax 100 to divide the output fresh air direction into two. To its advantage, it can accelerate the air purification process. But on the negative side, this AeraMax 100 can’t direct fresh air o the users, just like the GermGuardian Ac4825, GermGuardian AC4300 or PureZone Elite can.

Moreover, you can see the control panel of this AeraMax 100 on the front.

Source: Amazon

AeraMax 100, just like any air purifier in this family, comes in two different color options. The AeraMax 100 is also the name of the White version. To look for the Black version, you should search for AeraMax 90, or you can check the price below.

Both AeraMax 100 and AeraMax 90 are light enough to pick up and move around your home, with a combined weight of 9.24 lbs.

For UK readers, you can search for the AeraMax Baby DB5, which has similar power to the AeraMax 100 and is currently on sale.

Related post: Best air purifiers for bedroom.

AeraMax 100 Filters

As the most important factor determining the performance of an air purifier, we don’t expect much from a low-range, under $100 air purifier to have the best air filters. But still, there are a few brands that can keep up with this amazing air filtration system. With a 4-stage air cleaning system, the AeraMax 100 could be the king of the most affordable air purifiers.

1. Activated Carbon Filter – First, AeraMax 100 uses an Activated Carbon filter to act as a pre-filter, and can capture both large particles and household odors including pet odors, cooking odors, and cigarette smoke.
2. True HEPA filter – Next, all airborne contaminants must rest in the True HEPA filter of this air purifier, which has a high efficiency of trapping 99.97% of any particles as small as 0.3 microns, like pollen, ragweed, and other allergens, viruses, germs, dust mites, mold spores, and pet dander.
3. AeraSafe Antimicrobial Treatment – Its True HEPA filter’s built-in protection prevents the growth of odor-causing bacteria, mildew, and fungi.
4. PlasmaTrue Technology – This is one kind of ionizer that creates an ionized field to safely remove airborne pollutants. Can be turned on or off.

Of course, the AeraMax 100 does not use the most recent version of the Fellowes True HEPA filter, but it is still antimicrobial-treated and can last for a year without needing to be replaced. To be fair, this True HEPA filter is the best thing you could get for only $100, and the only one with an expensive treatment. Others, like GermGuardian AC4825 and Levoit LV-H132 can only last for 6 to 8 months at best.

Today, the trend of budget air purifiers is adding another kind of filtration to compensate for the lower capability of the small-sized True HEPA filter. GermGuardian is famous for its UV-C light bulb, while Levoit brings a poly pre-filter. In this AeraMax 100, Fellowes uses an ionizer, called PlasmaTrue, to guarantee the capture of any air pollutants on the physical True HEPA filter. It creates an ionized field where the contaminants will be electrostatically attracted to the filter.

There are many studies which show that the ionizer is one of the main reasons for emitting ozone, which can irritate asthma and many other breathing issues. The AeraMax 100 is certified, both by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, to comply with the standard ozone emission concentration of less than 0.05 ppm. You can still turn off the PlasmaTrue function anytime you like.

Source: Amazon

To test the performance of this AeraMax 100, I used the very usual tests that have been used on things like the Blue Pure 411, the Honeywell HPA020B or the GermGuardian AC5000. I ran the AeraMax 100 for an hour in a 100-square-foot room with full smoke of pollutants to test its efficiency. I also added the PureZone, Levoit Vista 200 and VEVA 8000 Elite Pro to compare with the AeraMax 100. With a weaker fan, the AeraMax 100 can only score efficiency of 99.8% for trapping particles down to 0.3 microns.

The filter of the AeraMax 100 has the longest lifetime in the world of budget air purifiers, and it will only cost you $37. You can also find the deal that will reduce the cost of the air filter to about $28, and I believe this is an amazing price for a fine filter. To avoid mistakes, you should follow our deal below for the filter replacement.

Related post: Best air purifiers for allergies.

AeraMax 100 Room Coverage

A quick comparison of the AeraMax 100, AeraMax 200 and AeraMax 300 room coverage.

	AeraMax 100/90/DX5	AeraMax 200/190/DX55	AeraMax 300/290/DX95
Room coverage (sq ft)	100	400	600
ACH	3X	5X	5X
CADR – Dust (cfm)	65	129	196
CADR – Pollen(cfm)	68	126	191
CADR – Smoke (cfm)	75	124	188

AeraMax 100 is an air purifier for small bedrooms, so I can easily guess the power of its fan to be quite weak. In real-world use, the AeraMax 100 is exactly enough for a room of 100 square feet.

AeraMax 100 has a 3X ACH. In comparison to other small air purifiers, the AeraMax 100 is quite good and can exchange the air three times per hour.

Source: Amazon

The CADR of AeraMax 100 is 65 Dust/ 68 Smoke/ 75 Pollen (cfm). It is lower than both the GermGuardian AC4825 and Blue Pure 411, and I believe the AeraMax 100 will take lots of time to clean your room.

Related post: Best large room air purifiers.

AeraMax 100 Sound

The AeraMax 100 is not particularly quiet. The PlasmaTrue function is definitely a culprit, as the crackling noise of the ions continues to make many people feel annoyed. If you run this air purifier on its lowest setting, the default noise level will be 35 decibels (dB), which is still lower than the library noise level. However, you can’t hide the crackling noise, right?

If you don’t really need the maximum performance, I recommend turning off the PlasmaTrue function. This is the only way you can keep your air purifier at the normal setting that fits quiet places the most.

Related post: Best air purifiers for baby.

AeraMax 100 Power Consumption

One of our most FAQs is “Do air purifiers use a lot of energy?” In fact, air purifiers must be used for a long time to be efficient. And power consumption is one important criterion to determine if this air purifier is good or not.

As a compact air purifier, the AeraMax 100 consumes quite a bit of energy. The rated power at the lowest setting is about 37 watts, which is 1.5 times higher than the Levoit LV-H132. If you switch to the highest fan speed, AeraMax 100 will consume 51 watts. To reduce the power consumption, you really need to turn on the Smart Sensor of this air purifier.

If you buy AeraMax 100, you’ll have to pay around $13 to $18 per year for about 8 hours of use per day.

Related post: Best air purifiers for pets.

AeraMax 100 Additional Features

One of the first questions I had about this first generation of notched air purifiers was how well the additional features were actually implemented.As you can see, the additional features are the selling point that many brands are trying to make when talking about their budget air purifiers.

The Smart Sensor, named AeraSmart, was quite precise in my test. Since this is a rare air purifier with a built-in Smart Sensor function, you will be happy with its accuracy. And if you turn it on, it will automatically change the fan speed to match the current indoor air quality. It is really important for saving energy and prolonging the air filter’s life.

AeraMax 100 has a unique Aera+ Mode, which is the only button you need to increase the air turnover rate and clean your room much faster. This function is similar to the Turbo Mode of the Honeywell HPA100, or the Quick Clean Mode in the Sharp FP-F50UW or the Sharp FP-F60UW.

You will also have one filter replacement indicator to tell you exactly when you need to change your True HEPA filter.

Related posts:

1, Best air purifiers for smoke.

2, Best air purifiers for dust.

3, Best air purifiers for mold.

AeraMax 100 Customer Service

Fellowes is a long-established brand in the U.S., and one of the main reasons for their popularity is their great customer service. You can expect full support from Monday to Friday, via phone at 800-955-0959 or via live chat on their FAQ page.

They do not offer Free Shipping, and orders are only shipped one to two business days after they are placed. You can return or exchange your air purifier within 14 days of receipt. Orders may be subject to a 20% restocking fee and all shipping and handling charges are the responsibility of the customer. If you discover what you believe is a product defect, you need to contact customer support within 48 hours of delivery. Fellowes will investigate the claim and notify the freight company of the damage, then they will process the replacement if possible.

About the warranty, all AeraMax air purifiers are covered by a 3-year warranty. It is enough for you to trust in the name of AeraMax.

Our verdict

Running at the core of AeraMax 100 is a well-built air filtration system, and it is even greater because our deal can lower its price to a point where it is the best budget deal. AeraMax 100 is a capable portable air purifier, and its Smart Sensor (AeraSmart) is your best bet if you’re on a tight budget. Though it is truly quiet for anyone who is sensitive to the noise, you should remember to turn off the ionizer if you find it too loud to bear.