Best Air Compressor Reviews 2024: Best under $1000, $500, $400, $300, $200 & $150. Recommendations and Ratings.

May. 2024

When you are looking for the best air compressor to buy, it is important to consider more factors than just the price.

✅See the best unit under $300 that we recommend and is bought by most customers. A popular choice and well deserved by the brand.

Summary:

With compressors, it pays to do a bit of research rather than just grabbing the cheapest or most popular unit.

You will find that if you dig deeper, which is what we did, that you can actually find decent compressors that will give you good value for money and last longer than expected.

If you are looking at heavy duty applications for painting cars, houses or buildings, it does not pay to go for a small compressor of less than 60 gallons or 9 CFM… luckily, the best is available for under $1000.

For air tools such as impact wrenches or sandblasting you will need a little bit more air flow… at least 4 CFM, which is the bare minimum and even then you may be taking a chance by not having enough airflow.

You just need to look at your budget and decide whether it is worth it to perhaps spend an extra $100 or $400 to get the volume and airflow (CFM) you need, because less volume and lower air flow will mean that you will have to invest more time to complete the job.

What is CFM?

With air compressors, it pays to pay attention to the CFM (cubic feet per minute) rating and not the horse power.

The CFM is the flow-rate of air that can be delivered in one minute in cubic feet.

CFM Table: Typical CFM’s Required by Various Air Tools

For some applications, it is definitely possible to use an air compressor with a lower CFM rating than what is specified; you will just need more time to complete the task and wait for the compressor to refill.

If you are a hobbyist, it would probably not be a problem, but if you are a handyman, time is money and productivity counts.

For other applications such as an impact wrench, you may not be able to complete the task, no matter how long you wait, since you simply won’t have the airflow required.

Are Air Compressors Loud?

It depends. If you buy a cheapo compressor (such as certain pancake compressors), the noise levels are going to drive you crazy.

Good luck in trying to find any sort of noise data if the noise levels are too high, apart from customers complaining about the loud noise and giving it bad ratings, among other things.

Surprisingly, there are good still good quality compressors under $150 (and some even cheaper than the pancakes) that runs at low noise levels of 60 decibels (dB); let’s put it this way… you can definitely hear a conversation while it’s running.

Needless to say, we have not included any pancake compressors in our reviews.

Unfortunately, most compressors that run at 60 dB are for applications that don’t require a lot of air flow.

Noise levels of 80 dB and below are tolerable.  Hearing protection is required when noise levels exceed 85 dBA.

What Air Compressor to Buy?

When buying a compressor, the task that you will use it for is the most important, since a compressor that does not have enough airflow or volume may waste a lot of time or not work at all for the intended application.

If you are looking at the best air compressor for painting cars, houses or buildings, it is recommended that you buy a compressor that has a volume of at least 60 gallons and an air-flow of at least 9 CFM, so that you don’t have to stop when the compressor runs out of air and you then have to wait for it to refill.

Anything smaller than 60 gallons will seriously hinder your productivity and may cost you more in lost time and frustration.

If you are looking for the best air compressor for a home garage or for home use, it will depend on what you are trying to do.

If you plan on blowing a few dust particles away or won’t use the compressor a lot, a budget 1.8 CFM compressor will do.

For other tasks and more frequent usage, a compressor with a minimum flow-rate of 4 CFM is recommended.

As with any appliance, it is important to follow the instruction manual and ensure that you drain the compressor periodically to reduce rust build up inside the compressor.

If possible, try and buy a compressor that is oil lubricated since it will last longer and provide better value for money.

If you need to perform duties where there is no power available, a compact and portable inverter generator will do the job.

Best Air Compressor Reviews

 Updated May. 2024 

While reviewing these compressors, we were very impressed by compressors that were very quiet.

The very first compressor that we looked at actually used their quietness as a selling point and it worked… for a while.

This specific compressor has excellent reviews and is currently still selling well, but it did not make it into our top list.

The reason? Well, after a bit more research we found that more than one customer complained about burnt out compressor motors and some units also stopped working after a while.

Good reviews or not, buying a unit that may fail or burn down your house after a few uses is just too risky for us.

Generally, we found that all compressors under $500 had problems, even the best. The best just had less issues.

Most of the problems are because the compressors are just not delivering enough air flow for certain air hungry tools. Other compressors simply don’t last or has defects when they arrive.

For us, the best and only model is the Norhtstar air compressor and if we really had to choose another one, although reluctantly (not that it’s bad…. the Northstar is just better), it would be the Makita MAC2400, since it is an excellent brand and the compressor is absolutely worth it.

Just one glance at the CFM table clearly shows that most compressors reviewed here (they are the best though), will probably not do what you need it for.

The only compressor on our list that almost has no problems at all is the one under $1000.

Best Air Compressor Comparison Table

Best Air Compressor Comparison Chart

Find below a comparison chart of the various compressor brands reviewed here.

Compressors were rated from the highest to the lowest air flow (CFM). It is clear that the Northstar is miles ahead of its competitors.

Our Top List and Best Choices

Find below the best air compressors for painting cars, houses, buildings, for nail guns and other air tools. Selections were made based on awesomeness (no. #1 only), user reviews, tank capacity as well as the air flow rates of the units.

Buying tip: If you can get #1 for under $600, it’s a bargain.  Updated May. 2024 

✅NorthStar: Best Air Compressor for Painting Cars

Primarily designed for air tools such as impact wrenches, jigsaws and sanders, this beast of a compressor is also the best air compressor for painting cars and for under $1000, it is reasonably priced as well.

This compressor is also useful for plasma cutters.

It is also the best industrial air compressor and provides real value for money if you are going to use it continuously.

The 60 gallon tank will ensure continuous air flow for your paint job and the 11.3 CFM air flow should be sufficient for most HVLP guns used to paint cars.

It should be noted that the 11.3 CFM is at 90 PSI but for painting cars, you will probably need a much lower pressure at let’s say 40 PSI.

Due to the lower pressure, the airflow will be higher at 13 CFM (less pressure, less resistance to flow), but you will need a pressure regulator to drop the pressure to 40 PSI.

This compressor is built with quality and durability in mind and will last for years.

This is a superb compressor and highly recommended.

✅See more high resolution pictures here as well as consumer reports, reviews and more information.

✅Makita MAC700: Best Air Compressor for Home Garage

Whether you are a hobbyist or handyman and are looking for the best compressor for a home garage, then this American made brand would be a good choice.

It delivers a respectable 3.8 CFM that will be suitable for applications that don’t require too much air flow, such as nail guns.

Suitable for roofing as well as other air tools.

Even though this compressor is touted as an industrial compressor, it may disappoint at that level, but among the lower priced compressors, it’s the best there is.

If you are looking for a compressor that can do a bit more and may be suitable for industrial duty, then the Makita MAC2400  could be what you are looking for.

One user has had this unit since 2006 and it is still going strong.

This is the best air compressor under $300 and will last you for years to come.

✅Get more information here as well as consumer reports and reviews.

✅Rolair FC2002 Twin Stack: Best Air Compressor for Nail Gun

This twin cylinder design has a beautiful dark green color.

This unit is recommended as the best air compressor for nail guns and other air tools that require a bit more air than usual.

This compressor can also be used with air tools such as an air hammer that is used to remove tires.

Use it for framing, building fences and other commercial or industrial work.

If the workload is heavy, you may have to purchase an extra compressor.

It’s not too loud and will do a better job than some other pancake compressors.

✅See the price here, as well as more information and reviews.

✅Briggs & Stratton 074045-00: Best Air Compressor for Home Use

If you are looking for an air compressor that will drive a nail gun, then this compressor will deliver.

This 4.5 gallon compressor is also suitable for use with other air tools such as spray guns, hammers, drills, etc.

Use it around your home or the garage and take it with you when you are doing some jobs at the construction site.

This is also a compressor that is good for a home garage as well as for use around the home for general tasks that require a compressor.

This is a neatly designed unit that you can easily move around by grabbing the top bar.

The compressor is very quiet at around 60 dB and with the reduced noise levels; you can work for longer without the noise driving you crazy.

✅See more beautiful images here as well as consumer reports, reviews and other information.

Senco PC1131: Best Air Compressor for Air Tools

This is the best air compressor under $200 and for the price; it delivers an impressive CFM of 4.4 @ 90 PSI.

This compressor should be able to handle air tools such as nail guns and can probably be used to paint the inside of your house as well if you are patient and willing enough to wait for the compressor to refill.

At 80 dB, this compressor is not as quiet as some of the others, but the sound levels are still tolerable.

According to the manufactures, this compressor is durable enough to be used by professional contractors.

You may need more than one of these compressors for contract work.

If this compressor can handle your air tool requirements, it is a bargain for under $200.

See more here as well as reports and reviews.

Briggs & Stratton 3-Gallon 074027-00: Best Budget Air Compressor

This is the best air compressor under $150 and is suitable for some small tasks around the house or in your garage.

At 1.8 CFM, it will probably not handle some air tools like nail guns and is not suitable for commercial or industrial use.

It is small, compact and nicely designed.

The price is reasonable and if you are not planning to use your compressor a lot, this compressor may just be what you need.

One advantage of this compressor is that you can hear yourself talking due to the low sound levels it produces which is around 60 dB.

See more details here.

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Best Air compressor Reviews and Prices
List updated:
May 2024