Best Airbrush Compressors | Buying Guide and Reviews Best Airbrush Compressors Buying Guide and Reviews
Whether you are a hobbyist or an advanced airbrush user, are you looking for the best airbrush compressors in 2020?
We have you covered with our best airbrush compressors buying guide. On this website, we rank all the best airbrush compressors that are available on the market. Some are better than others when it comes to their specific use. There are also many brands and models available from various manufacturers and not all are equal! Finding the right airbrush for your specific need is no easy task. We’ve simplified this process for you by testing out and reviewing all airbrush compressor models. Check out the table below for our ratings, airbrush compressor reviews, and click on the compressor that you’re interested in for a full review. Therefore we made this buying guide for you. Our buying guide is for hobbyist airbrush compressors.
The Best Airbrush Compressors in 2020
Before we continue with the buying guide, I’d like to show you the best airbrush compressors. This table includes both highly rated compressors and less desired ones so you can easily compare all the available models as opposed to other websites that only present the top three or top five. In this table, you can check all airbrush compressor reviews. Click on the airbrush compressor you are interested in for a more detailed review. And you can also check more details from our airbrush compressor reviews page and pick the best airbrush compressors. Nevertheless, before you commit to purchasing a model, I recommend that you take a look at the rest of the guide below.
| Airbrush Compressor Models | Level | Rating | Read our review |
|---|---|---|---|
Iwata HP-C | Advanced |  | Click here |
Grex AC1810 | Advanced |  | Click here |
Badger TC910 Aspire Pro | Beginner |  | Click here |
Iwata-Medea Power Jet Pro | Advanced | | Click here |
Paasche D3000R | Beginner | | Click here |
AZTEK A480 | Advanced | | Click here |
Iwata-Medea Smart Jet | Beginner | | Click here |
Paasche H-100D | Beginner | | Click here |
Master Airbrush Kit | Beginner | | Click here |
Zeny Pro 1.5 HP  | Beginner | | Click here |
Choosing an Airbrush Compressors to Meet Your Needs
There are many purposes for compressors as they can be used for personal, commercial, or industrial purposes. A hobbyist would use their device for personal purposes. However, the type of artwork varies from one another. The intended purpose of the compressor needs to be considered, whether it’s for make-up application or for model painting. The following list presents some of the characteristics of the different types of airbrush compressors.
Silent Airbrush Compressors: A lot of people believe the silent models are the best. They typically require little to no maintenance and beginners favor them as the silence allows one to concentrate on the task at hand. As most of the silent models are smaller than their counterparts, they are more portable, which is also preferred by many.
Oil-less Airbrush Compressors: These models produce some noise however they are durable and handy over extended use. For an oil compressor, it is necessary to change the oil over time (generally every 3 to 6 months). The oil-less models do not require such frequent changes and they usually better regulate temperature and prevent overheating. Overall, these compressors are more expensive.
Diaphragm Airbrush Compressors: These airbrush compressors are the least expensive and preferred by hobbyists. The one downside is the pressure generated by the motor. The model would advertise a specific PSI, say 45, but once you pull the trigger, the pressure decreases significantly. For a small job, this may not be a problem but for a job that requires constant pressure over an extended period of time, a bigger compressor would be preferred.
Choosing an airbrush
Most beginner airbrushes come with a single-action airbrush. If you want to become a little more crafty and complete more advanced projects, a double-action airbrush may be required (these can easily be purchased separately). Let us explain the difference between a single action and double action brush.
Single-action: As the name states, a single-action airbrush has just one action, either on or off. In essence, you have no control over the amount of paint that comes out of the nozzle in proportion to the air pressure. It happens automatically.
Double-action: A double-action airbrush has a much more complex system built behind the nozzle which enhances your flexibility and control over the paint. There’s a two-part system, a push and pull. Pressing down on the trigger releases the air and when you pull t back it releases the mixture. Therefore, you have direct control over the amount and pressure of paint released.
A double-action airbrush takes practice to perfect but the control over the paint and pressure allows one to complete a wider range of projects. A beginner hobbyist is recommended to practice using a single-action airbrush compressor before moving on to a double-action airbrush. Using a double-action airbrush while inexperienced can lead to a lot of wrecked projects.
Check out our guide on the top 3 airbrushes in 2020 to purchase to tackle your toughest projects!
Other factors
These are other factors that need to be considered when choosing an airbrush compressor model:
Capacity: A model with high capacity is always preferred over one with less capacity. You never know what kind of project you will undertake and how much capacity is needed. Therefore, when choosing a model of airbrush compressor, choose one with more capacity than you expect to use.
Portability: If you have one dedicated location to use your airbrush, it doesn’t matter if it’s portable or not. If you expect to travel with it or move it around, a portable model is preferred.
Noise: Larger models with big engines and high PSI are typically louder than their smaller counterparts. If the noise doesn’t bother use then this may not be an issue. For others, a set of earplugs can alleviate all noise issues.
Choosing an airbrush booth
Spray booths are not always needed but for some projects they are indispensable. There are a lot of great booths on the market and a lot of them are adequate for all purposes. There are three qualities we typically look for when choosing an airbrush booth: good design, high efficiency, and affordability. We created a separate list with our top 3 airbrush booths in 2020.