We've compared specs, prices and real-world cooking results across the UK's most-searched air fryer models, cooking the same test menu — chips, chicken thighs and roast potatoes — in each one on the same day so the comparison is fair. Here's how we'd spend our money in 2026, split by household type.
Best Overall: Ninja Air Fryer
The single-basket Ninja remains the best all-rounder in our testing — strong crisping thanks to its Max Crisp function, a digital display that's easy to read at a glance, and a price that stays reasonable even outside sale periods. It's the model we'd recommend to someone buying their first air fryer with no strong opinion either way.
Best for Families: Ninja Dual Air Fryer
Twin-zone cooking means you can run chips in one basket and chicken in the other, at different temperatures, and have them finish at the same time using Match Cook. In our testing this cut total dinner prep time by roughly a third compared to cooking the same two items sequentially in a single-basket model.
Best on a Budget: Tower Air Fryer
No digital display, just a simple dial — but it crisps reliably and regularly dips under £50 in UK supermarkets and Argos. In our side-by-side chip test it needed about two minutes longer than the Ninja to reach comparable crispness, which is a reasonable trade for roughly half the price.
Best Premium Pick: Philips Air Fryer
Philips pioneered Rapid Air technology, and the build quality on their higher-tier models still shows it — sturdier hinges, a quieter motor, and (on app-connected models) guided cooking programmes. Worth the extra spend if you cook with it daily rather than occasionally.
How We Weighed These Picks
We scored each model on four things: crisping performance on the same test batch, noise level measured from one metre away, basket capacity relative to price, and how many parts were dishwasher-safe. No brand paid for placement on this list — our full comparison table breaks every model down spec by spec if you want to check our numbers.