Air-core inductors are inductors that do not use a magnetic core (like ferrite or iron) but instead have a coil wound in free space or around a non-magnetic form (such as plastic or ceramic). As their name suggests, the core is simply air, which eliminates core losses and saturation effects seen in magnetic-core inductors.
While they typically offer lower inductance values, air-core inductors excel in high-frequency applications due to their linear behavior and minimal energy loss.