The treatable area drops from 500 down to 322 with this model , but the inclusion of the Auto Mode may be worth it for some people. It lacks an Auto Mode, but for small spaces, you can simply turn it on and adjust as needed. We looked at the top Air Purifiers and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we’ve determined the best Air Purifier you should buy.
John Holecek, who co-wrote and performed testing for previous versions of this guide, holds a master’s degree in earth science, with a focus on climate, aerosols, and analytical chemistry. He has conducted laboratory tests for Wirecutter’s air purifier reviews since 2014. Since 1999, he has studied particulate air pollution for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and in the private sector.
You can use the P350 in either application due to its versatile size. The overall performance of the Levoit Core P350 was pretty impressive. This purifier is compact, efficient, and did great job of purifying the air. We then burned a series of matches to evaluate how well the purifier absorbed 0.3-micron particles. At a level 3 setting, we found that the purifier absorbed 99.8% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns, 99.6% of particles smaller than 2.5 microns, and 100% of particles smaller than 10 microns. At a level 4 setting, we found that the purifier absorbed 99.9% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns, 99.9% of particles smaller than 2.5 microns, and 100% of particles smaller than 10 microns.
The AP-1512HH has a number of other qualities that make it easy to live with—and that’s important for a device that typically runs 24 hours a day and sits in a bedroom, playroom, or living room. The filter on the bottom has been run 24/7 for a year—that’s dust, pollen, and other captured gunk making it dark. We seek the sweet spot of performance and price when choosing purifiers to test. Levoit Air Purifier – Cleaning the Pre-FilterThe pre-filter is best vacuumed or cleaned with a dry cloth at least once a month, more if necessary.
These three devices can all be controlled from anywhere with the VeSync app, along with options to build schedules, real-time air quality information and more. You also don’t need to buy the Core P350 to use its levoit purifier pet allergy filter. While we’d still recommend the Core P350 to pet owners, the pet allergen filter stands out more than the device itself. The Core P350’s similarity to the Core 300 is both a pro and a con.
It’s crazy to introduce a new pollutant when the goal is to reduce pollution overall. Ionizers produce a small amount of ozone as a by-product, but as laid out by the strict California Air Resources Board, none of our picks with an ionizing function exceed the limit of 0.05 part per million . We do not dismiss purifiers that have ionizers in addition to HEPA filters, but we don’t look for that feature. Ionizers impart an electrical charge to air molecules that pass through the machine.
The filtration system is the signature Levoit 3-stage filtration with a pre-filter for larger particles, a HEPA filter for small particles, and an activated carbon filter for adsorbing undesirable odors. There are only a few air purifiers that came achieve the 360 CADR rating; all of the other ones cost more than $400. Levoit LV-H135 is the only 350+ CADR rating air purifier that levoit filter costs less than $300. The CADR rating is the most important air purifier spec; the higher the CADR rating, the better. They have to be changed every 6-8 months (if you run the Levoit air purifier 24/7, which you should). That means the maintenance cost of Levoit units is minimal; the only thing that’s better than this are the $500 units with washable filters like Airdog X5.
Despite the best efforts of the filters in our air conditioners and furnaces, pollen and dust particles can settle into carpets and upholstery. And if there are pets or smoke involved, there can be even more particulates in the air. Compatible voice services, such as Alexa and Google Assistant, allow you to turn the purifier off and on and change the settings without having to touch the machine. Giving more expensive purifiers a run for their money, the Levoit 400S air purifier is an affordable appliance that’s easy to use and quietly efficient. One of the biggest draws of Levoit’s range of products is that they are all 100% ozone free.