Among the products we tested that list CFM, theCoway Airmega 400S noted CADR ratings at 328 for smoke and dust and 400 for pollen. TheAROEVE(our “best for bedrooms” pick on this list) reported an overall CADR of 300+. To experience levoit filter the maximum CADR of an air purifier, you have to run it on its highest setting, which tends to be its loudest. We found that overall, this purifier operates quietly, though, in high mode, it can sound as loud as a hair dryer.
And it performed very well in our tests, as you might expect when you run a large-space machine in a small room. However, on its medium-high and high speeds, it produced a persistent rattle that we could not ignore, nor could we fix the problem by repositioning the machine and making sure that the filter was properly seated. The Molekule Air Mini+ is designed for small spaces, like a bedroom or home office. In our testing, it performed far worse than our pick for those scenarios, the Levoit Core 300—which costs about $100, versus the Air Mini+’s typical $350 or more. On its medium setting , the Air Mini+ reduced smoke levels by just 58.7%, versus the Levoit’s 92.6%. And even on its highest setting, on which it produced an intolerable 66 decibels, the Air Mini+ only reduced the smoke by 91%; the Levoit captured 97.4% on high, while measuring at 54 decibels.
As with its larger sibling, we do not recommend the Molekule Air Mini+. If you live in an environment with consistently high levels of both particulate pollution and volatile organic compounds , we recommend the Austin Air HealthMate HM400. Like our other picks, it uses a true-HEPA filter that efficiently captures particulate pollutants such as pollen and smoke. Most of our picks have token adsorbent filters that amount to a few ounces; in contrast, the HM400 has 15 pounds of adsorbent. Its exceptional performance in this area is a big part of why FEMA and the Red Cross chose Austin Air units for deployment at Ground Zero and the surrounding areas in the aftermath of 9/11. All that said, in most parts of the country, simply opening your windows every few days is an effective way to flush out any VOCs.
Needing minimal effort to assemble, it only took our testers two minutes to get the Core 300 set up. Display lock gives you peace of mind when the air purifier is in a child’s room or around pets. Indoor allergies and my levoit filter experiences in graduate school definitely were in mind when I finally decided to purchase an air purifier after I moved to New York City. True HEPA filters are the way to go, especially if you suffer from allergies.
With regards to indoor air quality, she is a leading advocate for the adoption of rigorous industry standards. Rachel has also tested dozens of air purifiers in recent years at her home on Long Island, NY. Dan DiClerico has tested and written about air purifiers extensively for more than twenty years. He has also spearheaded numerous investigative reports on the topic of indoor air quality, working closely with outside experts from government, industry and the home services space. Our product experts start by surveying the current marketplace to identify the best air purifiers that you’re most likely to find at stores and online. We also attend trade shows and industry events, like the Consumer Electronics Show to stay on top of the latest innovations in indoor air quality.
The purifier has a touch-sensitive control panel on the top that lets you customize it via three impressive fan speeds. Just keep in mind that the highest speed setting is the most efficient in getting more airborne particles at a time. And despite its impressive cleaning abilities, you’ll love that it produces just a tiny bit of noise, up to 25 decibels.
So far, research suggests benefits, including a reduction in local allergy triggers. While the appeal of this compact air purifier is easy to see, it can’t keep up with better-equipped competitors. If you leave the Levoit running for long enough, it can probably capture all of the dust from some small rooms. If your outside air quality is good enough that you’re not worried about outside dust coming in through the doors and windows, you probably don’t need an air purifier at all. The Levoit took 10 minutes longer to clean half of the thick cloud of dust particles out of a small room, and after 40 minutes at top speed it still didn’t take out as much as the competitors on their lowest speed settings. When we researched our review of the best air purifiers, we asked experts at the California Air Resources Board if the 99.97% capture rate of a HEPA filter is enough to protect against virus exposure.
The Auto Mode will self-adjust the fan speed whereas the manual fan speed can be adjusted with the simple touch of a button. Filters are quick to access by removing either the front cover panel or unlocking the circular base on the round purifiers and sliding the filter out. All of these filters are HEPA filters, which rely on folds in the filter paper to trap finite particles down to 0.3 microns. The Levoit lineup ranges from small compact purifiers small enough fit on a small coffee table to a large purifier designed to sit on the floor and treat large rooms. These purifiers took PM2.5 and PM10 down to 0.4 or lower and particulate count to under 30 particles. For all of our measurements, we use a professional air quality detector.
The TP04 reduced particulate pollution by 86.6% in 30 minutes on its highest setting; compare that with 98.9% and 99.3% from the AP-1512HH and the Blue Pure 211+, respectively. On medium—which we set as fan speed 6 of the 10 speeds available—the TP04 managed just 74.4% reduction. The Coway and Blueair models, in contrast, scored 87.6% and 99.2%, respectively.
It’s Levoit’s marginally better answer to any other low-end air purifiers, and they’re proud to keep that on Levoit Core P350. During our ambient air quality test in a 30m3 sealed room, we ran the purifier for 30 minutes at a setting lower than 50 decibels (at the third-highest fan setting). We found that the Levoit 400S absorbed an impressive 99.5% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns and 100% of particles smaller than 2.5 microns and smaller than 10 microns. When we reran the test with the purifier on its highest setting , we got the same results. So there didn’t appear to be much difference, if any, between the two highest settings when purifying ambient air quality.