While it’s more affordable, it is missing some of the bells and whistles that the best of the best air purifiers offer, like an automatic air sensor; this might be a trade-off that you are more than willing to accept. If you are after a high-performing, excellently priced option for a modest-sized space, you’ll be more than pleased with this air purifier. 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.
No air purifier can do anything about allergens, bacteria, or viruses that have settled on furniture and other surfaces. To remove allergens such as pet hair and pollen, you need a vacuum cleaner or dust mop. In a new section, we cover a few other purifiers that fit specific needs, including a purifier for handling VOCs, an especially energy-efficient small-space purifier, and a truly smart air purifier.
Fortunately, almost every Levoit air purifier has a filter reset indicator that will tell you when it’s time to change the filter. This means you don’t have to worry when it’s time to change, as the air purifier will track it for you. Tim Heffernan is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter and a former writer-editor for The Atlantic, Esquire, and others.
You may, however, prefer an air purifier that emits white noise, similar to a fan. But, as Liston explains, electrostatic air purifiers do have a downside in that some produce ozone. If you have asthma issues or sensitive lungs, you may find your issue is exacerbated by the very thing you’ve purchased to fix it. This small filtration system produces about 43 decibels of sound, meaning it does not make very much noise. Generally, customers like the quiet operation of the compact HEPA air purifier. It has three filtration modes being a normal one, a HEPA level, and an activated carbon filtration level.
Levoit’s prices top out at $299.99, drastically lower than other brands that carry $500+ purifiers. At HVAC.com, our writers create solutions that put you in control of your HVAC system. Our product reviews and recommendations are researched and backed by real buyers and industry experts, not dictated by our partners. Indoor allergies and my experiences in graduate school definitely were in mind when I finally decided to purchase an air purifier after I moved to New York City.
The air felt cool and refreshing while the humidifier was turned on, and we also noted that you can easily adjust the direction of the mist nozzle by simply twisting it. In fact, when we ran this humidifier continuously for 15 minutes, not even a faint hum or whirring fan was detectable. This humidifier also levoit air filter left no residue on surrounding surfaces during testing, which is a huge plus for homeowners with predominantly wooden furniture or flooring. When it comes to removing pet dander, an air purifier with a HEPA filter is your best choice. It filters the air and can remove tiny particles as small as 0.3 microns.
We recognize this Vitruvi humidifier has a higher price tag, but we think its attractive design and easy-to-use settings make it a worthy splurge pick. With the air quality sensor, auto-clean function, and three-stage filtration in this Lasko purifier, all you have to do is set it up and let it run. The HEPA filter removes pet dander, dust, and other common allergens from the air around you, while the air quality sensor will automatically turn on the purifier when it senses the air quality change. A child lock mode is also available on this purifier so that small hands don’t accidentally change your preferred settings.