Picture: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
Respiratory contemporary air within the house shouldn’t break the bank, but among the hottest air purifiers in the marketplace right now run a whole bunch of {dollars}. Enter the Levoit Air Air purifier (LAP-C161-WUS), the Core Mini—an reasonably priced mannequin that received’t break the financial institution.
I lately examined a slew of the most effective air purifiers, and the Levoit air air purifier carried out properly sufficient to be chosen as the most effective bang for the buck choose in our lineup. To check its efficiency, I arrange a sales space in a closet the place I subjected every air air purifier to mud, filth, and smoke. I additionally used an air high quality monitor to take readings all through the exams and doc how properly every air purifier labored.
The Levoit air air purifier was not the highest performer in my exams, nevertheless it was dependable, straightforward to make use of, and compact sufficient to not take up treasured actual property in a small room. Learn on to study extra about this budget-friendly air air purifier and to find out if it’s an excellent match in your house or workplace.
The Levoit Air Air purifier: At a Look
Ranking: 8.3/10
Picture: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
PROS
- Removes airborne pollution in rooms as much as 178 sq. ft
- Inexpensive compared to different air purifiers at the moment in the marketplace
- Quieter on all energy ranges than different examined air purifiers
CONS
- Compact mannequin isn’t appropriate to be used in medium-size or giant rooms
- Took virtually 3 occasions longer in exams to take away airborne pollution than different fashions
- Inside filter comes prewrapped in plastic, which have to be eliminated earlier than use
Get the Levoit air air purifier at:
What’s the Levoit air air purifier?
Levoit’s Core Mini Air Air purifier (LAP-C161-WUS) is taken into account a private house mannequin, which means it’s designed for small areas. It should purify the air in a room as much as 178 sq. ft, making it properly fitted to use in a nursery, bed room, or small house workplace.
The cylindrical unit is compact—simply 6.5 inches in diameter and 10.4 inches tall. It doesn’t have many bells and whistles, nevertheless it options three energy ranges and a three-stage filter with an outer prefilter that traps giant particulates, resembling pet dander, fur, or hair. The center layer is a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that traps as much as 97 % of particles as small as 0.3 microns. For comparability, human hair is about 100 microns thick. The innermost layer comprises activated carbon, which works to soak up odors, resembling burned meals smells and smoke.
One little perk I preferred was a tiny pull-out drawer close to the highest of the unit with an absorbent disc for including a little bit of important oil. After testing, I added 8 to 10 drops of eucalyptus important oil to the disc and turned the air purifier on Low. Inside 10 minutes, the room crammed with the aroma, and I wanted I’d added only one or two drops. Lesson realized: Go straightforward on the important oil!
Picture: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
Is the Levoit air air purifier straightforward to arrange?
Sure, aside from one small element. The Levoit air air purifier comes preassembled, which is sweet; nevertheless, customers should take away the plastic protecting from the inner air filter. Luckily, the machine had a distinguished sticker on high directing me to take away the plastic wrap earlier than utilizing the machine.
I’m pretty dextrous and I exploit lots of instruments, however I discovered it somewhat difficult to take the 2 halves of the air air purifier aside to take away the Levoit air air purifier filter. I pulled and twisted, and at last, the highest half of the case got here free, and I might elevate the filter out and unwrap it. It might have been good to have a button or lever to depress to unlock the halves.
As soon as the filter was unwrapped and put again into the machine, the Levoit was able to go. All I needed to do was plug it into the outlet and press the ‘begin’ button on the highest of the machine.
Picture: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
How loud is the Levoit air air purifier when it’s operating?
The Levoit air air purifier isn’t fully silent, nevertheless it was quieter than among the different fashions I examined. On its excessive setting, the Levoit generated 42.5 decibels, which I recorded with a decibel tester from 3 ft away. That is corresponding to comparatively tender house noise, resembling a operating fridge. In comparison with among the different purifiers I examined that generated practically 60 decibels of noise, the Levoit was pleasantly quiet.
Once I ran the Levoit on its low setting, it was even quieter—registering simply 20 decibels on my tester. That’s as tender as a whisper, and I might simply tune out the sound. In truth, the sound on Low was much like a sleep machine I personal that generates white noise. Customers may even discover it soothing except they’re particularly delicate to sounds.
Picture: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
How properly does the Levoit air air purifier take away pollution?
In my testing, the Levoit air air purifier efficiently eliminated airborne particulates and smoky smells, nevertheless it took longer than different fashions I examined. That’s probably not stunning because the Levoit is a fraction of the scale and consumes much less electrical energy.
For testing, I used a closet the place I’d eliminated all of the contents and wiped down the partitions, ceiling, and ground to make sure they wouldn’t be a supply of mud. Then I positioned the Levoit air air purifier and an air high quality monitor within the closet subsequent to at least one one other, and I shook a unclean rug above them. In about 20 seconds, the monitor indicated the particulate matter within the air was within the hazardous zone. I turned the Levoit on Excessive, closed the door, and let it do its factor.
I took one other studying in half-hour, however the monitor nonetheless confirmed the air was within the hazard zone. After letting the Levoit run a further half-hour, I checked once more, however the air high quality was nonetheless unsafe, though it was bettering. I waited one other half-hour and took one other studying. This time, the air high quality was within the secure zone.
The following take a look at was to see how properly the Levoit air purifier absorbed smoke and odors. I lit 5 incense sticks within the closet and let their smoke fill it. The air high quality monitor shortly climbed to point unsafe ranges of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and unstable natural compounds (VOCs). I turned on the air air purifier and checked the monitor after half-hour. The odor within the closet was nonetheless sturdy, however the NO2 and CO ranges had begun to drop.
I waited one other half-hour and took one other studying. This time the NO2 and CO ranges had been within the secure zone, and the incense odor was a lot milder. The VOC stage was nonetheless barely elevated, nevertheless. In truth, after one other hour of testing, the air was at secure ranges for all pollution besides VOCs. I ended the take a look at at that time, nevertheless it’s essential to keep in mind that the Levoit isn’t explicitly designed to take away VOCs. Nonetheless, it did do away with smoke, odor, and particulates.
Is the Levoit air air purifier best for you?
Finally, it’s as much as you to find out whether or not the Levoit air air purifier is an efficient match for the house or workplace. Personally, I believe it’s properly price the fee to maintain the air contemporary in most small rooms. Nonetheless, it may not be the most effective choose for a craft or interest room if VOC-producing merchandise, resembling paints and varnishes, are incessantly used. As well as, it’s not highly effective sufficient for giant areas, and it doesn’t supply fancy options like good connectivity, a distant management, or a programmable timer.
Nonetheless, it’s reasonably priced—on the time of this writing, it sells for about $50 and removes a number of airborne pollution, together with mud, pet dander, and pollen. I discovered it to be a superb worth for the cash, and it was the one mannequin I examined that got here with an Power Star ranking, which means it makes use of much less electrical energy to scrub the air. If you happen to vacuum and dirt frequently to maintain mud ranges down, the Levoit is more likely to be greater than ample for conserving the air in a small room contemporary and clear.
The place to Purchase the Levoit Air Air purifier
Get the Levoit air air purifier at:
Meet the Tester
Glenda Taylor is a product tester and author specializing within the development, transforming, and actual property business. She and her husband personal a basic contracting firm, and Taylor is skilled in each residential and business constructing purposes. She exams a variety of energy instruments in addition to different house enchancment, family, and lawn-and-garden merchandise.
