She and her husband own a general contracting company, and Taylor is experienced in both residential and commercial building applications. Glenda Taylor is a product tester and writer specializing in the construction, remodeling, and real estate industry. If you vacuum and dust regularly to keep dust levels down, the Levoit is likely to be more than adequate for keeping the air in a small room fresh and clean. I found it to be an excellent value for the money, and it was the only model I tested that came with an Energy Star rating, meaning it uses less electricity to clean the air. However, it’s affordable-at the time of this writing, it sells for about $50 and removes several airborne pollutants, including dust, pet dander, and pollen. ![]() In addition, it’s not powerful enough for large spaces, and it doesn’t offer fancy features like smart connectivity, a remote control, or a programmable timer. However, it might not be the best pick for a craft or hobby room if VOC-producing products, such as paints and varnishes, are frequently used. Personally, I think it’s well worth the cost to keep the air fresh in most small rooms. Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine whether the Levoit air purifier is a good fit for the home or office. However, it did get rid of smoke, odor, and particulates. I ended the test at that point, but it’s important to remember that the Levoit isn’t explicitly designed to remove VOCs. In fact, after another hour of testing, the air was at safe levels for all pollutants except VOCs. The VOC level was still slightly elevated, however. This time the NO2 and CO levels were in the safe zone, and the incense odor was much milder. I waited another 30 minutes and took another reading. The smell in the closet was still strong, but the NO2 and CO levels had begun to drop. I turned on the air purifier and checked the monitor after 30 minutes. The air quality monitor quickly climbed to indicate unsafe levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). ![]() I lit five incense sticks in the closet and let their smoke fill it. The next test was to see how well the Levoit purifier absorbed smoke and odors. This time, the air quality was in the safe zone. After letting the Levoit run an additional 30 minutes, I checked again, but the air quality was still unsafe, although it was improving. I took another reading in 30 minutes, but the monitor still showed the air was in the hazard zone. I turned the Levoit on High, closed the door, and let it do its thing. In about 20 seconds, the monitor indicated the particulate matter in the air was in the hazardous zone. Then I placed the Levoit air purifier and an air quality monitor in the closet next to one another, and I shook a dirty rug above them. That’s not really surprising since the Levoit is a fraction of the size and consumes less electrical power.įor testing, I used a closet where I’d removed all the contents and wiped down the walls, ceiling, and floor to ensure they wouldn’t be a source of dust. In my testing, the Levoit air purifier successfully removed airborne particulates and smoky smells, but it took longer than other models I tested. Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila Removing Pollutants Lesson learned: Go easy on the essential oil! Within 10 minutes, the room filled with the aroma, and I wished I’d added just one or two drops. After testing, I added 8 to 10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to the disc and turned the purifier on Low. One little perk I liked was a tiny pull-out drawer near the top of the unit with an absorbent disc for adding a bit of essential oil. The innermost layer contains activated carbon, which works to absorb odors, such as burned food smells and smoke. For comparison, human hair is about 100 microns thick. The middle layer is a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that traps up to 97 percent of particles as small as 0.3 microns. It doesn’t have many bells and whistles, but it features three power levels and a three-stage filter with an outer prefilter that traps large particulates, such as pet dander, fur, or hair. The cylindrical unit is compact-just 6.5 inches in diameter and 10.4 inches tall. It will purify the air in a room up to 178 square feet, making it well suited for use in a nursery, bedroom, or small home office. Levoit’s Core Mini Air Purifier (LAP-C161-WUS) is considered a personal space model, meaning it’s designed for small areas. Internal filter comes prewrapped in plastic, which must be removed before use.Took almost 3 times longer in tests to remove airborne pollutants than other models.Compact model is not suitable for use in medium-size or large rooms.Quieter on all power levels than other tested air purifiers.Affordable in comparison to other air purifiers currently on the market. ![]()
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