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5:40 Actually it's very tricky or rather sneaky. They say this on their website: "Levoit Original Filter is HEPA-grade while operating in Sleep Mode, as tested by an independent lab." So it's only HEPA, when operated in sleep mode. 😅 There's also also marketing video on Levoit official RU-vid channel and while they don't say it, they show filter in this device as 3 separate elements (pre, carbon and HEPA). Seems like they employ all kinds of shady practices.
When I did this video the term HEPA was still on their website and now it’s removed. I wish Levoit would make a public statement as it’s really not a good look. It’s weird they say that it’s HEPA when on sleep mode as the HEPA grade is for the filter and wouldn’t be different for a specific speed so very strange.
@@HouseFresh Yes, it would if it's not true HEPA. It means filter can handle small particles at low airflow, but fail when airflow increases. So I think Dyson was right to call them out on their BS. But even after that Levoit keeps their shady marketing BS and instead of removing HEPA rating altogether they add this note that most people will likely miss or won't understand what it means.
Whats your opinion on smaller Levoit devices? I have small appartment with 18m2 living room and 9m2 bedroom. That Levoit 200s seems big for those rooms. I see in your backgroung Levois 300s I think, is it good?
For me the Levoit Core 300 size is the smallest I would go. Any smaller and the filter costs just cost too much for the amount of air you can clean. I am going to be putting out a video this week about the a device I found on Temu/AliExpress that goes into more detail about my reasoning for avoiding “mini” air purifiers. If the vital 200s is too big then you can look at the vital 100s which is all the same feature but in a small size. Got a review filmed, just need to edit!
It’s frustrating that Levoit doesn’t release this model outside the US. I imagine those sellers are imported versions. I’m working on a best of guide for Europe, so keep an eye for that.
@@HouseFresh Can be found in France directly from Amazon, but price is insane. At the same time price for Core models is reasonable and even has occasional good discounts. So it may become more reasonably price in time. Who knows.
Good catch , have updated the title to be more accurate. I did manage to do a review for the rainmate here: housefresh.com/rainbow-rainmate-air-purifier-review/ Do you have one.
@HouseFresh I do have one, I change the water daily when I put it in its clear when I take it out it's brown. It might not do as good as a big Hepa filter but it's good Enough for my small bedroom.
Glad it’s working for you. I just couldn’t see any significant difference to air quality when compared to even the worst hepa I have tested. I wish it did as filters are not cheap! Have you tried the bigger vacuum version?
Not tested any for this particular unit but I did use the pureburg for Alen 45i and it performed as well as the original filter in removing PM1. Will make sure to test some generic filters for this device soon.
Just wanted to drop by and say thank you to HouseFresh for standing up for consumer rights and for a more fair and open internet. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bnA08Wwh9v4.html Found your article concerning google via LMG and you guys rock!
Love my rain mate I add thymes fir oil and eucalyptus oil my apartment always smells fresh .I don't care if it doesn't clean the air .it works better than my diffusers
Complete the set! Glad you found the review useful. I need to produce reviews for the 400s and 600S soon but been ill this week so don't want to force you guys to hear my scratchy voice :)
I am curious about this device but I have 2 cats and odor control is an issue for me. Could this device accommodate a carbon filter or would it affect the performance too much?
As standard it doesn’t but it is something that we want to test. The problem will be to find standard carbon filters that fit this particular size. But leave it with us and see if we can find a solution that works.
Will most likely be buying this one today. We returned the Shark yesterday. On day one a cat could poop and it would suck the smell out of the air but two weeks later it was doing the opposite.
Before you buy you might want to also look at the WInix 5500-2 as its probably better for odors then the Vital 200S. Instead of a bonded filter with carbon and particle, it has separate washable carbon filters which might provide you more help with your use case. I was planning to get the review up this week but might be slightly delayed but I have the written review here: housefresh.com/winix-5500-2-review/ Which Shark device did you find didn't live up to your expectations?
@@HouseFresh WOW! Thanks! Will read. Shark Never Change 650 SQ FT. Bought it at Best Buy so it had two week return policy. At the beginning I could feel it dramatically shifting the quality of the air as I sat or slept. I actually threw away the box because I was convinced it was a keeper. But overtime I was doubting its ability to keep same level of performance. Also was questioning the value of the fragrance insert. Am I paying extra for this option? I mean I don’t have to use it or buy future fragrance pods but maybe another purifier, that offers less, will be more focused. NOTE what started this shopping in purifiers was major construction in the next door apartment. Odors coming in through the wall.
Thanks for all your video's, sadly tho I cannot buy levoit in Belgium unless i overpay like allot to get it shipped here, do you have any other suggestions that is EU friendly. Subbed btw!
Looking at Amazon in Belgium and I would look at something like the Winix Zero or the Levoit Core 400S. Winix Zero seems best option for the price. Thanks for you comment and I do have a plan to release more information for those outside the US.
I just discovered you today via Adam Conover’s recent video (How Google RUINED the Internet). Because I had just purchased a large room air purifier on the 24th of this month after reading about various ones, I was thrilled to learn about your site and had to check it out. So I popped over and found the article about the best air purifiers to buy in 2024 (posted on the 24th, to my amusement) and lo and behold! -The very air purifier I purchased was listed as the top pick for large spaces! The Levoit Core 600S. Phew! I did good. And I must say, after leaving the Levoit 600S running for 6 hours in the basement I went down there and the air was CRISP! I had taken out the smaller air purifier that had been there (a BlueAir Pure 511, which is ok and now lives in my office, but is made for smaller spaces and it is also a PAIN to change the pre-filters and main filters on - so much so, I won’t be getting another like it.) I’m so glad you’re out here doing the work. Thank you. New subscriber! I’ll be letting others know about your site and videos.
Glad our pick aligned with the unit you decided on! I'm no the biggest fan of blueair purifiers as they force you to use the ionizers but they can be effective and good sound levels/efficient.Good idea to look for devices that make cleaning the per-filter easier as you need to keep on top it to keep a good level of performance. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience, it was surreal to see our site being mentioned on Adams video. Thanks for sharing our site and videos 🙏
Will a smaller or less expensive air purifier do anything for cigarette smoke? It’s the only reason I’m looking for one. Comes in from neighbours. Was looking at the Winix 5500-2 previously
It depends on how severe the issue is. It's likely worth trying a cheap device like the Winix 5500-2, which has the most carbon in a cheap unit, and using it with its Plasmawave. Hopefully, it's enough, but if not, then you could look at more specialist devices.
@@HouseFresh Thanks for the reply. It seems there’s a lot of misinformation online about purifiers. If I could ask, when it says carbon helps filter the odours of the smoke - does that mean just the smell is handled by carbon, and then the harmful particulates are filtered by the HEPA filter?
@@cadencedoherty9981 Yeah sadly it's full of people saying lots of very different things usually to sell you something overpriced! So just the gases that include VOCs (which cause smell) are captured by the carbon and then the tiny particles are picked up by the HEPA. So for cigarette smoke you need both but many small air purifiers have such small amounts that the carbon becomes used up very quickly.
I noticed CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) was not mentioned whatsoever and is arguably the most important factor as no matter what unit you use it will need to keep up and beat the rate at which particulates and pollution are generated within an indoor space. It seems, without this metric, the review is only capturing an incomplete result. Your thoughts?
I agree CADR is super useful in identifying good air purifiers and our own testing is often used to check that this data matches real world performance.We have found a small number errors in the EnergyStar CADR database and some manufacters don't send their device for tests so we don't won't to only rely on that alone. But it is something we always consider as you can see in our reviews: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9cw8mRx0zHE.htmlsi=_pdd_soLzCZfMb5-&t=312 I didn't go into too much detail in this video as it was already getting pretty long but will make sure to include this data in any tables we produce - we had good feedback from someone saying it would be good to have a table of data at the end to list all the information and CADR would be a good additon to here. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
@@HouseFresh I've been trying to be a successful entrepreneur for longer than I'd like to admit, so I can tell you that I appreciate how challenging it is. Keep up the battle; no less than our existence as humans depends on it now. 🙏
Excellent video, on a topic that is not covered as much as it should (my wife is allergic, as are many people). If there would be one suggestion, probably a comparison/summary table at the end would be the only thing missing. Thank you very much for your work.
Regarding your final comments in the video…thought you should know: I was just about to hit the “place order” button on a Levoit 600S when I came across your previous review of the Vital 200S. You completely changed my mind (and saved me a couple bucks). I’m sorry, I can’t support Amazon, so I didn’t use your affiliate links but absolutely purchased (from Levoit direct) because of your video.
Glad it was useful and hope you will be happy with Vital 200s. No worries about not using Amazon, I understand! Your comment has encouraged me to apply for the Levoit affiliate scheme so hopefully can include that in future videos!
Just a quick one to say after your comment we added functionality to buy from Levoit.com or Amazon.com on our links - I wouldn't have done it with your comment. 🙏
Danny is such a good reviewer and it's great he started to review the more mid-range and higher-range products. I hope he reviews the Coway ProX. One of the downsides he missed with the Levoit EverestAir is the reverse order of the carbon filter. It's better if the carbon filter is ahead of the HEPA as that helps to increase their service life.
Thanks do the kind words and will look to do more higher end devices soon. Yes you make a good point, it would be better to have the carbon swapped , smart air does this right with their devices.
@@HouseFresh The Smart Air SA600 has the carbon filter after the HEPA like Levoit. Coway does it the other way round but they don't separate the carbon and the HEPA filters.
I couldn't find the CADR for the One Home UV K1, which is a little concerning. I have tested lots of sub $50 devices, and most have been close to useless, sadly. We recently tested a $15 ali express/Temu air purifier and it was actually a better performer than many of the cheaper devices on Amazon but still very underpowered for most situations. If you have a very limited budget, you would be best to build your own with something like this: smartairfilters.com/en/blog/how-to-make-diy-air-purifier/ And use your money on the best filter/fan combination you can get. Thanks for your comment and hope my answer was useful!
@@HouseFresh Appreciate your response! Yeah, I went down the Air Purifier rabbit hole haha. My wife needs it & I just can't seem to sell her on getting a Levoit. We live in the Philippines you see, and options here are very scarce and or overpriced due to oversees shipping from the suppliers here. (they have to make money somehow) I really want a Winix 5550 2, but my dream Air Purifier would be the Dyson Big+Quite BP04. I heard good things about the VItal 200s, but can't see to find any supplier selling it here. For you reference we only have Shoppe or Lazada in the Philippines (well... that's where I do my online shopping) I'll share with you my notes: Probably won't make sense, but I've been doing my research for my wife that really needs quality clean air. We're at the point where it's affecting her heart because her nose is affected. Just want the best for her. And I think I'm going to go down the DIY route. Thanks again! - [ ] Air Purifier - 2,484 PHP = One Home UV K1 with 2 Filter (True Value = 1,842 PHP) - [RF] 348 PHP = One Home K1-Rf - (Every 6 Months?) - 7,139 PHP = Levoit Core 300 (3rd Best) - [RF] 1,749 PHP = Levoit Core 300-Rf - (Every 6 Months Seems to be Standard) - 1,099.99 USD = Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde BP04 (BEST) - 159.99 USD = Winix 5500 2 (2nd Best) on Amazon - 25,190 PHP on Lazada (Overpriced?)  Levoit - 11,859 PHP - Vital 100s - 15,129 PHP - Core 400s - 23,960 PHP - Core 600s DIY - 249 USD - Clean Air Kits - Exhalaron - Reference
@@HouseFresh I have a feeling though that my wife won't allow me to DIY this though... Let's just say trust issues. It's the normal bias because I'm the one doing all the research, and she just receives the conclusion. Anyway, is there any portable Air Purifiers that you'd recommend. The priority is my wife anyway. I've seen necklace ones. But just not so sure if it'll be enough.
@@JoshCOfficial Thats a shame but totally understand! A good portable device is the SmartAir QT3 but its still quite low powered so just something to be aware of. Our full review: housefresh.com/smart-air-qt3-review/
Just heard that there were complaints made to Shopify that they were not based in the US - see more information here: x.com/NukitToBeSure/status/1793095227659743417 A real shame as this is a great product that would help a lot of people. They did say they are going to working with another payment provider so hopefully it will be back online soon.
@@HouseFresh Probably big corp trying to shut them down for providing a good thing for regular folk. Switching to a MERV 13 solution not only reduces noise but also cuts down on electric bills while maintaining, or even enhancing, air quality.
Looks like a ionizer device that has a mode that could lead to lots of ozone. I don’t think it’s worth the risk to use as an air purifier. I don’t think any level of ozone is worth it and would stick to just mechanical filtration like hepa and activated carbon. Hope this helps, I haven’t tested it but this is just from the info I could see online for this device.
Great video! When talking about a small apartment/studio aprox 350 sq ft with open spaces, which option would you recommend? What about the IQAir Atem Desk and AirDoctor 2000?
thank you. For this space assuming you have 8ft ceiling you will need 224 cfm for 4.8 air changes per hour. I tested the IQAir Atem car model and it was the best we saw for the car but did feel very high priced for the low level of CADR so wouldn't reccomend for your situation. If you like Air Doctor I would look at the 3000 housefresh.com/airdoctor-ad3000/ as that would have enough CADR for your space and you could leave it on a lower fan speed for reduced noise levels. But you could also look at any of my top picks from this video like the Levoit Vital 200S and Winix 5500-2 as they are both suitable for this room space. If it was me I would go for a device with a higher CADR like the Levoit Core 600S or EverestAir as you could keep your air clean with a lower fan speed so less noisy but would cost more initially. Hope that helps!
@@HouseFresh Great thank you for answering! Now, considering I live in a small space, size and aesthetic do matter, so considering that would you still go for Levoit 600 S or EverestAir?
@@mariakuri1884 If asthetics matter, I would much prefer the EverestAir as it also has a removable pre-filter that makes it much easier to keep on top of cleaning the pre-filter. I actually have my review for this device coming out on Friday so keep an eye on that. The main benefit over the 600S is that it's cheaper.
Thanks for the kind words! I will see if we can make sure to include UK links in this video but sadly many devices are not available so can be tricky. Feedback from you and others has encouraged us to create a video of the Best Air Purifiers Available in the UK - to be sure to keep an eye on that in future.
I recently bought a luggable xxl from clean air kits for $280 total (230 for the kit and 50 for the merv 13 filters) and to my knowledge its hard to beat the the cadr to $ ratio of that: $280 for 410 cadr. At least here in the US. I also have a Winix 535 (same as 5500) for many years now and the luggable is definitely much more powerful. My parents room is a dust bomb and with the winix on high (not turbo) they've mentioned it doesn't seem to be doing as much as the luggable. Anecdotal, but still. Perhaps the only real con of the luggable is its not as robust as a typical unit so you have to be more careful but thats a more minor complaint in my eyes. Excited for you guys to test out different pc fan models and spread the good word!
@@HouseFresh main con is its just not as robust as a typical unit. Oh, and make sure the merv filters u get along with it are in good shape, 1 inches filters have a tendency to get banged up if you ship them. Besides that, nope!
Why doesn't Danny mention the obvious problems with this DIY and his running costs are unrealistic? It looks like it doesn't have a prefilter so it will cost more as you need to replace the filters you'll need to do that much more often compared to the 5500-2. Without a prefilter those MERV 13 filters will degrade in a few months like they always do. You need to replace them really often. That costs a lot more than the 5500-2. I'm hesitant to run the MERV 13 in my HVAC because of how quickly they fill up with dust. It also doesn't have variable speeds to choose from. The 5500-2 has variable speeds. It also looks very large. The 5500-2 is much more compact. The 5500-2 has a carbon filter which this doesn't. The carbon filter in the 5500-2 also acts as a second prefilter so the life of the filters will be a lot longer in the 5500-2 than in this Nukit. The best thing about the 5500-2 is it has something called automatic mode where it users an onboard laser-sensor to detect the air pollution level. It's only noisy when the air pollution level is really bad because it has an inbuilt sensor technology. People who think the 5500-2 is noisy just haven't understood how to use the automatic mode. The 5500-2 also uses real carbon pellets and a HEPA filter which captures ultra-fine particles. MERV 13 isn't good for ultra-fine particles. The 5500-2 will have much lower running costs and it's also doing a better job as it uses automatic mode to control itself.
It’s not a pre filter but there is a metal mesh that is washable but it’s true it’s not as easy to clean as the washable pre filter . I still think the 5500-2 is good as it has washable carbon and is plug and play. The merv 13 still removes all tiny particles as there are many passes through the filter and non hepa grade can actually be more effective air purifier is as there is higher air flow . There is an option to get a switch for different speeds for the nukit tempest but is extra $ The big thing is that this needs building so not a plug and play solution vs the winix 5500-2. It’s not that large will show a video next to winix 5500-2 bit it’s similar size but different shape.
@@HouseFresh With no prefilter like in this DIY the MERV 13 will only last a few months. Just look at the MERV 13 in your HVAC after a couple of months. They get coated in dust. That means the running cost will be really high as you need to replace the filters 2-3 times a year. MERV 13 are also a lot lower efficiency than HEPA filter with ultra-fine particulates. That means they only remove a small proportion of the ultra-fine particulates compared to the 5500-2. The 5500-2 also has a carbon filter which removes VOCs. The carbon filter also further extends the lifespan of the HEPA filter because it acts as a prefilter preventing the HEPA filter from filling with dust.
@@HouseFresh The problem isn't the lack of plug and play. It's the fact this product only uses MERV 13 filters with no prefilters. This means the running costs will be very high as you need to replace MERV 13 every few months as they get full of dust without a prefilter. It also means it's not effective for removing ultra-fine particulates. It doesn't have variable speeds. It doesn't have an automatic mode. It has no carbon filter so the air is being far less filtered compared to the 5500-2. It also looks huge compared to the 5500-2.
Weird username and you sound like a competitor trying to crap on the product lol. There are several false statements in your comment. The mesh could be improved but the Deis design also has a better pre filter type design. The reality is if you care about using your purifiers in context when they need to run at speed, like if you are trying to prevent spread of airborne infections indoors, this is so so much better than a Winix 5500 on low, and around the same volume. The winix will do very little on low. BTW I own 6 Winix.
Would love to see this compared to other DIY options like the design made by the 3dhandyman, smartair's diy option, and others. Additionally how would this compare to a DIY terrabloom/ac infinity purifier which is a much higher upfront cost and much more intensive setting up? Or energy efficient purifiers like the Blueair MAX series?
@@qewfsdsd65445 it has a wire mesh’s at the front sorry I wasn’t clear about it in the video. Not as good as removal pre filter so could be something to ask for in future iterations.
Will include more device comparisons in the written review. Will let you know when it’s live. I do plan to test other diy pc fan solutions. Do you know a good place to read more about the terrabloom/ac infinity?
@@HouseFresh air purifiers and air quality subreddits have a few good threads on it; I haven't delved too deep on the topic but I'm sure there's some forums out there as well, you just have to get the right parts and connect them together. For the most part it's really just finding the best orientation, location and cheap suppliers
Do you guys plan to post a review of this on your website? It'll be nice to compare it to the other air purifiers you guys review on your website. Also, do you know if this product comes in white or plan to be? I don't see it on their website.
Yes do plan to post a text review on the website and will be working on this next week. Don’t know think they have an option for white but could be something to request for future as seems a good idea. Will update you here when the review is live. Thanks for commenting 😊
@@jericho2060I don’t think there won’t be difference with the generic or oem filter , energy usage would be the same would be the same. Lower grade hepa might actually improve performance .
You might be able to help our household, We’ve noticed you live in U.K. how did you get a hold of 200s in U.K. ? We’ve search far and wide and could only find filters but not air purifier itself. Any help would be greatly appreciated
hey, we actually got ours shippied from the US via Snapklik.com. I wouldn't reccomend it though as it's very expensive and it's a US version so you need to use a US transformer to use. The Vital 100S is available in the UK but for some reasons, Levoit hasn't brought the Vital 200S over to the UK or Europe. I am going to be working on putting together a list of the best air purifiers that are available in the UK very soon - so keep an eye on that. Sorry I can't be much more help.
We look forward to you sharing your real feelings after using it. This will be of great help to us to hear the real VOC and improve the product to better.😌
You need get hold of your rep, they must be able to give you once if you have had so many of Rainbow vaccums! If you really want I can send you ours when we finish testing - are you based in the US?
@@HouseFresh Im in Canada, I LOVEEEEEE my rainbows, Ive been rainbowing since I was 6 years old. I cant live without my rainbow but funny enough they have never gifted us the rain mates, I love the scent of them
I've seen a lot of people talk about the filter layers, how the carbon should come before the hepa so that the hepa can catch possible carbon particles, however most companies like Levoit do it the other way around. What are your thoughts on this?
Sorry for late reply 😞 I was talking about this recently. Many companies have the carbon at the back but I did notice that smart air has the carbon on the opposite side. It would make sense to have the hepa after carbon but I also think there is a benefit to having pure hepa if you don’t need the carbon as will get improved air cleaning performance. I think non hepa grade is a good fit for home air purifiers as they have improved air flow.
What do you recommend for ALOT of dust particles for 1) living room/dining in a condo 2) 12 x 16 bedrooms in condo, with 8ft ceilings...thank you for all the info & care
Hi Lynne, you didn't mention the size for the dining room but assuming its no bigger than 350 sq ft, then I would get a device like the Vital 200S, Winix 5500-2 or Winix C545 for the living room and then for the bedroom I would choose cheaper/smaller devices like Levoit Vital 100S, Winix A230 or Taotronics AP003 (also called Lorell HEPA 420 in Walmart is $79 at the moment) I'm assuming you want best bang for buck with these choices. If you don't mind spending more money you could get more performance for less found with devices like the Levoit EverestAir/Air Doctor 3000 but they do come with a higher price with less cheap filters but are powerful enough to run on lower fan speeds and still keep your rooms clean. All of these options come with removal pre-filters which will make it much easier to keep on top of cleaning them - dirty pre-fitlers can really reduce performance if not cleaned regularly. Hope that helps and thanks for your comment!
Yes, tremendously! I was up all night googling (dust issues) & got nowhere.Someone recommended RU-vid...& I happened on you....loved the testing especially the noise & particle cleaning...btw just finished reading your article on GOOGLE...yeah 🙌🙌 for exposing the bs....I wasted last night on there...what has this world come to...so much lies & greed... looking forward to more intelligent videos. Thank you!!
@@lynnewilliams3979 thank you 🙏 it’s great to hear that you found our testing videos useful and thank you for reading out latest post. Google this week has now announced that they are forcing searches to use AI before they see any sites now so I’m sure it will get even worse 🥲 Hope you stick around as got lots more reviews and testing videos to share. Thanks again for taking the time to comment, it really helps me to stay inspired!
