LAP‑C302S‑WUSB

Only buy levoit in black, the white turns yellow. Ask me how I know.

Portable hood by the window for capture. HEPA + big carbon purifier running high during + a few hours after. If money is tight: consider a DIY Corsi–Rosenthal box (for particles) + a smaller carbon purifier or the hood for odors. If money is not as tight and smoke is frequent: consider a smoke-focused purifier with heavy carbon (Winix 5510, Levoit large-room, Oransi TrueCarbon, Austin Air, etc.).

I think this gets overstated. The Core series pre-filter just comes with the filter. It’s not much harder to vacuum those than the separate ones in the flat panel units. I say this an owner of Cores, Vitals and an EverestAir.

Levoit are consistently ranked among the top by professional reviewers and customers alike. There are people out there who are all pissy about the fact that the filters aren't officially HEPA certified anymore and have made it their life mission to shit on Levoit at any opportunity, but the fact is that it's just not important as the filters are still among the best performing, with or without the certification and it's wholly irrelevant for most people's uses. My main advice would be to get the largest unit you can afford, as small ones are much less effective. Large ones can always be run on a slower speed if put into a small room, but generally it's best to use the highest speed you can handle without being annoyed by it. The Vital 100S and Vital 200S have washable mesh pre-filters which is one of their main advantages over the Core series, but the Core series are still very good. The washable pre-filters just help keep the primary filter lasting a little longer between replacements. However, reviewers have noted that the Vital 200S is the better choice over the 100S due to being quieter, more power efficient, and larger. The Core series have a non-washable pre-filter which you can vacuum every couple of weeks with a soft brush. They are still excellent purifiers, and there are plenty of options for third-party replacement filters which are just as good, but cheaper than the originals. There are also good third party filter options for the Vital series as well. Since an air purifier is designed to be turned on and left running constantly, the smart features aren't really necessary unless you would like to control the speed every night when you go to bed, or set schedules where it runs at maximum when you're out, and then returns to a lower speed when you're home, etc. Other than something like that, the non-smart enabled ones will do just fine. Also remember that the room sizes they claim can be purified are exaggerated greatly for all brands and models. The really small units which can fit on your night table by the bed and sell for cheaply won't be very effective.

Not a big fan of the Levoit Core series purifiers. I think the Levoit Vital series and the EverestAir model are superior because they use separate permanent pre-filters. That and I've read about more issues (malfunctions or unit failures) with the Core series. Ultimately the right purifier depends on pollution levels, health conditions like allergies, and room volume (length x width x height).

The stuffiness you describe may due to higher indoor relative humidity (RH) and/or carbon dioxide build-up. High RH can lead to mold and mildew growth, which in turn produces odorous mVOCs (microbial Volatile Organic Compounds). Purifiers only capture *airborne* mold and mildew; they can't mitigate moisture sources or pathways. A dehumidifier would be much better instead. I'm guessing you have one or more ductless mini splits for air conditioning? Unfortunately "whole home" dehumidifiers require ductwork. You would need to buy a freestanding dehumidifier instead. I'd prefer the Levoit or Philips over Xiaomi or Blueair. Just keep in mind that Clean Air Delivery Rates (CADRs) are typically given for the highest airflow speed/setting *only*. Lower settings have lower CADRs, which reduces cleaning effectiveness.

The results would **not** surprise this sub. The CBC News video you linked is common knowledge. The CBC team selected some pretty lousy purifiers to start. Dyson is terrible and pure marketing; most of their purifiers have low particulate CADRs relative to price. The Levoit is a very small unit. Neither the GermGuardian nor the Honeywell are very powerful. Only the Blueair has good CADRs, but it relies on an always-on ionizer to enhance the mechanical filter's efficiency. Regarding what to look for... The AutoModerator comment mentions the importance of Clean Air Delivery Rates (CADRs). Our [FAQs wiki page](https://www.reddit.com/r/AirPurifiers/wiki/index/faqs/) mentions CADRs 16 times. Our [Buying Guide for particulates focused purifiers lists CADRs](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16bOQoFE9rKYMlo1AR_cged3yRpxfmiey54U65UeBCR4/edit?gid=0#gid=0); ideally these include dust, pollen, smoke, and PM2.5. The [AHAM 2/3 rule](https://ahamverifide.org/ahams-air-filtration-standards/) is listed in multiple places. The link to Harvard's [Portable Air Cleaner Sizing Tool (PACS)](https://www.reddit.com/r/AirPurifiers/wiki/index/calculatorsortools/#wiki_portable_air_cleaner_sizing_tool_.28pacs.29) in our wiki helps you explore CADRs while factoring in room ventilation. And yes, the DIY air cleaner comprised of MERV furnace filter(s) plus box fan is very well known. Most MERV filters are less restrictive than HEPA filters, allowing for more passes through the filter media in the same amount of time. But IMO using just one MERV filter is sub-optimal. The more effective DIY cleaner is a [Corsi-Rosenthal box](https://engineering.ucdavis.edu/news/science-action-how-build-corsi-rosenthal-box). This typically employs four MERV filters. I've recommended them many times and C-R boxes are mentioned several times on the FAQs wiki page. However, many people will find a box fan very loud. A highly energy efficient and quiet variation would be a C-R box with PC fans. See the article ["PC Fan Corsi-Rosenthal Guide"](https://itsairborne.com/pc-fan-corsi-rosenthal-guide-a611dabf7e0c) from the *It's Airborne* blog. There are also various products or kits out there requiring some amount of assembly: [Clean Air Kits](https://www.cleanairkits.com/), [North Box Systems](https://aidankepo.wixsite.com/northboxsystems), [Nukit Tempest Pro - Complete](https://cybernightmarket.com/products/the-nukit-tempest-pro-complete-air-purifier-kit-usa). And lastly... linked in the right sidebar is r/crboxes.

Hey! I have 5 Levoit smart purifiers around my home on Google Home ecosystem, and it works flawlessly.

We have several LeVoit smart purifiers and they’re outstanding. Our old home is super dusty and these units have made a huge impact on how we feel and no longer see tons of random dust particles in the air.

I bought a Levoit smart air purifier. I just turn it on with the button. Never used the app.

Recently bought a few different sized Levoit air purifiers for a multi-level house and room sizes and they are awesome! Definitely get the one(s) with the app. Spent a lot of time researching. Best bang for the buck and level of filtration. On Amazon, but of course.

I have 2 Levoit brand purifiers. A smaller one in my bedroom and and a bigger one for living room area. They are quiet, dependable, and have been working well.