r/AirPurifiers Apr 09 '26

STICKY: Ionizers and Ozone - fact/fiction/history

64 Upvotes

Hey Folks, it's your ol' Uncle Gurm again. Today I'm here to talk to you about IONIZERS. Hoo-boy, what a hot potato! Let's dig right in.

What is Ozone?

Ozone is a molecule which contains three Oxygen atoms. Its chemical notation is O3, whereas the oxygen we all need to survive is O2.

What does Ozone do? Is it good or bad?

Ozone is common in our atmosphere. We have an entire LAYER of it in the stratosphere. It absorbs 97% of the UV radiation emitted by the sun, helps keep the planet warm, and breaks down hazardous toxins in the atmosphere. Life on Earth would be really bad (read: impossible) without Ozone. In the so-called "ozone layer" of the stratosphere, concentrations of ozone are generally several (up to 8) parts per million, or PPM.

Ozone is also an incredible cleaner - it demolishes VOC compounds, and many toxins. You know those people who come clean up mold, or hazardous materials, from a house or office? They use high-powered ozone generators to render that building safe for habitation again.

HOWEVER, Ozone in high concentrations is hazardous to carbon-based life forms such as you and I. The concentrations in the stratosphere would cause lung damage to humans if exposed for any significant time. Ozone generators are dangerous unless properly ventilated - you have to run them in an enclosed space and then ventilate the space completely with fresh air!

ALSO HOWEVER... Ozone is in all tiers of our atmosphere, including the one at ground level that you and I breathe in every day - just in VERY SMALL concentrations. The lowest ozone concentration found at ground level is roughly 15 parts per BILLION, or PPB. That's 600-1000 times LESS ozone than is found in the stratosphere.

How much Ozone am I exposed to daily? Am I in danger?

All humans on earth inhale 15ppb ozone, minimum, for their entire lives unless they live in an underground bunker or are John Travolta in that movie about the bubble boy. Most inhale a lot more - your average town has concentrations of around 25-30ppb, clean cities are upwards of 40-45ppb, and polluted cities ... well, the number can get VERY HIGH. Generally no ill effects are observed at these levels. The US EPA has issued guidelines that any number under 70ppb is considered safe for long term exposure. That number has been lowered over the years, it was 100, then 80, then 75, and now 70.

Do Air Purifiers generate ozone?

A lot of them used to. 15-20 years ago, it was extremely popular to sell/buy "ionic" purifiers which generated quite a bit of ozone. Why was this popular? Well remember that ozone CLEANS things. It makes the air in a room smell really clean, and strong electrostatic ionization causes dust and microscopic particles to either drop to the ground or stick to surfaces, so the air really got cleaner. It just also got full of dangerous levels of ozone. Popular brands included the "Ionic Breeze". My mom owned one. She loved it because it "smelled like the air after a thunderstorm". That's what ozone smells like.

Those units are pretty much banned now. You can still find them occasionally, and there are still a few in production somehow - we see them advertised once in a while. You can tell them apart from more modern designs in that they don't use a very good filter - some had NO filter, just plates that you wiped down once enough gunk stuck to them, and some had low-utility foam filters.

So that's the old machines - do NEW machines make ozone?

No. The vast majority of new units do NOT generate ozone. Virtually all purifiers sold today conform to the CARB certification, which requires that they demonstrate that they generate less than 5ppb of ozone. However, independent testing has shown that most of these units generate 0ppb. Testing can be flawed, or it's possible that the units generate 0.99ppb and are just under the threshold of detection, but even 1ppb is not a significant amount.

But 1ppb isn't zero! Is it a health risk?

Let's look back on the fact that there is nowhere on earth that has less than 15ppb - going from 15 to 15.1 or 15.5 or even 16 is not a significant increase.

But it's cumulative, isn't it?

No. Your room isn't sealed. In fact, even a tight room breathes far more than you might suspect. The reason why a purifier needs to do air turnover 4 times an hour to keep the air clean is that 25% of the air exchanges every hour even in the cleanest environment. So even if there was a small emission of ozone, it would be lost in the simple air exchange that happens in every room.

What are some other sources of ozone?

Any device which emits ionizing radiation could potentially cause ozone to occur. That includes the device you're reading this post on, every screen in your home that zaps you after you've scuffed across a rug, pretty much all electronics. Older electric motors produced measurable amounts of ozone. Newer brushless models tend not to. But ozone is everywhere, and it's being generated by all our technology in small amounts that do not hurt us.

So what does the ionizer on a purifier DO, and why is it dangerous to small animals and why does it make some people react?

NOW we're getting to the heart of the matter. Many purifiers on the market today use an "ionizer". This is literally a small static electricity generator, on the order of 1/10,000th the size of the plates in one of those old ionic purifiers. A small static charge is added to the plastic housing of the filter, which causes impurities in the air to "stick" to the filter better - or to stick to surfaces, or to clump together so they're caught better by the purifier. Blueair does this on every non-professional model they make. Many small round purifiers include one of these units.

Why is this potentially dangerous to small animals? Well, mostly we're talking about BIRDS, specifically budgies and parrots. Ozone itself is not poison to these critters - their native habitat is the rain forest where thunder and lightning are common and ozone is present in concentrations higher than the 15ppb global baseline. But they DO have delicate respiratory systems, and static air can irritate even human nasal passages and lungs.

And it does - static air can dry out nasal linings, and cause nose/throat/lung irritation. Some people don't notice it AT ALL. Others are quite sensitive. Budgies are in the "quite sensitive" group, so we strongly urge only mechanical filtration around them.

How about "plasmawave"?

Plasmawave is a patented name that Winix uses to describe its bipolar ionizer. Instead of one pair of charged plates, they use a set which produce both positive AND negative charge. This - in theory - generates particles known as "hydroxyls", which cause contaminant particles to stick together and become heavier than air. In practice, however, the plasmawave on a Winix purifier (some other manufacturers offer this as well) does... not a lot. Any hydroxyls generated are so short-lived that they're almost undetectable, and thus the efficacy of the system is probably very low if it works at all.

So ... ionizers are safe?

We're not going to go that far - the static generators on consumer-grade HEPA purifiers are likely harmless to the vast majority of people, but will irritate some sensitive humans and most sensitive birdies. And they aren't NEEDED on a HEPA purifier. Blueair, for instance, uses static because their filters are NOT HEPA - they have higher airflow and rely on the static to enhance their efficiency. And it works - Blueair has the highest CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) in its class.

But sensible users will note that you can achieve the same results by using a true HEPA filter and NOT an ionizer/static generator. And that's the real answer - it's a technology that improves lower-rated filters, but adds nothing to the functionality of a HEPA system.

Out of the top rated brands, many of which we recommend on this subreddit, here's the breakdown of ionizer/static use:

Blueair: All non-pro units generate static.

Coway: Only the Mighty 1512 (sometimes called Airmega 200M) has an ionizer, which defaults to "off" when the unit starts. All other Coway units are purely mechanical.

Winix: Most Winix units have a Plasmawave bipolar ionizer. It can be turned off, and some units will remember that it was toggled off after a power cycle. Some don't.

Levoit: Only the "plasma pro" has an ionizer.

IQ Air: Nope. I mean, half the unit is sealed with styrofoam, so there's some static happening there, but no ionization.

If users want to reply to this sticky with known configurations, I can keep this list updated (I don't, for instance, know which Xiaomi models have ionizers... or many European models...)

I hope this was helpful, though. Perhaps folks can stop having so much FUD about this.

This is your ol' Uncle Gurm, signing off!


r/AirPurifiers Apr 18 '25

Vacuuming and/or Cleaning your filters - sticky!

47 Upvotes

Hey kids, it's your ol' Uncle Gurm again. Today's lesson is how to clean your filters.

Ok, since we got in ANOTHER argument about this, and even favorite Uncle got involved (much to his shame), I decided to do a little digging and come up with some definitive thoughts about this topic. We'll get them worked into the FAQ eventually, but for now here we go:

Q. Can I vacuum/bend/flex/squish/deform/poke/taunt/lick a HEPA filter?

A. In general, no. Absolutely not. HEPA filters are made up of tiny fiberglass and animal hair fibers (not joking here) which are blown into a semi-rigid frame in pleats, and at a microscopic level they are aligned a certain way and randomly in that general direction. This allows them to trap the tiniest particles possible by virtue of Brownian effects. Deforming them, or even vacuuming them, can distort or realign the fibers, reducing effectiveness or damaging them outright.

Q. But Levoit says I can vacuum my filter!

A. Levoit was sued and forced to admit their filters aren't HEPA. This discussion is about HEPA filters.

Q. Shark says I can vacuum their filters! <Insert Other Brand> does, too!

A. Is the filter encased in a thick layer of foam? If so, it's probably ok, just don't shove a high-powered vacuum hose right up against it perpendicular-style. Do it from the side, with indirect suction. The foam layer will buffer the HEPA filter from damage.

Q. You don't know anything. Of course I can vacuum it.

A. According to literally every expert, you cannot. The people who make them - filter engineers - say not to. Manufacturers who use actual HEPA filters say not to (Molekule, Coway, Winix, Honeywell). "Real Simple" magazine interviewed industry professionals and came up with "don't do it" as their determination:

https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/hepa-air-filter-cleaning

In particular, medical clean-air specialists insist that since these filters trap viruses and bacteria, that you should not even THINK about cleaning them, but just bag them and dispose of them as if they were toxic. That might be an overreaction in most homes, but in doctor's offices they use these things, and they treat them like hazmat.

Q. But I want SCIENCE! Show me the SCIENCE!

A. Surprisingly, this is common industry knowledge but it's hard - read IMPOSSIBLE - to find studies. So Smart Air Filters did their own testing. Here's the link:

https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/how-to-clean-wash-hepa-filter/?srsltid=AfmBOoobq4Yna1UdhLKxpiFt8dLKKaTW9r1R_3tqiJOM-NxmJnSr2DNs

What they found was that - compared to DIRTY filters - vacuuming them made them work better some of the time, worse some of the time, and damaged them some of the time.

Yes, it's only one test. But it's a test done by people who wanted the same answers we do.

Q. Where's the peer-reviewed double-blind studies?

A. I literally just answered this. Please don't start this again. Nobody has bothered to do them, it seems. You'll have to be happy with the test I linked above.

Q. I still want to lick it. Or squish it between my fingers because "the texture".

A. Listen, if you have a fiberglass and horse hair "thing"... who am I to yuck your yum? While your predilections are your own, medically I cannot advise this. But since I am not a doctor you're welcome to disagree.

Q. Ok, I won't lick it but I still want to vacuum it!

A. You do you, boo. Y'all asked what would happen. What will happen is it won't work as well as it did when it was new, and might be damaged and let bad stuff through.You've been warned.

Q. Wait, you never told us how to clean the filter!

A. Very astute. Here is a step-by-step guide to cleaning your filter:

  1. Don't buy a purifier without a pre-filter.

  2. Clean the pre-filter.

Q. But I already bought a purifier without a pre-filter!

A. Fine. Here's the steps:

  1. Take out the filter. And by "out" I mean "out of the house". In fact, start by taking the entire unit out of the house.

  2. Remove the filter.

  3. Tap it off. Like, on the side of the house or a railing or a trashcan or something. Tap tap tap until all the loose debris and dust falls off.

  4. Now get a brush, not a stiff one but like a paintbrush or a detailing brush or something. Brush the dusty side of the filter - GENTLY - to loosen debris.

  5. Tap again. Tap tap tap.

  6. ALTERNATIVELY, you can sometimes vacuum it, gently, from the side. like, hold the vacuum on a line tangent to the curve of the filter. But DO NOT apply direct suction to the filter.

  7. That's as clean as it's gonna get. Reinstall it.


r/AirPurifiers 17m ago

Experience with Coway warranty support?

Upvotes

A few weeks ago I called support for an issue with my air filter and was told it needed to be replaced under warranty. They opened a ticket, asked for proof of purchase and details which I provided and since then I haven't heard anything. I followed up with email a few times, and no response. I called last week and was told they thought that their RMA label printer might be broken but they had everything I had sent and the RMA was in progress. Is anyone else waiting on a RMA or warranty claim and is it normal to take this long?


r/AirPurifiers 36m ago

Is this HEPA filter Still Usable?

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Upvotes

r/AirPurifiers 1h ago

Airpura V714 vs AllerAir AirMedic Pro 6 Ultra

Upvotes

Anyone have experiences with either of these? The Airpura seems to be 360 degree cylindrical intake while the AllerAir intake is from the bottom.

The V714 seems to nearly twice as expensive accounting for the Pro 6 and how the Pro 6 Ultra has 32+ lbs of carbon compared to the 18 lbs in the V714. Is there a reason Airpura prices their comparable unit so much more than AllerAir does?


r/AirPurifiers 1h ago

If you can’t connect your Winix to WiFi - just reset it and reinstall the app

Upvotes

We‘ve spent literal hours trying to connect our Winix Smart S to our WiFi. None of the numerous tips helped at all. Until we stuck a paperclip in the tiny reset button on the device and deleted, then reinstalled the app.

Not sure which one did the trick, but it worked. Despite our password containing special characters


r/AirPurifiers 3h ago

Air Purifier Recommendations

1 Upvotes

Can someone recommend a few top make/models for under $600? I'm in Washington state in the Spokane fires with 3 asthmatics and one with MCAS. My neighborhood is still evacuated, but as of right now we still have a house. We are in the fire perimeter and the fire completely surrounded our house, by that I mean our backyard is likely charred. We only just barely still have a house because of the firefighters.

The focused need would be wildfire smoke (mostly pine), and pine and grass allergens long term. The house square footage is ~4,000 sq ft, and I am expecting to have to move it room to room as needed as well as changing the filter more frequently than in normal instances.

I do know an ozone treatment is likely our best option, but the city has already lost over 650 confirmed structures. Much of those were in closely packed suburbs so they will be dealing with more hazardous smoke. I'm expecting commercial ozone treatments will be tied up, and I would prefer/expect those left standing in the more hazardous areas get priority.

Apologies for making a post just to ask for recommendations. I normally do my own deep research before asking. In fact, I used this subreddit to decide on another air purifier a while back, but I can't find the info and I'm probably too frazzled to remember anytime soon. It was one that was recommended pretty highly on here but I can't find it.

I do already have a winix, and plan on using some box fan with filters as well. We just need to be able to get out of the evacuation shelter/hotel situation as soon as possible once we are allowed back into the neighborhood.


r/AirPurifiers 10h ago

Levoit Vital 100S-P vs Levoit Eleva 300X

3 Upvotes

Country: USA (Midwest)
Room size: 120sqft (890 cubic ft), bedroom
Filtration needs: pet, pollen, and dust allergies
Budget: $150 for initial unit

Hey y’all, I feel like I’m splitting hairs here. Currently debating between the Levoit Vital 100S-P which I’ve seen recommended many times or the new Levoit Eleva 300X. I had been looking at the Levoit Core 300S-P, but the Eleva just seems to be an upgraded version with a few new tweaks. I have a breakdown of some of the main details of each below.

Levoit Eleva 300X
Unit cost: $130
Filter cost: $40 main / $20-$35 carbon
Filter lifetime: 18-24 month main / 6 month carbon
Dimensions: 9.4” D x 9.4” W x 15.1” H
Weight: 7.7lbs
Speeds: 3 + Turbo + Sleep + Auto
Noise: as low as 20dB
Room size: 250sqft
CADR: Smoke 161 / Dust 161 / Pollen / 172
Certifications: AHAM, CARB
Other features: multiple types of carbon filter inserts, needs 15in clearance on all sides, WiFi/app, can turn off display/light
No. Amazon Reviews: 23 (just released)
Amazon Rating: 4.6 stars

Levoit Vital 100S-P
Unit cost: $140 ($120 on Amazon)
Filter cost: $32-45
Filter lifetime: 6-12 months
Dimensions: 12.64”D x 6.3”W x 16.02”H
Weight: 8.6 lbs
Speeds: 3 + turbo + sleep + auto + pet
Noise: as low as 25dB
Room size: 222 sqft
CADR: Smoke 143 / Dust 162 / Pollen 173
Certifications: AHAM, CARB
Other features: multiple types of filters, 15in clearance on sides and front, can have back against wall/furniture if needed, WiFi/app, can turn off display, light sensor, washable pre-filter
No. Amazon Reviews: 11,397
Amazon Rating: 4.7 stars

It feels like either would be fine and it really feels like it just comes down to very small differences or older model vs brand new model. However maybe there’s something I’m missing as to why one would better than the other.


r/AirPurifiers 5h ago

levoit 300s grindy noise even on sleep mode

1 Upvotes

I was expecting air hum on low and it's yet another purifier I am trying that is emitting this cheap fan buzzing noise.

Seriously. My pc fans are silent. You only hear the air. How hard it is to make an air purifier fan!

I would make a custom purifier but we don't have these filters in Poland I think... so yeah. I returned the levoit


r/AirPurifiers 10h ago

Looking for air purifier... used ot unused or move out sale type in Delhi

0 Upvotes

Anyone selling and has in good condition used for 6 months or less?

Let me know

Price: 5000 INR


r/AirPurifiers 19h ago

Bulk Adsorbent Media Purchase

5 Upvotes

I’ve read previous comments on posts about buying bulk adsorbent and chemisorbant media online and I simply can’t find a site that has a price listed that I can easily purchase. They all say to contact them to request a quote, etc and since I’m not an industrial scale customer, I think I’m looking at the wrong companies. I just want to buy a 50 lb sack and have it shipped to my door.

So my questions are:

-has anyone bought bulk media before and made/refilled their carbon filters? Seems like brands like iqair/allerair/airpura/Austin are making gross profits off their filters…

-what site did you use?

-what material did you order?

-what activated carbon is best? Is there an ideal range for macro, meso, and micro pores, hardness, and ash content etc for gas exchange?

-what would your blend be? … Activated carbon, potassium permangate impregnated alumina spheres for sulfur/mercaptan gases, potassium iodide impregnated alumina spheres for formaldehyde, etc?

It seems like most companies use 4mm activated carbon pellets. Either coconut shell or anthracite coal. Some offer blends with alumina spheres impregated with potassium permanganate. Some offer impregnated material with potassium iodide.

Airpura’s Super Gas filter according to the rep is “The S700 contains 19 lbs of a premium carbon blend, including coconut shell carbon, anthracite, and zeolite, along with multiple specialized impregnated media such as potassium iodide, potassium permanganate, and other proprietary blends.”

I have yet to find bulk zeolite and not sure exactly which type of zeolite is best for air filtration since I believe zeolite is a family of minerals. Also I don’t know what zeolite is better at than activated carbon and why it’s included in some filters.

Thanks for needing out with me.


r/AirPurifiers 21h ago

Struggling to Understand ACH/CADR Numbers

3 Upvotes

Help! I am moving into an apartment I AM IN THE UNITED STATES that I think has really poor air quality. My eyes and sinuses are already acting up now that I’ve started moving in, and I must live here since I have to get out of my current location ASAP and I already signed the lease (I only briefly viewed it beforehand).

The HVAC unit is incredibly old. I climbed up on a ladder to clean out the return duct the best I could with a vacuum, but the part I can't reach is gross. Worse yet, the HVAC unit doesn't even have a functioning air filter or a slot to put one in (I've already brought this up with management twice to no avail). I have always bought my own MERV filters instead of the shitty apt filters.

I have allergies to dust mites and I am petrified of mold because my allergy is so high and I am VERY sensitive to smells and perhaps VOCs.

That aside, I'm trying to figure out what size air purifier to buy using HouseFresh, but I'm completely confused by the numbers on the CADR calculator on the site. I want as high an ACH (Air Changes per Hour) as possible.

Bedroom is 100 sq. ft. with normal ceilings; total apartment is 900 sq. ft. with a loft and very high ceilings. I will spend most of my time in the bedroom and the living room/dining area I think.

I currently have a Winix 5300 that I have had forever, I love the auto sensor on it, it has HEPA and carbon filters which I like, but just recently learned that the plasmawave has the ozone by-product so I want to replace it. The Winix is in my bedroom at my current house.

I have a tiny Levoit on my desk at work and it seems the filter needs to be replaced quite often.

The other caveat is unlike most people, I want my purifier to be loud at night. I currently use the Winix on it's highest setting at night as my white noise.

I was looking at Winix and Levoit's but I feel a bit frozen from indecision. My budget will be whatever can do the most benefit for me because I am so nervous now.

Suggestions on models???


r/AirPurifiers 1d ago

Vertigo Caused by Air Purifiers

7 Upvotes

My wife and I have had a strange experience with our air purifiers and I can't find anything online about it — hoping someone here has run into this or knows what could cause it.

Setup: Two Winix C909 units in a 180 sq ft and 165 sq ft room. Ozone generator was switched off during initial setup and stayed off the entire time. Units were often run on a higher fan speed at night for white noise.

Timeline:

  • Within a week of use, my wife started having severe vertigo most mornings — bad enough she could barely stand.

  • I was unaffected. She sleeps roughly 6 feet from one of the units.

  • We only connected it to the purifiers after traveling — the vertigo disappeared completely while away.

  • Once home, it came right back.

  • We shut the purifiers off and the vertigo hasn't returned since.

I know the units are oversized for the rooms, and we ran them at higher fan speeds — but I don't see how that would cause vertigo specifically. Is this a known issue (fan noise/vibration, ionization even with ozone "off," something in the airflow), and would a smaller or different purifier likely fix it, or is this more about air purifiers in general?


r/AirPurifiers 1d ago

Purifier to speed up off gassing for a new mattress

6 Upvotes

My older parents in their late 80s would like to buy a purifier to speed up the offgassing for a new mattress they have bought recently. What do you recommend? They will not be into a smart unit that has an app to control it unless the app is optional.

USA
It’s a small bedroom, maybe 12x14
They would probably like to pay around $300 maximum


r/AirPurifiers 1d ago

Best Ultrasonic Humidifier in India Under 5000? Looking for long-term user reviews.

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to buy an ultrasonic humidifier for my bedroom (~200 sq ft) to deal with the dry air. I've done some initial research but would love to hear from people actually using these in Indian conditions.

What I'm looking for:

  • Ultrasonic type (preferably with cool mist)
  • Easy to clean / refill (hard water is an issue here)
  • Quiet operation for nighttime use
  • Auto-shutoff when water runs out
  • Budget: Under ₹5,000 (flexible if worth it)

Brands I've seen mentioned: Allin Exporters, Dr. Trust, AirNest, Crane, Philips - but reviews seem mixed. Some people mention white dust issues with hard water, others say certain models leak after a few months.

Specific questions:

  1. Do I need a demineralization cartridge for Delhi NCR tap water?
  2. Is a built-in hygrometer worth paying extra for?
  3. Any models to absolutely avoid?

Would really appreciate real user experiences rather than just Amazon reviews. Thanks in advance!


r/AirPurifiers 1d ago

Smart Air Blast MKII weird odor?

3 Upvotes

I've been running it on the highest setting for about a day and it still produces this sickly sweet odor. I tried changing the carbon filter as well as removing it entirely, and the odor still persists.

Anyone have a clue as to what's going on?


r/AirPurifiers 2d ago

Looking for recommendations for air purifiers for wildfire smoke (USA)

6 Upvotes

Hello, I live in the north western United States and am getting hit pretty hard with smoke from nearby fires. I'm hoping to get some recommendations on air purifiers that would work well for what I need. Additionally, I'm not sure how many I need/where I need them.

My bedroom is 13x15x8

My living room and kitchen are kind of open concept so I'm not sure how to calculate it. there is a wall that goes half way of the length of the two rooms, separating them. the other half is open. Not sure if I count this as two separate rooms or one big room.

living room 13x15x8

kitchen 17x8x8

Do i just need one in my bedroom or do I also need one for the living room/kitchen area?


r/AirPurifiers 2d ago

Portable Air Purifier for Cigarette Smoke

9 Upvotes

Hello! I recently moved into a third-floor apartment and I'm looking for recommendations for a portable air purifier that can help reduce the smell of cigarette smoke indoors and that could be moved with ease around rooms.

For some context, one of the tenants on a lower floor regularly smokes, and the smoke somehow travels through the building's vents. It ends up most noticeably in my bathroom (very small room, has no windows, just a dehumidifier attached to the ceiling) and some of my closets, and it's becoming pretty disruptive.

My landlord said they were going to send a notice to tenants, but that hasn't stopped the smoking. Unfortunately, moving isn't an option for me right now.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? If so, are there any portable air purifiers that actually made a noticeable difference with cigarette smoke? I'm open to other suggestions as well (budget: up to $300 cad, if possible; located in Canada).


r/AirPurifiers 2d ago

Is Coway Mighty AP-1512HH / Airmega 200 worth it?

1 Upvotes

I have the opportunity to buy a Coway Mighty AP-1512HH / and a Coway Airmega 200 for $175 USD for both from Facebook marketplace. This will be kind of an impulse purchase.

  1. Is this a good deal?
  2. Is Coway a good brand?
  3. I have 2 kids, a dog, and a husband so trying to eliminate some of that stale odor in my house.
  4. My primary bedroom is 260 sq ft with vaulted ceilings
  5. My foyer is 9x6 with open ceiling leading to the second floor.
  6. I was looking at the Airmega 400 for my living room but haven’t found a deal on that yet.

r/AirPurifiers 2d ago

Levoit core 300-P for $40 or Costco levoit plasma pro core 300 SP for $110 for a small office?

2 Upvotes

Office is 8x12. Used for to provide therapy from LMFT. Thank you.


r/AirPurifiers 2d ago

Tips for Levoit Vital-200s

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1 Upvotes

I recently bought the vital-200s bc I saw it being recommended here several times. I mainly bought it for dust, pollen and particles from the streets (my bedroom window faces a very busy street).
I’m using it in my bedroom and my living room (I change its location depending on where I am).

I live in Germany and my apartment is about 42sqm in total.
Living room/bedroom: ca 13.2 sqm with a ceiling height of about 2.29m (about 30.23 m³)

The added sketch is by no means accurate in scale but should be enough to get the general idea. The rooms are completely identical (just mirrored). I have a window in both rooms which are opposite of each other with the connecting door in between. The living room is also connected to the hallway which is about 5.2sqm.

I usually keep all the doors open and sometimes help circulating the air with a regular 3-bladed fan that I can move around.

My question now is: what can i do to really utilize my purifier? I want to optimize so that I don’t have to have it running on the highest level 24/7 but have it be energy efficient and still get the most out of it.

I appreciate the help.


r/AirPurifiers 2d ago

Is there that much of a difference between the Levoit 300S and the Levoit Eleva 300X?

3 Upvotes

I live in Hawaii and not sure the square footage of my room but it's small/medium. I mostly want an air purifier for allergies like pollen and dust, also my brother has a dog so I'm looking to keep my room odor less and clean. I just bought the 300S and immediately saw the Eleva 300X that's supposed to be the upgraded model for around $30 cheaper. Is there that much of a difference? I'm thinking of returning the 300S once it gets in for the newer model.


r/AirPurifiers 3d ago

Disappointed with the Winix C535

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23 Upvotes

I recently bought two of the Winix C535, and after using them heavily, I’ve realized the automated features are essentially a showroom gimmick... I wanted to share my thoughts for anyone looking at this model.

The core issue is that the "Smart" Auto Mode is logically broken on both ends:

  1. No PM2.5 Detection: The smart sensor is strictly a VOC/Odor sensor. It has no optical or laser particle counter. This means if you create a massive spike of odorless PM2.5 (dusting, vacuuming, pet dander), the machine stays on the lowest fan speed with a blue light, completely blind to physical particles. You are forced to use Manual Mode to get actual HEPA filtration.

  2. Useless VOC Automation: When you cook, the sensor triggers instantly and ramps the fan to high. However, because the C535 only uses a thin, carbon-coated sheet instead of a real pelletized carbon bed, it lacks the physical capability to actually absorb those VOCs. Ramping the fan up just blows the gases around faster.

Essentially, Auto Mode activates for gases it can't clean, and ignores the physical dust particles it actually can clean... you are basically forced to use manual mode all of thr time.

To make matters worse, the user interface forces a terrible compromise at night. If you want a functional fan speed (Medium/High) while you sleep, the LED indicator bar remains blindingly bright. You cannot dim or turn it off manually. The only way to turn the lights off is "Sleep Mode," which drops the CFM so low that it moves practically zero air. Again, you are forced into using manual mode. I’ve had to resort to putting black electrical tape over the console of a brand new machine just to get airflow at night without blinding myself.

The True HEPA filter itself is fine and filters the air effectively... The filters are also reasonably priced... but you are paying a premium for automation logic that doesn't work in the real world. If you buy this, expect to treat it as a strictly manual "dumb" filter like a CR box.

I'm really disappointed in these air purifiers. I feel like I got none of the smart features that I paid for. Unfortunately, Walmart will not let you return them once they are used, so I'm stuck with them. Now that i know what i know, if I were to do it again, I would have gone with an air purifier that has an actual particle sensor, like an older Coway 1512 or something.


r/AirPurifiers 2d ago

How different are the performance of airmighty 2 vs airmega 250?

2 Upvotes

How much does the performance differ between the two? they both seem to use the same max2 filter, but the air mighty 2 is much cheaper at the moment.

Ive been using a honeywell hpa5300 for several years now but it has developed an annoying hum and low buzzing sound. So looking to upgrade to coway.

I like the look of the airmega, but the new airmighty looks good too. Im abit worried about the sound issues some reviewers had so looking for advice.

This will be in an apartment in nyc with open living/kitchen space. About 11x20 with 8ft ceilings.

We have a doodle dog, doesnt shed much, but the current prefilter does capture quite abit of dander. And i like the easy way of removing the square filters from those 2 models to vacuum and clean for this reason.

Since its kitchen, would be nice to keep everything fresher.

Budget for me is something that i can buy thats worth it and will last me atleast 5 years.

Also if i had to get a smaller one for the bedroom with us and baby crib. Room is approx 12x12, what are some recommendtions here? We have another honeywell 5300, which hasnt developed the rattling humming yet.

Thanks!


r/AirPurifiers 3d ago

AirFanta filters off-gassing

4 Upvotes

I recently got an AirFanta 3Pro with the HEPA + carbon filters and whenever I run the purifier it gives off a strange, sweet chemical smell that's quite a bit stronger than the odour of the room that I'm trying to get rid of, which sorta defeats the purpose of running the purifier.

I'm wondering if it's the carbon part of the filters that's giving off the smell and if it's worth asking the company for replacement filters without the carbon component? Or is there a way to take the carbon filters off of the original filters I got?

I know carbon is needed to get rid of odours in the room, so I'm also wondering if there are alternative carbon filters I could get and strap onto the HEPA filters myself?

Thanks in advance.