Unfortunately, the stunning technical progress we observe during the last decades has a flip side, that is, a negative environmental impact. Vehicle exhaust gases, industrial VOCs, and chemical fumes are constantly exuded into the air and float there all the time. So, though often neglected, air pollution can’t be denied. And while the outdoor air is far from being clean, the situation with the indoor air is even worse. The tests proved that the indoor air is on average up to 5 times more polluted than the outdoor environment. The dirty outdoor air entering your dwelling through windows and doors is only half of the problem. There is a number of other factors that greatly affect the air quality indoors.
Here are some of them:
- Dust and dirt from HVAC systems;
- Pet hair and dander, dust mites, pollen, and other allergens;
- Mold and mildew due to increased humidity;
- Fumes from detergents and other cleaning supplies;
- Cooking and tobacco fumes and bad odors.
If you don’t see those contaminants, it doesn’t mean they are not there. Just like floors need a good vacuum to stay clean and tidy, the indoor air needs cleaning on a regular basis too and an air purifier is a surefire way to do that.
An air purifier or cleaner is an appliance specifically designed to remove contaminating gases and fine particulate from the indoor air to maintain a clean, fresh, and safe atmosphere you live or work in. In general, the whole system is pretty simple and is built around advanced filtration technologies. A common air purifier consists of a housing that encases a fan with a motor and a set of filters. The device circulates the air through the filter to capture and trap the pollutants. Hence, the more powerful the motor, the higher the purification speed and the larger the coverage area. Meanwhile, the cleaning performance depends on the filter system efficiency.
With that said, the fan power and filtration system are the key points to consider when choosing an air purifier. The fan power will define the ACH (air changes per hour) rate that indicates cleaning efficiency and speed. Meanwhile, modern air cleaners mostly come with complex filtration systems created to capture gases, the finest particles, germs, and bacteria. The choice of air purifiers you can currently find on the market is pretty huge, and it can be easy to get lost even among top-rated models. Some of them might appear rather expensive, others too sophisticated, and there will be those lacking some important features you need. For those feeling like this, we've got a dedicated review with the best air purifiers available on sale, along with a buying guide and useful tips on how to choose the one that will be right you. And if you need a well-balanced solution featuring most of the functions and modes we usually need, we'd be remiss not to mention the Levoit Vital 100, a purifier that has a lot to offer in all aspects. Let's check it out in detail.
Relatively new to the market, in Levoit, they do their best to offer an extensive range of devices for creating a healthy and favorable indoor environment. Keeping up with the latest technological innovations and closely focusing on final results, they've managed to set up a reputed brand known for excellent product quality and efficiency. When it comes to air purifiers, the assortment widely varies from top-notch Wi-Fi enabled models to no-frills personal units. And if you seek a fine line between rather pricey feature-rich solutions with smart capabilities and fair simplicity with no extras, the Levoit Vital 100 will hit that sweet spot. At a wallet-friendly price, you’ll get a decently powerful unit with surprisingly high performance characteristics and versatile enough to make its way into about any room in your house.
To start with, the air purification efficiency is an aspect where the Vital 100 really excels. The model is able to remove all harmful airborne pollutants and potential irritants. Notably, it cleans the air without applying ionizers or UV-C technologies that work great for extremely high pollution levels, yet, produce added ozone that might aggravate some respiratory conditions. Instead, in the Vital 100, they use a complex filtration system most common for ozone-free models that is exceptionally effective against all sorts of home air contaminants and is safe for allergy, asthma, and bronchitis sufferers.
The filter process here relies on three stages. Once the air gets into the unit, it will come through the fine mesh preliminary filter for coarse cleaning. Featuring a sponge-like structure, it will capture larger particles like dust, hair, lint, and fur. The next stage is a true HEPA filter that takes away the allergens and germs as small as 0.3 microns. Passing via this filter, the air will be 99.9% purified from bacterial particulate, pollen, mold spores, viruses, dust mites, and pet dander. The final cleaning element is an activated carbon filter that absorbs foul odors and fumes like the cooking smell and tobacco smoke as well as traps VOCs. As a result, the air will come out not only clean and pure but also fresh and nice to breathe in.
The Levoit Vital 100 design is something that deserves attention too. With a number of space-saving cylindrically shaped models in the range, in the Vital 100, they come back to the basic console design. As such, the unit is definitely bigger, yet, it is sleek and has a pretty slim profile, so, it won’t eat up too much space. On the other hand, though, a console panel allows using a larger filter, which is more effective and ensures faster cleaning in the end.
The Vital 100 can efficiently purify the atmosphere in the room as large as 300 sq.ft. However, to optimize the unit performance in smaller areas, thus making it a valuable choice for different rooms and minimizing energy consumption, the manufacturer has fitted the purifier with a variable speed. Thus, at the lowest speed setting, it will deliver the ACH 4.5 rate in smaller premises up to 140 sq.ft while the medium speed refers to ACH 4 in the area up to 185 sq.ft. Finally, the highest fan speed is meant to achieve the ACH 3.3 rate in larger rooms and open-plan spaces up to 300 sq.ft. With that, the Vital 100 will perfectly fit both for bedrooms, nurseries, playrooms, and dens and for living rooms, kitchens, and offices.
One more selling point of the Levoit Vital 100 that can’t be left unnoticed is its truly quiet operation. The majority of fan-assisted devices, especially the powerful ones, are pretty noisy. Yet, it’s not the case with the Vital 100. At the lowest setting, the level of noise it produces is only 23 decibels, which is comparable to that of whisper and even the highest level doesn’t exceed 50 decibels which makes it one of the quietest air purifiers. So, you can run it in a bedroom all night long and it will take care of your sound sleep without disturbing your comfort, and the Timer function will let you schedule your air cleaning sessions if necessary.
All in all, distinguished by a high fan power, decent coverage, and high-performance filtration system, the Levoit Vital 100 provides good value for the money and is hands down one of the best air purification solutions for home use.
Selecting the right air purifier for your living or working area is important but it is definitely not enough to get the most out of it. To make full use of your new appliance, it needs to be used in a proper way. And here are some practical tips on the correct usage.
- Find the right location. The device should have some space for free air circulation. So, avoid placing it in obstructed areas, such as next to the walls or furniture. There should be four-side access for free air intake and outflow.
- Leave it on. Modern models are all energy-efficient and won’t hit your electrical bills too much. So, don’t turn off your air purifier to save energy and let it run continuously. This way, you’ll make sure your indoor air is always fresh and clean, which is crucial for homes with smokers and allergy sufferers.
- Mind closing doors and windows. When you turn an air conditioner on, you always close the entrance doors and windows. The same rule works for air purifiers. They are meant for indoor use only and won’t ensure high cleaning efficiency under constant outdoor air inflow.
- Remember about filters. In a 3-stage filtration system, a pre-filter needs regular cleaning while HEPA and carbon filters need timely replacement. Depending on the level of air pollution, a preliminary filter should be washed every ten days or two weeks but not less often than once a month. Not only will it maintain high cleaning performance but also it will prolong the service life of other filters. HEPA and carbon filters are normally replaced once a year. Besides, most air purifier models have a filter indicator that will help you change filters in time.
To sum it all up, if you have any doubts about whether you need an air purifier, let them go, the thing really works and it will turn your dwelling into a fresher and more inviting environment. Subject to proper use and maintenance, an air purifier will ensure a clean and healthy atmosphere safe and comfortable to live and work in.