The Levoit LV-PUR131 air purifier is a good option if you are looking for a large air purifier. This purifier can handle rooms that are up to 322 sq. ft. in size. It uses a three-stage filtration system that includes a pre-filter, a true HEPA filter, and an activated charcoal filter to capture bad smells or chemicals.
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Design
The Levoit LV-PUR131 air purifier has exceptional build quality. The plastic used in its construction is hard and durable, making it well suited for long-term use without being easily damaged or scratched by damages such as dust particles stuck onto them during the installation process – something that can happen if you don’t read instructions properly!
The Levoit LV-PUR131 is a sleek, modern-looking device that’s not only stylish but also functional. The control panel for this air purifier located behind the outlet will throw you at first glance because it isn’t common among other models on today’s market however once we got used to where everything was situated things became easier!
Usability
While the LV-PUR131 has a Red power LED that lights up when turned on, there’s no way to turn this light off. You can see different settings on its control panel that lights up. The AC4825 has a single green power LED that illuminates any time the unit is turned on, but you can’t turn it off. The Winix 5500-2 has several control panel lights, including an air quality light and fan speed lights. To turn off the light, you must select the unit’s “sleep” mode. But when you do that, you lose all manual control of the unit. Plus, a single LED still illuminates to show that “sleep” mode is activated.
The LV-PUR131 is small and light. It may look like a full-size unit like the Winix 5500-2 from stock photos you see online, but it’s not. The Levoit is only 18.5 inches tall while the Winix is 24 inches tall. The Levoit is not as wide or deep as the Winix. It is also lighter in weight; the Levoit weighs just under 11 lb., while the Winix weighs 16.5 lb.
The Levoit is taller than other air purifiers with the same output. The AC4825 is 22 inches tall, but it is not as wide or deep as the Levoit. The HPA100 is 14 inches tall and has a similar width and depth to the Levoit.
All of these air purifiers – even the full-size Winix 5500-2 – are relatively small and light appliances. They also have a carrying handle, which makes them more portable. Is the Levoit more portable than the Winix? Yes, but the Winix is still a very portable appliance overall.
Filters
Particle Filter
The Levoit LV-PUR131 comes with a HEPA filter to remove particles from the air. This includes dust, smoke particles, mold spores, and allergens. This is what the HEPA filter in the unit is for – removing particles from the air.
HEPA filtration is the best way to remove particles from the air. Almost all air purifiers on the market have a HEPA filter, including the GermGuardian AC4825, Honeywell HPA100, Winix 5500-2, and Coway Mighty.
HEPA filters are very effective in removing 99.97% of the particles that travel through them. They are also very affordable to make, so they can be replaced often.
Gas Filter
This Levoit air purifier comes with a carbon filter. Other famous kinds of carbon filters are the fibrous type, which is only coated with carbon, and the pellet-based type. Levoit’s carbon filter contains actual carbon pellets.
This type of filter is better at filtering gases than the fibrous type. So if gas filtration is essential to you, the Levoit is a suitable alternative. Units like the AC4825, HPA100, and Pure 411 all have fibrous carbon filters that are not as useful for filtering gases. The Winix 5500-2 has a pellet-based carbon filter, like the Levoit.
Pre-filter
The LV-PUR131 has a fibrous material attached to its HEPA filter. This material is not as effective as a separate dedicated pre-filter, which is found on top-rated full-size units like the Winix 5500-2.
The pre-filter is important because it catches the bigger pieces of dirt and dust before they can go through to the more expensive HEPA filter. If the pre-filter doesn’t catch these big pieces, then the HEPA filter will need to be replaced more often.
The pre-filter on the Winix 5500-2 can be removed and washed separately from the other filters. This is great because the pre-filter can be washed at no cost and the HEPA filter is untouched.
The pre-filter on the LV-PUR131 is part of the HEPA filter. This means that when the pre-filter gets dirty, the whole filter has to be replaced, which costs more money in the long run. This is an unacceptable design flaw that makes the unit more expensive to own over time (compared to units that have a separate pre-filter).
Air performance
Air movement
The LV-PUR131 can process up to 135 cubic feet of air every minute. This makes it a good option for rooms that are up to 150 square feet.
If you need to clean the air in a room that is bigger, you will need an air purifier with greater output. For example, the Winix 5500-2 with approximately 250 CFM can service a room up to 300 sq. ft.
The ACH (air changes per hour) rating is a good way to compare the output of different air purifiers. The Levoit has an ACH of 2. This means that it will cycle all the air in a 150 sq. ft. room two times per hour.
If your room is bigger than 300 sq. ft., you will need more than one air purifier to clean the air in the room. We recommend this option over a single, high-CFM unit because it is more effective.
Noise
The LV-PUR131 was an average performer in our noise output tests when the fan was set to a higher speed. The machine emitted 65.6 dB of sound on high and 59.1 dB of sound on medium. For comparison, the Honeywell HPA100 emitted 68.7 dB of sound when set to high. The GermGuardian AC4825 emitted 61.2 dB of sound when set to high.
The LV-PUR131 was measured at 52.2 dB on low fan speed. The HPA100 was measured at 51.5 dB but the AC4825 and most top-rated units we tested were much quieter, measuring well below 50 dB. The AC4825 on low was measured at 44.2 dB. The Winix 5500-2 was measured at 40 dB.
In conclusion, the LV-PUR131 is about as loud as most other air purifiers when set on high or medium. However, it is louder on low. If you are looking for an air purifier that is not too loud when set to high, this Levoit unit might be a good option for you. If you are looking for a very quiet air purifier to run on low fan speed, you may want to look elsewhere.
Durability
The LV-PUR131 is better built with higher-quality parts than units with the same output (AC4825, HPA100, etc.). However, units that are less expensive (Winix 5500-2) but have the lower build quality and use lower quality parts.
The unit also comes with a very short warranty – it’s only for 1 year. The Levoit LV-PUR131 needs its filters replaced every so often. The filters are designed to be thrown away after a while, and they can’t be cleaned or reused. The Levoit LV-PUR131 has a basic maintenance schedule that includes replacing the filters.
The filters usually last for 6 months (according to the manufacturer). They are often sold in packs of 2, one with a HEPA filter and one with an activated charcoal filter.
Energy efficiency
The LV-PUR131 is very energy efficient. It uses less power than most other air purifiers that have a similar output. This Levoit uses 34.8 watts of power on the highest fan speed, 17.4 watts on the medium fan speed, and 9 watts on the low fan speed. When you look at how much air it moves (CFM) on each fan speed, it has a CFM/watt ratio of 4 on high, 6 on medium, and 9 on low.
The GermGuardian AC4825 usually has a CFM/watt ratio of 2-3 on all three fan speeds. For example, the GermGuardian AC4825 has a CFM/watt ratio of 3, 2, and 2 on each of its three fan speeds. The CFM/watt ratio is the amount of output (CFM) you get for the amount of power (watts) used. The higher the ratio, the more CFM you get for the power used. This means that the LV-PUR131 with ratios of 4, 6, and 9 is more energy-efficient than the AC4825 with ratios of 3, 2, and 2.
Larger full-size air purifiers use less energy than smaller air purifiers. The Winix 5500-2 uses only 54.8 watts on the highest fan speed and it draws under 10 watts of power on each of its three lower fan speeds. This gives it a CFM/watt ratio of 4.6 on turbo (highest fan speed) and between 11 and 12 on lower fan speeds.
If you are looking for an air purifier with maximum energy efficiency, the LV-PUR131 is a good option. It is a lower output unit. If you want to look at full-size top-rated units, the Winix 5500-2 is recommended.
Price & Value
The Levoit LV-PUR131 is not a good-value air purifier. It costs around $160 and it has about half the output (CFM) of the Winix 5500-2, which costs about $150. The Levoit can only be used in rooms up to 150 sq. ft., while the Winix can be used in rooms up to 300 sq. ft. The Winix also comes with a separate washable pre-filter, an ionization mode, and remote control, while the Levoit doesn’t.
The Levoit air purifier is a more expensive option, retailing for around $220. However, there are other units on the market that have a similar output and are much less expensive. For example, the GermGuardian AC4825 has an output of around 140 CFM and retails for only around $80.
The Levoit air purifier has some features that the GermGuardian does not have. The Levoit has a pellet-based carbon filter while the GermGuardian has a fibrous coated with a carbon filter. However, the GermGuardian is much cheaper and still filters out particles just as well.
If you want an air purifier that is about the same price as the LV-PUR131, we recommend you buy a top-rated 250 CFM unit like the Winix. If you are looking for an air purifier with the same approximate output, we recommend you pay much less for a budget model like the GermGuardian AC4825.
Pros & cons
- This fan is very energy efficient. It has above-average CFM/watt ratios on all fan speeds. This product can be used to treat 322 square feet of living space.
- This air purifier is rich with features, including automatic mode, air quality indicator, sleep mode, a dimmer button to turn off all control panel lights, and a timer.
- This unit is more lightweight and more smallish than other top-rated units, causing it just more portable.
- Good HEPA filters for trapping small particles, while pellet-based carbon filters are good for trapping gas.
- They did not put a separate filter that you could clean. bad pre-filter
- This air purifier is larger in size than other comparable models.
- It can be a little awkward to reset the filter button after you replace them.
Verdict
The Levoit LV-PUR131 did okay in all of our tests, but other machines are a better value for the price. You might be happy with the Levoit, but you can find a better value elsewhere.
The Levoit LV-PUR131 is an excellent machine that can improve PM2.5 levels from 5.6 to 0.2 in just 1 hour. It cleans rooms up to 322 sq. ft., making it perfect for small to medium-sized rooms. It doesn’t have many bells and whistles, but it’s a simple and efficient machine that is easy to use and maintain.
The Levoit LV-PUR131 is a great performer. It did well in our tests and was able to clean the air very well after just one hour of running.
The Levoit LV-PUR131 air purifier has multiple levels of filtration. Together, they work well and improve air quality significantly. This Levoit air purifier is much less expensive than some of its competitors, but it still cleans the air as well.
