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The Best Air Purifiers for Every Budget

Three air purifiers being reviewed with the title card: Best Air Purifier for Every Budget

Home Air Purifiers: Which One Tops the List?

Air quality is a growing concern, and while we can’t control outdoor air quality, there are steps we can take to create cleaner air in our homes. One of the best ways to do this is to invest in a high-quality air purifier. However, finding the right air purifier can be challenging with so many options available. Because of this, Bestcovery decided to try out three well-known brands to help you choose one that’s a good fit for your home and needs.

Below are our honest reviews of the Mila, Honeywell, and Levoit air purifiers. We’ll discuss what we liked and disliked and which is the best option. Let’s get started!

Disclosure: Mila sent us a sample of the Mila Air Purifier. Bestcovery purchased the Honeywell HPA200 and Levoit Core 300 for comparison.

Mila Air Purifier unit in white

Mila

Price: $349

Mila only has one model of air purifier but sells seven different filters. We decided to test two Mila air purifiers: one with the Basic Breather filter and the other with the Rookie Parent filter.

Right from the get-go, what makes the Mila Air Purifier stand out from the others we tried is the smart features. We were impressed by the fact that you can control the settings from an app on your phone. This app is incredibly easy to set up and use. As part of the smart features, it has VOC detection and will alert you when it finds high levels of VOCs in your home. Plus, through the app, you can keep tabs on both indoor and outdoor air quality.

When it comes to performance, the Mila Air Purifier does a great job at reducing odors and keeping rooms smelling fresh. It also has a quiet mode that automatically turns on when it detects someone in the room. However, it doesn’t seem to work 100% of the time.

This air purifier is a bit on the pricey side, setting you back over $400 when you purchase a unit and a filter. Filters aren’t included with the unit, but you must have a filter to use the air purifier. The highest mode can also be pretty noisy. It’s so loud we couldn’t have a conversation in the same room as the unit. Although it claims to filter formaldehyde, the app doesn’t include any kind of measurement data to confirm this. You’ll also need to set up a 2.4 GHz WiFi network if you have a 5 GHz network.

Features of Mila Air Purifier

Basic breather

  • Removes outdoor air pollution
  • Removes indoor particulates
  • Removes house dust
  • 447 CADR
  • H12 HEPA layer

Rookie Parent

  • Removes super fine particulates
  • Removes VOCs
  • Removes odors
  • 364 CADR
  • H12 HEPA layer
  • Pure granular carbon (.7lbs)
The Honeywell HPA200 air purifier

Honeywell HPA200

Price: $299.95

The Honeywell HPA200 is a stellar performer when it comes to purifying indoor air. It can remove a range of common air pollutants such as odors, pet dander, VOCs, and smoke. We were particularly impressed by its ability to significantly reduce allergy symptoms after just a few hours in a home with a lot of pet dander. It filters out smoke really well, which is especially helpful if you live somewhere with frequent wildfires. This air purifier also includes a turbo mode for times when you need a more thorough cleaning.

Beyond performance, we really like how easy this air purifier is to use. It has a straightforward interface and easily adjustable settings. With a simple tap of a button, you can customize the settings to suit your needs. The Honeywell HPA200 is also very quiet, especially compared to the Mila.

Although it’s great at filtering airborne particles and reducing odors, the Honeywell HPA200 has a few notable drawbacks. Its relatively low CADR means it’ll take longer to clean your air. It lacks smart features and isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as the other air purifiers we tried. It also has the most expensive filters of the three air purifiers we compared.

Features of the Honeywell Air Purifier

  • Captures microscopic and large airborne allergens and particles
  • Reduces odors and VOCs
  • 173 CADR
  • Three cleaning levels and a turbo setting
  • Timer options of 2, 4, or 8 hours
  • Earned the ENERGY STAR label
Levoit Core 300 in white

Levoit Core 300 Air Purifier

Price: $99.99

The Levoit Core 300 effectively tackles specific indoor air quality issues, especially odors. We let it run in a room with a litter box for a couple of hours, and it drastically decreased the smell. This air purifier has a thoughtful design with a sleep setting, allowing for quieter filtering at night. It’s also a budget-friendly option, with the lowest initial unit cost and the cheapest filter options on our list.

We noticed a few areas where the Levoit Core 300 fell short. Just like the Honeywell, it lacks smart features, so you can’t control it remotely. Its noise level is also on the higher side, which isn’t ideal for those looking for a quieter option. Finally, unlike the Honeywell, it doesn’t offer a turbo mode for more intense air purification.

Features of the Levoit Air Purifier

  • Ozone-free
  • 2-8 hour timer
  • Sleep mode
  • CADR 135
  • Energystar certified
  • Filters fine dust, pet dander, VOCs

Which Air Purifier Is Best?

In terms of value, when considering the cost per unit efficiency, the Levoit Core 300 offers the best value, followed by the Mila Rookie Parent, the Mila Basic Breather, then the Honeywell. However, the Mila stands out with its smart features, making it a suitable choice if the higher price tag is within your budget. For light use or smaller rooms, we recommend the Levoit. However, all three purifiers effectively filter odors and outdoor pollution, offering a solid performance across the board. Ultimately, we suggest buying the one that fits your room and budget.

Mariah Nelson Bio Photo
Mariah makes her living working in marketing, but her true passions are rockhounding, skiing, and painting. She has a cat and a rabbit at home who she loves to spoil.
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