Levoit Core 300S review

The evolution of the popular Core 300 is a fairly priced smart air purifier with a more powerful, energy-efficient fan.
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Our verdict

The 300S is a worthy upgrade to its predecessor (the Core 300) with its ability to monitor and control the air quality with ease when connected to Levoit’s VeSync smartphone app, which you can even control using your voice.

 

This advancement now includes a smart sensor on the back of the unit that detects airborne pollutants and presents the data on its control panel using a color-coded LED light wheel.

 

The 300S packs all the extra features you need from an air purifier into a mid-sized, highly efficient unit.

If you’ve decided you need an air purifier and researched the units available, you’re most likely to have come across the Levoit brand. Levoit changed the game when they started engineering units in 2017 and have grown to be one of the most popular air purifier manufacturers on the planet.

The 300S is an upgrade on Levoit’s hugely successful 300 to fit in with their Core S (Smart) range. That means that the Core 300S comes with a built-in sensor that monitors the air quality in your home in real-time, making it possible for the air purifier to come on automatically when needed. You can see air quality levels in your room on the screen, or you can access the data on your phone through Levoit’s VeSync app.

But it begs the question, is it worth paying the extra $50 for the Core 300S over the 300?

To find out, we bought the Levoit Core 300S with our own money and put it through its paces to assess its air cleaning performance, sound levels at each fan speed, energy consumption, day-to-day usability and long-term maintenance costs.

How we test air purifiers

Read our full testing methodology.

With all this data, I will be able to compare the Levoit Core 300S to the more than 90 air purifiers we have tested to date. The result? A comprehensive review to help you decide if this is the right device for you.

The lowdown on the Levoit Core 300S

danny
“The Levoit 300S improves on nearly every aspect of the successful Core 300 with its quicker air cleaning, lower energy usage and even new smart features. Whilst still only an air purifier for a small room, this is one of the best small room air purifiers out there.”
— Danny Ashton, HouseFresh Founder & Senior Writer

Levoit Core 300S Kitchen Floor

If you don’t have time to read the full review, check out what I liked and what I think Levoit could have done better for the 300S.

What we really like

You can connect it to your smartphone through Levoit’s VeSync app to operate it remotely, set routines and more.
It comes with an auto mode thanks to its onboard air quality sensor.
It shows the quality of the air in the room in real time via a bright LED wheel around the control panel.
There are lots of generic filters available, so you can rest assured you won’t find it difficult to find filters in stock when the time comes to replace them

What we think could be better

It doesn’t come with enough activated carbon to deal with serious odors or VOCs.
I wish you could remove the pre-filter to clean it, but it’s a bonded all-in-1 cylindrical filter.

HouseFresh rating:★★★★☆
Time to clean our 728 cubic feet test room (with the device running at top speed):45 minutes
Air purifier technology:3-Stage Filtration (pre-filter, main particle filter, high-efficiency activated carbon filter)
Recommended room size (4.8 air changes per hour):219 sq. ft.
Clean air delivery rate (CADR):Dust: 134 CFM
Smoke: 126 CFM
Pollen: 154 CFM
Dimensions (in inches / in cm):8.7L x 8.7W x 14.2H inches (22L x 22W x 36H cm)
Weight (in pounds / in kg):5.95 lbs (2.7 kg)
Filter life:6 – 8 months
Noise level in decibels (measured from 3 ft. away with a sound level meter):Speed 1: 38.9 dB
Speed 2: 45.7 dB
Speed 3: 54.5 dB
Electricity consumption in watts (recorded with an electricity usage monitor):Standby mode: 1.7 watts
Speed 1: 5.9 watts
Speed 2: 9.8 watts
Speed 3: 21.8 watts
Estimated running cost (electricity consumption + official filter replacement):$79.43 per year
Cost per CADR cfm (based on dust CFM as reported by AHAM):$1.12
Manufacturer’s warranty:2 years
Country of manufacture:China

Basic design, intuitive functionality

Levoit has engineered the Core 300S to be extremely user-friendly without compromising on design.

Levoit Core 300S Dining Room

Levoit isn’t known for edgy designs, but that doesn’t mean the 300S looks bad. Its white, cylindrical body is compact, light and easy to move between rooms. It doesn’t take up much floor space and could also fit on a tabletop, desk or kitchen side.

Levoit Core 300S Kitchen Counter

The 300S sits firmly in the “mid-size” category when you put it next to some of the other Levoit units we’ve tested. You can see in the image below how it compares to bigger Levoit devices such as the popular Vital 200S (left), the Core 600S (middle) and the EverestAir (right).

Levoit Air Purifiers Together

When comparing the 300S side-by-side with the 300, you will see that they look pretty much identical. The only visible differences can be found when looking at the control panel on top and when comparing the back of each devices.

Levoit Core 300S VS Core 300S Comparison 1

On the back of the Core 300S, you will find Levoit’s AirSight™ Plus air quality sensor. This feature scans the surroundings, detecting how many pollutants are in the air, in real time. You need to keep the air quality sensor unobstructed and free of dust for it to do its job effectively.

Levoit Core 300S Airsight

The 300S uses this air quality data to determine the most suitable fan speed when running in auto-mode, and it also stores it in the VeSync smartphone app.

But you won’t need to be looking at your phone all the time to find out how good the air quality is in your room because the 300S displays this information on the control panel on top of the device in the form of an LED color-coded ring around the power button:

Levoit Core 300S Controls

This brings me to the controls of the Core 300S and I’ve got to say, they are intuitive and easy-to-use at a glance, which is something I’ve come to expect from Levoit at this point.

There are minimal button descriptions, but the icons used are pretty self-explanatory. Here are which functions each button controls:

PowerPress once to turn the power on/off.
Press and hold to configure the air purifier and connect to the VeSync app.
Auto ModeWhen engaged, this allows the 300S to automatically adjust its fan speed to neutralize the amount of pollutants in the air (perfect for when my cat farts). 
Display LightsYou can turn off the display lights if you don’t want them distracting you. Ideal for when I’m using auto mode at night.
Display LockPressing the button once locks the display so no settings can be altered. Press and hold for 3 seconds to unlock. Perfect if you have curious kids and/or pets.
TimerYou can set a timer to turn off your 300S for anything from 1-24 hours.
Night Mode/Filter ResetPressing the night mode button reduces the fan to its lowest speed and turns off the display lights for undisturbed sleep.
To reset the filter indicator light, press and hold for 3 seconds.
Fan SpeedCycle through three of the unit’s fan speeds.

There are a few more lights you will come across, all packed onto the control panel. On top are the fan speed indicators and the Wi-Fi signal to show that the unit is connected to your app. Below is the filter indicator light, which prompts you to replace the filter with a new one and an LED display to show the timer.

The smartphone app

As I mentioned briefly in the introduction, Levoit models in the ‘S’ (Smart) range include the ability to connect to their VeSync smartphone app. This allows you to have complete control of your 300S and the capacity to monitor the quality of the air in your home from anywhere in the world.

Connecting your device is a straightforward task and doesn’t take long. All you need is to have the app downloaded, have a good wifi connection and be next to your air purifier. You can even connect multiple units to control and monitor the air quality in each room.

Levoit Core 300S App1

The app itself is very intuitive and easy to navigate. The air quality is displayed on the screen with buttons to control fan speeds, engage Auto or Sleep modes, and set a timer or schedule when you want the air purifier to power on and off.

Levoit Core 300S App2

If you have smart home devices at home already, you will be pleased to learn that you can connect the VeSync app to your Alexa or Google Home device in order to enable voice commands.

Levoit Core 300S App3

Here’s what happened when I subjected my 300S to a burst of airborne pollutants at close range.

3-stage air filtration with activated carbon

Years after its release, Levoit was forced to remove all mentions of HEPA filtration from their marketing.

Levoit prides itself on the quality of its filters, and so it should, as we’ve never had any issues with them and found them to be extremely effective at removing harmful particles from the air. But a certain disruption has meant Levoit has had to make a few changes to their marketing materials.

Before I get into all that, let’s talk about the filter itself.

Levoit Core 300S Filter

Inside the Core 300S, you’ll find Levoit’s trademark 3-stage filtration system:

  • Pre Filter – This is the first line of defense by trapping larger particles like dust and dander from the air by capturing them in its fabric material. By removing these contaminants here, it prolongs the life of the main filter. 

The pre-filter is the exterior layer of the Levoit Core 300S, so larger particles (such as pet hair and fluff) will get stuck to it. In order to extend the life of the other layers of the filter, you will need to vacuum the pre-filter regularly:

How to Vacuum Air Purifier Pre Filter

  • ARC Formula™ Activated Carbon Filter – This is made up of lots of small pieces of activated carbon that remove VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and odors from the air using a process called adsorption. When these harmful pollutants hit the activated carbon they become stuck to it, unable to pass through.
  • Main Filter – This is where the magic happens. The main filter comprises of a tightly woven maze of fibers that trap microscopic particles (I always think of a fly trapped in a spider’s web), removing them from the air.

On August 15, 2023, Dyson contacted the National Advertising Division, stating that the branding of Levoit’s filters was misleading by classifying them as HEPA.

In response to this challenge, VeSync (Levoit’s parent company) asserted its belief in the efficiency of its products” and promised to update its testing data. Months later, Levoit instead opted for removing all traces of the word HEPA from its branding, packaging and promotional material.

So, does this mean that Levoit particle filters are inherently bad? Not really.

HEPA is an efficiency standard for air filters, but that doesn’t mean that only filters certified as HEPA are good. For example, we have seen excellent air cleaning results with air purifiers like the CleanAirKits Luggable XL-7, which uses MERV 13 filters instead of HEPA.

As I mentioned, you can check the remaining lifespan of your filter in the VeSync app but don’t worry if you don’t have access to that, as a red warning light will appear on your control panel when the filter needs to be replaced.

When the time comes, it’s extremely simple to replace the filter:

  1. Unplug your Core 300S
  1. Turn the unit upside down and twist off the cap anti-clockwise
  1. Pull out the filter and replace it with the new one
  1. Twist the cap back on clockwise

Check out the process in my instructional video.

Tip

Levoit filters will arrive wrapped in plastic packaging, so it’s paramount that you remove all of this before inserting the new filter into your 300S. If you don’t, the filter simply won’t work, and you’ll probably start to notice an unpleasant burning smell coming from your air purifier.

The Levoit Core 300S cleared our 728-cubic-feet test room in 45 minutes

This is two minutes slower than the Philips 800 Series but six minutes faster than the PuroAir 240.

Levoit Core 300S Kitchen Smells

We test all the air purifiers in the same rooms following the same process to assess the performance of each unit individually, as well as to make it possible to compare the data against other air purifiers we review. In this section of the article, I will take you through our tests.

Particle removal test

For our particle removal test, we lit an incense stick to fill our 728-cubic-feet test room with simulated contaminants. We then turned on the Core 300S at its highest fan speed and used our PurpleAir Zen particle counter to monitor how long it took for the 300S to clear all PM1 pollutants from the air.

Here are the results:

The 300S cleared our room of contaminants in 45 minutes, making it fifteen minutes faster than the original Core 300 (54 minutes).

The Core 300S is a small air purifier, so I wasn’t expecting results to match units like the Levoit EverestAir (16 minutes) or the Blast Mini from Smart Air (15 minutes).

Considering its size, the 300S offers good air cleaning performance but there are other small air purifiers available today that proved to be more effective and that offer better value for your money like the Winix A231 (40 minutes) or the Philips 800 Series (43 minutes).

AIR PURIFIER MODELTIME TO CLEAN OUR TEST ROOMLIST PRICE
AirFanta 3Pro17 minutes$159.99
Levoit Vital 200S23 minutes$189.99
Coway Airmega AP-1512HH (with ionizer)26 minutes$229.99
IKEA STARKVIND32 minutes$199.99
Levoit Vital 100S37 minutes$139.99
Winix A231 (with ionizer)40 minutes$99.99
Philips 800 Series43 minutes$139.99
Levoit Core 300S45 minutes$149.99
PuroAir 24051 minutes$199.00
Molekule Air Mini+61 minutes$359.99

Noise levels test

All air purifiers make noise; whether it be the fan spinning or the motor running it, the sound is unavoidable. The issue is that if your air purifier is too loud, the likelihood is that someone will switch it off eventually as nobody wants to have a noisy fan running while doing deep work or watching a movie.

That is why we used a sound level monitor to record how much noise the Core 300S generates at each fan speed:

  • Speed 1: 38.9 dBA
  • Speed 2: 45.7 dBA
  • Speed 3: 54.5 dBA


When comparing the performance you get when running at top speed with the noise generated (54.5 dB), the Core 300S doesn’t particularly stand out as neither quiet nor noisy:

AIR PURIFIER MODELSOUND LEVEL AT TOP SPEED (dBA)TIME TO REACH PM1 ZERO AT TOP SPEED
Levoit Core 30050.2 dB(A)54 minutes
Philips 800 Series51.3 dB(A)43 minutes
Levoit Vital 100S53.8 dB(A)37 minutes
Levoit Core 300S54.5 dB(A)45 minutes
IKEA STARKVIND57.4 dB(A)32 minutes
Winix A231 (Zero Compact)57.9 dB(A)40 minutes
Molekule Air Mini+67.4 dB(A)61 minutes

When you compare it to other small air purifiers, you’ll see that the 300S is on par. As you can see in the table above, the Winix A231 is louder than the 300S so if you were considering going with the A231 based on our particle removal test, then this is something to keep in mind.

Noise is subjective, so we video each unit we test to give you a good idea of how much sound it makes. Here’s the noise the 300S makes at each fan speed.

The cost to run a Core 300S: $79.43 per year

1. Electricity costs = $24.44 per year

Air purifiers need electricity to run, so the amount of energy it uses should be high on your list of considerations when looking to buy one. As the cost of energy continues to rise, finding an energy-efficient air purifier is more important than ever, especially as it’s recommended you run your unit 24 hours a day.

The Core 300S is more energy-efficient than its predecessor, pulling 21.8 watts at its highest fan speed. Assuming you would run your 300S all day, every day at its top speed, this will add $24.44 to your annual electricity bill. Unless you’re living in a consistently highly polluted area, you won’t need to have it at this level all the time, so the cost will most likely be lower.

When we compare the energy consumption of the Core 300S to other similarly sized (and priced) air purifiers, you will find that the 300S is a lot more energy-efficient than most:

AIR PURIFIER MODELENERGY CONSUMPTION AT TOP SPEED (watts)TIME TO REACH PM1 ZERO AT TOP SPEED
Philips 800 Series20.0 watts43 minutes
Levoit Core 300S21.8 watts45 minutes
Levoit Vital 100S27.3 watts37 minutes
Levoit Core 30035.5 watts54 minutes
PuroAir 24036.2 watts51 minutes
IKEA STARKVIND38.4 watts32 minutes
Molekule Air Mini+39.7 watts61 minutes
Winix A231 (Zero Compact)45.6 watts40 minutes

2. Filter costs = $54.99 per year

As filters trap particles from the air, they become full over time because those particles have nowhere to go. Most air purifiers use filters that need replacing when full, so it’s important to factor the cost of replacing them into your budget.

Genuine Levoit filter replacements cost around $25.99 for the original and $35.99 for the higher-spec filters (which we highly recommend over the original filter). As each filter lasts from 6-8 months (depending on usage), you should budget for two a year ($54.99):

LEVOIT Air Purifier Core 200S-P Air Filter Replacement, Genuine 3-in-1 Filters, High-Efficiency Activated Carbon, Core 200S-RF, 1 Pack, White
LEVOIT Core 300-P Air Purifier Pet Allergy Replacement Filter, 3-in-1 Filter, Efficiency Activated Carbon, Core300-RF-PA, 1 Pack, Yellow
LEVOIT Core 300-P Air Purifier Toxin Absorber Replacement Filter, 3-in-1 Filter, Efficiency Activated Carbon, Core300-RF-TX, 1 Pack, Green
LEVOIT Core 300-P Air Purifier Smoke Remover Replacement Filter, 4-in-1 Filter, Efficiency Activated Carbon, Core 300-RF-SR, 1 Pack, Blue
Technology
H13 (Medical) Grade HEPA and Activated Charcoal
3-in-1 HEPA, High-Efficiency Activated Carbon
3-in-1 HEPA, High-Efficiency Activated Carbon
4-in-1 HEPA, High-Efficiency Activated Carbon
Price
$25.26
$32.99
$32.50
$39.99
LEVOIT Air Purifier Core 200S-P Air Filter Replacement, Genuine 3-in-1 Filters, High-Efficiency Activated Carbon, Core 200S-RF, 1 Pack, White
Technology
H13 (Medical) Grade HEPA and Activated Charcoal
More information
Price
$25.26
LEVOIT Core 300-P Air Purifier Pet Allergy Replacement Filter, 3-in-1 Filter, Efficiency Activated Carbon, Core300-RF-PA, 1 Pack, Yellow
Technology
3-in-1 HEPA, High-Efficiency Activated Carbon
More information
Price
$32.99
LEVOIT Core 300-P Air Purifier Toxin Absorber Replacement Filter, 3-in-1 Filter, Efficiency Activated Carbon, Core300-RF-TX, 1 Pack, Green
Technology
3-in-1 HEPA, High-Efficiency Activated Carbon
More information
Price
$32.50
LEVOIT Core 300-P Air Purifier Smoke Remover Replacement Filter, 4-in-1 Filter, Efficiency Activated Carbon, Core 300-RF-SR, 1 Pack, Blue
Technology
4-in-1 HEPA, High-Efficiency Activated Carbon
More information
Price
$39.99

When combining energy consumption costs with filter replacement prices, we found that the Core 300S has some of the cheapest yearly running costs, second only to what we calculated when reviewing the Philips 800 Series:

AIR PURIFIER MODELESTIMATED ELECTRICITY COST (per year) FILTER REPLACEMENT COST (per year)YEARLY MAINTENANCE COST
Philips 800 Series$22.22$29.99$52.21
Levoit Core 300S$24.44$54.99$79.43
IKEA STARKVIND$42.65$40.00$82.65
Levoit Vital 100S$30.32$53.28$83.60
Winix A231$50.65$49.99$100.64
PuroAir 240$40.21$75.00$115.21
Molekule Air Mini+$44.10$199.98$244.08

We tested the Pureburg generic filters that you can buy for $24 for two filters and found they slowed air cleaning performance a little but did use pelleted activated carbon like the genuine Levoit filters – a good alternative if you want to lower long-term costs a little:


Bottom Line: Is the Levoit Core 300S worth it?

The Core 300S is a worthwhile upgrade on the Core 300 and a good choise for a small bedroom, dorm or home office.

The Levoit Core 300S is small, smart and highly efficient at removing harmful pollutants from your home. Most importantly, it is affordable.

But is it dated?

Levoit Core 300S Kitchen

What was once one of the most affordable air purifiers on the market has been overtaken by one of the best air purifiers we tested in 2024: the AirFanta 3Pro. This model is part of a new generation of air purifiers powered by PC fans and designed to be built at home. So if the idea of a super silent but powerful small air purifier tickles your fancy, then check out our review of this awesome new device taking the air purification world by storm right now.

If you like the look of the Core 300S but have some more budget to play with or a large room to clean, then I recommend sizing up and going with the 400S instead. If you want to check out other newer models from Levoit, I suggest you take a look at the Vital 100S, which is priced in the same bracket as the 300S but outperformed it. 

Now, if you want something about the same size as the Core 300S with a cylindrical size and HEPA filtration, then you should check out the Winix A230/Zero Compact and the Philips 800 Series.

I still recommend the Core 300S to people with a small budget who want a reliable unit with smart functionalities and app support, but the market has changed, and there are other pretty great air purifiers available today that offer better value.

SOURCES

We calculated the yearly costs associated with running the Levoit Core 300S for 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, using the Appliance Energy Calculator from the U.S. Department of Energy as of December 2024.

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About the author

Danny Ashton

Danny is the founder of HouseFresh and has been writing about air purifiers since 2010. He is our lead tester and reviewer, and is also the human in front of the camera in our YouTube channel.

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