After his father went into a long-term care facility at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Robert Fantinatto teamed up with his son Aidan to make PC-fan powered air purifiers easily available to Canadians.
As with all the air purifiers we tested, we bought the NorthBox 6XL with our own money. We went with the DIY kit as it was easier to ship all the way to the UK, and chose the HDF hardboard version as it was cheaper at $220 CAN.
The DIY kit came with everything we needed to build the 6XL, except for the two 20x20x1 3M Filtrete MERV13 filters and the six Arctic P14 fans. But if DIYing is not your thing, you can get the fully assembled version for $350 CAN.
In this review, I will be comparing the NorthBox 6XL against the more than 100 air purifiers I have tested to date. I will take you through my first-hand data on air cleaning performance, sound generation, electricity consumption, user experience and long-term running costs.
The lowdown on the NorthBox 6XL
Air cleaning performance, sound generation and energy consumption are on par with what we’ve come to expect from PC fan-powered devices.”
If you don’t want to read my full review, here are the five things I really like about the 6XL, and the three things I don’t.
What we really like
What we think could be better
| HouseFresh rating: | ◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◻️◻️◻️ 7/10 |
| Time to clean our 728 cubic feet test room (with the device running at top speed): | – Top speed: 21 minutes (Arctic P14 Max) – Sub-45dBA speed: 23 minutes (Noctua P14 Redux) |
| Air filtration technology: | MERV 13 (20x20x1 3M Filtrete MPR 1900) |
| Recommended room size (5 air changes per hour): | 427 sq. ft. |
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | HouseFresh PM1: 285 cfm |
| Dimensions (in inches / in cm): | 20 x 20 X 5.5 in (50.8 x 50.8 X 14 cm) |
| Weight (in pounds / in kg): | 2.4 lbs (1.1 kg) |
| Filter life: | 12 months |
| Noise level in decibels (measured from 3 ft. away with a sound level meter): | – Arctic P14 Max: 50.2 dBA – Noctua P14 Redux: 45.1 cBA |
| Electricity consumption in watts (recorded with an electricity usage monitor): | – Arctic P14 Max: 28.45 watts – Noctua P14 Redux: 14.4 watts |
| Estimated running cost: | – Energy consumption: $31.60 per year – Filter replacement: $89.98 per year |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 1 year |
| Country of manufacture: | Canada |
The best 6XL feature: Repairable, upgradeable and customizable
You can choose different types of PC fans depending on what you value most: sheer power or quiet performance.
One of my favorite features of the new generation of PC fan-powered air purifiers is the fact that you can fix and replace parts, using widely available air filters and fans.
In the case of the NorthBox 6XL, we were able to build multiple versions of the same device without any issues. Each time, we were able to improve the performance of the air purifier in regards to its particle removal efficiency and its sound generation.
This makes the 6XL highly customizable, depending on what you value most: quiet power or particle removal speed.
A natural HDF hardboard body that houses two 20×20 MERV 13 filters
The design of the 6XL is reminiscent of the Luggable XL-7 we reviewed from CleanAirKits.
The moment I finished building my 6XL, I could immediately see the resemblance with the design of the Luggable XL from CleanAirKits—especially considering the use of 3M Filtrete MERV 13 filters.
In fact, on their website, North Box Systems highlighted CleanAirKits’ own Rob Wissmann as a source of inspiration, alongside the DIY movement around the Corsi-Rosenthal box.
However, unlike CleanAirKits, you don’t get a handle and won’t find an option to add a mesh guard or pre-filter on top of the MERV 13 filters.
That said, you will get two choices for the body of your NorthBox 6XL: glossy black acrylic or natural HDF hardboard, with the first one adding $30 to the price.
Personally, I prefer the wooden look and the cost-savings associated with the HDF hardboard, but I am aware that there might be durability benefits with the acrylic version.
As I mentioned in the intro, we went with the DIY kit to build our 6XL at home because it was cheaper and easier to ship to the UK. The kit comes with everything you need (bar the filters and the fans), including a UL/C 12V power supply, safety grills to place on top of the fans and a set of adjustable internal tension cords to keep the cables nice and tidy on the inside.
This was the third PC fan kit I put together and I must say that I found it a little trickier than the kit from CleanAirKits but much easier than the one from Nukit. I really appreciate the team at North Box published a how-to video for people to follow while building the air purifier.
And I know that Robert Fantinatto made some adjustments to the kit after my initial video, so I’m looking forward to building and testing another model from North Box Systems to see the improvements.
In terms of fans, North Box recommends the Arctic P14 fans, which will set you back $49.99. For my build, I wanted to try something different so I went with the Artic P14 Max fans and I also tested Noctua P14 Redux fans.
And when it comes to filters, you will be able to use any 20x20x1 MERV 13 filters you can get hold of.
North Box recommends the 3M Filtrete MPR1900, so we went with those filters because we were super impressed with the particle removal efficiency of the Filtrete MPR1900 when we tested them with the Luggable XL and the Lasko 2-in-1.
The NorthBox 6XL cleared our test room in 21 minutes
Our build with Arctic P14 Max fans completed our particle removal test two minutes faster than the CleanAirKits Luggable XL-7.
We tested the NorthBox 6XL in the same 728-square-foot room where we have tested 100+ different air purifier models since 2020. By testing every device in the same room doing the same job of removing incense smoke, we can quickly compare performance across devices.
Our 6XL build with Arctic P14 Max fans cleared all PM1 pollutants from incense smoke in 20 minutes, which is two full minutes faster than the result achieved by the CleanAirKits Luggable XL-7 with one more PC fan than the 6XL:
That means that, by choosing to use the P14 Max fans, I managed to improve the air cleaning performance of the 6X, but as you will see later, this build has some downsides.
Next, we repeated the particle removal test with the Noctua P14 Redux fans, and this version of the 6XL took a little longer, reaching PM1 zero in 23 minutes:
You can see in the table below how these results compare to some of the most popular air purifiers we have tested:
Similar to the Luggable XL, the NorthBox 6XL comes at a higher initial cost when compared to HEPA retail devices with similar air cleaning performance. However, you will get a lot more value out of the 6XL when looking at quiet performance and long-term running costs.
It is quieter at top speed than air purifiers from popular brands such as Levoit, Winix and Coway
In our testing, the Noctua build of the 6XL hit 45.1 dBA and the P14 Max build hit 50.2 dBA.
While air cleaning performance is very important, it is not the only thing you should focus on when choosing an air purifier. Sound is important too.
If an air purifier sounds like a jet engine, you’re likely to end up turning it off eventually. That is why, we used our sound meter to measure how much sound is generated by the NorthBox 6XL from 3 ft. away.
Our data shows that the P14 Max build generates 50.2 dBA and the Noctua build is quieter at 45.1 dBA. But this information in isolation is not as helpful, so let me show you how this compares to other air purifiers running at their top speed:
As you can see from the table above, in my quest to improve air cleaning performance with the use of Arctic P14 Max fans, I built a version of the 6XL that is much louder than the other PC fan kits I have tested.
I want to be clear, this is down to me choosing these fans rather than any issue with the design from North Box. North Box recommends the use of Arctic P14 fans, which would be much quieter.
If you’re keen to experiment with the PC fans for the 6XL, I would suggest looking into the non-Max version of the Arctic P14 fans, which will be much quieter and we recorded reaching 41.8 dBA in our build of the Nukit Tempest.
Alternatively, you can go even further, you can also try the Cooler Master Sickleflow 120 for even quieter operation as we recorded 38.8 dBA using them in our Luggable XL.
While I was able to improve the CADR of our 6XL a little with the use of P14 Max filters, the downside is that you’ll get much louder operation so it is probably not worth it.
Using the Noctua P14 Redux fans, I managed to lower sound levels to the 45 dBA limit we set for our quiet performance tests. Check out the table below to see how the air cleaning performance of the 6XL compares to other air purifiers at sub-45 dBA fan speeds:
As the chart above shows, when comparing quiet performance below 45 dBA it becomes clear that PC-fan air purifier kits offer a lot more value that you’ll ever get from HEPA retail devices.
And even though that the NorthBox 6XL with Noctua P14 Redux fans is louder than other PC-fan powered devices, its particle removal performance still outmatches every other shop-bought device on the list.
The cost to run a NorthBox 6XL: $85.50 CAD per year
1. Electricity costs = $30.97 CAD per year
As part of our reviews, we use a power meter to measure how much energy is pulled at each fan speed. As the NorthBox 6XL has only one speed, we only needed to record energy consumption at its only speed.
When running the 6XL with P14 Max fans, it pulled 28.45 watts. When we swapped for Noctua P14 Redux fans, the power consumption dropped to 14.4 watts.
We can now compare the estimated energy costs associated with running a NorthBox 6XL, based on calculations we made using the appliance cost calculator from BC Hydro.
But it’s not just electricity costs that add up to the maintenance costs of running an air purifier in your home 24/7; you also need to think about filter replacements.
2. Filter costs = $54.53 CAD per year
As with any air purifier, you’re going to have to replace the filters in your NorthBox 6XL eventually.
The 6XL uses two MERV 13 20x20x1 filters and, depending on where you live, you should be able to get 12 months of use out of them before it’s time to replace them.
If you go with the recommended 3M Filtrete MPR1900, you will pay $163.58 on Amazon.ca for a set of six filters, which should last you around three years. That means that you should budget around $54.53 per year in filter replacements for your 6XL.
When we combine energy usage with filter replacement costs, we estimate that the NorthBox 6XL could cost you
Still, when you combine the energy usage with these filter prices, the Northbox 6Xl annual running cost is $85.50 CAD. This figure compares favorably with other air purifiers we have tested:
As you can see from the table above, choosing to build your 6XL with Arctic P14 Max fans, you will end up paying more in the long run due to how power-hungry those PC fans are compared to what you can expect to pay with the Noctua P14 Redux fans.
Bottom line: Should you buy a NorthBox 6XL?
If you are based in Canada, the 6XL is the best value PC fan-powered air purifier you can buy today.
So before I jump into the conclusion, it’s fair to say that I messed this one up when I decided to build my first iteration of the 6XL using six Arctic P14 Max fans.
When I swapped out the P14 Max fans for the Noctua Redux fans, we improved performance at quiet fan speeds. However, the Noctua fans are quite pricey so it might be better to get the standard P14 fans, as recommended by North Both.
All in all, I’d say that the NorthBox 6XL is an excellent alternative to the CleanAirKits Luggable models for those living in Canada, who will be able to buy them without worrying about tariffs while supporting a Canadian small business.
The 5XL and 6XL PC fan-powered air purifiers from North Box should be the top choice for those looking for a PC fan air purifier in Canada.
If you have any questions about this device, please drop them in the comments below and I’ll try to reply as soon as possible.
SOURCES
We calculated yearly costs associated with running the NorthBox 6XL for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, based on the Canada average utility rate as of March 31st, 2025.
