PuroAir HEPA 14 240 review

I had never heard of the PuroAir HEPA 14 air purifier until the last quarter of 2023.

None of the several experts in air quality I follow on X (formerly Twitter) had mentioned this device. Even the excellent Clean Air Stars database, which has comprehensive data on 680 devices, has no record of PuroAir models. Yet, when analyzing sales figures on Amazon product research tool AMZScout, I saw this device listed as the best-selling air purifier of 2023 on Amazon.

According to this data, the two-device set (with a retail price of $349.99) sold an estimated $34 million in a single year. while the one-device option pulled in an estimated $22 million. Between the two listings, the PuroAir HEPA 14 240 sold an estimated $56 million worth of air purifiers in one year!=, according to data from AMZScout.

These estimations might not mean much in isolation, so I compared them to another device that usually tops the best-seller lists: the popular Levoit Core 300. The Core 300 has been on the market since 2019, and AMZScout figures show it has only sold an estimated $33 million on Amazon.com in 2023 — that is $23 million less than the estimations for PuroAir 240 devices.

This fact left me wondering, “How could a new brand come out of nowhere and grow to become the hottest air purifier in the United States?

As we do for all our reviews, I conducted in-depth desk  research into PuroAir (and the company behind it) before writing my review.

Typically, this is a fairly straightforward exercise where I read through company websites, check social media profiles (especially LinkedIn), and trawl public business databases. However, the job wasn’t as straightforward when I sat down to learn more about the company behind this air purifier.

After researching PuroAir for over a week, I couldn’t find any clear information about who owns the company, their background, their connection to air quality, or the location of factories and offices.

The one thing I did find was a collection of outstanding quotes from big media publishers highlighted on the homepage of PuroAir’s website, so I followed that lead.

Now, I couldn’t find those exact quotes on the sites of those three publishers:

Odd. 

But, when searching for PuroAir on Google.com, I found recommendation upon recommendation as part of “best air purifier” lists published by some of the largest newspapers and magazines in the world.

This air purifier must be incredible to receive such praise from some of the world’s most well-renowned publishers. This could be the kind of advertising that led to the PuroAir 240 becoming the best-selling air purifier of 2023.

So, naturally, I was super excited to see how this unit performed in our collection of tests designed to assess air cleaning performance (removing PM1.0 particles), energy usage, noise levels at each fan speed, and long-term running costs.

The PuroAir HEPA 14 240 retailed for $229.99 when it was first launched. At the time of writing this review, it has a retail price of $159 on Amazon.com.

The lowdown on the PuroAir HEPA 14 240

Due to many issues I encountered when testing this air purifier, this is a 4000-word review. I totally understand if you don’t want to read it all. Below are the key things you need to know about the PuroAir HEPA 14 240:

A black and boxy Levoit Core 300

The PuroAir 240 looks a lot like the popular Levoit Core 300, especially on the inside

I like black, so I was instantly attracted to it when I opened the box. 

The branding is also quite sleek, which is something you don’t always see when buying a new air purifier.

It didn’t take long for me to start noticing all the little details that now remind me of the Levoit Core range.

The design of the PuroAir HEPA 14 240 is reminiscent of the Levoit Core 300: there is a twist-off cover to remove the filter at the bottom of the device and the filter itself is a small tube with a handle, too.

This means that the PuroAir filter has some of the same design issues I didn’t like about the Core 300, such as an integrated pre-filter you can’t easily clean. With the PuroAir 240, you must remove the filter whenever you want to clean the pre-filter, which you should do every few weeks, depending on usage.

At the top of the unit, you’ll find the control panel. In the middle, there’s an on/off button. To the right is a timer button you can use to set a timer for two, four, six, and eight hours. On the left, you have an auto mode button to control the three fan speeds and switch on sleep mode. You also get a child lock and a filter replacement indicator.

The PuroAir HEPA 14 240 comes with an onboard air quality sensor. The red light you see in the photo above is the air quality indicator. This LED light changes color depending on the quality of your indoor air.

This air purifier has no other smart features besides auto-mode and sleep mode. It also doesn’t come with app support for your phone.

Right, let me show you how much this unit looks like a Levoit Core 300… 

In the photo below, you can see how similar the design of the PuroAir device is to the Levoit Core 300 on the outside:

When removing the filter, you can see how the chamber inside of the body looks pretty much identical for both units:

I went as far as to open up both devices, but I’ll tell you more about it in the next section of my review.

The PuroAir HEPA 14 did improve one aspect of the Levoit Core 300 design. It has added rubber feet to the base of the unit.

With the Levoit Core 300, if you move the device too much, you can accidentally open up the filter, which can be annoying. With the PuroAir HEPA 14, movement doesn’t open up the case, so this never happens. 

HEPA 14 that has been lab-tested

I couldn’t find a lab report, so I’m taking PuroAir’s word for it

PuroAir’s website and marketing materials state that this is the “world’s first HEPA H14 air purifier.” The company also says that its filters have been lab-tested to remove 99.99% of particles, but they don’t state the particle size. If it’s a H14 filter, I assume it must be particles measuring 0.3 microns.

The HEPA filter is covered by a layer of fabric that functions as a pre-filter, and inside of it, you can find a small amount of pellets of activated carbon. It is an all-in-one filter similar to those we see in devices such as the Levoit Core 300S or the Winix A230.

Dyson shares their third-party lab reports, but in the case of PuroAir, we have to take them at their word. 

I couldn’t find any reports or data confirming a third-party lab had tested PuroAir’s HEPA filter or that it complied with the requirements to be classed as H14. However, the company mentioned it plenty of times in its marketing materials, and even on the filter itself.

One of the main reasons other manufacturers have not used H14 filters in portable air purifiers is that they cost a lot more, restrict airflow, and take longer to clean the air. The team at Smart Air showed that choosing a lower grade HEPA can actually improve performance, and the fact that the Corsi–Rosenthal box performs so well even though it uses non-HEPA grade filters (MERV 13) shows us that HEPA grade is not a requirement when it comes to household air cleaning performance.

I’m sure H14 sounds like a shiny upgrade compared to H13 for the average consumer, but for anyone who understands air filtration, H14 is seen as sub-optimal when the goal is to remove airborne particles as quickly as possible.

That’s why it’s strange to see claims on the PuroAir 240 product page like: 

If you didn’t know how these classifications work, you would think that HEPA H14 is offering 10x the performance of HEPA H13. Yet when we tested the PuroAir HEPA 14 240 using HEPA 14 filters, it was three (3) minutes quicker to clean our test room when using the HEPA 13 filters vs. the OEM HEPA 14 filters.

I contacted Harvard University and MIT to enquire about the tests they performed on the PuroAir filters, considering the company features them as organizations that backed this project. I didn’t hear back from either of them. But, I did notice that the Harvard and MIT logos have been removed from some sections of the PuroAir site (see before and after) since I started working on this review in November 2023.

Another strange thing I noticed when inspecting the PuroAir 240’s filter was how similar it is to the Levoit Core 300’s. Check them out for yourself:

Both filters have the same dimension, the same design on the handle to remove it from the device, and even the same type of soft foam at the bottom. 

While the dimensions are practically the same, the quality of materials in the PuroAir filter is much lower, with thinner plastic and sharper edges all around. It seems as if someone sent the filter of the Core 300 to a factory and asked them to create a cheaper clone.

This got me wondering. If the filter has the exact same dimensions as Levoit filters what about the main device?

While we don’t usually open devices up as part of our review process, this is something that I’ve done in the past in cases where a deep dig felt essential (looking at you, Westinghouse 1804).

So, I went one step further (once again) and opened up both air purifiers to explore the PuroAir 240 further.

After exploring the different layers of the PuroAir 240 and the Levoit Core 300, I could clearly see how similar their internals are.

Similar to the filter, I kept finding parts that looked like a rip-off of the Levoit design with a much cheaper build quality when looking at the different elements inside the device.

 

While looking through the internal components of the PuroAir 240, I was able to find the particulate matter sensor: a PM1006 V1.1 from Cubic. This is the same sensor used in the IKEA VINDRIKTNING air quality sensor that sells for $12. So, we can assume the sensor itself costs just under $3. It’s not as accurate as a laser counter, but it’s good for the price. 

The PuroAir HEPA 14 240 cleared our test room in 48 minutes

This was 13 minutes slower than the Winix A230, which costs half the price ($78) of the PuroAir 240 ($159)

The PuroAir HEPA 14 240 has been sent to the AHAM VERIFIDE program, which puts the devices through an ANSI/AHAM AC 1 2020 CADR test, and its results are publicly available on the EnergyStar directory.

The first thing that struck me when I saw this CADR report is that they note the recommended room size as 284 sq. ft. This is a fraction of the 1,115 sq. ft. advertised on the Amazon listings and marketing materials for the PuroAir HEPA 14 240.

In my opinion, PuroAir is knowingly overstating the capabilities of this air purifier. 

The marketing materials mention that it “cleans rooms up to 1,115 sq ft in just 67 minutes,” meaning that the 240 can provide only one air change in an hour in such a large room. Considering that the EPA recommends at least 4.8 air changes in an hour, it’s clear that this device is much more suited to small rooms, as per the CADR report.

To be clear, PuroAir isn’t the only brand that overstates the recommended room size like this. However, while other brands also include room size recommendations based on one air change per hour, they make this clearer in their marketing materials. For example, this is how Coway does it:

I imagine many of the consumers who have bought these devices based on this marketed room size recommendation are likely to be breathing in airborne pollutants, unaware that one air change per hour is not enough to keep the air in their large rooms clean.

The other thing that shocked me about the CADR scores of the PuroAir HEPA 14 240  is how low the CADR was considering the price:

• The Levoit Core 300 provides one CADR CFM for $0.68.

• You can build your own CR Box, and it’ll provide one CADR cfm for $0.18.

• At $159, the PuroAir HEPA 14 240 will provide one CADR cfm for $1.15 —one of the highest costs per CADR CFM we have seen with a small air purifier.

I made a little table to compare against other small and/or budget units:

AIR PURIFIER	DUST CADR	COST PER CFM
Taotronics AP003	202 CFM	$0.49
Winix A231	154 CFM	$0.64
Levoit Core 300	141 CFM	$0.68
PuroAir 240	181 CFM	$1.15

Without even doing any performance testing, it’s clear that this device isn’t good value compared to other similar models. I don’t understand why so many well-known publications and magazines recommend this as the “best air purifier.”

As usual, I tested the air cleaning performance of the PuroAir 240 inside our 728 cubic ft. test room by measuring how long it takes to clear the air of PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 particles from burning a powerful incense stick with the help of our PurpleAir Touch and PurpleAir Zen sensors.

I tested this device twice. On both occasions, it took 48 minutes to bring the PM1.0 level down to zero according to the PurpleAir Touch readings and 51 minutes based on the PurpleAir Zen sensor.

Air cleaning performance test results

Looking at our test data, the PuroAir 240’s performance-to-price ratio was much higher than that of other devices we had tested. I will come back to this later in the review.

It’s worth noting that it was still quicker to clean our test room than the Molekule Air Mini+, which costs nearly twice as much. However, I’m shocked at how often the PuroAir 240 is chosen as the “best air purifier,” considering it costs twice as much as more powerful devices.

I’m shocked at how often this air purifier is shown as the “best air purifier,” considering it’s over twice the price for the same air cleaning performance of cheap units.

It seems that referring to themselves as “the Tesla of air purifiers,” proclaiming they invented HEPA 14 air cleaners, and name-dropping world-renowned universities has allowed PuroAir to sell a low powered device for $159.

Either the journalists who recommend this device don’t test or evaluate the performance of the products they tell you to buy, or they have chosen to include the PuroAir HEPA 14 240 for reasons unknown.

Noise levels test results

PuroAir’s marketing materials only show the sound level at its lowest speed. This is another unethical marketing trick, as the CADR test would have been done at the highest speed, and using the lowest speed with a small device like this will be of no value, even for a tiny room.

We used our sound meter to measure the level of noise the unit generated from three feet away, and it registered 36.9 dB at the first fan speed, 42.2 dB at the second speed and 54 dB at its highest fan speed.

This sound level is very similar to what we saw with the Levoit Core 300, which doesn’t surprise me considering how many other features are similar to the Core 300.

Be aware that our location for testing has a high degree of background noise, so the lower fan speeds are likely lower than our test results show.

All in all, the PuroAir 240 is a quiet air purifier, but it is also too expensive considering its air cleaning performance.

We know sound levels can be personal, and some people can hear things others can’t, so we included a video of the PuroAir 240 running at each fan speed.

The cost to run the PuroAir HEPA 14 240: $135.53 per year

As always, I calculated the long-term costs you can expect when running a PuroAir 240 for 12 months. This includes electricity costs and filter replacement costs.

1. Electricity costs: $38.98 per year

First, I used an energy meter to measure the amount of electricity the PuroAir 240 consumes when running at each fan speed.

Sleep	11.6 watts
Level 1 fan	16 watts
Level 2 fan	23.2 watts
Level 3 fan	37.6  watts

We compared the energy consumption with other air purifiers we have tested:

Assuming you run this air purifier at its highest speed for 24 hours every day of the year, it’ll add just under $40 to your electricity bill.

2. Filter costs: $75 per year

PuroAir doesn’t say exactly how often to change the filter, but assuming it’s similar to the Levoit Core 300 and other smaller devices, you should change it every six months or so.

You can buy OEM PuroAir filters for $50 per filter, but you’d be better off buying the 2-filter bundle as it costs $75.

At $48 per filter, this is $8 more than what Levoit charges, but we assume this must be due to the use of HEPA 14.

This is how the long-term costs of running a PuroAir 240 compare to other units that can be found for a similar price:

Compared to small devices that can be bought for a fraction of the price, the PuroAir 240 has higher running costs: 

I saw that generic filters were available, but interestingly, they state that they’re HEPA 13 grade and bring down the replacement cost to just under $40 per year. 

Choosing non-genuine filters will reduce the yearly filter cost by over 50%. Assuming PuroAir uses HEPA 14, you might get better air cleaning performance with these H13 generic filters.

Bottom line: Is the PuroAir 240 worth buying?

An underperforming air purifier that highlights how big media publishers are blindly recommending Amazon best-sellers without any first-hand testing

I assumed this air purifier was another TikTok sensation that used influencer marketing to push an overpriced product. Sadly, it was much worse than I feared. The PuroAir HEPA 14 240 is a device with worse performance than the $78 Winix A23 that is sold for $159. 

In order to sell this overpriced device, PuroAir has exaggerated room size recommendations, hinted at lab tests without making them available to the public, name-dropped universities without citing actual data from these collaborations, and stated that HEPA 14 has 10x better performance than HEPA H13 (which is untrue).

I only needed to take one look at their AHAM CADR results to know that this was an overpriced air purifier that would perform worse than units you can find for less than $100, such as the A230 or the Levoit Core 300.

Sadly, at no point did any of the journalists from Money.com, LA Times, Popular Science or USA Today who raved about this air purifier seem to have conducted any level of basic research to compare CADR lab reports. This is especially surprising, considering these publishers go to great lengths to highlight their testing process and even include quotes from physicians and other experts in their articles. Sadly, right now, Google has no idea who is really testing products, and it gives these publishers a free pass to rank highly in their search engine on their name alone.

Our industry has seen its fair share of unethical manufacturers taking advantage of consumers with overpriced devices, such as the current class action lawsuit against Molekule for false advertising (in 2023) or the case of Sharper Image and their ionizer devices that worsened indoor air (going back more than 10 years).

Unlike vacuum cleaners or air fryers, an air purifier’s work is hidden from the consumer. Brands can say that it works, and without lots of extra equipment, you wouldn’t know

better. It’s easy to think that you are breathing in clean air when it might still be full of particles too small to see with the naked eye.

That is why AHAM developed an air cleaning test with the latest update ANSI/AHAM AC 1 in 2006, allowing consumers to see exactly how well an air cleaner performed.

If you still like the idea of a small air purifier that is similar to the PuroAir 240, then you’re much better off going with the Levoit Core 300S, which is cheaper (saves you $20), has better build quality and includes smart features like app support. Alternatively, you can save even more money and get the Core 300 or the Winix A230, both of which offer better air-cleaning performance for less than $100.

However, for most people, I recommend spending up to $180 and going for a larger device like the Vital 200S or Winix 5500 2, both of which provide significantly better air cleaning performance, more pelletized activated charcoal, and improvements like a removable pre-filter for easy cleaning.

Cases like the PuroAir 240 show how important it is for independent third parties like HouseFresh to thoroughly test and research products, going beyond the marketing materials and investigating the too-good-to-be-true claims from top-selling brands.

SOURCES

We calculated energy consumption costs with the help of the Department of Energy’s appliance energy calculator. We calculated yearly costs associated with running PuroAir 240 24 hours a day for 365 days. We ran this calculation utilizing the U.S. average utility rate of $0.12/kWh as of July 25th, 2024.