Smart Air is a social enterprise and certified B-Corp that puts 100% of its profits into helping more people breathe clean air. We have previously reviewed the Smart Air S, Smart Air Blast Mini and their portable QT3, and we are big fans of their ethos and the information that Smart Air shares with the world.
Back in 2022, we accepted Smart Air’s offer to lend us an SA600 so we could review it and return it to them afterwards. Normally, we only review air purifiers that we bought with our own money to avoid biases, so when manufacturers ask us to review their products, I make it clear that we will be open and honest with our readers. Most companies ghost me when I say this, but Smart Air was happy to let us say exactly what we thought.
The problem with the arrangement was that we only had the SA600 at home for two weeks, which gave just us enough time to run our usual tests but didn’t allow us to perform long-term experiments. But in 2024, Smart Air released an updated version of the SA600 with five fan speeds (versus the three we saw in the first model we reviewed, so we decided to buy this new and updated SA600 so we could update our review.
Today, I’m sharing with you the result of months of testing the Smart Air SA600 in our home to see how it performs in the real world.
The lowdown on the Smart Air SA600
The SA600 offers solid air cleaning power but it also costs more to run than other similarly powered devices due to the fact that it uses a total of four filters (two HEPA filters and two carbon filters) at each side of the air purifier.
What we really like
What we think could be better
| HouseFresh rating: | ★★★★☆ |
| Time to clean our 728 cubic feet test room (with the device running at top speed): | 24 minutes |
| Air purifier technology: | H13 TrueHEPA and activated charcoal filters |
| Recommended room size (5 air changes per hour): | 430 sq. ft. |
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | Dust: 287 CFM Smoke: 265 CFM Pollen: 299 CFM |
| Dimensions (in inches / cm): | 20 x 13.8 x 9 inches (51 x 35 x 23 cm) |
| Weight (in pounds / in kg): | 15.5 lbs (7 kg) |
| Filter life: | HEPA: 8 months Carbon: 4 months |
| Noise level in decibels (from 3ft. away): | Speed 1: 35.2 dBA Speed 2: 37.2 dBA Speed 3: 41.5 dBA Speed 4: 46.1 dBA Speed 5: 56.7 dBA |
| Electricity consumption (in watts): | Standby: 0.1 watts Speed 1: 2.4 watts Speed 2: 4.3 watts Speed 3: 7.1 watts Speed 4: 12.9 watts Speed 5: 53.8 watts |
| Estimated running cost (electricity consumption + official filter replacement): | $131.08 per year |
| Cost per CADR cfm (based on dust CFM as reported by AHAM): | $1.39 |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 1 year |
| Country of manufacture: | China |
The best feature: three out of its five fan speeds generate less than 45dB of noise
Not only that, but when running at these lower fan speeds, the SA600 offers excellent air cleaning performance.
In 2022, we reviewed the first version of the SA600 and tested its three fan speeds. The SA600 v1 offered good air cleaning performance when running at its top speed (56 db) but this power didn’t translate to its sub-45dB speeds. With the v2 of the SA600, Smart Air changed that.
The SA600 comes with five fan speeds, which range from 35 and 56 decibels:
| SPEED 1 | SPEED 2 | SPEED 3 | SPEED 4 | SPEED 5 | |
| NOISE LEVEL (from 3ft away) | 35.2 dBA | 37.2 dBA | 41.5 dBA | 46.1 dBA | 56.7 dBA |
I tested the SA600 running at speeds 3, 4 and 5 inside our 728-cubic-feet test room, using our PurpleAir Zen sensor to track how long it took for the air purifier to reach PM1 zero after we burnt an incense stick:
- SPEED 5: 24 minutes. This is the same time it took for the Coway Airmega 250S, the RabbitAir A3 and the Winix 5510 to reach PM1 zero.
- SPEED 4: 36 minutes. Faster than the Levoit Vital 100S (37 minutes), the Mila (38 minutes) and the Coway Airmega 150 (38 minutes) at top speed.
- SPEED 3: 46 minutes. Faster than the Core 300S (45 minutes), the PuroAir 240 (51 minutes) and the Molekule Air Mini+ (61 minutes) at top speed.
This makes the SA600 an excellent choice for spaces that need quiet operation without sacrificing on air cleaning performance, such as offices, classrooms, bedrooms and TV rooms. However, if quiet is important to you, make sure to also research PC fan-powered air purifiers like the Luggable XL-7 from CleanAirKits.
Intuitive design in a modern, sleek package
The SA600 has two filters on each side of the unit to capture pollutants and VOCs from both sides of the device.
I like the simplicity of the SA600’s design and Smart Air’s decision to use matte plastic, as it far less prone to smudges and fingerprints compared to the shiny plastic we see in so many other devices like the Coway AP-1512hh or the PuroAir 400.
This is a mid-sized air purifier, that has similar dimensions and will take up as much floor space as devices like the Levoit Vital 200S and the Coway Airmega 150.
However, unlike the Vital 200S or the Airmega 150, the SA600 pulls air from both sides of the device and has two sets of filters through it’s dual inlets.
That means you get one H13 HEPA filter and one activated carbon filter on the left side of the unit, and then another H13 HEPA + carbon combo on the right side. The SA600 also comes with a removable pre-filter at each side:
Now, this use of additional filters means you will have two pre-filters to keep clean and you will need to replace double the number of HEPA and carbon filters each year. I will break down the annual running costs further down in the review, including calculations for filter replacement and energy costs.
Like with the other devices we have reviewed from Smart Air, the controls are straightforward with simple operation. You get just four buttons: one to cycle between the five fan speeds, a lock to prevent the settings from being changed, a filter replacement indicator, and a power on/off button.
There are three lights to the left of the fan speed button where you will be able to see what speed the SA600 has been set to, with speeds over Speed 3 showing with two lights:
Like other Smart Air air purifiers, the SA600 doesn’t offer smart modes (such as auto mode or sleep mode) and it doesn’t come with a smartphone app to control the unit from afar. That being said, you can use this device with any type of smart plug to set routines as part of your smart home hub.
Although fairly commonplace in today’s appliances, the child lock and the filter reset light make this the ‘smartest’ model from Smart Air. These are quality-of-life features that won’t necessarily impact the air cleaning performance of the air purifier as much as the four filters will, but that users will appreciate in their daily lives.
To wrap up this section, let me tell you about a unique feature of the SA600 that I haven’t seen in any other air purifiers I have tested: the ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode. Without the need of you pressing any button, the SA600 turns off all control lights automatically if you don’t touch the buttons for three minutes. This makes the SA600 a great choice for nursery rooms, bedrooms and TV rooms, where LED lights can become an unwanted distraction.
Two HEPA H13 filters and two activated carbon filters
This double air filtration combo supercharges the SA600’s air cleaning performance, by leaning air from both sides of the device.
In 2023, Dyson made a complaint to the BBB National Programs National Advertising Division (NAD) about Levoit’s use of ‘HEPA’ in their marketing. The complaint forced Levoit to refrain from saying their main filtration was powered by HEPA 13 filters because it wasn’t true.
With that in mind, we were glad to see that the HEPA filters for the SA600 have been third-party lab tested as per AHAM AC-1-2002, so we can be confident they are genuine H13 HEPA Filters
The best thing is that the SA600 comes with two of these pelleted activated carbon filters, meaning that you will have A LOT more carbon to absorb unwanted odors, gasses and VOCs than the average air purifier.
As with other Smart Air air purifiers, the fan of the SA600 is a powerful little beast, which helped this unit clear the air from incense smoke in our test room in just 24 minutes.
Remember that filters will come in plastic bags, so be sure to remove them from the bags before turning on your Smart Air SA600.
Otherwise, the air purifier won’t be able to clean the air. Plus, running the device with the filters inside the plastic bags is likely to generate burnt smells.
When you change the filter in your Smart Air SA600, you’ll find that the process is simple. Here is a video taking you step by step:
- The filter reset indicator will flash continuously when your filter needs replacing
- Pull out the front cover, then lift out the pre-filter, HEPA and activated carbon filter
- Remove your new HEPA filter from its bag
- Insert your new HEPA and activated carbon filter, making sure the arrow on the filter is in the correct direction outwards
- After inserting the front cover back into your purifier, hold the filter replacement indicator for 4s. This resets the filter replacement indicator and makes it stop flashing.
The Smart Air SA600 cleared our test room in 24 minutes
The exact same result achieved by the Coway Airmega 250S, but a few minutes faster than the Winix 5510 and the smaller Smart Air S.
The CADR report of the SA600 stated that this devices has a dust CADR of 287 cfm, so I expected it to take between 23-25 minutes to clean the air based on our data from every other air cleaner we’ve reviewed to date.
We tested the SA600 in the same 728-square-foot room where we tested nearly 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 confidently compare performance across devices.
The Smart Air SA600 cleared our test room of PM1 particles in 24 minutes, when running at its highest fan speed:
The Smart Air SA600 is much faster than the more expensive Mila (38 minutes) but slower than the Vital 200S (23 minutes). See how the performance of this device compared to other similarly-priced devices:
| AIR PURIFIER MODEL | TIME TO REACH PM1 ZERO AT FULL SPEED | LIST PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| AirFanta 3Pro | 17 minutes | $159.99 |
| Levoit Vital 200S | 23 minutes | $189.99 |
| Winix 5500-2 (ionizer enabled) | 23 minutes | $249.99 |
| CleanAirKits Luggable XL-7 | 23 minutes | $299.00 |
| Smart Air SA600 | 24 minutes | $279.95 |
| Coway Airmega AP-1512HH (ionizer enabled) | 26 minutes | $229.99 |
| PuroAir 400 | 30 minutes | $249.00 |
| Mila | 38 minutes | $327.99 |
So, the real-world performance of the Smart Air SA600 matched up to the lab-reported CADR scores. This was great to see, considering that this air purifier uses two activated carbon filters that are likely to reduce the airflow for particle removal.
Based on a CADR of 287 cfm, this device could provide five air changes per hour in rooms as large as 430 sq. ft. You can use our CADR calculator to see how many air changes it will offer in your space.
Noise levels test results
While air cleaning performance is very important when shopping for an air purifier, you also need to be mindful of how loud it is. The reality is that if an air purifier is too long, it will end up being turned off eventually.
That is why we use a sound level monitor to gather comparable data on noise level generation by recording how much sound in decibels is generated by the air purifier from three (3) feet away in the same corner of our basement studio.
In the table below, we share how much noise is generated by the SmartAir SA600 at each of its five fan speeds:
| FAN SPEED | SOUND LEVELS IN DECIBELS |
|---|---|
| Speed 1 | 35.2 dBA |
| Speed 2 | 37.2 dBA |
| Speed 3 | 41.5 dBA |
| Speed 4 | 46.1 dBA |
| Speed 5 | 56.7 dBA |
Be aware our background noise is very similar to what we got for speed 1, so the actual result is likely to be much quieter.
When compared to other air purifiers with similar performance, the SA600 is a little quieter than many of the HEPA retail devices we have but louder than the PC fan powered devices.
| AIR PURIFIER MODEL | SOUND LEVEL AT TOP SPEED (dB) | TIME TO CLEAN OUR TEST ROOM |
|---|---|---|
| CleanAirKits Luggable XL-7 | 38.8 dBA | 23 minutes |
| AirFanta 3Pro | 56.3 dBA | 17 minutes |
| Smart Air SA600 | 56.7 dBA | 24 minutes |
| Levoit Vital 200S | 57.7 dBA | 23 minutes |
| Winix 5500-2 | 58.9 dBA | 23 minutes |
| Philips 3000i | 59.2 dBA | 20 minutes |
| Coway Airmega AP-1512hh Mighty | 60.1 dBA | 26 minutes |
The benefit of high CADR air purifiers is that you can use them at lower, quieter fan speeds, while still benefitting from good air cleaning performance. That is why we always re-test the particle removal performance of our air purifiers when running at sub-45dB fan speeds, which is the limit set by Clean Air Stars for offices and classrooms.
So, we ran the same incense smoke test in the same 728 cubic feet space with the Smart Air SA600 sunning at both speed 3 (41.5 dBA) and speed 4 (46.1 dBA).
| AIR PURIFIER MODEL | SUB-45 dB SOUND LEVEL | TIME TO REACH PM1 ZERO |
|---|---|---|
| CleanAirKits Luggable XL-7 | 38.8 dBA | 23 minutes |
| AirFanta 3Pro (6.45V) | 43.3 dBA | 28 minutes |
| Smart Air SA600 (Speed 4) | 46.1 dBA | 36 minutes |
| Philips 3000i (Speed 2) | 45.8 dBA | 38 minutes |
| Winix 5500-2 (Speed 3) | 47.5 dBA | 43 minutes |
| Smart Air SA600 (Speed 3) | 41.5 dBA | 46 minutes |
| Levoit Vital 200S (Speed 2) | 41.9 dBA | 46 minutes |
| Coway Airmega AP-1512hh Mighty (Speed 2) | 44.4 dBA | 51 minutes |
Of course, when accounting for lower sound levels, the PC fan-powered devices offer a more powerful air cleaning performance at whisper quiet operation compared to the Smart Air SA600 and all the other HEPA retail air purifiers in the bunch.
But have a listen for yourself, as I know that sound can be subjective:
The cost to run a Smart Air SA600: $131.08 per year
We look at how much the SA600 will cost you in the long term, including your energy bill and filter replacement costs.
As part of our reviews, we always calculate how much you can expect to spend on a yearly basis, assuming you are running the device 24/7 all year round utilizing our own energy consumption data and the manufacturer’s filter lifespan data.
1. Electricity costs = $59.98 per year
We used our power monitor to record the energy consumption of the SA600 at each fan speed and on standby mode:
| FAN SPEED | ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN WATTS |
|---|---|
| Standby | 0.1 watts |
| Speed 1 | 2.4 watts |
| Speed 2 | 4.3 watts |
| Speed 3 | 7.1 watts |
| Speed 4 | 12.9 watts |
| Speed 5 | 53.8 watts |
If you had to leave the SA600 running 24/7 at full speed, it would cost $59.98 in energy costs for a year, and now we can compare the energy costs to other devices we have tested.
| AIR PURIFIER MODEL | ENERGY CONSUMPTION AT TOP SPEED (watts) | TIME TO REACH PM1 ZERO | YEARLY ENERGY COST (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Air SA600 (Speed 3) | 7.1 watts | 46 minutes | $7.89 |
| Smart Air SA600 (Speed 4) | 12.9 watts | 36 minutes | $14.44 |
| CleanAirKits Luggable XL-7 | 10.5 watts | 23 minutes | $11.66 |
| AirFanta 3Pro | 43.23 watts | 17 minutes | $48.02 |
| Levoit Vital 200S | 44.55 watts | 23 minutes | $49.48 |
| Philips 3000i | 51.3 watts | 20 minutes | $56.98 |
| Winix 5500-2 | 53.8 watts | 23 minutes | $59.76 |
| Smart Air SA600 (Speed 5) | 53.8 watts | 24 minutes | $59.76 |
Smart Air uses a very efficient fan with its SA600 to pull in a lot of air without requiring much electricity. As you can see from the table above, it benchmarks very well against the other devices, even when running at lower fan speeds.
2. Filter costs = $71.32 per year
On the U.S. website of Smart Air, they recommend replacing the four filters for the SA600 every 18 months:
As of January 2025, the OEM H13 HEPA filters cost $57.99 (2-pack) and the activated carbon filters cost $48.99 (2-pack). This leads to an estimated filter replacement cost of $71.32 per year, which together with the energy consumption costs, will lead to an estimated yearly running cost of $131.08.
The filter replacement cost skyrockets if you take the minimum lifespan recommendations from the official Smart Air website, which estimates the lifespan based on levels of air pollution experienced in Asia:
| Price per 2-pack | Minimum lifespan | Estimated yearly cost | |
| H13 HEPA filters | $57.99 | 8 months | $86.99 |
| Carbon filters | $48.99 | 6 months | $97.98 |
For those based in Asia or living in a highly polluted area, this leads to an estimated filter replacement cost of $184.97 per year, which, together with the energy consumption costs, will lead to an estimated yearly running cost of $244.73.
You can find generic filters for the SA600 on Amazon that will save you money, but they won’t offer the same performance as they will vary depending on the grade of HEPA or the amount of carbon. For example, when testing generic filters from PUREBURG, we found that they tend to pack more activated carbon than official filters, which restricts airflow and affects particle removal performance.
A benefit of choosing official Smart Air filters is that you know you’re buying third-party lab-tested H13 HEPA filters.
At this point of the review, we can calculate the long-term maintenance costs you need to budget for if you decide to get yourself a Smart Air SA600. See how they compare to other mid-tier air purifiers in the same price range:
| AIR PURIFIER MODEL | ESTIMATED ELECTRICITY COST (per year) | FILTER REPLACEMENT COST (per year) | YEARLY MAINTENANCE COST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levoit Vital 200S | $46.83 | $49.99 | $96.82 |
| CleanAirKits Luggable XL-7 | $11.09 | $89.99 | $101.08 |
| Philips 3000i | $55.29 | $47.15 | $102.44 |
| AirFanta 3Pro | $46.56 | $78.67 | $125.23 |
| Smart Air SA600 | $59.98 | $71.32 | $131.30 |
| Winix 5500-2 | $59.98 | $79.99 | $139.97 |
| Coway Airmega 250S | $64.10 | $159.98 | $224.08 |
| PuroAir 400 | $77.75 | $220.00 | $297.75 |
| IQAir HealthPro Plus | $152.83 | $244.53 | $397.36 |
As you can see from the table, the Smart Air SA600 will cost you more to run compared to other popular air purifiers, such as the AirFanta 3Pro or the Levoit Vital 200S. But overall, the costs are aligned with what is expected from a medium-sized air purifier — quite an achievement considering the use of four filters!
Bottom line: Is the Smart Air SA600 worth it?
A mid-sized air purifier that offers 360-degree air cleaning, with performance that rivals popular units from Winix and Levoit.
I’ve received many emails from people who prefer to avoid smart functionalities and phone connectivity. If that is you, then the Smart Air SA600 should be at the top of your list for consideration.
The SA600 has no ionizer function, Bluetooth or WIFI, so it is the perfect choice for those looking for a non-smart air purifier that will clean the air without chemical by-products or unnecessary (and costly) extras.
Now, if you’re set on using an app to control your air purifier, this is likely not the right device for you. However, it is worth considering that you can use a smart plug to connect the SA600 to your smart home hub.
I am a huge fan of features such as having the LED lights on the control panel switch off automatically, or the device’s ability to come back on after a power cut. At home, the SA600 found a spot in our TV room, where it runs 24/7 at speed 4 and cleans the air quietly without distracting lights or sounds.
The two inlets and two sets of filters will lead to higher filter replacement costs, but I appreciate that the filters are separated (compared to the bonded designs from Levoit) as it allows you to use the device without carbon filter, if you don’t need it.
Not feeling the Smart Air SA600? If you’re looking for the most powerful air purifier you can get for less than $200, then check out the AirFanta 3Pro or the Winix 5500-2. If smart functions are a must, have a look at the Coway Airmega 250S pr the the Levoit Vital 200S. Now, if you want a powerful yet whisper-quiet air purifier, then make sure to read my review of the PC fan-powered beast that is the Luggable XL-7.
If you have a space smaller than 190 sq. ft. but you like what Smart Air has to offer, then you should look into the Smart Air S instead. Lastly, if you have a space larger than 675 sq. ft., then read up on the Smart Air Blast Mini, as the SA600 will be too underpowered for a large room.
SOURCES
We calculated yearly costs associated with running the Smart Air SA600 24 hours a day, 365 days per year using the appliance calculator from the U.S. Department of Energy as of January 2025.
I see you list this elsewhere as wall-mountable. How does it mount with intakes on both sides? I’m shopping for a wall mountable solution and the specs look great on this device, but can’t make sense of how it works on the wall.
Good question I assume it must be some way from the wall but I will look at getting the wall mounts and testing it for myself and will update the review to share my findings. As long as it not flat against the wall or too close, it shouldn’t create an issue.
“Smart Air recommends that you change these filters every 2 years.”nnThe Smart Air website claims 8 months: https://smartairfilters.com/en/product/sa-600-large-room-air-purifier/
You are right. I’m not sure how we had the 2 years, as it does seem high for a fairly small device. We are going to update this review soon with the latest 5-speed version, so we will make sure we update this then. Thanks for taking the time to let me know, thank you Angus.
Fixed and updated the total running cost per year. We will look to make sure we always link to the manufacturer URL when we source in the future.
[deleted]
Smart air says that the S600 can refresh the air in a 600 sq ft space four times in an hour. So, wouldn’t this purifier be good for 600 sq ft space (rather just 450 sq ft)? Thanks for your great review : )
Thanks for the kind words Ann! SmartAir uses 3 air changes per hour in their room size calculation vs the 4.8 that we use for our recommended room size. nnIf you were using it in the room that is already well-ventilated, the 3 air changes might be enough to meet the 5 air changes that are recommended: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ventilation/prevention/Aim-for-5.html#:~:text=Aim%20for%20at%20least%205,hour%20results%20in%205%20ACH.nnBut if your room doesn’t have any ventilation, then our calculation would be a better guide.
Any off-gassing from the filters or the actual machine?
Apparently there’s a newer version of the SA600 with 5 fan speeds
I reviewed the new one last week: https://youtu.be/mfGREIur0nQ?si=9q-yPgtxqmYA6fa8
I see that the SA600 is said to be AHAM certified in this review, but I can’t find SA600 (or Smart Air at all) on the database. Could you please point me to correct link. Thanks!
Sorry will update the review with this info soon: https://www.energystar.gov/productfinder/product/certified-room-air-cleaners/details/2405705
Thanks. It’s considered “hepa-type” on the Energy Star website which is a bit odd.
We just updated this review with our data from testing the newer. 5-speed SA600 🙂