Someone recently had to sit me down, hold my hands and tell me something no pet owner ever wants to hear: my apartment smelled like wet dog. Terrible.
With all the nonstop fur and dander that seem everywhere no matter what, the intervention was probably necessary. So when Levoit launched its Vital Pet Pro Air Purifier, I was curious to see if it could actually make a noticeable difference.
Designed specifically for pet-friendly households, the $189.99 machine takes a more targeted approach than a conventional air purifier, combining a three-stage filtration system with features designed around one of the biggest problems pet owners face: fur everywhere. (And the occasional “wet dog” smell.)
The three-stage filtration system consists of a washable pre-filter, a main filter and an activated carbon filter. The pre-filter catches larger debris like pet hair, while the main filter targets smaller particles and dander. The carbon filter is designed to tackle odors, packed with 140 grams of activated carbon.
Another of the purifier’s key design features is its U-shaped air inlet, which Levoit says is designed to capture airborne pet hair and particles while improving airflow and helping prevent the filter from clogging.
After testing the purifier for a little over a week, I found it impressively effective at picking up fur and catching the kind of debris that usually floats around the apartment or settles on furniture.
When it comes to tackling pet odors, Levoit says the Vital Pet Pro can remove up to 70% of odors within an hour. I can’t really do a specific test to verify this claim, but the difference was easy enough to notice. After the purifier ran, the room smelled significantly fresher.
I also appreciated the automatic cleaning technology, which removes accumulated hair and debris from the pre-filter and collects it in a removable tray. It’s a very handy feature, especially when the alternative is constantly pulling apart the purifier to clean a layer of fur.
In addition, the companion app offers several modes designed to make the purifier more hands-on. Auto Plus mode monitors changes in air quality and adjusts the performance of the purifier in real time.
Pet Mode is specifically designed around the way pet-related particles can build up throughout the day. It alternates between running the fan at its highest speed for 15 minutes to trap particles in the pre-filter and then switching to a lower speed for 60 minutes to maintain air quality and reduce noise and energy consumption.
Also, instead of displaying a numerical air quality reading, the Vital Pet Pro uses a simple color system. Red means poor air quality, orange means moderate, green means good, and cyan means very good. I actually prefer this because you can quickly look at the purifier and immediately get a feel for whether the air is improving without interpreting a number.
I will also point out that the Vital Pet Pro is a little bigger than I expected, so make sure you have enough floor space before bringing one home.
Noise is another consideration. At its highest setting, the fan is definitely audible. When the purifier is set to a lower setting, however, it is quiet enough to run overnight without disturbing my sleep. For light sleepers, sleep mode makes the purifier even quieter.
The air purifier is available for purchase from the Levoit website, Amazon, Chewy and other retailers.
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