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Levoit LV-PUR131 Review

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

Best Air Purifier?

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Levoit LV-PUR131

The Levoit LV-PUR131 air purifier is a solid option if you’re looking for a larger air purifier that can tackle medium to large-sized rooms (up to 322 sq. ft.). This purifier uses a three-stage filtration system, which includes a pre-filter, true HEPA filter, and an activated charcoal filter for capturing foul odors or VOCs. It’s got a sleek, white aesthetic with an LED display and touch controls. Performance was exceptional, reducing PM2.5 (ultra fine particles) from 5.6 down to 0.2 (ug/m³), a 96.4% improvement.Check Price

Pros

  • Can treat up to 322 square feet of living space
  • Has an auto-mode which can detect air quality in real time and respond accordingly
  • Comes with a timer for programmed running cycles

Cons

  • Has a bulkier body style compared to other comparable air purifiers
  • A little awkward to reset the filter button after you replace them

Levoit LV-PUR131 Design

The Levoit LV-PUR131 has a large white body with all controls located at the top of the purifier on an LED display. The air vent is also on top of the unit with clear displays.

Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier Design

Feature buttons on top of the air purifier include:

  • Power on / off
  • Display on / off
  • Sleep mode
  • Auto mode
  • Fan Speed
  • Timer
  • LCD Display

Overall, Levoit LV-PUR131 is a larger unit than it’s little brother, the Levoit LV-H132, but with its added size also comes a variety of bells and whistles.

It is designed to clean the air of larger spaces as well, being able to treat up to 322 square feet of living spacewhile removing up to 99.97% of debris, allergens, pet dander, odors, and other bacteria and particulate from the air you breathe.

The LV-PUR131 treats the air with a three-stage filtration system.

This unit uses a:

  • Pre-filter
  • True HEPA filter
  • Activated charcoal filter (for odors)
Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier Filters

The combination of three different filter types allows this air purifier to capture the real range of airborne particulate.

RELATED – Full list of our Air Purifier Reviews

Size and Dimensions

The Levoit LV-PUR131 is a larger air purifier compared to more compact designs.

It’s too large (and likely too heavy) to sit on most counters or tabletops, but its sleek, all-white aesthetic allows it to sit comfortably on the floor, without causing becoming an eye sore.

The Levoit LV-PUR131 air purifier is:

  • Width: 14.5” wide
  • Height: 18.5” tall
  • Depth: 7.2” deep
  • Weight: 15.8 lbs.
Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier Size

The larger size of the Levoit LV-PUR131 certainly has its drawbacks in terms of portability and tabletop décor, but keep in mind, the larger size also allows it to treat more air.

Unlike the Levoit LV-H132, which can only treat up to 86 sq. ft., the Levoit LV-PUR131 model can treat the air in up to 322 sq. ft. living space.

Accessories & Parts

The Levoit air purifier doesn’t really come with an abundance of accessories… in fact, it doesn’t come with any at all. This is likley part of the simplistic design approach so a lack of added accessories isn’t necessarily a bad thing here.

It does include a few simple parts, including:

  • the pre-filter
  • the true HEPA filter
  • the activated carbon filter
  • a user manual

RELATED: Looking for an air purifier that can treat huge spaces? See our Rabbit Air MinusA2 review (cleans up to 815 sq. ft.)

Levoit LV-PUR131 Features

The Levoit LV-PUR131 air purifier includes a number of nice features, all while keeping at a reasonable price point.

Some of the most notable features of this air purifier include:

Three Levels of Filtration

The Levoit LV-PUR131 uses a three-stage filtration system to help purify the air. The system includes a:

  1. Pre-filter
  2. True HEPA filter
  3. Activated carbon filter

The pre-filter helps to neutralize airborne bacteria and fungi, while the true HEPA filter is designed to trap that bacteria, as well as mold, dust, and pollen.

The third filter is an activated carbon filter that helps to capture household odors, smoke, or other VOCs.

Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier Filter Removal

The combination of these filters allows this air purifier to clean up to 322 square feet of space. Additionally, it’s got a CADR rating of 135+, so it can refresh your air in only 10 minutes. 

Auto Mode

This air purifier allows you to manually adjust the fan speed, depending on your needs, or you can set it to “auto mode”. On “auto mode”, the Levoit air purifier can detect the air quality in any room and select the appropriate fan speed necessary.

And then what?

As air quality improves in the space, it can manually adjust the fan speed to a slower pace in order to simply maintain the improved air quality. 

Sleep Mode

In addition to “auto mode”, the Levoit LV-PUR131 also has a “sleep mode”. This mode allows the air purifier to operate at the lowest possible decibel level so your sleep won’t be distrubed. You can also turn the LED display off if the extra light is keeping you up at night. 

Timer

There is a convenient timer on this air purifier, which is accessible from the touch controls on top of the purifier. The LED display screen allows you to manually adjust the timer for whatever time you need.

Performance

This Levoit air purifier performed excellent. It was able to produce much cleaner air in our bedroom in less than an hour.

air quality index - PM 2.5 particulate matter index
Particulate Matter explained - air purifier reviews

What were the results?

Before turning the Levoit LV-PUR131 purifier on, our initial baseline measurements were as follows:

  • PM2.5:  5.6 (ug/m³)
  • PM10:  9.5 (ug/m³)
  • Particles per liter: 289
  • Air Quality Index:  23

So how was the air quality after the test?

Levoit LV-PUR131 air purifier - performance testing results

The air quality after 1 hour of using the Levoit LV-PUR131 was drastically better.

  • PM2.5:  0.2 (ug/m³)
  • PM10:  0.2 (ug/m³)
  • Particles per liter:  39
  • Air Quality Index:  0

Setup & Usability

The Levoit LV-PUR131 is easy to get up and running with a few small steps.

  1. First, unbox the purifier.
  2. Remove the front cover to the purifier and remove the filters.
  3. Be sure to take off the protective plastic bag prior to running the Levoit air purifier for the first time.
  4. After the bags are removed, reinstall the filters, plug in the purifier, and get to work.

Is the Levoit LV-PUR131 easy to use?

The touch controls on top of the Levoit air purifier are easy to understand and use. The LED display screen is a nice option and makes it easy to make adjustments.

Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier Screen

In addition, the filter status notification on auto mode helps to know the air quality of your space.

Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier Maintenance

The Levoit LV-PUR131 has a basic maintenance schedule that really only includes replacing the filters. These filters and designed to be thrown out after they’ve been used for an extended period of time and really can’t be cleaned or reused.

Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier Maintenance

The filters generally last about 6 months (according to the manufacturer) and are frequently sold in a 2-pack of both the HEPA filter as well as the activated charcoal filter.

Wondering how this equates to real-life time and money?

Well, if you were to use this air purifier 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, then it would cost about $50-60 / year.

These filters are designed to last about 6 months. You can find Levoit LV-PUR131 replacement filters here.

How loud is the Levoit LV-PUR131?

On the highest setting, the PUR131 is around 58 decibles. For night time, you can set the PUR131 to sleep mode, which is only around 39 decibles.

For reference, a typical vacuum cleaner, like the Dyson V10, is around 75 decibles.

Is the Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier a good value?

The Levoit LV-PUR131 air purifier offers a good value. It’s not a cheap purifier, but given the performance level, it’s hard to scoff at the cost.

Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier Review

From a performance persepctive, the Levoit was able to provide a much higher air quality within one hour. This can be a tough task at times, but the Levoit did not show any signs of struggle during our tests.

The PUR131 was only a little worse than the Rabbit Air MinusA2, despite the fact it’s significantly less expensive.

Lastly, maintenance is simple and inexpensive. While it is recommended that the filters are changed every 6 months, this is really determined based off of the usage of the Levoit. Regardless, the maintenance costs shouldn’t be much more than $50-60 on an annual basis.

Levoit LV-PUR131 Specifications

Below you’ll find a complete table listing of the important facts and features on the Levoit LV-PUR131:

Specifications
ManufacturerLevoit
ModelLV-PUR131
Width (inches)14.5"
Height18.5"
Weight15.8 pounds
Filters3
Wifi CompatibleNo
Room Coverage~322 sq. ft.
Filter Costs$50-60 / year
ReturnsVaries by retailer
Warranty2-Year limited
PriceCheck Price

Who Should Buy the Levoit LV-PUR131 Air Purifier?

The Levoit LV-PUR131 air purifier could be a great fit for a wide variety of users.

Levoit LV-PUR131 is best if:

  • You want a great performer: Throughout our tests, the Levoit performed quite well. After a single hour of running, we saw this system clean the air at an impressive level. The PUR131 improved PM2.5 from a baseline of 5.6 down to as low as 0.2. Additionally, total particles in the room were reduced from 289 down to 39. 
  • You want multi-level filtration: The Levoit LV-PUR131 offers multiple levels of filtration. Together, they worked great and improved air quality significantly (down to as low as 0.2 PM2.5)
  • Don’t want to break the bank on a quality air purifier: Although this is a well-rounded unit, the cost is not overwhelming. This Levoit air purifier is much les than some of its competitors, but has the ability to clean the air on a similar level.

For more information or to buy the Levoit LV-PUR131 air purifier, click here.

Why did the Levoit LV-PUR131 score the way it did?

  • Design – 3 stage filtration is nice (and really expected at this price point). LED screen is a nice touch. Simple and easy to use.
  • Performance – Strong performance overall. Not a flawless machine, but at this price point it’s really hard to complain given the total air quality improvement.
  • Quality – Made from plastics that feel like they are a reasonable quaility. Longer term test will be needed to determine quality over time.
  • Usability – Plug it in, put the filters in, turn it on, not much more than that. Very easy to use.
  • Value – Excellent performance at a reasonable price.
Reasonable Price & Great Performance
  • Design - 94%
    94%
  • Performance - 98%
    98%
  • Quality - 94%
    94%
  • Usability - 95%
    95%
  • Value - 96%
    96%
95%

Summary

The Levoit LV-PUR131 isn’t a cheap machine by any stretch, but the level of performance is up there with the best of them. During our tests it was able to improve PM2.5 from a starting point of 5.6 down to 0.2 in just 1 hour. Cleans rooms up to 322 sq. ft. A simple design without many bells and whistles, but it’s a perfect machine to plug in, forget, and enjoy better air all year long.

About Derek Hales

Derek HalesDerek Hales is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ModernCastle.com. He has been featured in Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Insider, Realtor.com, She Knows, and other major publications. Derek has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University. Hales has been testing and reviewing products for the home since 2014.