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Molekule Air vs. Air Pro vs. Air Mini

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

We’ve tested all 3 Molekule air purifiers. Which is best and how do they compare? Our Molekule Air vs. Air Pro vs. Air Mini answers today.

High-end, Modern Air Purifier

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Molekule Air Purifier

The Molekule Air is a top-tier air purifier that has a modern aesthetic, remote control from your smartphone, and excellent performance. It’s able to purify spaces up to 600 square feet. In our air quality tests it was able to reduce PM2.5 to 0.6 and PM10 to 1.2.Check Price

Max Area Coverage PECO Purifier

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Molekule Air Pro

The Molekule Air Pro has area coverage up to 1,000 square feet and a variety of cleaning modes. Auto Mode takes the guesswork out of air purification and automatically adjusts to real-time air quality. The great area coverage is 40% more coverage than the original Molekule Air and 75% more coverage than the Molekule Mini. In our performance tests it was able to reduce PM2.5 to 0.3 and PM10 to 0.4, both notable improvements over the original Molekule Air.Check Price

A Compact, Value PECO Purifier

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Molekule Mini Air Purifier

The Molekule Mini is the most compact purifier in this comparison, with a max coverage of 250 square feet. It lacks an Auto-Mode and wifi connectivity, but has 6 manual fan speeds and a lower price tag than either of the other two models listed here. In our tests, it was able to reduce PM2.5 to 0.6 and PM10 to 0.9.Check Price

Pros of Molekule

  • PECO technology. Molekule air purifiers clean the air using PECO air filtration instead of traditional HEPA
  • High-quality construction. These air purifiers use machined parts, a simple design, and modern aesthetic

Cons of Molekule

  • Expensive. Compared to traditional HEPA air purifiers, the PECO-based Molekule air purifiers can be quite a bit pricier.
Molekule Air Purifier
Molekule Air
  • Coverage: 600 sq. ft.
  • Filters: PECO & Pre-Filter
  • Wifi Control: Yes
  • Best PM2.5: 0.6
  • Dimensions: 8.25″ x 23″
Molekule Air Pro
Molekule Air Pro
  • Coverage: 1,000 sq. ft.
  • Filters: PECO Hybrid
  • Wifi Control: Yes
  • Best PM2.5: 0.3
  • Dimensions: 11″ x 23″
Molekule Air Mini Thumbnanil
Molekule Air Mini
  • Coverage: 250 sq. ft.
  • Filters: PECO Hybrid
  • Wifi Control: No
  • Best PM2.5: 0.6
  • Dimensions: 8″ x 12″

Table of Contents

Performance

So let’s talk about performance. As mentioned above, the Molekule air purifiers are designed differently than traditional HEPA air purifiers.

HEPA vs. PECO: What’s the difference?

HEPA filters are paper based and use intricate folds to trap particles down to 0.3 microns. Once the filter is full, you simply throw it away and replace with a new one.

True HEPA filters stop particles from traveling into clean air
How HEPA filters trap particulates

PECO filters rely on Photo Electrochemical Oxidation, which is a technology proprietary to Molekule. This technology uses a special filter that is activated by light shining onto the filter membrane.

The light destroys the particles instead of capturing them, which some claim is a more effective technique for air purification.

Molekule air purifier filter system
Molekule air purifier filter system

Do they actually clean the air?

The short answer is yes.

When we tested all three of these purifiers in our testing lab, we noticed significant improvements in overall air quality with and without the purifier.

Here is our data below. Here’s how we did it:

  1. Take a baseline measurement in the room to evaluate air quality before testing.
  2. Run each purifier for 1 hour.
  3. Take another air quality measurement to gauge performance
air quality index - PM 2.5 particulate matter index

And here’s the results from each Molekule air purifier.

Molekule Air Performance

Starting Baseline

  • PM2.5: 6.2
  • PM10: 10.7
  • Particles: 379
  • AQI: 25

After 1 Hour

  • PM2.5: 0.6
  • PM10: 1.2
  • Particles: 44
  • AQI: 0

Within 1 hour the Molekule removed 88% of air particulates from the medium-sized room we tested in (~12’x12′).

Molekule improved PM2.5 air quality by 90%.

Molekule Air Pro Performance

Starting Baseline

  • PM2.5: 10
  • PM10: 17.4
  • Particles: 1574
  • AQI: 41

After 1 Hour

  • PM2.5: 0.3
  • PM10: 0.4
  • Particles: 89
  • AQI: 1

Within 1 hour the Molekule removed 94% of air particulates from the medium-sized room we tested in (~14’x10′).

Molekule improved PM2.5 air quality by 97%.

Molekule Mini Performance

Starting Baseline

  • PM2.5: 3.9
  • PM10: 5.9
  • Particles: 329
  • AQI: 16

After 1 Hour

  • PM2.5: 0.6
  • PM10: 0.9
  • Particles: 49
  • AQI: 0

Within 1 hour the Molekule removed 85% of air particulates from the medium-sized room we tested in (~12’x12′).

Molekule improved PM2.5 air quality by 85%.

The Design

The design of the Molekule air purifier has quite a few similarities between all three models.

Design Similarities

The Molekule Air, Air Pro and Mini all have round bodies with air intake at the bottom and outlet at the top.

Molekule uses a blend of machined parts with natural or simple materials for a sleeker look.

They also all have a carrying handle, although the exact material of the handle varies.

Design Differences

The Handle

  • The Air and Air Pro use a natural leather handle that spans across the entire width of the purifier.
Handle on the Molekule Air Pro air purifier
Handle on the Molekule Air Pro air purifier
  • The Mini has a smaller felt loop handle that starts and stops at the same spot
carrying handle on the Molekule Mini
carrying handle on the Molekule Mini

The Shell

  • The Air and Air Pro have a metal machined shell with a brushed aluminum finish.
Molekule air purifier review
  • The Mini has a matte white body with simple light gray accents.
Molekule mini air purifier
Molekule mini air purifier

Size & Coverage

Aside from design, size / area coverage is one of the biggest differences between these three Molekule purifiers.

Molekule Air Pro comparison

Best Balanced: Molekule Air

  • Width: 8.25″ diameter
  • Height: 23” tall
  • Weight:  18 lbs.

Max Coverage: Molekule Air Pro

  • Width: 11″ diameter
  • Height: 23″ tall
  • Weight: 22.9 lbs.

Most Compact: Molekule Mini

  • Width: 8″ diameter
  • Height: 12″ tall
  • Weight: 7.3 lbs.

While all three of these purifiers use similar technology, the larger sized units do translate to greater area coverage.

Size of the Molekule Air Pro air purifier

Here’s a quick look at the max area coverage of each purifier.

Air

600 sf.

Air Pro

1,000 sf.

Mini

250 sf.

The Controls

The controls for all of these Molekule air purifiers are located at top of the purifier. All models are touch screen displays with LED lights to signal different features or settings.

The Molekule Air has the central controls in the middle of the purifier as well as an LED light ring that circles the perimeter of the purifier.

Molekule air purifier touch screen display and night light
Molekule air purifier touch screen display and night light

The Molekule Air Pro redesigns the center control, which shows a brighter display and has a more subtle LED outer ring.

Molekule Air Pro display
Molekule Air Pro display

The Molekule Mini has the simplest center controls. In fact, may users may not even realize that they’re there.

Instead of having a central display with colored LEDs and text, the Mini just uses small LED dots to simulate varying fan speeds. It’s simple, straightforward, and quite clean.

LED controls on the Molekule mini air purifier
LED controls on the Molekule mini air purifier

Is there remote control?

While there is no physical remote control with any of the Molekule air purifiers, two out of the three can be controlled via a smartphone

Air

Yes

Air Pro

Yes

Mini

No

The Molekule Mini does not have wifi connectivity so it can only be controlled on the top of the unit itself.

The Molekule Air and Air Pro can be synced up to your smartphone via app for remote control.

Molekule air purifier app
Molekule air purifier app

Using the app, you can remotely:

  • Turn the purifier on / off
  • Check the current air quality
  • Send notifications to your phone
  • Configure the space / how much to clean
  • Changes modes
  • Monitor filter replacement schedules
Molekule Air Pro particle levels on the app
Molekule Air Pro particle levels on the app

How does it work?

The Molekule air purifier has four different modes it can run in:

  1. Auto Mode: allows users to input information about your room to help determine optimal purification settings
  2. Boost Mode: runs the purifier at full power until you change the mode; good for maximum purification
  3. Silent Mode: runs the purifier at minimum power with the lowest possible sound output (approx. 40 dBa)
  4. Dark Mode: dims all lights for night time or purification while sleeping, but keep in mind that PECO technology requires light to destroy particles. Without light, the purifier will simply store the bacteria until you turn Dark Mode off when it will turn the light on and destroy the particles
Molekule Air touch screen
Molekule Air touch screen

The Molekule Air Pro air purifier has 6 different fan speeds and two specialty modes.

  1. Manual Mode: allows users to specify 1 of 6 different fan speeds
  2. Auto Mode: uses real-time air quality to select fan speed, automatically adjusts as air quality changes
  3. Quiet Mode: runs fans at lowest possible decibel setting for more discreet usage
Molekule air quality monitoring system
Molekule air quality monitoring system

The Molekule Mini is the smallest and simplest purifier in this lineup. It lacks Auto Modes or Quiet Mode, but has simple controls to manually adjust the fan speed.

  1. Manual Mode: allows users to specify 1 of 5 different fan speeds

Parts & Accessories

The parts and accessories included with each Molekule is similar between these three models.

Similarities

All three Molekules come with the purifier base, filter, and the shell that installs into the base and twists to lock it on.

They are all corded units and have a cord wrap designed into the bottom of the purifier base.

Cord wrap on the Molekule Air Pro
Cord wrap on the Molekule Air Pro

Differences

The main difference is the filters.

The Molekule Air uses two different filters, while the Air Pro and the Mini use a hybrid filter that combines the two separate filters into a single filter.

The Molekule Air comes with a prefilter and a PECO filter.

PECO Filter

Molekule air purifier PECO filter
Molekule air purifier PECO filter

Pre-Filter

Molekule air purifier pre-filter
Molekule air purifier pre-filter

The Molekule Mini and Air Pro come with:

  1. Base
  2. Hybrid PECO Filter
  3. Outer Shell
Parts disassembled on the Molekule Mini air purifier
Parts disassembled on the Molekule Mini air purifier

Setup & Usability

Setup between all Molekule models is also pretty similar.

For the shortest setup, the winner is the Molekule Mini and this is primarily because there’s no WiFi so you don’t need to link your phone or local internet with the purifier.

The original Molekule Air or Air Pro will take a little extra time to set up the app, but the time you spend on the initial setup will come back two-fold in time saved during regular use, but being able to control the purifier with your phone.

RELATED: Molekule vs. Dyson air purifiers

Here’s the rundown of how to set up the Molekule.

  1. Push down and twist off shell counter-clockwise, pull out the PECO filter.
  2. Unwrap PECO-filter and place on base.
  3. Align logo on shell with arrow on base. Close shell and twist to lock.
  4. Unwind cord and plug in.
  5. Use the controls on the top of the unit to manually select fan speed.

If you opt for the Molekule Mini you’re done here.

Molekule Mini setup guide
Molekule Mini setup guide

If you have the Molekule Air or Air Pro, you can continue on the next two steps.

  1. Download the Molekule app onto your smartphone.
  2. Follow in-app prompts to pair it with your device.

NOTE: If you have the original Molekule Air, you will also need to follow the setup guide to make sure the pre-filter is properly installed prior to running for the first time.

What is “Initial Clean Up”?

The Molekule Air and also has a required setting called, Initial Clean-Up.

This is basically an initial assessment of the room, where the air purifier can customize its settings based on the exact size and location of your room, to ensure proper fan speeds and modes are used.

NOTE: The Initial Clean Up cycle could take as long as 50 minutes.

Maintenance

Maintenance between all three of these models is about the same. The two main tasks for proper maintenance includes:

  • Use a dry cloth to keep the air intake and outlet free of dust or particulates.
  • Replace the filter as needed.

They all use a PECO filter, which is a little different compared to traditional HEPA filters.

The Molekule Air uses two filters, while the Molekule Air Pro and Molekule mini use a single hybrid filter for purification.

FYI: The Molekule Mini hybrid filter is slightly less expensive to replace compared to the Molekule filters ($99 for the Mini filters vs. $130 for the full-size Molekule filters)

Molekule filters are designed to last about 6 months.

Installing Molekule PECO filter into base of purifier
Molekule PECO filter

With the Molekule Air or Molekule Air Pro, you can opt-in for the Auto-Refill program. This is done via the app which then monitors the remaining filter life remotely and orders a new filter when it’s time to replace.

Molekule Air Pro maintenance- filter replacement

Since the Molekule Mini lacks wifi connectivity, this program is not available with that purifier.

Which Molekule is the best value?

If you’re most concerned with value, the best value Molekule would be to get the unit which has a max coverage closest to the size of your area. In other words, don’t pay for coverage that you can’t use.

If you have a small space, the best value would likely be the Molekule Mini, with max coverage around 250 sf.

For a larger space or if you plan on moving the purifier back and forth between a small and larger space, the best value would likely be the original Molekule Air purifier.

Lastly, if you’ve got an open space or want the most opinions in terms of coverage area as well as operating modes, check out the Molekule Air Pro.

Specifications

SpecsMolekule AirMolekule Air ProMolekule Mini
Diameter8.25" dia.11" dia.8" dia.
Height23" H23" H12" H
Weight18 pounds22.9 pounds7.3 pounds
Room Coverageup to 600 sf.up to 1,000 sf.up to 250 sf.
Energy Consumption28-80 watts61-153 watts20-50 watts
Noise Level20-55 dBa33-64 dBa30-50 dBa
Fan SpeedsN/ASixFive
Filters2 filters1 hybrid filter1 hybrid filter
Maintenance Costs$130 / yr$150 / yr$99 / yr
Check PriceCheck PriceCheck PriceCheck Price
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Which Molekule is right for you?

When selecting exactly which Molekule is right for you and your space, it’s a mix of knowing which features are important to you and how big your space is.

Molekule Air Mini Thumbnanil

For the best budget, I’d go with the Molekule Mini.

It is the least expensive purifer within this trio and uses the same PECO technology. If you have a smaller space or don’t mind moving the purifier around as needed, the Mini can be a solid option.

The Mini also lacks Wifi connectivity, but has six manual fan speeds.

Click here to read the full review for the Mini or click here to check the price.

Molekule Air Pro

For the best flexibility, I’d go with the Molekule Air Pro.

This purifier has an Auto-Mode and treats rooms up to 1,000 sf. You can engage the Manual Mode and adjust fan speed as you see fit.

Alternatively, you can turn on Auto Mode and let the purifier gauge the room and change settings as the air quality changes in the room.

Click here to read the full review for the Air Pro or click here to check the price.

Molekule Air

For a balance of price and performance, I’d recommend the Molekule Air.

This purifier is the original Molekule and still strikes a nice balance between area coverage (up to 600 sf.), performance, and price.

The Air has wifi connectivity and real-time air quality detection with smartphone control and additional features in app. Overall, a balanced and solid PECO air purifier.

Click here to read the full review for the Air or click here to check the price.

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.