Our deep dive into the Levoit Core 400S will give you the lowdown on everything this affordable air purifier has to offer, from setting up and operating the appliance, to its ability to effectively purify your home’s air. We’ll also take a look at design, features, and functionality, such as its Smart technology and connected app, so you can be certain it’s the right air purifier for your household. And if it’s not, then our best air purifiers buying guide can direct you to the air purifier you need.
Dimensions: H 20.5 in, D 10.8 in
Weight: 11 lbs
Filters: True HEPA 3-stage filter
Max noise: 52 dBs
Max power use: 38 watts
Coverage: 403 sqft
Modes: 4, plus sleep mode and auto mode
Warranty: 2-year limited
Energy Star Certified: Yes
The Levoit Core 400s features a True HEPA 3-stage filtration system to capture airborne particles in the home, including smoke, dust, pollen, and dander from pets. An activated carbon filter also captures and absorbs volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause nasty odors, including cooking, aerosol, and cleaning product fumes.
What’s great about the Levoit Core 400S is the range of Smart features you get with this affordable air purifier. A connected app allows you to create a schedule for when you want your air purifier to power on and off, and you can take a look at what’s being absorbed, hour by hour. You can also see historic air quality data and chart when your purifier is working at its hardest.
The app allows you to connect to and control multiple purifiers around your home. And it’s compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to power off and on, or change the settings, quickly and easily.
Levoit Core 400S: Setup and usability
It’s quick and easy to set up the Levoit Core 400S. You’ll need to unscrew the base of the purifier and remove the plastic packaging around the filter, before replacing the filter and base, and powering it on.
A QR code is included with the manual that allows users to install the VeSync app if they wish to control their air purifier from their phone, set a daily or weekly schedule, or get a deeper dive on their home’s air quality. It’s intuitive and easy to use, but it can be unreliable. We had to reinstall the app twice when it crashed during set-up.
The Levoit Core 400S features a vented ring at the top of the device, with a touch-sensitive control panel within. This is where users can turn the device on and off and adjust the settings. A series of color-coded indicator rings also tell you how clean your air is right now, from red (bad) to green (good). This is based on particles smaller than 2.5 microns, so you have a good idea of how clean your air is, with a quick glance at your purifier, without logging on to the app. It also lets you know when your filter needs changing.
You can set the Levoit Core 400S to auto mode, allowing it to work to the required setting depending on your air quality, or override it with your own settings. There are four levels to choose from, as well as the barely audible sleep mode.
The Levoit 400S covers an area of 402 square feet, making it ideal for the average-sized home or small office. It’s affordable enough so that users can buy two or more for separate rooms in their home.
Levoit Core 400S: Design
- Height: 20.5 in
- Diameter: 10.8 in
Light enough (11 lbs) to pick up with one hand, the Levoit 400S is a sleek, white cylinder that’s thoughtfully designed. It features two handles on either side of the device for easy moving around the home.
A futuristic-looking black vented ‘wheel’ sits at the top of the device, within which a display screen allows users to view air quality data, fan setting, filter status, auto mode and sleep mode. You can also lock the display to show data all the time, or set it to off.
The casing is smooth and matte with no shine or gloss, giving this purifier a more expensively designed, sleek look and feel.
Levoit Core 400S: Price
- $189.99 / £186.99
- 2-year limited warranty
The Levoit Core 400S is available direct from the Levoit website, or from selected retailers such as Amazon, Home Depot and Walmart. Offers crop up on other retailers’ sites from time to time, so users may want to shop around for the best deal.
The price point of the Levoit Core 400S places it firmly in the mid-range of the market. But its extra features, Smart, connected technology, and powerful performance set this air purifier apart from other models at the same price. The Levoit Core 400S also consistently performed better in our at-home tests than more expensive devices, such as the Dyson Purifier Cool, which is more than double the price.
Levoit Core 400S: Features and performance
- Powerful performance
- Super quiet at lowest settings
- Higher absorption rate than more expensive models
Levoit claims its Core 400S can purify your air in a matter of minutes. We put this claim to the test with a series of home-based trials, testing its performance on ambient air quality, a match smoke test, and an incense smoke test. We also checked and compared how it performed at a setting lower than 50 decibels (level 3) to its highest setting of 52 decibels (level 4).
It’s worth pointing out that even at its highest setting, the Levoit Core 400S doesn't rise above the volume level of normal conversation, while its quietest fan speed (level 1) is barely audible, at just 37 decibels.
During our ambient air quality test at a setting lower than 50 decibels (level 3) we found that the Levoit 400S absorbed an impressive 99.5% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns and 100% of particles smaller than 2.5 microns and smaller than 10 microns. We then re-ran the test on the highest setting of level 4 and got the same results. So there didn’t appear to be much difference between the two highest settings when it came to performance.
Our match test assessed how well the purifier absorbed harmful 0.3-micron particles. Again, even at a lower setting, the Levoit Core 400S performed much better than expected, absorbing 99.8% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns, 99.6% of particles smaller than 2.5 microns, and 100% of particles smaller than 10 microns. This was slightly improved at the higher setting, with an absorption rate of 99.9% on particles smaller than 0.3 microns, 99.9% on particles smaller than 2.5 microns, and 100% on particles smaller than 10 microns.
Our final test looked at how well the purifier absorbed the particles released from incense cones. At level 3, it eliminated 99.9% of particles smaller than 2.5 microns and 100% of particles smaller than 10 microns. At level 4, the highest setting, it absorbed almost 100% of particles smaller than 2.5 microns and 100% of particles smaller than 10 microns.
Having tested several air purifiers at home, using the same trials, we can confidently say that the Levoit Core 400S is one of the most powerful air purifiers in its price bracket. It out-performed much more expensive air purifiers too, including the Dyson Purifier Cool.
Levoit Core 400S: User reviews
The Levoit Core 400S scores an impressive 5 stars out of 5 on Amazon, with a whopping 85% of reviewers giving it the full 5 stars. It also scores 4.9 stars out of 5 on Walmart’s site.
People who purchased this air purifier say its accuracy in tracking and absorbing harmful particles is excellent, and many say it helps to rid their homes of unpleasant smoke and pet odors too. They also enjoy how quiet the purifier runs on its lowest settings and sleep mode.
Negative reviews, of which there are few, tend to mention the VeSync app’s unreliability and some criticize the air purifier’s lack of sturdiness (not something we noticed during testing). Others say the air purifier is a little too big and bulky for their homes.
Should you buy the Levoit Core 400S?
If you’re looking for an affordable air purifier that meets, and surpasses, the performance of some top-end purifiers, the Levoit Core 400S could be the right fit for you.
Sleek, well-designed, and with a host of Smart features and functionality, the Levoit Core 400S has more going for it than most other similarly priced air purifiers. And it’s cheap enough to buy two or more for a large home or office space.
However, if you want to only control your purifier via an app, you may be put off by the fact that some users find the companion VeSync app unreliable.
If this product isn’t for you
If money’s no option and you want an air purifier with the wow factor, check out the Dyson Purifier Cool. Sleek and stylish, it’s certain to be a talking point in any home.
If you like what Levoit has to offer, but you need a more compact air purifier, why not take a look at the Levoit H132? It’s smaller and lighter than the Core 400S and around two-thirds of the price.
If you’re looking for an air purifier that can tackle larger rooms, the Blue Pure 211+ could be the one. With a range of up to 540 square feet, it’s ideal for larger homes and office spaces.
