Levoit Vital 100S Review: a quiet smart purifier that actually helps with dust and pet stuff

I’ve been using the Levoit Vital 100S in my flat for a few weeks now, mainly in the bedroom and sometimes dragged into the living room when things get stuffy. I bought it because of allergies (dust and pollen) and a cat that sheds like crazy. I wasn’t looking for a design piece, just something that quietly cleans the air without driving me mad with fan noise or a disco of LEDs at night.

What pushed me to this model was the combo of HEPA filter, washable pre-filter, and the app control. I already had a smaller Levoit before (Core range), so I sort of knew what to expect in terms of noise and build. The Vital 100S is basically the more serious, more practical version: bigger coverage, a bit more power, and some smart modes focused on pets and sleep.

From day one, I ran it almost non-stop in auto mode in a bedroom of about 15–18 m², and occasionally in a bigger living room. I paid attention to three things: dust build-up on furniture, allergy symptoms when I wake up, and how much it reacts to daily life (cooking smells, vacuuming, cat litter box, etc.). It’s not magic, but it clearly changes the atmosphere of the room after an hour or two.

Overall, it does what it says on the box: it filters dust, pet hair and smells pretty efficiently, stays quiet on low speeds, and the smart functions are more than just a gimmick. It’s not perfect – filters aren’t cheap, the app is a bit busy, and the plastics feel more “appliance” than premium – but for the price, it’s pretty solid if you actually care about cleaner air rather than fancy looks.

On price, the Vital 100S sits in that mid-range zone: not the cheapest purifier out there, but not some luxury gadget either. Considering the coverage (up to 104 m² on paper, realistically very comfortable around 30–40 m²) and features (smart app, auto mode, pet mode, sleep mode, sensors), it feels fairly priced. You’re paying for more than just a basic fan with a filter – the sensors and automation mean you can more or less forget about it and let it manage itself.

Running costs are where you need to be honest with yourself. The HEPA + carbon filter isn’t free, and original replacements can be a bit pricey if you change them exactly as recommended. The washable pre-filter helps extend the life of the main filter, which is nice. If you vacuum it regularly, you can probably stretch the replacement interval a bit, depending on how dusty your home is and whether you have pets. Power usage is reasonable (about 32W max), so even if it runs many hours a day, it’s not going to destroy your electricity bill.

Compared to cheaper no-name purifiers I’ve tried, this one feels more consistent: the sensor actually reacts, the app is stable, and the noise levels match what’s advertised. On the other hand, compared to some bigger, more premium brands, you don’t get fancy materials or super-deep data analysis, but honestly, I don’t think most people need that. You pay for solid performance and convenience, not for looks or brand hype.

So in terms of value: if you just want the cheapest possible purifier, this isn’t it. If you’re okay spending a bit more for something that’s smart, quiet, and actually effective for dust, pollen and pet stuff, it’s good value. Just remember to factor in the cost of filters over a couple of years. Personally, I’m fine with that trade-off because I can literally see the junk it captures and feel the difference in my allergies.

Design-wise, the Vital 100S is pretty neutral: ivory white, rectangular, rounded edges, front grill, top exhaust. It’s not going to wow anyone, but it also doesn’t clash with anything. In my bedroom, it just sits against the wall and kind of disappears. The footprint is small enough (about 32 cm wide, 16 cm deep) that I can slide it between a dresser and the bed without blocking access. At 40.6 cm high, it’s more like a small box than a tower.

The front panel is held by magnets and comes off easily to access the filter. That’s a big plus: no annoying clips that feel like they’ll break. I can vacuum the washable pre-filter in under a minute and put it back. The top control panel is basic but clear: power, fan speeds, auto, sleep, pet mode, timer, and a display of air quality. The touch buttons respond well, no lag. If you don’t care about the app, you can still use everything directly from the panel without feeling limited.

One thing I appreciated: the light sensor and display off at night. In the bedroom, I hate bright LEDs. On this one, once the room is dark, it goes into a low‑key mode: auto gets limited to quieter speeds and the lights go off. If you’re very sensitive to light, you’ll like this. Noise-wise, the design channels the air upwards, so you don’t get a blast of air in your face if it’s near the bed. On max, you definitely hear it, but the sound is a steady whoosh, not a high‑pitched whine.

The downside: the plastic feels quite standard. It doesn’t feel cheap to the point of worrying about it breaking, but it’s clearly built for function, not looks. Also, the power cable is fixed, not removable, and it’s just long enough for me – if your sockets are badly placed, you might need an extension. Overall, the design is practical and discreet, but if you want something that looks like a design object, this one is more appliance than decor.

In terms of comfort, this is one of the quieter purifiers I’ve used. On sleep mode, it’s basically a soft background hum, around the 23 dB they claim. I’m a light sleeper and normally hate any kind of fan noise, but this one is fine. After a couple of nights, I stopped noticing it completely. On low and medium, it’s still very reasonable – you can watch TV or work without being annoyed. Only on the highest speed does it get clearly loud, but that’s expected and I only use that for short bursts.

The light sensor and lightless mode are a big plus in the bedroom. I can’t stand bright LEDs when I’m trying to sleep. Here, once the room is dark, it dials down the display and essentially shuts off the lights. You can also manually turn off the display if you want. No need for tape over LEDs or other hacks. This sounds like a detail, but if the purifier lives in your bedroom, it matters a lot.

Using it day to day is straightforward. The top controls are clear, and the app is handy when you’re lazy or already in bed. I often just say to my Google speaker to turn it on or switch to sleep mode, which is nice when you’re half asleep and don’t want to get up. The unit itself is 3.4 kg, so you can easily carry it from room to room if you only have one for the whole flat. No wheels, but it’s light enough not to need them.

Only annoyance: at higher speeds, if it’s placed on a hollow or slightly wobbly surface, you can get a bit of resonance or vibration. On the floor, it’s fine. Also, if you’re extremely sensitive to any kind of noise, even sleep mode might still bother you – it’s quiet, but it’s still a fan blowing air. For most people though, comfort is very good, especially for bedroom use. It just quietly does its job in the background without demanding attention.

In daily use, the performance is the main reason I kept it rather than returning it. I noticed three concrete changes after about a week: less dust on surfaces, fewer sneezing fits in the morning, and faster removal of cooking and pet smells. My bedroom used to get dusty fast; if I ran a finger over the bedside table after 3–4 days, there was a clear grey line. With the Vital 100S running several hours a day (auto mode, plus sleep mode at night), that dust layer is much lighter and takes longer to build up.

For allergies, I’m not cured, but mornings are easier. I usually wake up with a blocked nose and itchy eyes in spring and on dry days. With the purifier on every night, the symptoms are reduced: less congestion, I sneeze less, and my throat feels less dry. It’s not a miracle cure – if pollen levels are high outside, I still feel it – but indoors it definitely helps. The HEPA filter is rated for 0.3 micron, which is standard; the real difference is just that the airflow is strong enough to cycle the room air several times per hour.

On smells, it’s pretty efficient. When I cook something greasy or strong and leave the door open, the air quality indicator jumps to orange or red, and the fan ramps up. Within 20–30 minutes, the food smell in the bedroom is almost gone. Same with the cat litter box: if I scoop and stir up dust, the purifier reacts and clears the smell faster than before. I also tested it with a bit of smoke (candle blown out and some incense) – it detected it quickly and the haze in the air cleared much faster than without it.

The only thing to keep in mind: to get the best out of it, you have to let it run. If you turn it on for just 10 minutes here and there, you won’t see a big difference. On max speed, it’s efficient but noisy enough that I wouldn’t leave it on max in a bedroom while sleeping. In auto and pet mode, it finds a decent balance. So in practice, it gets the job done on dust, pet hair and everyday smells, as long as you accept that it’s a device that should run many hours a day, not just occasionally.

Out of the box, the Vital 100S is pretty straightforward: one unit, one filter already inside, power cable fixed, and a quick start guide. No extra filters, no big accessories. You pull off the front panel, remove the plastic bag around the filter, clip it back and you’re ready. Setup took me under 5 minutes including connecting it to Wi‑Fi and the VeSync app. Connection was painless on 2.4 GHz – it recognised my network right away and stayed connected since.

On paper, this thing covers up to about 104 m² with a CADR of 243 m³/h, but realistically, I’d treat it as very comfortable for 20–40 m² rooms if you want strong results. In my 18 m² bedroom, it feels a bit overkill in a good way: after 30–60 minutes on auto or medium, the air feels much less stale, and dust in the air when sunlight comes through the window is visibly reduced. In my larger living room, it still keeps up, but you need to let it run longer and often at a higher speed.

The smart features are: auto mode, pet mode, sleep mode, app control, Alexa/Google voice control, air quality sensor and light sensor. The air quality feedback is done by a colour ring and values in the app. It’s not lab-grade science, but in practice, it reacts instantly to cooking, aerosols, or when I shake out bedding. Pet mode basically boosts airflow and focuses on catching hair and dander, which I notice especially when I brush the cat nearby – the pre-filter gets hairy fast.

So in terms of what you actually buy: a mid-size purifier that’s clearly aimed at real homes with pets, dust, and mild allergy problems. It’s not tiny, but not huge either. It’s more practical than fancy. If you want simple on/off without any smart stuff, it might be overkill. If you like to fine‑tune schedules and let it run mostly on its own, this model fits that use case pretty well.

I live with one indoor cat and a fair amount of traffic in and out of the flat, so there’s always hair, fluff and outside dust coming in. After a couple of weeks, the washable pre-filter was full of hair and grey dust, which is both gross and reassuring. A quick hoover brings it back to normal, and you can see that a lot of what would normally end up on the floor and shelves is stuck there instead. I clean it roughly once every 1–2 weeks, depending on how much I’ve been vacuuming and airing out.

For allergies, I noticed the most when I stopped using it for a few days. I went away and turned it off, then came back and didn’t switch it on the first night. The next morning, I was back to the usual blocked nose and itchy eyes. After running the purifier for the next night, it went back to the more manageable level I’d got used to. So for me, it clearly reduces symptoms, especially at night. It doesn’t replace medication when pollen is high, but it takes the edge off indoors.

On daily use, I mostly leave it on auto mode. The sensor is quite sensitive: vacuuming, shaking a blanket, cooking, or even spraying deodorant in the next room will make it spin up. It’s actually a good reality check on how much junk we throw in the air without noticing. Pet mode is handy when I brush the cat – I just tap it in the app, it boosts airflow a bit more, and the room clears quicker. Sleep mode is genuinely quiet; I can sleep with it next to the bed without it bothering me.

One honest downside: for very strong smells (proper burnt food, heavy frying), it helps, but you still need to open windows. Same if someone smokes a lot indoors; it will reduce the smell and haze, but not erase it completely. So I’d say it’s very effective for everyday dust, pet dander, light smoke and general stuffiness, but don’t expect miracles with extreme situations. For a normal home with pets, allergies and some cooking, it does a solid job and feels worth running most of the time.