As a lifelong allergy sufferer, I dread the onset of spring. Between the pollen swirling through the air and the whirlwind of dust bunnies that get kicked up during spring cleaning, I’ve always felt doomed to spend the season feeling like half of the seven dwarves. You know — sneezy, grumpy, sleepy and maybe even a little dopey, depending on which of the myriad allergy medicines I’ve tried on any given day.
But, oddly enough, it took me rescuing a cat before I finally found the solution to my own seasonal sneezes.
When one of my cats, Luna, was diagnosed with feline lower airway disease (FLAD) — essentially allergen-induced asthma — our vet’s recommended treatment included getting a really good air purifier. And after using a preposterously old air purifier to no avail (surprise, surprise), I finally did the research to find a new one and landed on the Levoit Core P350 Pet Care Air Purifier. And to put it plainly, the difference is night and day.
Price: $129.99 at Amazon
What is the Levoit Core P350 Pet Care Air Purifier?
Before we get too deep into my obsession with this air purifier, you’re probably wondering what the heck it actually does.
The Levoit Core P350 Pet Care Air Purifier provides ozone-free air purification thanks to its 3-in-1 filtration system that absorbs odors and eliminates 99.97% of pet dander, dust mites, pollen and other allergens from the air. It even traps large floating particles — like dust and pet hair — to reduce the amount that you see floating around and to help keep your home’s surfaces cleaner too.
It has three fan levels and lots of quality-of-life features like sleep mode, lights off and shut-off timers for 2, 4, 8 or 12 hours. And, with a long-press of the paw print button, the “Pet Lock” function keeps curious pets (and kids!) from messing with the controls. There’s even an indicator to let you know when it’s time to change the filter.
Tons of air purifiers have these functions — so what makes Levoit’s the best?
All the Reasons Why I Love the Levoit Core P350 Pet Care Air Purifier
It’s Actually Quiet
I leave my Levoit air purifier on the middle fan level all day and night, sandwiched between my living and kitchen areas, and I don’t even notice it. But if it were in a quieter room, like a bedroom, all you’d be able to hear is a light whooshing. The lowest level, however, is quieter than a whisper, and it even has a sleep mode that lowers the noise level to near silence.
The highest level is a bit loud, but I rarely find it necessary to crank it that high. It is great for clearing the air quickly, though — like after cooking or, perhaps more accurately, burning a meal. (Hey, it happens to the best of us!)
It’s Incredibly Easy to Maintain
Because of its ability to trap large particles like fur and dust, that stuff tends to accumulate on the outer edge of the air purifier. It’s a feature, not a bug — and it’s nothing that a quick swirl of a hand vac can’t fix. I also vacuum the filter monthly to make sure it’s performing at max capacity. To do this, just twist off the bottom cover, pull out the filter and pass the vacuum around the barrel for a minute, then you’re back in action.
It also could not be easier to replace the filter, which is recommended every six to eight months — just slide out the old and put in the new, and you’re good to go.
Just be sure to remove the plastic packaging first! This recommendation sounds silly, but this air purifier and others regularly go TikTok-viral when people embarrassingly discover that the air purifier they’ve been running for months (sometimes years) still has the plastic on the filter, rendering it absolutely useless. Fortunately, we listen and we don’t judge!
It Looks Good
The sleek design and neutral color allow it to remain pretty inconspicuous and blend in easily with most decor styles. It’s about the size of an adult cat (as seen here, with model Luna) and it’s pretty lightweight, too. At less than eight pounds, you can place it on the floor or even on open shelving. Just keep in mind that you want to give it about a foot of clearance all around to allow the 360-degree air intake to function at its best.
Most of All, It’s Effective
While the “pet” part of the Levoit Core P350 Pet Care Air Purifier is geared toward helping pet owners by reducing pet odors, dander and fur flying through the air, I’ve found that the air purifier has helped not just the humans in my home but also the pets — particularly Luna. Even on medication, she would still have at least a few asthma attacks each month. But since I’ve been running the Levoit Core P350 (basically non-stop since October of 2023), her attacks have completely subsided.
[Disclaimer: I’m not a vet, so I’d never claim that this is some “miracle” solution for every asthmatic cat; FLAD is a complicated issue with different causes and manifestations, and Luna still takes a maintenance dose of medication as a precaution.]
Aside from Luna’s improvement, I’ve noticed positive changes in my home’s air quality as well. As someone who works from home and is terrible at meal prep, I’m typically cooking one or two meals per day, as often as seven days per week — so the Levoit air purifier really helps to prevent food smells from permeating my whole home. It helps eliminate litter box smells, too, especially when the cats try to dig to the center of the Earth long after their business is done and buried. (Why do they do that?!)
We also no longer experience the sudden realization of “nose blindness” when returning home. You know, all those smells you don’t notice when you’re at home because your nose just gets used to them — but then you leave and come back, and you’re hit with the dreaded sense of “Does my home really smell like this?” Yeah, not anymore.
We’ve also had friends — who are very allergic to cats — come over and not immediately experience a reaction. But, perhaps best of all, I’m now able to open the windows and enjoy the fresh air for an afternoon without feeling the allergen-induced effects for the next day and a half — and for once, I’m really looking forward to spring!
The post My Entire Household Has Allergies —This Air Purifier Has Been a Total Lifesaver appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
