The Levoit Vital 200S is an air purifier intended for medium-sized spaces. It's specifically marketed towards owners of heavy-shedding pets, with a U-shaped air inlet that's intended to resist clogs from large amounts of hair. Compared to models in Levoit's Core lineup, like the similarly sized Levoit Core 600S, which uses cylindrical filters, the Vital 200S uses rectangular ones. However, the underlying three-stage filtration system is very similar in design.
Our Verdict
The Levoit Vital 200S is an amazing option for pet owners. It does a fantastic job of capturing small particles like dog or cat dander, and its U-shaped air inlet is designed to purposely reduce the chances of hair from clogging the system. The manufacturer also offers a specially designed filter that's meant to provide additional protection against pet allergens and minimize pet odors. It even operates fairly quietly, which is good if your pet is sensitive to loud noises.
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Built-in air quality sensor.
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Great overall filtration performance.
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Can be operated remotely using the VeSync companion app.
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Bulky design isn't suited for tight spaces.
The Levoit Vital 200S is excellent for use in bedrooms. It might be a little on the bulkier side, but it does offer great overall filtration performance. It also runs quieter than most of its peers, even at higher fan speeds. You can also set schedules through the VeSync companion app to have it run at lower speeds at night. It also has a built-in light sensor that automatically turns off the display in dark rooms, so you won't have to turn off its display yourself.
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Relatively quiet operation.
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Built-in air quality sensor.
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Great overall filtration performance.
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Can be operated remotely using the VeSync companion app.
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Bulky design isn't suited for tight spaces.
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Built-in air quality sensor.
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Great overall filtration performance.
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Bulky design isn't suited for tight spaces.
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Built-in air quality sensor.
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Great overall filtration performance.
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Bulky design isn't suited for tight spaces.
- 8.4 Pets
- 8.5 Bedroom
Performance Usages
- 8.3 Particle Filtration Rate
- 9.6 Particle Concentration
Changelog
- Updated Oct 31, 2024: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.1.
- Updated Jul 08, 2024: We've corrected an error in the 'Display And Control' section of the review where the air purifier was erroneously referred to by the wrong name.
- Updated Jun 25, 2024: Following user feedback, we've updated the text in the 'Filter Configuration' section of the review to remove any mention of HEPA filtration, as the manufacturer no longer advertises this device's main filter as being HEPA-rated.
- Updated May 14, 2024: We've made some slight in-text adjustments throughout the review that more accurately convey how this air purifier performs in relation to its peers.
- Updated May 13, 2024: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Levoit Vital 200S is available in three color variants: 'Black,' 'White/Black,' and 'White/Gray.' We tested the 'White/Black' model.
Let us know in the comments if you come across another variant of this air purifier.
Compared To Other Air Purifiers
The Levoit Vital 200S is a mid-range air purifier. While its bulky size can make it a hassle to squeeze into tight spaces, it has much to offer. It boasts impressive air purification performance and has a wide range of smart features that allow for practically hands-free operation. While it isn't quite as efficient at cleaning the air in larger rooms as the pricier Levoit Core 600S, it gets pretty close and has the added benefit of quieter operation.
If you're interested in alternatives, you can see our recommendations for the best air purifiers for bedrooms, the best air purifiers for pets, and the best air purifiers for allergies.
The Winix 5500-2 and Levoit Vital 200S are evenly-matched air purifiers. Both appliances deliver near-equal particle filtration performance and a sufficiently high clean air delivery rate for larger spaces. That said, there are a few differences. Only the Levoit is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing you to pair the device with your smartphone, allowing for full remote operation and live monitoring of current air quality. Conversely, unlike the Levoit, the Winix has an ionizer, which produces negatively charged ions that ultimately cause small particles to be attracted to one another and form large, easily-cleaned clumps. That said, ionizers produce ozone, a potential respiratory irritant as a byproduct - while Winix claims their iteration of this technology doesn't produce harmful levels of ozone, you can always turn it off anyway.
The Levoit Core 400S and Levoit Vital 200S are somewhat evenly matched machines, though we'd give the edge to the Vital 200S for most uses. Both machines deliver near-identical air purification performance and have similar smart features, but only the Vital 200S has a washable pre-filter and a U-shaped air inlet that's intended to resist clogs from pet hair.
Test Results
The ring of lights around the power button changes color based on current air quality:
- Blue: Very good
- Green: Good
- Yellow: Moderate
- Red: Bad
Tapping the 'Display Off' button turns off all of the device's indicator lights and the night light. On that subject, the night light features two levels of brightness. The 200S also has a light sensor, which automatically triggers the Display Off function if it detects that it's been put in a dark room. The device's lights will also automatically illuminate if you turn the lights on in a dark room. However, it's important to note that you have to enable this function through the VeSync smartphone app.
The VeSync companion app also allows you to remotely adjust the device's fan speed, set operating schedules, and send filter replacement reminders. You can also use it to view a real-time estimate of air quality.
This air purifier has a three-stage filter system comprising a pre-filter for trapping larger airborne particles and a combined primary and Activated Carbon filter for trapping mold and dust and minimizing odors. You'll only need to clean the pre-filter with a soft-bristle dusting brush or a vacuum every two to four weeks.
You'll need to replace the Primary/Activated Carbon filter every 12 months.
The manufacturer offers several replacement filters intended for more specific kinds of particles:
- Smoke Remover Carbon Filter: The manufacturer advertises this filter to reduce the amount of smoke particles in the air. You can buy this filter here.
- Toxin Absorber Carbon Filter: The manufacturer advertises this filter to trap dust and allergens. You can buy this filter here.
- 3-Stage Pet Allergy Carbon Filter: This filter is designed to better trap dander and cut down on pet odors. You can buy this filter here.
Comments
Levoit Vital 200S: Main Discussion
Let us know why you want us to review the product here, or encourage others to vote for this product.
- 21010
The wording under ‘Flicker-Free’ is a little confusing.
Is the CU7000 completely flicker-free in “Movie mode or all other picture modes”, and only flickers in “Game Mode when the brightness is set to 19 or below”?
Edited 9 months ago: made question simpler - 21010
Of course! I’m glad to help. You got it! The TV is flicker free starting at 29, so with the brightness set at 28 or below, it flickers. I don’t have the information on the exact luminance of the TV with the brightness set at 29, but the TV is only 100 nits with the brightness set to ‘41’. That’s pretty dim, so it’s very unlikely that you’ll find the setting of ‘29’ too bright. When it comes to flicker in HDR, I’ll actually have to walk back a bit on my previous comment, as we don’t currently test for HDR flicker. TVs with local dimming have variable amounts of flicker across the screen in HDR, so it’s more complicated. The Q5 doesn’t have local dimming, so it’s possible that the TV is flicker-free in most of its HDR modes, but we don’t know for sure. Sorry I can’t give you a concrete answer on that one.
Appreciate the info. Just one more thing about brightness settings & nits if you don’t mind. So is it safe to assume that whatever brightness settings you guys post on the ‘Settings’ pages for your TV reviews corresponds to 100 nits? I ask cause it looks like some of your ‘Settings’ pages explicitly mention “100cd/m2” (like for the Sony X85K or X80K), whereas some others do not (like for the TCL Q5 or Samsung CU7000).
Edited 9 months ago: minor grammar - 21010
The TCL Q5 is flicker free with the brightness set between 29-100. The only setting that affects flicker is brightness, so you can freely change settings like sharpness and color without flicker being impacted. It’s very rare for firmware updates to change flicker frequencies. I doubt that TCL will release an update for this TV that changes anything to do with that, but you never know. Unfortunately, I don’t know exactly how many nits of brightness you get from going from 29 to 30, and we don’t currently have the resources to go check that. With that said, the difference is going to be very minor, and you will likely not notice much of difference at all between 29 and 30. I also don’t know exactly how many nits Smart HDR is with the brightness set to its lowest, but it’s going to look very dim, even in a dark room. For HDR and DV, you’ll want the brightness set to maximum (which is flicker free) to get the most out of HDR content. Thanks for reaching out and I hope that helps.
Thanks so much for the response!
So just to confirm, the TCL Q5 is flicker-free with brightness set at 29 AND Above, and only flickers with brightness set at 28 AND Below?
I think my question was unclear about nits at 29/30. I wasn’t asking about difference between 29 and 30. I was curious how many nits of brightness at the lowest flicker-free brightness setting (which you seem to clarify is 29, not 30). I ask because, if I buy the TCL Q5 but find that its lowest flicker-free brightness is too bright & uncomfortable, I’m also considering the Sony X85K.
Your guys’ review says X85K is completely flicker-free regardless of picture mode or brightness level, and your guys’ calibration page for the X85K implies that brightness set to ‘1’ on the X85K corresponds to 100 cd/m2. I was curious if you have any idea—even a rough one—how that compares to cd/m2 for TCL Q5 brightness set to ‘29’. (Edit: Your guys’ calibration page for TCL Q5 says brightness was set to ‘41’. Does that mean ‘41’ on TCL Q5 corresponds to 100 cd/m2? )
I’m still a little confused about HDR in relation to PWM and brightness level on a TV like TCL Q5. As I understand, in HDR, the content itself sets the brightness of the scene. And with dynamic metadata HDR, it can change on a scene-per-scene basis. Could this be concern for PWM sensitive folks with a TV like TCL Q5? Couldn’t the content set brightness low enough for the display to start flickering? Or with dynamic metadata HDR, couldn’t some scenes be set to low enough brightness to cause flicker?
Edited 9 months ago: Added question about '41' brightness on Q5 - 21010
Hey, I’m on a tight budget, but also looking for something decent for PWM sensitivity. Is it safe to assume that your guys’ PWM/Flicker results wrt to different brightness levels & picture modes would hold regardless of changing other settings within those picture modes? Or would it be better to copy your testing settings? Also, what are the chances that a software or firmware update or something like that changes the PWM/Flicker-free nature of a TV (like the brightness levels at which the TV is flicker-free changes)? Do y'all know if that’s ever been observed with any TV?
Edit: Also, video review says flicker-free with brightness above 29, whereas this page seems to suggest it’s flicker-free from 29-100 inclusive. Could you clarify which is correct? Also, do know how much cd/m2 a brightness level of 29 or 30 corresponds to here, or what lowest brightness in ‘Smart HDR’ mode corresponds to?
Edit 2: One more thing lol. Is it flicker-free at the same brightness levels & picture modes in HDR mode? Or is it different? What about Dolby Vision mode?
Edited 10 months ago: Added question about HDR and Dolby Vision flicker