Living with a dog or cat? We tested an air purifier that might help

During the COVID-19 era, when we were all stuck at home and trying to figure out how to breathe without panicking over every little cough—air purifiers became a household fixture. I remember that period very well. Suddenly everyone was talking about airborne particles, 0.3-micron filtration, HEPA filters. I myself bought my first purifier back then, out of a sort of survival instinct. The house turned into a pressure chamber, and all I wanted was to know that my partner and I were breathing something a bit cleaner. A few years have passed since, and although COVID has somewhat subsided (or at least we hope so), the need for clean air hasn’t gone away. On the contrary—it’s only become clearer. Between dust, seasonal allergies, and in my case—two cats who love to shed fur everywhere—I realized I needed a more serious solution.

Recently, we were offered the chance to test the Levoit Vital 200S—a smart air purifier with app control, real-time air quality monitoring, and a neat marketing trick in the form of a dedicated pet mode with a U-shaped air intake. So, I placed it in the most central spot in the house, plugged it in, and let it run. After several weeks of use—there’s already plenty to say.

If you’ve never really looked into it before, here’s the story in a nutshell: an air purifier is a device designed to improve indoor air quality by filtering out unwanted particles that float around the room. This can include dust, fur, allergens, smoke, and even odors or harmful gases. Air is drawn in, passes through a series of filters—each targeting a different type of pollutant—and comes out much cleaner.

In more advanced devices, like the Levoit Vital 200S, this is a three-stage filtration system. First, there's a pre-filter—a washable mesh that handles larger debris like visible dust and hair. Then comes the main filter, a dense HEPA filter, that captures what you can’t see: tiny particles as small as 0.3 microns, including pollen, bacteria, and vehicle pollution. Finally, there's a layer of activated carbon that neutralizes kitchen smells, smoke, and volatile gases. In the case of the Vital 200S, there’s also an infrared sensor that detects air quality in real-time and adjusts the power level accordingly.

This device is intended for spaces up to 167 square meters per hour—which is no small amount—and it’s particularly suitable for homes with pets, thanks to a unique design with a U-shaped air intake specifically created to trap hair without causing blockages. Maintenance is relatively simple: rinse the mesh occasionally, and the main filter should last an entire year. Bottom line, this is a system that tries to offer a comprehensive solution not just for viruses and dust, but also for more annoying everyday issues—like the smell that lingers from yesterday’s omelet.

In terms of design, the Vital 200S doesn’t try too hard—and that’s a good thing. It’s a white box with rounded corners, clean and non-flashy design, suitable for nearly any room without drawing too much attention. It has a neutral and modern look, like something you’d see in a private clinic, but without the feel of cheap plastic. The top is covered in smooth white glass, giving it a slightly more elegant touch than you’d expect from an air purifier. Underneath this glass is a flat control panel with illuminated buttons, including a glowing blue ring around the power button that clearly indicates when it's operating.

At the front, there’s a wide U-shaped intake vent, as the company proudly notes. It may sound gimmicky, but in practice, it’s a solution that helps trap coarse hair and debris before it reaches the deeper filter. At the back is the power socket, and on the right side sits the air quality sensor, which responds pretty quickly to environmental changes.

Its size is reasonable. Not small, but it doesn’t dominate the space either. About the size of a compact radiator or a medium home printer. In practice, it sits in the center of my home, blends in nicely and doesn’t stand out too much. No need to hide it, and no need to explain to guests what it is. Functional design, unpretentious, with a few touches that show it was built with the home in mind—not just the lab.

The device comes with a clear and organized manual that walks you through the installation and operation step-by-step—including explanations about the app, filters, different modes, and possible connections to Alexa or Google Assistant. But honestly? After the initial setup, I realized most people probably won’t bother with all the options and buttons. So my recommendation is pretty simple: leave it on Auto mode and let it do its thing.

The initial process includes opening the front panel, removing the plastic from the filter, placing the filters back in, and closing the lid. From there, just download the VeSync app, add a new device, select the model, and connect it to the home Wi-Fi network. The instructions in the app are very clear and even include an initial firmware update. In less than 10 minutes, everything was ready to go—including assigning the purifier to a specific room and gaining full control via phone.

In Auto mode, the Vital 200S detects air quality on its own using an infrared sensor and adjusts the fan speed accordingly. The most obvious example of this was when I lit a match in a closed room: within seconds, the LED light turned red, the power ramped up automatically, and after about 15 minutes—the air returned to normal. I didn’t touch a thing. I just stood there and watched it take control of the situation. Additionally, the air purifier even detects small changes in air quality—like cooking vapors from the stove.

By the way, there’s also a Pet Mode designed for homes with animals, which operates on a power-saving cycle: 15 minutes on high speed followed by 60 minutes on medium speed—to trap allergens without using too much electricity. In practice? During the two weeks the device has been in my home, it’s caught a significant amount of cat fur—far more than another product I recently tested.

That said, it’s also important to note that noise levels generally stay within reasonable bounds. In Night Mode or at low speed it’s barely audible, and even on high speed it doesn’t exceed what you’d expect from a device of this size.

Like any modern gadget that respects itself, the Vital 200S also comes with a dedicated app—VeSync—and it definitely adds an extra layer of control and convenience. The setup itself is easy and quick: add the device, connect to Wi-Fi, and from that moment everything is controlled via phone. But what exactly can you do there?

First of all, the app allows full control of power levels, modes (including Sleep Mode and Pet Mode), and also smart scheduling—you can predefine when the device turns on or off, on which days and at what times. If you like everything to run by itself while you’re asleep or out of the house—this is exactly for you.

There are also advanced features like Smart Scenes, which let you define automatic actions based on conditions: for example, having the purifier start running the moment air quality drops below a certain threshold. In addition, the app tracks filter status and alerts you when it’s time to clean or replace it.

And on top of all that—the app looks good, runs smoothly, isn’t cluttered with confusing icons, and operates quickly. Even linking to Alexa or Google Assistant takes just a few taps, which makes the whole experience even more convenient—especially if you’re already used to controlling your home with voice commands.

If you have pets at home, suffer from allergies, or just want to know that the air you’re breathing indoors is truly clean—this is a model worth checking out. It’s not packed with gimmicks, but it gets the job done quietly, consistently, and without asking anything from you beyond plugging it in and letting it run. Sometimes, that’s all you really need.