Comparison Levoit Core 300S vs Levoit Core 400S

— Ultrasonic. The most common type of operation: the working element of the device vibrates at ultrasonic frequencies, due to which the water falling on it is broken into tiny drops that form a suspension in the air. Such a water cloud has room temperature, which means that there is no risk of burns; some models may have a warm steam function. Thanks to this, as well as the low noise level, it is ultrasonic models that are considered optimal for children's rooms. That is why there are children's humidifiers with the appropriate design. Also, the advantages of such devices include simplicity, compactness, good work efficiency and economy. The main disadvantage of this type of humidifier is the exactingness of the quality of water: it must be demineralized, otherwise, the salts contained in the water will settle on objects in the room, creating a hard-to-remove plaque.

— Evaporative. The simplest option, also called "traditional": air is driven by a fan through a cartridge moistened with water, and humidification occurs due to natural evaporation. Water humidifiers have a very low intensity: it may take several days of continuous operation to achieve the required humidity level. On the other hand, it is practically impossible to re-moisten the air with such a device: in fact, exactly as much water evaporates from the cartridge as needed at a given temperature and humi...dity. In addition, such devices can be used even in fairly large rooms that an ultrasonic or steam humidifier cannot handle — up to 40 m² or even more. They work very economically and often quietly. And the quality of water can be almost anything — the main thing is to monitor the condition of the filters and change them at the frequency indicated by the manufacturer.

— Steam. Humidifiers of this type work by heating water with an electric heater. One of the main advantages of such devices is the high efficiency and speed of humidification. In addition, the high temperature of the steam contributes to hygiene. And even with not very high-quality water, steam does not create a white coating, as in the ultrasonic models described above — when heated, only water evaporates, and all salts remain in the device. On the other hand, the heaters will have to be descaled periodically. The steam devices themselves turn out to be quite noisy and high-consumption — water is consumed fast. In addition, hot steam requires some caution: it is not so easy to get burned by them, but such a possibility still exists.

The largest area of the room in which the device can effectively purify the air. The parameter is indicated taking into account the standard ceiling height of 2.5-3 m. If the ceilings are higher than generally accepted values, the volume of space increases — it can be recalculated using special formulas. If the unit is used in rooms larger than the specifications of the model, the air cleaning quality may be poor, and maintenance and filter replacement may need to be done too often.

If the device is supposed to be moved from one room to another, when choosing, you should focus on the room with the largest area.

The type of control provided in the device.

Note that mechanical and electronic devices can use the same elements - buttons, rotary knobs, sliders — and, as a result, almost do not differ from each other in appearance. The difference lies in the fact that the mechanical control directly affects the working part of the device (for example, when the knob is turned, the resistance of the rheostat that regulates the power changes), and the electronic control sends a signal to the control circuit, which accordingly changes the parameters of the device. The advantages of mechanical ones are simplicity, reliability and low cost. However, it allows you to adjust only basic functions, and the accuracy of the adjustments is low. In turn, with electronic control, various additional features can be provided and individual operation parameters can be very precisely adjusted. But such control is more complicated and expensive. Electronic control can also be performed in the form of touch controls, which gives the device elegance and elevates it to a more advanced level.

Maximum performance provided by the humidifier — that is, the maximum amount of air that it can pass through itself in an hour. This parameter is most relevant for models with a purifier function (see “Type”). However, it can also be specified for humidifiers.

The flow rate is selected by manufacturers, taking into account the area and, accordingly, the volume of the room for which the device is designed. For efficient operation, the device must be able to pass the entire volume of processed air through itself at least once per hour (or better, two or three times). At the same time, for models with the same area of the room, different air flow indicators can be declared - accordingly, the processing speed and efficiency will differ.

We also note that the recommended area of the room can be estimated by air flow if the latter is not stated in the specs. For example, if the device provides 200 m³/h, this means that the volume of the room can be no more than 200 m³, which, with a standard ceiling height of 2.5 m, gives an area of 200/2.5=80 m². And ideally, the area should be even 2-3 times smaller — that is, it should be about 25-40 m².

The noise level generated by the air cleaner when operating in low or night mode. Most of these devices are used in domestic conditions, so the noise level plays an important role, especially at night. According to sanitary standards, constant noise in such rooms should not exceed 40 dB (quiet conversation) during the day and 30 dB (wall clock ticking) at night. More detailed comparison tables and recommendations can be found in special sources.

The noise level generated by the air purifier during operation. Most of these devices are used in residential areas, so this parameter should be treated carefully. According to sanitary standards, constant noise in such rooms should not exceed 40 dB (quiet conversation) during the day and 30 dB (wall clock ticking) at night. More detailed comparison tables and recommendations can be found in special sources. It is also worth mentioning that the noise level is indicated for the maximum operating speed, so the noise level will be significantly lower in reduced mode.

It is the maximum power consumed by the device during operation. The lower it is the more economical the device. However, it is worth noting that in humidifiers, energy consumption is directly related to the principle of operation (see "Humidiation"): with similar characteristics, steam models are high consumption, where energy is spent on heating water, and the most economical are water models. Nevertheless, the energy consumption of modern humidifiers is generally low — even for steam humidifiers it rarely exceeds 600 W, and ultrasonic devices with similar power are already heavy industrial equipment. Purifiers also do not differ in consumption: a power of more than 100 W is rare among such devices.