Levoit Sprout air purifier review — Baby-friendly solution to airborne pollutants

We are big fans of Levoit air purifiers here at Live Science. Our expert reviewers are continuously impressed with their air-cleaning capabilities, smart features and great value for money, so much so that several of these appliances have landed in our guides to the best air purifiers and best air purifiers for allergies. Understandably, we were more than excited to test the new Levoit model designed specifically for babies and toddlers.

Specs-wise, the Levoit Sprout seems to tick all the boxes for new parents. Most importantly, it features a three-stage air filtration: a pre-filter designed to capture large airborne particles such as dust and pet hair, a True HEPA filter that removes 99.9% of particles as small as 0.01 microns, and an activated carbon filter that eliminates odors, fumes and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Moreover, it tracks a wide range of airborne pollutants as well as temperature and humidity, going above and beyond what most air purifiers can do in that regard, plus it can be controlled remotely via the VeSync app. The Levoit Sprout also features a white noise machine and a night light. In theory, it could be an excellent multi-purpose appliance for nurseries — but how does this air purifier perform in practice, and is it worth the $279.99 price tag?

Levoit Sprout air purifier review

Levoit Sprout: Design

• Toddler-friendly design
• Small, light and portable
• Tiny icons on the control panel

The best word to describe the Levoit Sprout? Cute. With its cylindrical shape and white-blue color scheme, it reminded us of Olaf, the talking snowman from Disney's "Frozen" franchise. We could not think of a better look for a baby's nursery. But it’s not just nice to look at, but also practical.

First and foremost, it is relatively kid-proof. The Levoit Sprout has no sharp edges or protruding elements, and thanks to its unique shape, it is quite difficult to tip over. If it does fall, though, it is unlikely to cause substantial harm. Weighing only 6.4 lbs (2.9 kg) and measuring just 14 inches (35.5 cm) in height, it is one of the smallest and lightest air purifiers we tested.

Secondly, the Levoit Sprout is easy to move around. Most people would be able to grab hold of it with one hand. If you are a parent trying to juggle multiple tasks at the same time, this portability can prove very useful on a day-to-day basis. The cable can also be easily detached from the plug at the back of the unit, so there is no need to wrestle with the appliance should you wish to move it to another room.

Lastly, the Levoit Sprout is easy to operate via the control panel and a small but easy-to-read display at the top of the unit. Our only gripe was with the visibility of the icons. They are tiny, and because they are white and placed on a light grey background, these icons are not particularly clear to see, even from a relatively short distance.

We also liked the straightforward design of the filter chamber. It took us less than 30 seconds to install the filter, and all we had to do was unscrew the top half of the air purifier, take the plastic wrapper off the filter, and pop it back in. Speaking of filter replacements, they cost $39.99 and last approximately six to eight months. While they are quite expensive for air purifiers in general, they are priced similarly to other filter replacements made by Levoit.

Levoit Sprout: Features

• Built-in white noise machine and night light
• Four fan speeds and an auto mode
• Detailed air quality monitoring

With four fan speeds, an auto mode, a timer and a scheduling option, the Levoit Sprout does not stray far from its coveted siblings, the Levoit Core 600s or the Levoit Vital 200S. Feature-wise, this air purifier is just as easy to set up and control. However, this is where the similarities end.

For example, the Levoit Sprout offers more in-depth air quality monitoring. Most Levoit air purifiers can only track airborne particles that measure 2.5 microns (pollen, certain mold spores and smoke particles, for example), and while it is a relatively good indicator of air pollution in general, it does not convey the full picture. The Sprout, on the other hand, can also track airborne particles that are as small as 1 micron (such as some bacteria and dust mite allergens) and those as big as 10 microns — mold spores and some types of smoke, for example. In addition, this air purifier tracks TVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compounds), temperature and humidity.

That said, the Levoit Sprout offers only real-time air quality measurements. It will not give you historical readings or reports on how the air quality has been changing over time. It is quite a significant oversight given that many air purifiers in this price range, including some other ones made by Levoit, allow you to access that information.

Finally, the baby-friendly features. As we mentioned before, the Levoit Sprout does not just clean the air — it can also help put your baby to sleep. This air purifier can play five different sounds, including white noise and a soothing lullaby, all of which can be adjusted across a relatively wide volume range. On top of that, the Levoit Sprout can serve as a night light, and since its built-in lamp does not emit blue light, it should not be too disruptive to your baby's wake-sleep cycle.

Levoit Sprout: Performance

• Quiet at low fan speeds
• Ultra-sensitive particle sensors
• Efficient at removing airborne pollutants in small spaces

Air pollution is a serious concern for new parents. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to coarse particulate matter — dust, ash and some smoke particles, for example — can put babies at an increased risk of early death. Not to mention, there appears to be a strong link between air pollution and childhood respiratory diseases, according to a 2023 review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Therefore, we consider air-cleaning performance to be the crucial aspect of any air purifier that is meant to be used around infants and toddlers. The Levoit Sprout fell slightly short of expectations here.

According to the brand, the Levoit Sprout is best suited for spaces up to 639 square feet (59.4 square meters). However, this only applies if the air in that space is cleaned once per hour. For best results, most air quality experts suggest at least four air changes per hour. So, we took it upon ourselves to calculate what room size the Levoit Sprout is best suited for.

To do that, we took note of its CADR ratings. These metrics, measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM), can tell you how quickly an air purifier can clean the air in a given space. As a rule of thumb, the CADR should be at least two-thirds of the room's square footage. The Levoit Sprout is rated 85 CFM for smoke, 109 CFM for pollen and 152.9 CFM for dust. Based on these CADR values, the Levoit Sprout is likely to perform best in rooms measuring around 80 - 100 square feet (7.43 - 9.29 square meters) — much lower than advertised.

That is not to say the Levoit Sprout is a bad air purifier, quite the opposite. When used in spaces that are in line with these CADR ratings, it does a great job of removing airborne pollutants. To fully assess its air-cleaning performance, we performed a series of tests using an industry-grade Perfect Prime air particle counter, a handheld device capable of detecting airborne pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. The results speak for themselves.

First, we performed an ambient air quality test. We placed the Levoit Sprout in a small, enclosed room (approximately 9 square meters) and ran it on Auto mode for 30 minutes. After just 15 minutes, this air purifier removed 65.5% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns and 84% of particles measuring 2.5 microns (no 10-micron pollutants were detected). After 30 minutes, these values rose to 92% and 99%, respectively. Given that these tests were conducted on a day when air quality was deemed very good, these results are quite impressive.

We then burned a handful of matches to assess how well this purifier absorbed smoke. After 30 minutes of running in Auto mode, the Levoit Sprout removed an impressive 96.8% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns, 98.9% of 2.5-micron particles and all of the pollutants measuring 10 microns. When we rerun this test at the highest fan speed, the results were almost identical.

Finally, we challenged our Levoit Sprout to incense smoke. We burned a handful of sticks, then ran the air purifier on Auto mode for 30 minutes. Within half an hour, the Levoit Sprout absorbed 99.2% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns, 99.8% of 2.5-micron pollutants and 100% of particles measuring 10 microns. Just like in the match tests, we obtained similarly good results when we rerun the test at the highest fan speed.

All in all, the Levoit Sprout does a great job getting rid of different types of air pollution — as long as it is used in small spaces, that is.

One of the reasons why the Levoit Sprout appears to be performing so well may lie in its air quality sensors. We found them to be exceptionally sensitive. Oversensitive, even. On three separate occasions, we compared the air particle counts obtained with our handheld air particle monitor with the values displayed by our Levoit Sprout and found that our air purifier overestimated slightly nearly all of them. Now, this can be both good and bad. On the plus side, the Levoit Sprout is less likely to underperform when it is needed the most. On the other hand, it could make the parents way more worried about the state of their indoor air quality than they need to be.

Last but not least, the noise levels. The Levoit Sprout is almost silent at the lowest fan speed, so it is unlikely to wake up a sleeping baby. When it comes to the highest fan speed, however, it is more difficult to assess. When we measured its noise levels using the Sound Meter decibel-counting app, we did not note a reading higher than 48 dB. This is equivalent to a humming refrigerator or quiet office, and significantly lower than many of the air purifiers we tested before. That said, this may still be too noisy for some light sleepers.

Levoit Sprout: User reviews

The Levoit Sprout scores a solid 4.4 out of 5 stars at Amazon. This air purifier is universally praised for its detailed air quality measurements, efficient air purification and compact size. Negative comments, on the other hand, often revolved around its expensive price, and a couple of users complained about their defective units.

As one happy buyer commented, "This purifier is perfect for parents who appreciate having real-time data on air quality. It’s super powerful, taking air quality from unhealthy to healthy in a matter of minutes! It’s a must-have, we run it 24/7, and we may buy a second one for our bedroom! It’s a great size for our nursery, easy to use, and very quiet at lower levels. It’s pricier than others, but you get the quality you pay for!"

Should you buy the Levoit Sprout?

✅ Buy it if: You are looking for a multi-purpose air purifier for a small nursery or toddler's bedroom. The Levoit Sprout does an excellent job of removing airborne pollutants in spaces up to 100 square feet (9.29 square meters), without making much noise or requiring extensive maintenance. It is also portable, good-looking and easy to use, and unlike many other air purifiers designed with infants in mind, the Levoit Sprout features a built-in white noise machine and blue-light-free night lamp.

❌ Do not buy it if: You want an air purifier for large spaces, something affordable, or an appliance that can keep records of your air quality data over time. There is a lot to like about the Levoit Sprout, but it is not powerful, functional or affordable enough to fully justify its high price.

If Levoit Sprout is not for you

While we can't think of any appliances that would have exactly the same functionality as the Levoit Sprout, there are several appliances that could be of interest to new parents. The Thule Shine Canopy, for example, is the first ever stroller accessory designed to filter out air pollutants on the go. We found it to be discreet, easy to use and very effective at cleaning the air. However, it is only available in Europe and in the UK at the moment, and it does cost nearly €500 ($580).

If you would rather stick to classic standalone units, consider the Levoit 400S Core instead. This air purifier is of a similar size to the Sprout, and it works using the same app, but it is more powerful and cheaper by around $60.

Looking for something bigger? The BlueAir Classic Pro CP7i is another great alternative. Immensely powerful, ultra-quiet and equipped with innovative germ-busting HINS technology, it is a great choice for large spaces. That said, it costs almost $200 more than the Levoit Sprout.

Levoit Sprout: How we tested

We spent over a month testing the Levoit Sprout air purifier, assessing its design, functionality, day-to-day performance, ease of use and connectivity with third-party devices. We also measured how loud this appliance was on different settings using the Sound Meter decibel-counting app, and checked the cost of the replacement filters.

Lastly, we performed a series of tests using an industry-grade Perfect Prime air particle counter, a handheld device capable of detecting airborne pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. We started with an ambient air quality test, where we ran the Levoit Sprout on its auto mode for 15 and 30 minutes, and noted the differences in the air quality measurements over time. Next, we conducted several smoke tests. We burned matches and incense sticks to create severe pollution, then recorded the changes in air quality readings after running the Levoit Sprout for 15 and 30 minutes on auto mode and the highest fan speed.