IKEA FÖRNUFTIG Vs Levoit Core 300 – Quality Vs Price? (2022)

In this article, I will compare IKEA FÖRNUFTIG and Levoit Core 300 air purifiers. These are two very interesting, trendy, and frequently compared among users.

IKEA comes from the globally well-known brand IKEA, which is one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the world, and which lately added air purifiers in its product range. Levoit comes from a less popular company, which is focused only on the production of air purifiers.

When it comes to construction and design, my vote goes to IKEA. I believe it will fit much easier into almost any environment, especially if you have some modern furniture. Levoit is also a modern and well-designed device, but I fancy IKEA more. Both devices are available in black or white.

Can IKEA compete with a brand such as Levoit and win this comparison? Who does produce better air purifiers? And, which air purifier do I prefer? Answers to these and many other questions you will find in this article.

In addition, I will compare their specifications, performance, noise, and operating costs, and of course, I will determine the winner and the one which is a better choice to buy.

IKEA Vs Levoit Specifications

IKEA and Levoit Features

IKEA FÖRNUFTIG is a minimalistic air purifier with almost no advanced options. At the same time, the Levoit Core 300 is a much more advanced air purifier and has some exciting and very useful features.

What I would single out on IKEA, which is also a standard option for both devices, is the filter reset indicator. In addition, as it uses a mechanical knob for control, IKEA can work in combination with a smart plug, which could make it a semi-smart air purifier.

Timer

A timer is a useful option only available on the Levoit Core 300. However, if you connect the IKEA FÖRNUFTIG with a smart plug, you could easily enable this option on it as well.

Levoit Core 300 timer can be set to 2h, 4h, 6h, or 8h. Simply, after the set time passes, the device will turn off.

Sleep Mode

Sleep mode is another option that is only available on the Levoit Core 300 air purifier.

It is essentially an extra speed, the lowest, which is ideal if you plan to use the air purifier in the bedroom. In addition, the Core 300 dims all indicators when in sleep mode, which further helps if using the air purifier in the bedroom.

Display Lock and Display Off

Display Lock and Display Off are also handy options, available only on Levoit. I think it is clear to everyone from the name of these two options what they are used for.

Display Lock is used when you want to lock the touch screen from accidental presses and possible switching of the previously set settings. In comparison, the Display Off option is useful if you want to dim all the LED indicators on the Levoit Core 300 in one click.

Airflow

Levoit Core 300 is cylindrical, while IKEA is rectangular, so that’s why their airflow is different.

Levoit draws air from the bottom, through openings placed on all sides, while IKEA draws air through the cover on the front (pre-filter). 

Interestingly, both devices release filtered air through the openings on the upper side.

Warranty

The first thing I would like to say when it comes to warranty is that I am very disappointed that IKEA comes without a warranty, and I see this as one huge minus.

On the other hand, the Levoit Core 300 comes with a 2-year warranty, but please, don’t forget to register the air purifier on the Levoit website immediately after purchase.

Filtration Technology

When we talk about filtration, the first and essential thing I want to mention is that both devices use 3-stage filtration technology. The difference is that IKEA initially comes only with a pre-filter and HEPA filter, while the third stage, i.e., carbon filter, has to be purchased separately.

Levoit, on the other hand, comes with a 3-in-1 filter, which consists of a pre-filter, a True HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter.

What I like about the IKEA FÖRNUFTIG air purifier is that it uses a washable pre-filter, which is much better and easier to maintain than Levoit’s nylon mesh pre-filter.

However, Levoit has a significant advantage with having a True HEPA filter, which, unlike IKEA’s HEPA H12 filter, traps 99.97% of particles up to 0.3 microns in size. Levoit’s True HEPA filter is much more efficient than IKEA’s HEPA filter, which is the reason for better results in performance tests, which you will see below.

As for the carbon filter, I have to say that I am happy with the filters on both devices, mainly because both use pellet-based carbon filters.

How to Replace Filters?

When it comes to the filter replacement process, I must say that neither IKEA nor Levoit filter replacing is overcomplicated.

If you have never changed the old filters before, the first thing I want to emphasize is that you don’t have to track the filter wears manually, as both devices have the filter reset indicator, which will let you know when to replace the old filter. This process is, on average, between 6-8 months in the case of Levoit and between 4-6 months in the case of IKEA.

If you are interested in a detailed explanation of the filter replacement process on these two devices, I suggest you read the tutorials on the links below. 

Noise Test

In all my tests, air purifiers with more fan speeds showed as much quieter and usually took the victory in noise tests. This is primarily due to the variety of fan speeds, which thus leads to easier adaptation of the device to personal needs.

The situation is similar with these two devices. The fact that the Levoit Core 300 has an option such as sleep mode has made it much quieter at the lowest speed, and I would recommend this air purifier for use in the bedroom rather than IKEA.

However, if we compare the noise at maximum speeds, IKEA has a slight advantage. IKEA produces 58.2 dBA of sound at max speed, while Levoit Core 300 produces 64.9 dBA of sound.

Overall, in my opinion, the Levoit Core 300 is generally a slightly quieter air purifier than IKEA, especially when we consider the much higher airflow at individual speeds.

Performance Tests

The first thing I would compare before moving on to performance tests is room coverage. IKEA FÖRNUFTIG covers rooms up to 108 sq. ft., while the Levoit Core 300 covers rooms up to 219 sq. ft.

Covering much larger room sizes and having better quality filters are definitely the reasons why the Levoit Core 300 performed better in performance tests.

194 sq. ft. Room Test

In the test, in a room of 194 sq. ft. I tested both devices separately. Each test lasted 60 minutes, and the devices were running at maximum speed all the time.

Levoit Core 300 improved air quality by an incredible 93% during that time. On the other hand, IKEA was a little less efficient and improved air quality by about 89% in the same conditions.

All in all, I am delighted with the results made by Levoit, but I must say that the results made by IKEA are pretty okay.

Operating Costs

When it comes to power consumption, I would first like to compare the power of the two devices. The motor on IKEA FÖRNUFTIG has a power of only 19W, while the motor on Levoit Core 300 has a power of 45W. Interestingly, IKEA uses a motor that is more than twice as weak as Levoit.

This means that if you left these two devices running at max speed, 24 hours a day, and so on for a period of a month, your electricity bill would be increased by about $ 1.2 in the case of IKEA and about $ 3.8 in the case of Levoit. You will agree with me that this is not such a significant expense?

If we add to the cost of electricity consumption the price of replacement filters, which last shorter in IKEA air purifiers, and in addition, if you decide to buy an additional carbon filter for IKEA, then Levoit Core 300 is definitely a much cheaper air purifier for maintenance annually.