Levoit Vital 100 Vs Ikea FÖRNUFTIG – Comparison

If you ever wondered which products amongst air purifiers cause the greatest dilemma, you’re in the right place. This comparison is all about confronting two popular brands in search of answers. 

We are all familiar with IKEA and the wide range of consumer goods it stands behind. The FÖRNUFTIG air purifier is one of the first air purifiers released on the market by Ikea. On the other hand, Levoit Vital 100 has been present on the market a little longer. Long enough to attain a strong position amongst the best air purifiers available. 

Ikea FÖRNUFTIG is a small air purifier designed for smaller rooms with up to 108 sq. ft. But, even though it’s smaller than FÖRNUFTIG, Levoit Vital 100 has a more powerful motor that can clean the air in up to 300 sq. ft. rooms. 

Personally, I like the design of Ikea’s air purifier and the fact that it resembles the spirit of its furniture design. The Scandinavian minimalistic front lid design makes this appliance adaptable to any interior style. 

Although the production material is not of those high-end air purifiers, I can’t complain at all. It reflects the overall picture and design of both devices. Speaking of design, if you decide to purchase the Ikea FÖRNUFTIG air purifier, you can find black and white versions. Meanwhile, Levoit Vital 100 is available in white and gray colors. 

I have done a few pretty detailed tests of both air purifiers, such as power consumption, noise production, overall performance, etc. If you want to know more and you’re curious to know which one is a better choice, keep reading.  

Levoit Vital 100 Vs Ikea FÖRNUFTIG Specifications

Levoit and Ikea Features

One of the most important issues I need to underline is that none of these air purifiers are Smart appliances. That means no Air Quality Sensor or Auto Mode nor any outstanding advanced feature whatsoever. 

Still, I find that the Levoit Vital 100 is somewhat onward, as opposed to Ikea FÖRNUFTIG, mainly because it has some features that make this appliance easier to navigate and control. 

What Ikea FÖRNUFTIG really has is one control button/wheel, that you can mechanically rotate in order to manipulate the appliance. This confirms what I previously said that, besides Filter Reset Indicator, this air purifier does not have any additional upgraded features. However, thanks to this control wheel, the air purifier can be connected to a smart plug and be used as a smart appliance. 

Filter Reset Indicator

One of the features that Levoit Vital 100 and Ikea FÖRNUFTIG have in common is the Filter Reset Indicator.

The Indicator will inform you when filters of your appliance need to be replaced. It doesn’t matter if you like to keep things under control, this feature will do you more good than you think. Still, this doesn’t deprive your responsibility to check up on your air purifier every once in a while.

Even more so, if you have a pet wandering around your home or you live in an overly polluted area. All these situations are just an example of all the things that affect the life of an air purifier. 

Timer

If you want your air purifier to work for some time and to shut down right after, then Timer is the kind of option you need. Levoit Vital 100 has this option, and you can set it to two, four, or eight hours of continuous purifying. On the other hand, Ikea FÖRNUFTIG doesn’t have this feature. Instead, if you connect this air purifier to a smart plug, you can get the Timer and plenty of other options to use. 

DIsplay Off

Having a Display Off feature is for sure a very useful or even idealistic option for some users. It takes a single pressure on the Display Off button to dim all of the indicators available at the Control Panel. 

Since Levoit Vital 100 has plenty of indicators and, at the same time, is missing a Sleep Mode, this is one amazing and useful feature that comes along with this air purifier. 

The Ikea FÖRNUFTIG hasn’t got this feature, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem. Besides the Filter Reset Indicator, which lights up only a few times a year, the Ikea FÖRNUFTIG doesn’t have any other indicator. Therefore, not having a Display Off option is not much of a loss. 

Airflow

Since both Levoit Vital 100 and Ikea FÖRNUFTIG have a similar, rectangular shape, it is to expect that the airflow is pretty much the same. 

Apart from having suction holes distributed sidelong and on the bottom part, Levoit Vital also aspirates the air frontally. After the filtration process, the air is released through the grilles on the upper side. As well as Levoit, the Ikea FÖRNUFTIG sucks the air frontally. But, with a minor difference. The front lid of the FÖRNUFTIG air purifier is a fabric that serves as a pre-filter at the same time. Once the air is filtered, it gets released on the upper side of the appliance.

Warranty

Needless to mention how important it is to have warranty coverage of any appliance you bring into your home. Unfortunately, IKEA doesn’t share this opinion. There is absolutely no warranty that covers Ikea FÖRNUFTIG air purifier and it’s a pretty shame. To me, it’s a sign of distrust in its own product and/or its efficiency. 

On the other hand, Levoit Vital 100 has a 2-year warranty that gets fully activated only after you register on their website, straight upon purchasing the appliance.  

Filtration

Straight at the beginning, I would like to point out that, in general, Levoit Vital 100 uses way better filters than Ikea FÖRNUFTIG. The reason is the True HEPA filter that always brings that extra quality to the air purifier, as opposed to the much less efficient HEPA 12 filter built-in the Ikea air purifier. 

The Levoit Vital 100 has a 3-stage built-in filtration system, consisting of a pre-filter, an Activated Carbon filter, and a True HEPA filter. The Ikea FÖRNUFTIG, on the other hand, uses a 2-stage filtration system with two primary filters, i.e., a pre-filter and a HEPA filter. However, you can buy the additional Carbon filter if you feel like you need it and have a complete 3-stage filtration. For this comparison, I decided to buy the extra Carbon filter only to be sure the competition between air purifiers is rightful. 

As the first stage, both air purifiers have a pre-filter. In Levoit Vital 100, this filter is attached to the Carbon filter, but it is easily detachable. You can also wash it to keep it clean, but I would recommend a good vacuuming instead. The Ikea FÖRNUFTIG air purifier uses its lid as a pre-filter, to prevent all the larger particles from penetrating the system. 

It is important to maintain a proper cleaning routine of any pre-filter, no matter the air purifier. By doing so, you get to prolong the duration of your health assistant as well as its efficiency. 

The Levoit has an Activated Carbon filter as the second stage, while the True HEPA filter is in the third place. The second place in Ikea’s air purifier system is the HEPA filter, while the Activated Carbon filter is the third. 

I was pleased to see that both appliances use pellet-based carbon filters, which are much more efficient in odor neutralization than the fibrous filters, which are only coated with carbon. 

How To Replace Filter On Both These Devices?

Since both air purifiers come with a Filter Reset Indicator, you already have a major advantage as a user because you get to be notified by the device itself. All you have to do is to follow the light. I mean, the Indicator light. The Levoit’s filter needs to be replaced every six to eight months, while Ikea’s every four to six months. 

You don’t have to worry about the replacement process. Just follow the procedure, and in a few simple steps, you should be able to replace any filter in no time. 

Noise

Given the fact, both air purifiers have three fan speeds and no Sleep Mode, I was really interested to see how will they manifest. In general, I found that both appliances work pretty neatly, without any disturbing or annoying sounds. 

Besides the fact that I would prefer them to have a Sleep Mode, both Levoit Vital 100 and Ikea FÖRNUFTIG have been more silent on speed one as opposed to many other air purifiers, when set on Sleep Mode. For example, while on the first-speed level the Vital 100 produces only 41.9 dBA and FÖRNUFTIG only 42.2 dBA. 

Even though both devices are a bit louder while on top speed, I can’t say I was annoyed by the sound. Still, the Levoit’s air purifier turned out to be less tolerable than Ikea’s, which is why I can pronounce the Ikea FÖRNUFTIG as softer on the sound device. 

Performance

Both Levoit Vital 100 and Ikea FÖRNUFTIG are very interesting air purifiers, that resulted in great performances throughout all the tests I submitted them to. 

As for the referent room size, I decided to pick a room of 194 sq. ft. since both air purifiers cover diverse room sizes. I left them running for an hour, at the top speed, to make sure the results are proper. 

As I already mentioned, each device has shown amazing performances. Mostly thanks to their pellet-based Carbon filters which make them a strong ally in odor neutralization. 

Another thing, I was really impressed with the overall performance of the Ikea FÖRNUFTIG air purifier, and now you will see why. 

194 sq. ft. Room Test

First, I want to make things clear. The room size is nothing like the ones Vital 100 and FÖRNUFTIG are designed for. Yet, before you doubt the credibility of this test, the results are more than satisfying. 

Levoit Vital 100 managed to clean the air by 95%, which was more than I expected. But, let’s just say it was supposed to be that good since it’s designed for much larger spaces. On the other hand, the Ikea FÖRNUFTIG managed to clean the air by 89%.

Ikea’s result is, actually, pretty great, and I am saying that because Ikea is new to this market, and the air purifier is designed for smaller room sizes. This only proves that Ikea FÖRNUFTIG can stand up to challenges that larger areas bring ahead.  

Other Tests

To put aside the first test I did, I wanted to run some other tests, in different room coverages. 

First, I tested the Levoit Vital 100 in a 320 sq. ft. room and, by the end of the test, the air quality got improved by around 92%. 

In another test, I had Ikea FÖRNUFTIG running in a 120 sq. ft. room, a little less than the intended coverage. During 60 minutes of running on top speed level, this air purifier had the air cleaner by about 91%. 

Overall, amazing results, from both Levoit Vital 100 and Ikea FÖRNUFTIG, but with a slight advantage in favor of Levoit. 

Operating Costs

Here comes the interesting part. And, I am saying this because while Ikea FÖRNUFTIG has a 19W motor, Levoit Vital 100 has three times more power in a 55W motor. 

If we leave both air purifiers running 24/7 on max speed level for a whole month and we add the power consumption, the total cost of having Levoit Vital 100 will result in a 5$ bill, while of Ikea FÖRNUFTIG in 1.2$ bill. This means that having Levoit’s air purifier boosts your electricity consumption and increases your bills, more than having an Ikea device. Four times more, to be precise. 

Also, if we add the price of its new filters, it is more than obvious that Ikea FÖRNUFTIG is a lot more affordable and easier to maintain air purifier.