Levoit Vital 100 Vs Winix C535 – Comparison of Equality

Brace yourselves, because this time I am bringing you an utterly interesting comparison, that you would not want to miss. Now, you may wonder why. Well, mainly because at first these air purifiers are truly opposite one to another. 

On one side you have Levoit Vital 100, made by a true air purifier market-ruler company (but I’m sure you’ve already read that in this product’s review), with an outstanding performance. On the other side, there is a super affordable Winix C535 that gives you so many features that, by the time you test the last one, you’ll forget about the first one.

Both Levoit and Winix are air purifiers with great performance and power. Although at first, the rectangular shape of these appliances doesn’t seem super attractive, they are affordable and extremely reliable! Too good to be true? Go easy on prejudice. 

If the color is that important to you, you can choose between a grey or white Levoit air purifier, while Winix offers only the white one.  

In case you’ve spotted similarities between Winix C535 and Winix Zero, you are on the right track, because the Zero model is a European market version of the C535 model, with slight variations. 

Let’s check out together what makes these air purifiers so interesting when confronted.

Levoit Vital 100 and Winix C535 Features

If you’re like me, and you already checked out the specifications table, then I’m sure you noticed that Levoit Vital 100 is not as nearly equipped with advanced options as Winix C535 is. But let that not discourage you, because from what I have experienced while testing, Levoit is the kind of air purifier that gets the job done, without making much fuss about it. It is minimalistic and yet with strong performances. 

One of the features that I definitely like about Levoit Vital 100 is the Display off feature, which dimes all the indicators on the appliance. 

And here’s the show-off, Winix C535 with loads of advanced features, ready to set your fingers on fire. You can read the manual script all day long, but I’ll give you a hint of some features I liked about this air purifier. Air quality indicator, Auto mode and if you’re lucky to be living in the US, you get to have a remote controller. 

Timer

A Timer is one of the options that both appliances have. It allows you to set how long you want your air purifier to work. Levoit Vital 100 will let you set the time to 2h, 4h, and 8h, while with Winix C535 you can set the timer for one hour, plus to 4h and 8h, just like with Levoit.

Filter Rest Indicator

Another common feature for Levoit and Winix is the Filter Reset Indicator, highly important for any air purifier. It is supposed to light up in order to inform you of the necessity of filter replacement. Of course, each air purifier has its own way of functioning. 

You can rely on this feature, but my suggestion would be that you set yourself a reminder to clean the filter at least once a month. Both Levoit Vital 100 and Winix C535 have their pre-filters separated from others (Levoit even has its filter stuck to a True HEPA filter), so it would be good to be your own reminder once in a while. 

Air Quality Sensor

This is the part where these two air purifiers go separate ways. Levoit Vital 100 does not come with Air Quality Sensor, while Winix C535 does. What this sensor does is that it measures the current air quality in the room. The great thing is that data collected by the sensor are shared with some other features that this air purifier owns. It’s quite an interesting feature, so if you want to know more about it, go and check it out in a detailed Winix C535 review. 

If you paid close attention to a Winix’s appearance, I’m sure you spotted a LED light, under the Plasma Wave option. This LED light is what shows you the real-time quality of the air you’re breathing. Depending on the air quality, the light will change its color. 

As I already mentioned in the intro, Winix has an Auto Mode option which will, when active, take control over the air purifier’s motor depending on the quality of the air. 

It’s actually what I previously wrote about data being shared between features that this air purifier possesses.

PlasmaWave

PlasmaWave is another feature that only Winix C535 has and it’s practically an Ionizer or the 4th stage of filtration in this air purifier. Even though this option turns ON by default, it is actually optional, which means you can use it according to your needs. 

I want to emphasize the importance of the CARB certificate that Winix C535 owns, which means it is totally environmentally safe due to its controlled ozone production. 

Airflow

Speaking of the Airflow, there is not much of a difference between Levoit Vital 100 and Winix C535. They both have frontal air suction, as well as from both sides and the bottom. The air is being filtrated and released through the openings on the upper side of the air purifier. 

Warranty

When it comes to a Warranty your appliance is covered with, there is not much to compare. Both air purifiers come with a 2-year warranty. Still, if you want to be fully covered by Levoit’s warranty, you’ll have to register on their website upon purchase. Winix doesn’t require you to do this procedure. 

Filtration

We’ve come to the most important feature of any air purifier. Both Levoit Vital 100 and Winix C535 have a three-stage filtration, with an extra 4th stage or so-called Ionizer that Winix is equipped with. 

All three stages are correspondingly present to each purifier: a pre-filter, an activated carbon filter, and a True HEPA filter. This is where the story ends with Levoit, but continues with Winix’s fourth stage, or the PlasmaWave. I’ve mentioned this earlier, as an optional feature in the PlasmaWave section of this comparison. 

What I find most important is the presence of the True HEPA filter. This is the reason why these air purifiers are so good. Another good thing is the ability to wash the pre-filter when needed, so you can extend the duration and improve the performance of your air purifier. 

How To Replace Filter On Both These Devices

If you decide to buy Levoit Vital 100, there is one thing you should know: you will need to replace the filter every 6-8 months, as opposed to Winix C535 that will need an annual filter replacement. I said it before and I’ll say it again: pre-filters are washable. Use that information, but don’t try it with other filters. You don’t want to do that, trust me! 

It is highly recommended to maintain the cleanliness of your air purifier’s pre-filters. If you do that, not only will you inevitably procrastinate the durability of the HEPA filter but you will keep the efficiency of the pre-filter at its highest level. 

Extra advice for those of you who are proud pet-parents: don’t be lazy and give your air purifier one or a few extra cleanings a month. Your lungs will be thankful, as well as your pets’. 

Noise

If the number of speeds matters to you, then this is the part where Winix C535 will rock! You get four initial speed levels plus the Sleep mode, i.e. the fifth speed. Levoit Vital 100 has three basic speed levels to offer, with no additional option. 

Speaking of lower speeds, I must admit there is not much distinction, since both appliances are pleasant to be around. You can snuggle inside your chair on movie nights, without unpleasant sounds to smother you. 

The unpleasant surprise was to find out how loud both air purifiers can be while working at maximum speed. Sure, Levoit does it a bit smoother, more bearable than Winix, but the sound they produce makes it difficult to be in the same room with. 

Generally speaking, I find that Winix C535 is overall more silent than Levoit Vital 100, mostly thanks to the many speeds it possesses. 

Performance

Here’s the thing with these two air purifiers. Levoit Vital 100 is designed for rooms up to 300 sq. ft. and Winix C535 covers up to 360 sq. ft. Now, there’s not much contrast within room coverage, but still, I decided to put both devices to a test in a 320 sq. ft. room.

As always, the test lasted for an hour, setting air purifiers separately to a maximum speed level. Here’s the outcome.

320 sq. ft. Room Tests

The final result showed great performances by both Levoit and Winix, improving the air quality by 92% and 95% respectively. 

This is the result I pretty much expected, given the brands that stand behind these air purifiers. Slightly better performance goes in favor of Winix C535, which could be due to a larger filter and a better airflow. 

Operating Costs

According to specifications, Levoit Vital 100 has a 55W integrated motor, while Winix C535 comes with a 70W motor. The difference is not that big, but I had to put both air purifiers to the test for a whole month, leaving them working 24/7. The outcome showed quite the same result, with a 5$ bill for Levoit and a 4,8$ for Winix. 

Now let’s talk about the price of filter replacement. At first, it might seem like having Levoit is a much cheaper option, but it’s not. It’s actually the same result, given the fact that Levoit’s filter needs to be replaced twice a year. That way, it all comes to the same so let’s call it even. 

Guess I didn’t make it any easier for you, right?