TaoTronics Air Purifier (TT-AP001) – Hands-on Review (2023)

When we combine health-conscious decisions with aesthetic and modern-looking solutions, we are met with some of the most interesting air purifiers made by TaoTronics. This relatively young company didn’t need much time to earn the customers’ trust and become one of the most prominent sellers on the market. I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of positive reviews left on their newest products, which persuaded me to do my research.

The TaoTronics TT-AP001 intrigued me as it is truly a beautiful piece of technology. This trend of circular, smooth-looking air purifiers has been growing for a reason! This purifier is quite small, and it’s meant for rooms up to 161 sq. ft. large, but it can be used in smaller rooms. The TT-AP001 uses three-stage filtration, and I was very pleased to see that this device also has four fan speeds.

Although I was very excited to look into this product, I soon found out that there are not many innovations included in it. I have tested the noise and speed, calculated the yearly cost, and, to be honest, I was quite surprised by the result. Stay tuned for the details!

TaoTronics TT-AP001 Specifications

Check out TaoTronics TT-AP001 specifications in the table below.

Design and Size

When you first see the TaoTronics TT-AP001, you might be fooled and think that you’re looking at a Levoit product. I was immediately reminded of the circular design of the Levoit Core 300 or the Levoit Core 200S. The Levoit Vista 200 seems like a competitor in this category as well!

The TT-AP001 is a cylindrical purifier that comes in white and black, with an additional splash of gray on the top, where the control panel is. I was pretty surprised when I unpacked this device, as it looked bigger in the pictures. It’s actually quite small, and doesn’t take up much space at all! 

The air inlets look as if it is “wrapped” around the whole bottom portion of the device, which means that this TaoTronics air purifier has a 360° air inlet for better performance. This is a plastic device, but the plastic feels sturdy and pretty solid for the price point.

The previously mentioned control panel on the top has all the needed buttons. Although this design lacks a handle for portability, you won’t have a problem moving this air purifier around – it’s small and pretty lightweight. More on the numbers later.

Overall, I think that this particular device fits into all kinds of interior design styles easily. It’s minimal and modern, but it doesn’t take up too much space. 

Control Panel

The control panel is on the top of the device, and it features several touch buttons that I find very easy to use. They’re big enough, you don’t have to put a lot of pressure on them, and they are pretty self-explanatory.

The Taotronics TT-AP001 does not give a signal that a button is clicked, but you’ll find glowing indicators above each button. 

These indicator lights cannot be turned off on their own. The only time they are off is when you turn the sleep mode on—more on that in a few minutes. 

Airflow

As I mentioned when I discussed the TT-AP001 design, the air inlet is a 360° one, and it takes up a third of the device. The air then goes through the filtering process, and it gets pushed out vertically on the top.

My best advice here is to pay extra attention to these “air inlet ribs” – you shouldn’t block them with other objects, which might create an additional hassle and potential damage to the device.

Size and Dimensions 

The TaoTronics TT-AP001 is a 3.3 lb device (1.5 kg), and it’s very portable. It doesn’t have a handle or wheels, but it doesn’t need anything – it’s only 7.6  7.6 x 10.6 inches in dimensions (19.3 x 19.3 x 26.9 cm). 

What’s In The Box?

When you buy this device, you get the TaoTronic TT-AP001 air purifier, as well as the 3-in-1 filter, the power adapter, and the needed papers – the user manual and your warranty card to make sure that you can resolve potential issues with the manufacturer.

Features Overview

Taotronics TT-AP001 has many features. Most of them are standard features I have already witnessed in other air purifiers

Fan Speeds

It’s really useful to be able to choose between several fan speeds – fours in this case. The first three are gradually getting faster, while the fourth can be considered a turbo mode. The turbo mode is significantly faster and stronger. I think this is a great feature, but it will surely impact the energy cost as well. 

Sleep Mode

When I hear that an air purifier has the sleep mode function, I usually look for quiet but productive performance. This purifier surely has it all – even when in sleep mode, the operating speed isn’t slowed down. This means that the noise stays the same, but the numbers have proved that this plays no factor, as the first speed of this device is quieter than some sleep modes I’ve tested from other manufacturers!

Another great feature is that the indicator lights get dimmed down immediately, which means they won’t disturb you. Even light sleepers won’t have any problems when it comes to the TaoTronics TT-AP001. Honestly, you will forget it’s there. 

Night Light

Having a night light comes in handy when you want to go to sleep, and having a purifier that doubles as a night light makes the use much more practical. The TT-AP001 purifier shines in the color blue, and you get to choose between three different intensities. In my opinion, the light is very soothing to the eyes, and it shouldn’t be a problem for light sleepers.

The whole design, as well as the blue night light, reminded me of the Levoit LV-H132. If you still doubt whether this device is really for you, maybe you should give the Levoit model a go and compare the two!

Filter Replacement Reminder

Many people don’t know that buying an air purifier doesn’t mean that they are set for life – you have to buy the replacement filters every now and then (approx every 3 to 6 months). They’re not too expensive for most purifiers, but it can be a little bit problematic to remember that they need to be replaced!

That’s why having a filter replacement reminder plays a huge role in modern air purifiers. You’ll essentially get notified by the blinking light and know that your TaoTronics air purifier needs a little bit of an upgrade. This is honestly one of my favorite features when it comes to air purifiers because I don’t have to bother with the calculations.

Room Coverage & CADR

It’s important to take into account how big of a room can a particular air purifier cover. The biggest rookie mistake is thinking that the size of the purifier determines the coverage, as in – the bigger the purifier, the bigger the coverage. While this can be somewhat connected, the TaoTronics TT-AP001 purifier is proof that it’s not necessarily true  – this device is pretty tiny, but it can do great work in certain spaces.

This purifier is meant for rooms that are up to 161 square feet large, and it’s ideal for a bedroom or a smaller office. Because it’s not the strongest one out there, I wouldn’t recommend it for particular areas of the house where many people stay at the same time.

If you want something that’s suitable for those kinds of rooms, or larger ones, your best bet is probably the MedifyAir MA-15, as it’s a device of similar dimensions. However, the numbers, the airflow, and the performance and tests prove that it’s more powerful.  

Also, please keep this device at least 15 inches away from the objects surrounding it! Not only is this a phenomenal safety tip, but it’s also a great way to ensure that you’re getting the maximum productivity you can. 

Filtration Technology

I was pleased to hear that the TaoTronics TT-AP001 uses the typical three-stage filtration that most devices have nowadays. The filter itself is on the bottom of the device, and it’s a circular one – made up of the pre-filter, the activated carbon filter, as well as the True HEPA filter. The pre-filter stage is meant to deal with larger, more complex particles, and it prepares the air for finer and more fragile stages of filtering.

The carbon-activated filter fights all organic toxins, while the HEPA filter traps anything that might be leftover – as small as 0.3 microns in size. 

These filters are not washable, and you’ll have to replace the TT-AP001 filters now and then. Even before the filter replacement indicator starts to flash, you might want to check whether they are very dirty – if you notice the performance isn’t on point anymore, of course. 

This TaoTronics purifier doesn’t use an ionizer, additional UV lights, etc. Because of that, I can assure you that it doesn’t generate Ozone at all. I went a step further and asked the manufacturer, TaoTronics, whether they can verify this information, and they did – great!

Pre-filter & Carbon Filter Combination

We’re now going to discuss the filtering stages in detail, and I’ll give you some extra advice on how to take care of the device and prolong its lifetime by taking care of the filters properly. 

As mentioned before, we encounter the pre-filter first. It’s a rough filter meant for larger particles and more abrasive ones as well. You can think of the pre-filter as the less complicated and cheaper filter that protects the rest of those that are a bit more costly and made to filter fine particles.

The next stage is the activated carbon filter, and this filter reduces the household odor, as well as the dander your pets might leave behind. I was a little bit disappointed to see that the TaoTronics TT-AP001 uses a fibrous carbon filter since I’m a big fan of carbon pellets. According to all my tests, they do a much better job at filtering, and they are very innovative. 

It’s also important to note that the pre-filter and the carbon filter are a 2-in-1 combination in this device. They’re connected, which is a big trend amongst companies, but I prefer to see them separated. I don’t know why they connect them, as I don’t see any benefits, only the cons – it’s tougher to clean them properly. 

If you have pets, the pre-filter can get quite messy quite fast, which is why I like to wipe it with a dry cloth now and then. This will significantly prolong the lifetime of your air purifier. With the 2-in-1 situation going on here, this is a little bit of a complication, but it’s still doable. 

True HEPA Filter

If you’ve been looking for the perfect air purifier, chances are you’ve encountered the ever so famous True HEPA filter. It’s often the last or the second-to-last stage of filtration in modern purifiers, and here it’s the final stage. This filter does all the fine and precise work of removing substances and pollutants that are 0.3 microns in size. It even takes care of dust mites, and its overall efficiency lies at around 99.97%.

This filter isn’t washable, and you’re not supposed to clean it. You replace it every now and then. Not a while ago, I tested an interesting purifier named Airdog X3, which used an ionizer instead of a True HEPA filter, and I was pleasantly surprised – I genuinely think this is the only way you can avoid filter replacement while keeping your standards high. 

How to replace the Taotronics TT-AP001 filter?

As mentioned, the TT-AP001 needs timed filter replacement, usually every three to six months. Depending on whether you have pets or not, you might have to replace the filter more often, especially if you notice that the performance has been getting sketchy. My advice is – don’t rely purely on the filter reset light. 

You’ll see that some of the steps look like they’re describing the GermGuardian AC4200W filter replacement, especially the part where you take off the filter lid on the bottom. Overall, it’s useful to check out other product guides, too, since you can catch some tips and tricks!

Total time: 10 minutes.

Noise Test

I like testing my air purifiers to see how they hold up when it comes to noise, especially if there are three or more speed options. It’s good to know that each customer has the option of finding his favorite noise level and speed, so I like to see how the numbers hold up.

If you want the short answer – the TaoTronics TT-AP001 is overall a very quiet device. Although we’ve already discussed that it has a sleep mode, it doesn’t change the noise or the purifier’s speed, only the lights.

This purifier’s motor is one of the smoothest I’ve had the pleasure of working with – no lagging, no jumping, no weird noises, pops, and crackles. When I put it on speed one, the TT-AP001 creates about 41.6 dB, while on speed four, it generates 54.6 dB. For more details, please check the table below!

Performance Tests

The TaoTronics TT-AP001 is, as previously mentioned, meant to be used in rooms up to 161 square feet in size. I have tested the device in several different rooms, though, to see how it would hold up in different scenarios. You’ll see different tests that I conducted and get the “120 square feet version” and the “194 square feet version”. That way, you can compare the results and make your own conclusions as well!

It’s also important to know that I have put the device on speed 4, the so-called turbo mode, as I haven’t yet seen a single TaoTronics TT-AP001 review where they tested the turbo mod. Overall, I was pretty happy with the results – this air purifier is a true competition to similar pieces on the market. 

120 sq. ft. Room Test

Let’s start by checking out the 120 square feet test – this purifier is marketed as a device perfect for 161 square feet, so keep that in mind. I left the TaoTronics TT-AP001 on turbo mode for 60 minutes, and it has lowered the AQI from 122 to 21, which means that it bettered the air by 83%.

I am now providing you with more details in the table below, but this is a pretty good result, and it makes TaoTronics TT-AP001 a worthy opponent in this price range. 

194 sq. ft. Room Test

However, I wondered how a device marketed as a 161 square feet model does in a noticeably larger room, about 194 square feet. In 60 minutes, the TT-AP001 has better the air quality by 76% on turbo mode, lowering the AQI from 128 to 31. 

I expected a slightly lower percentage, as I’ve pushed the device’s limits, so I’m not disappointed. Make sure to check the details in the table below. 

Operating Costs

Of course, it’s important to consider the yearly costs of your air purifier. I personally always do the calculations since there are some power-consuming devices out there. The TaoTronics TT-AP001 is a device with a 12 Watt motor. It uses an AC adapter to power up, and you get the adapter with the device, naturally.

I have done my calculations for the “worst-case scenario” – the device working for 24 hours a day, on speed 4, also called the turbo mode, and I was very pleased with the results. Considering the price of one kW/h in America, which ranges around about 0.12$ at the moment of my research, this air purifier will raise your bill by 0.5$ every month. 

Honestly, for a device of this size, this number is pretty expected. It’s still great news, but it isn’t surprising. Keep in mind that, when on stand-by, TaoTronics TT-AP001 uses about 0.2 Watts, and if you decide to turn on the night light, you can increase the energy expense by anywhere between 0.6 Watts and 2 Watts. 

When I was doing my calculations, one thing that crossed my mind was the Blueair Blue Pure 411 air purifier, which has a weaker motor, but it has far, far better performance to show off with. It has a 10 Watt motor, so if you don’t mind this number, I’d check the Blueair air purifier out for a comparison. 

Don’t forget that, besides the energy expenditure, you also have to pay for the filters that need to be replaced. This can often be a much greater cost, and that’s why you shouldn’t be as worried about the monthly energy rate. 

The TaoTronics air purifier reviewed today is pretty decent when it comes to the filter cartridge prices, and it’s not a device to avoid if you’re a money-saving person. If you want more details, I’ve prepared a table that shows you energy expenditure for all speeds. I think most people will be pleased with the monthly and yearly rates this purifier goes by. 

Support and Warranty

The TaoTronics TT-AP001 comes with a 1-year warranty, but if you get it on Amazon, you can surely get a better warranty as well. You can choose to prolong it by 18 months and then go to the official TaoTronics Warranty page, where you enter your purchase information.

With my device, I also got a card with all the basic information about the warranty – I was also notified that I could return the device in 60 days if I want to. Everything seemed straightforward and simple, so I decided to take all of this a step further and contact customer service to see how long it would take for them to reply.

They were quick to answer my questions, and they provided simple yet effective answers. If you ever have a problem yourself, you can contact them by sending an email to support@taotronics.com. Either that or you call the US number (888) 456-8468

FAQ on TaoTronics TT-AP001

Pros and Cons

To revise, here are the advantages and disadvantages of TaoTronics TT-AP001:

Final Thoughts