The Levoit Vital 200S-P Air Purifier Is the Perfect Match for Pet Hair and Odors

4 min readAfter my cat moved into my house a few years ago, it took her a while to get comfortable. When she did, she decided to claim our finished walkout basement as her own. It’s an arrangement that works just fine, but the downside is that this lovely room has loads of fur, dander, and litter dust swirling through the air—not to mention some truly impressive litter box odors.It became apparent that a new air purifier was a must. As such, I spent two weeks using the Levoit Vital 200S-P Air Purifier, which we recommend as the best air purifier for pets because it has a secondary U-shaped air inlet designed to capture more fur and help prevent filter clogs. I have an older Levoit model, but clearly we needed something more advanced.ProsInlet for pet hairAccompanying app offers scheduling and real-time air quality notificationsGood filtration systemConsBulky for small spacesKey SpecsFiltration SystemThree-stageRoom Coverage1,875 sq. ft.Noise Level24 to 54 dBFeaturesAuto-mode and sleep mode, washable pre-filter, voice command, check filter indicatorDimensions15.6 x 8.5 x 19.8 in.Setup Only Took About 10 MinutesI unboxed the purifier (which is admittedly quite big, one of its few downsides) and popped off the front to remove the plastic from the filter. In addition to a standard filter, the Levoit comes with a washable pre-filter that traps pet hair and other larger debris, and a third-stage filter of activated carbon to take care of odors and VOCs.Once the front was back on, I simply plugged in the cord and the purifier was up and running. The next step was to pair it to the VeSync app, which you can use with any Levoit smart appliance. The pairing process was fairly quick, so I was able to get cleaner air circulating in a total of about 10 minutes.Katelyn Hanna-WortleyThe air purifier uses a three-stage filtration system.The particulate matter count isn’t displayed on the unit or in the app like it is on the older Levoit air purifier I own, which was a little disappointing because it’s satisfying to see the count improve in real time the longer the unit runs.The Vital 200S-P uses a color system instead for measuring air quality: Red for bad, orange for moderate, green for good, and blue for very good. There’s nothing wrong with this metric; I simply prefer a number display.Mostly Quiet, and Noticeably Fewer OdorsI ran the air purifier on “pet mode,” which alternates between the fan on its highest speed for 15 minutes to capture particulates in the pre-filter and on low for 60 minutes to preserve battery life and maintain air quality. The high speed was a bit loud, but not distractingly so. The other fan speeds ranged from legitimately imperceptible to pleasantly quiet.Katelyn Hanna-WortleyThere are four fan speeds, and I liked Pet Mode the best for efficiency.I found the pet mode perfect for the cat’s basement domain. After a few cycles, there was a thin layer of pet hair covering most of the pre-filter, which I took off and cleaned (another easy, straightforward process). Here, the U-shaped air inlet seemed to really do its job. I was skeptical it would make that much of a difference, but I was seriously impressed when I first checked the pre-filter. I was expecting to see a bit, and I saw a lot.I situated the purifier near but not next to my cat’s litter box—much to her chagrin—and I didn’t notice any odors emanating from it, even when it had been recently used.The Smart App ImpressesWhat I loved most about the VeSync app is how easy it was to navigate. I was able to turn the purifier on and off, set schedules for it to run, change modes, and monitor the air quality without ever really needing to be in the same room as the unit.Additionally, the app is set up to track the lifespan of the air filter and notify you when it’s time to order a replacement. I’m not in need of a new filter just yet, but I appreciate this feature because I’ve unknowingly kept the filters in other purifiers for longer than I’d care to admit.I didn’t take advantage of voice integration with Amazon Alexa or Google Home because my home isn’t set up for it, but it’s nice to have the option if you run either system.It Worked Faster Than Other Purifiers I’ve UsedI tested the Levoit’s air purification capability beyond pet-related odors, too. Notably, I cooked fish on my stovetop, which got the kitchen a little smoky, so I plugged in the Levoit about six feet from the range to see what it could do.In about 15 minutes, the air went from orange (moderate) to blue (very good), which was a lot faster than my older Levoit cleared the kitchen air. That model took about 45 minutes to reach a normal baseline level after a smoky cooking session.Final ThoughtsI’ve been really pleased with this air purifier so far, and I’ll probably continue to put it to regular use in my basement. Its ability to collect and trap fur and deodorize the air was more impressive than any other air purifier I’ve used in that space.Levoit has also released an even newer air purifier designed for pets, the Vital Pet Pro, which takes everything I love about the 200S-P but adds self-cleaning filter technology. I’m planning to try this model soon, but in the meantime, the Vital 200S-P is a reliable purifier for pet-friendly homes.Shop the Levoit Vital 200S-P Air PurifierMore Air Purifiers We LoveJohn Gilpatrick is a Senior Reviews Editor for Popular Mechanics, covering tools, home appliances, yard and garden accessories, and smart home tech. He previously worked for Men’s Health and has bylines on numerous other websites, covering topics as disparate as nutrition, tech, and pet care. He is also a former film critic who’s unusually fond of the Star Wars prequels, and he appeared on Pop Culture Jeopardy in 2025 while wearing jorts and a fanny pack. He is a member of the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS).