Unassuming. That is the best word I can use to describe the PuroAir 240 HEPA air purifier. There is no decked out chrome styling. No bright or vibrant RGB. No gaudy accentuations. And when it’s running, it’s extremely quiet. In fact, it’s so quiet, it’s hard to believe it’s powerful enough to provide coverage for a 1,000 square-foot area in just minutes. 

It’s a tall, remarkably discreet all-black tower that you place on a table, counter. Or in my case, a nightstand in your bedroom. The 1,000 square-feet of coverage is enough for an office, dining room, bedroom, or living space — it would be excellent in condos and apartments, too. It uses a 3-layer filtration system, including a HEPA filter. It can purportedly remove up to 99.9% of small air particles and contaminants down to a size of 0.1 microns. That means really really tiny, microscopic nasties. Things like allergens and dust, smoke and odors, pet hair and dander, and other indoor air pollutants.

It improves air quality, making it fresher for your lungs, smelling better overall and improving a whole host of living activities. For example, my wife and I have definitely enjoyed healthier sleep with the PuroAir 240 cleaning our bedroom. But what’s the verdict? Is it worth the buy-in at $150 to $200? Does it actually work as advertised? Let’s find out my fine-feathered friends. Grab a drink or a snack and let’s turn this particle filter on.

Better air quality, happier family

Indoor air quality, inside homes, offices, and other buildings, is usually bad. Like, really, really bad. There are a few reasons for this such as hazardous gases, chemicals, allergens, bacteria, temperature changes, and poor ventilation. Scented wax candles, for example, can reduce air quality when you burn them. So can the release of formaldehyde from furniture, household products, upholstery and clothing. Basically, over time, because your home is sealed up, the indoor air quality decreases. That compounds even if it’s not bad to start with.

An air purifier is designed to clean the air, sanitizing it if you will, removing most of the dangerous particles from all of those pollutants. HEPA technology is responsible for removing a lot of the invisible stuff. But how it’s deployed makes all the difference. With the PuroAir 240 there’s a three-stage filtration process. 

• The pre-filter removes larger particles like dust, hair, pollen and carpet fibers.
• The high-performance HEPA filter removes 99.9% of smaller pollutants like allergens, pet dander and dust.
• Finally, the activated carbon filter removes odors, smoke, gases, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

It’s as simple as placing the PuroAir 240 where you want it, turning it on and letting it filter through the air. It works immediately, which is impressive, but you’ll really notice the difference after a few hours. There is an air quality sensor built-in as well. An LED indicator tells you what’s going on in the space. Mine went from alright — orange — to excellent, green and clean.

PuroAir 240 Features

The control panel rests atop the unit and is touch-based. I’ve owned a few purifiers and the controls are remarkably similar to anything else you’ll find. The labels and button sensors are visible and you just tap to engage. For example, there’s a child lock and you just press and hold on the padlock icon to turn that on or off.

On that top panel you’ll find the child lock, four fan speed options, an automatic mode, a filter change indicator, four timer selections in 2-hour increments, and the air quality sensor. Fan speeds are low, medium, high, and nighttime settings. Timer intervals are in two, four, six, and eight-hour options.

It’s all straightforward and there’s not much to say about the modes or individual settings that you can’t read in the user manual or on the product page. I will note that the nighttime mode is fantastic to engage when you’re trying to sleep, but something that’s a little silly is the system is really quiet anyway. We leave the fan speed on high and it’s not loud at all.

To change out the filter there’s a twist-handle on the very bottom. You flip it over, twist that handle to open it up and swap out the old filter with the new. You also have to do this quickly the first time you use it — the filter is packaged so you have to unwrap it. A filter lasts for up to 90 days or three months. You can replace them manually or sign-up for a subscription where they’re sent to you automatically. Filters for the 240 are about $54 at MSRP, but they’re regularly discounted at PuroAir from what I can tell.

Living with fresh(er) air

I’ve written previously about the Rabbit Air A3, which I use in my office and pseudo lounge to filter out cigar smoke, though I don’t smoke inside often. The PuroAir 240 is a smaller air purifier and not necessarily commercially-equipped to get rid of something so offensive. But it does an excellent job of removing and cleaning air in the spaces where you install it. PuroAir does make larger units if you want something with extended coverage, so keep that in mind.

But most of my family suffers from lung issues, whether from allergies, health complications or the like. Before you berate me or send an email or something, no it’s not because I go around smoking in my house — my office is sealed off. But ultimately, air purifiers like this help clean the air, especially with our house being an animal-loving and pet home. Tack on the fact that we live in Florida where it’s hot and humid, and it’s a place prone to moisture creeping into your home. Those mildewy smells can build up over time. 

I can’t quantify the difference in terms of numbers, even if I used an air quality monitor there’s no real comparison to explain how much better it feels. Air purifiers are one of those products where it’s really best to experience for yourself firsthand, and until you’ve used a good one, you can’t gauge the cheap, useless ones, and there are plenty of those.

What PuroAir does offer is third-party lab tested filters, and it has also scored several awards for its excellent products, like the SleepAI  Sleep Score validation which is scientifically-awarded.

Also, our bedroom is much nicer to spend time in with the purifier on and working. It really is hard to explain the experience of breathing fresh air inside of all places, but that’s what the PuroAir 240 provides. Our dogs sleep in their crates at night, and those are in the bedroom, tucked in the corner. So, there’s plenty of pet dander, hair, and dust in there.

What’s the verdict, and the price?

There are a lot of air purifiers available on places like Amazon. Some are quality and worth buying, others not so much. But it’s one of those categories where it’s really difficult to keep up with what’s available and it’s almost best to go with a proven brand. PuroAir is a proven brand. Its products have won several awards, but even if you don’t buy into that they come with some great features at accessible prices. They’re no-nonsense options that offer HEPA filtration and will damn sure clean and freshen up your indoor spaces.

I would classify the PuroAir 240 as a mid-size unit capable of cleaning up to 1,000 square-feet, enough for a bedroom, office, auxiliary room or smaller living space. You can buy larger units, and smaller, depending on what you need. Regardless, I’ve found it works well, does as promised, but most importantly, my bedroom where it’s installed feels so much better. It’s like walking outside into fresh air with a cool breeze entering your lungs. The air quality indicator was average when I first put it in there and now it’s green. Take that as you will, but I think it’s done a great job for my family.

At full price, PuroAir 240 is about $200, but I’ve seen it on sale regularly for less. Plus, filters last 90 days or three months which is reasonable, so you’re not changing them out every damn month and wasting money. Prices for those filters are $40 to $50, also not too bad. If you buy them in bundles they’re cheaper overall.

• Recommended Buy: Yes.
• For Who: If you want fresh air indoors without allergens, odors, and other pollutants, a PuroAir unit is a solid choice.
• Alternative: PuroAir 400 HEPA Air Purifier (2,000 square-feet)
• MSRP: $200