Recently, someone had to pull me aside, hold my hand, and tell me something that no pet owner wants to hear: there was a smell of wet dog in my apartment. It was terrible.

Considering those seemingly omnipresent hairs and dandruff that seem impossible to completely clean away, this “intervention” is probably necessary as well. So, when Levoit launched the Vital Pet Pro air purifier, I was very curious whether it could really bring about a noticeable change.

This machine, priced at $189.99, is specifically designed for pet-owning families. Compared to traditional air purifiers, it adopts a more targeted approach: it combines a three-stage filtration system with features designed to address a major concern for pet owners – hair everywhere. (Of course, there’s also the occasional smell of a wet dog.)

This three-stage filtration system includes a washable pre-filter, a main filter, and an activated carbon filter. The pre-filter is responsible for catching larger debris such as pet hair, the main filter targets smaller particles and dander, while the activated carbon filter is used to eliminate odors, containing 140 grams of activated carbon inside.

Another key design feature of this purifier is its U-shaped air inlet. Levoit indicates that this design is intended to capture pet hair and particulate matter in the air, while also improving air flow and helping to prevent clogging of the filter mesh.

After testing this purifier for over a week, I found that its performance in collecting hair and intercepting debris that would otherwise float around the apartment or land on furniture was impressive.

When it comes to dealing with pet odors, Levoit claims that Vital Pet Pro can remove up to 70% of the odor within an hour. I cannot conduct specific tests to verify this claim, but the change is indeed easily noticeable. After running the purifier for a while, the room smelled significantly fresher.

I also really like its automatic cleaning technology. This feature removes the hair and debris that accumulate on the pre-filter and collects them in a removable tray. It’s a very practical feature, especially if the alternative is to constantly disassemble the purifier to clean that layer of hair inside.

In addition, the supporting applications also offer different modes to make this purifier even more user-friendly. The Auto Plus mode monitors changes in air quality and adjusts the purifier's performance in real-time.

In addition, Vital Pet Pro does not display specific air quality values; instead, it uses a simple color system. Red indicates poor air quality, orange indicates average, green indicates good, and cyan indicates very good. Actually, I prefer this method because with just a quick glance at the purifier, you can immediately tell if the air quality is improving without having to interpret a number.

I also want to point out that Vital Pet Pro is a bit larger than I anticipated, so if you plan to buy one and take it home, it's best to confirm first whether there is enough space on the ground.

Noise is also an issue that needs to be considered. At the highest setting, the fan noise is definitely audible. However, when the purifier is turned down to a lower setting, it becomes quiet enough to run throughout the night without disturbing my sleep. For those with lighter sleep, the sleep mode makes the purifier even quieter.

This air purifier is currently available for purchase on the Levoit official website, Amazon, Chewy, and other retail channels.