Air purifiers have been around for a long time, but their popularity has only recently surged in response to a global pandemic and the rising frequency of wildfires. Although you might be more inclined to associate Wyze with things like security cameras and scales, the company is jumping into the air purifier market with its familiar strategy of turning common devices into smart home devices and setting very competitive prices. As you might expect, the results are very good.
Wise air purifier
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The Wyze Air Purifier combines the right mix of features and an affordable price that makes this a very natural choice if you need to clean the air of dusk, pollen, and other pollutants. If you want an air purifier that can be controlled by voice command, Wyze will be hard to beat.
- Coverage: 450-550 square feet
- Number of settings: 4
- Dimensions: 9.5 x 9.4 x 18.5 (in) / 243 x 240 x 472 (mm)
- Brand: Wiz
- Filter types: Allergens, formaldehyde, wildfire (all HEPA)
- weight: 8.75 – 9.32 (lbs) / 3.97 – 4.23 (kg)
- CADR Rating: 350 m³/h (at maximum fan speed)
- Noise: 20.8 – 52.1 dB
- integration: Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa
- Sensors: Laser particle sensor, measuring down to 0.3 microns
- Silent limit during normal operation
- It responds almost instantly to commands issued by integrations
- It moves air very efficiently
- It is lightweight and easy to move
- The design is a bit boring
- There should be a few extra fan speeds
- The filters are proprietary and may be a bit expensive
- The setup process with the app is quite tedious
Design, hardware and what’s in the box
Wyze opted for a very simple design for its air purifier, placing it inside a square black plastic tower that’s roughly twice as tall as it is wide. The intake vents are located on the bottom half of the front and back sides covering the fan. Air is fed through the filter and then exits through a vent at the top of the unit. There is also a large locking cap at the bottom that holds the replaceable filters in place.
Air purifiers are rarely fancy in and of themselves, but Wyze didn’t go the extra mile with this model, either. It’s not ugly by any measure, and I’d even argue that it looks nicer than a lot of the non-smart models on the market, but it has a utilitarian vibe that seems more appropriate for an office than a living room.
There is a digital display on the front that contains several status indicators and a readout of particles in the air as detected by the laser sensor. The screen is a bit bright for my taste, at least if there isn’t a lot of light in the room; And the constantly changing particle measurements, which update about once per second, get a little distracting if the screen is in sight. Both problems can be solved by putting the air purifier in sleep mode, turning off the screen and leaving the fan running at its lowest speed. However, I would have liked options to dim the screen and change the particle readings so that they only update on average from the last minute or so.
While you can control some additional features through the app, there’s a row of backlit buttons arrayed across the top on the front edge. These offer only four controls: power, auto mode, manual fan speed selection, and sleep mode.
On the back, directly opposite the digital screen, there’s a single carrying handle around this slightly larger tower. Let me answer the obvious question: Yes, if you lift it, your mind will definitely insist on trying to grab the other side with your other hand, at which point the screen will block you. Carrying it with one handle is a little lopsided than it should be, but it’s lightweight enough that this won’t be an issue for most people.
In addition to the unit and any filter that is included, the box only contains some basic documentation. It is worth noting that the power cord is attached and not removable, so you will need to be extra careful to make sure it is not damaged because there is probably no good way to replace it.
Software, integration and performance
True to its promise of near-silent operation, the fan is very difficult to hear unless you’re standing right next to it, yet it produces enough airflow that you’ll feel a very faint breeze from several feet away. Unless you adjust the fan speed manually, this is the level the automatic mode should maintain most of the time unless the air is significantly polluted.
However, there are three other fan speeds, and they add up quickly. The second level can be heard from across the room, but is still tame enough to be ignored. When you turn the speed up to third level, the sound and airflow aren’t as precise, rivaling most desk fans on the medium or high setting. The final step to level four is basically a very explosive wind storm that can be felt from anywhere in the room and makes a lot of sounds. Again, the fan should generally be idling on the lowest setting anyway, so you’ll probably only visit these speeds when you really need them.
Three filter options are available: Allergen for $34.99, Formaldehyde for $59.99, and Wildfire for $39.99. Wyze also offers a reasonably discounted subscription if you want your replacements delivered to you on a regular schedule. Each is rated based on a slightly different lifespan usually up to 12 months, but it comes down to air quality and how often you use them.
An allergy filter should be the standard choice for most people to keep things like dust, pollen, and pet dander under control. The formaldehyde filter is the premium option designed to handle heavy chemicals and odors in addition to everything a regular allergy filter covers. The “wildfire” filter is more specifically intended to address large amounts of pollutants created by burning trees and buildings.
I was sent a wildfire filter for this review, however Unfortunately The part of Oregon I live in gets heavy rain and no fires, so it’s hard to judge the effectiveness of the filter. However, there is a noticeable and fairly rapid reduction in dust if I run the air purifier in the same room I’m cleaning.
Setup is a little tedious, entirely because of the app, but it’s not the worst smart home device I’ve encountered. The air purifier works well out of the box without any extra steps — don’t forget to remove the plastic around the filter — but you won’t be able to set up any integrations with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa until the unit is added to your Wyze account through the company’s app.
Aside from some arguably curious permissions and too many screens to tap, the app is fairly well designed, especially when compared to most of the companion smart home apps I’ve had the displeasure of using. It even adds some relatively useful features, including home screen widgets that can be configured to give you direct shortcuts to an individual device’s settings. You can also add automated rules, like a schedule to start and stop the air purifier, or geofencing so it can start running shortly before you get home. And of course, the app tracks air quality and breaks down different pollutants so you know what you’re breathing in.
Once everything is set up, including any integrations with voice assistants, the air purifier is very responsive. Changes from the app start instantly, and response time to voice commands through Google Assistant is just one second. Voice commands allow you to turn the unit on and off, change the fan speed, and set it to sleep mode.
Should you buy it?
probablybut only if you plan to use the connected air purifier well. There are a lot of good air purifiers on the market without the extra technology that goes into controlling them with apps and voice commands; Most of them are available at lower prices, with more power, or even in more attractive designs. You may also be able to avoid special filters.
But if we put the direct value argument aside, we’re left with a well-made product that has a lot of merit of its own. Through the use of schedules and geofencing, you can extend the life of your air filters, tracking features can be useful for evaluating the air you’re breathing, and voice commands are always at your fingertips if you don’t want to fiddle with remote controls or walk. To tamper with physical controls. For $175 ($135 on sale at time of publication), Wyze has made a good air purifier with useful features and all the smart home integration you’d expect.
Buy it if…
- You are allergic to dust, pollen, or other airborne pollutants.
- Want to add more connected devices to your smart home setup.
- You’re bracing for another severe wildfire season.
Don’t buy it if…
- You need an air purifier that covers a larger area.
- You care about finding the most beautiful model available.
Instructions
Q: How does the Wyze Air Purifier compare to the Smartmi P1 Air Purifier?
The Smartmi Air Purifier P1 launched in 2021 with a somewhat similar set of features and a retail price just $5 higher than the Wyze Air Purifier (after the discounted launch price expired). The Smartmi model is generally more attractive and is available in two colours, silver and black versus the Wyze which is only available in black, and the P1 also has a more comfortable handle if you expect to move it regularly. It is also compatible with Apple HomeKit. However, the Wyze wins on power with a fan powerful enough to cover roughly 500 square feet compared to the P1’s 350 square feet, and there are more targeted filtration options available from the Wyze, making it ideal if you’re dealing with smoke from wildfires or chemicals. Unpleasant like formaldehyde.
Q: How does the Wyze air purifier compare to the Bissell Smart Purifier air220?
Amazon’s editorial team gave the Bissell air220 top spot in a group of smart air purifiers, but at about $60 more, it has less airflow with a CADR rating of only 178 cubic meters per hour compared to the Wyze’s 350 cubic meters per hour . . Bissell technically has fewer filtration options, only offering a regular filter and one aimed at pets, but the filters are split into three stages to capture larger particles first, then through a HEPA filter for smaller particles, and finally through a carbon filter for odors. And chemicals. The Wyze filters are integrated, which is more convenient to replace, but means the filters are prone to losing effectiveness a little faster. Bissell filter replacements are also cheaper, starting at $23. Reviews also note that the “whisper” mode is audible, and the front cover of the case is susceptible to vibration.
Q: How does the Wyze Air Purifier compare to the LEVOIT Core 300S?
The LEVOIT Core 300S is one of the most popular budget-friendly smart air purifiers on the market and has very similar features to the Wyze model. For about $70 less, the Core 300S is available in white or black, and is rated to move about half as much air. LEVOIT offers four types of filters: Original HEPA, Pet, Toxins, and Smoke. Much like the Wyze air purifiers, they are proprietary all-in-one filters that are similarly priced.
