This $400 air purifier clears my house of odors, vape clouds, and dust mites while barely making any noise

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• A high-quality air purifier won't break the bank with its long-term costs, is virtually silent, and removes almost all of your indoor air pollution.
• I like the RabbitAir BioGS 2.0 Ultra Quiet HEPA Air Purifier because there are three automatic modes that adjust the fan speed based on the levels of irritants present as well as four purification stages. It also helps that it looks nice in our bedroom.
• Though it's one of the most expensive alternatives available (currently $399.95 on Amazon), RabbitAir backs it with a lifetime of 24/7 technical support and a five-year warranty.

My house has a lot of indoor air pollutants. We have two cats to which I'm allergic. My wife likes to vape inside. And, since our house is old and lacks a ventilation system, there is an array of other irritants that don't have an easy exit route.

This is where a good air purifier comes in handy - like the RabbitAir BioGS 2.0 Ultra Quiet HEPA Air Purifier (currently $399.95 on Amazon).

Founded in 2004 in Los Angeles, RabbitAir focuses exclusively on air purifiers and accessories. It currently offers two product lines - the MinusA2 and BioGS 2.0. I had the opportunity to test the more powerful model of the BioGS 2.0 - the SPA-625A - and here are my experiences with it.

Specs

• Weight: 16.8 lbs
• Dimension: 22.2 inches high x 16.6 inches wide x 9.8 inches deep
• Power Consumption: 5 to 39 watts
• Noise Level: 22.8 to 50.4 dBA
• Effective Coverage Area: 625 sq. ft. for normal residential use or 313 sq. ft. for a household with more allergens
• Filter Life Span: Up to 18 months

The 625A model is designed to be easy to move from room to room. It only weighs 16.8 pounds, has a handle, and measures 22 inches high by 16.5 inches wide by 10 inches deep.

According to the manufacturer, the 625A purifies 313 square feet every 15 minutes. This is based on a room with an eight-foot ceiling.

There are also four stages of purification and deodorization:

• Pre-filter: Traps and reduces large particles, dust, and allergens
• BioGS HEPA filter: Captures 99.97% of 0.3-micron airborne particles
• Charcoal-based activated carbon filter: Helps reduce common household smells and irritants
• Negative ion generator: Uses negative ions to remove particles from the air and generate cleaner air. This feature can be turned off if you're concerned about the minuscule amount of ozone produced, which is less than the 0.05 ppm limit set by the super strict California Air Resources Board.

The air purifier is Energy Star-certified and only consumes 39 watts of power when on high.

Read more: The best air purifiers you can buy

Set-up process

The whole set-up process took me about five minutes.

First, you remove the front panel and take out the filters. The activated carbon and BioGS HEPA filters come wrapped in plastic so you'll need to remove the covering before you use the unit. Next, you reinstall the filters, which I actually liked because it helped me familiarize myself with the elements I would need to maintain down the road.

Before plugging in and operating your air purifier, RabbitAir recommends placing it no closer than two feet from the wall. This allows space for the air purifier to take in polluted air and release clean air.

Once I found a good spot in my bedroom, I started the SPA-625A. At this point, you can choose the fan speed, mode, or timing you want. I went with the low auto mode, which was the default setting.

What makes the air purifier stand out

I like that the 625A is Energy Star-certified so I don't go broke trying to clean my indoor environment. There are low, medium, and high auto modes that adjust the sensitivity of the air quality sensor. The higher the sensitivity, the faster the fan will clean the air when irritants are present. When there are few pollutants, the fan will operate at low speed. You can also set the air purifier to automatically turn off after four, eight, or 12 hours.

In addition to the Auto modes and timer, you can manually adjust the fan speed, of which there are five. And the 625A comes with a remote control, which I appreciated because there was no need to get out of bed to turn up the fan at the end of the night.

Like I mentioned earlier, my wife likes to vape indoors - including in our bedroom. I appreciate that she no longer smokes cigarettes, but the "cloud-chasing" can be a bit much at times. When she's puffing her clouds, you can hear the purifier ramp up to tackle them - she likes to joke that it's judging her. When she forgets to turn on the purifier while vaping, our ultra-sensitive smoke alarm inevitably goes off, so it's clear that the purifier is doing its job. Especially since when I clean the pre-filter, there's significant debris stuck to it.

Thankfully, cleaning said filters is easy. Every month or so, you're supposed to remove and clean the pre-filter. I used a handheld vacuum, but you can also clean it with water in the sink. If you use this method though, you should allow the filter to dry for about 24 hours. The activated carbon and HEPA filters should be cleaned every three months with a handheld vacuum. When the front panel is removed, there's an indicator light that lets you know when it's time to clean and replace the filters.

I liked that the RabbitAir purifier is incredibly quiet. To test how loud it is, I held a sound meter four feet from the unit and measured the ambient sound to get a good baseline. It was 38 decibels. Then, I tested the sound levels with the fan speed on low, and again, my sound meter registered 38 decibels, which makes the purifier virtually silent.

With the fan on high, it was 50 decibels - which is what you'd expect in a quiet office. I generally like to sleep with a box fan running to drown out other noise, but with the 625A, I don't need to have my fan going because it's provided the faux white noise I need.

Cons to consider

The 625A arrived without the HEPA filter, which left the purifier unusable. I contacted the company's customer service, they were apologetic and immediately sent me the filter. I wasn't sure if the missing HEPA filter was a common problem so I combed through the negative Amazon reviews but didn't find any complaints, so I'm calling my experience an isolated incident.

At about $400, the RabbitAir BioGS 2.0 is not cheap. And the sticker shock continues when you realize that replacing the filters will cost you another $89.95. Is the overall cost worth it?

When considering the price, it's important to look at another long-term cost - electricity. On the low fan speed, the purifier uses a meager five watts of power; energy consumption on the highest is 39 watts.

It's also worth noting that the filters only need to be replaced every 18 months at most and only if you use your purifier 24/7. Therefore, you can squeeze three years out of the filters if you only use it 12 hours a day. Most other units on the market need new filters every 3 to 12 months.

The purifier is backed by a five-year warranty with many Amazon buyers of the original BioGS reporting that their unit has been going strong after nearly a decade of nonstop use.

The bottom line

Overall, I was happy with the performance of the RabbitAir BioGS 2.0 Air Purifier. On the low setting, you can't hear the unit running at all. On high, it makes quick work of my wife's vaping, provides nice white noise when sleeping, and even minimizes the odor of the kitty litter box.

Cleaning the purifier was effortless with the use of a hand vacuum. Though it's only ideal for spaces up to 625 square feet, the lightweight design and easy-grip handle makes it easy to move around.

Should you buy it?

Yes. I would recommend this air purifier to anyone hoping to remove dust, pollen, and other irritants from one or two rooms.

What alternatives are there?

The RabbitAir BioGS 2.0 SPA-550A is the same size, shape, and design as the SPA-625A. The main difference is that the 550A circulates 550 square feet of air twice in an hour versus the 625 square feet of the 625A. The 550A also uses less power on its top setting (29 watts) and costs $30 less.

If you need a more powerful 625A and don't mind spending $20 more on top of the price, you can get it in the Tone Leaf or Tone Royal colors.

I've also tested several Coway air purifiers. , which I also recommend if this isn't your pick.

My favorite is the Airmega 400, which has an attractive design, purifies 1560 square feet twice in an hour, and is comparably priced to the RabbitAir BioGS 2.0. It doesn't have ionization abilities though. If you wanted a smart purifier, the 400S model pairs with Alexa. The Mighty is Coway's most popular purifier with ionization abilities and can clean a 1000-square-foot room in 30 minutes. It's also quite portable at just 12.3 pounds.

Which model should you get?

If you have one or two rooms and want a brand with a proven track record and lower long-term costs, I recommend the RabbitAir BioGS 2.0 SPA-625A. If the upfront cost is too steep for you and you're not too concerned about long-term expenses, then Coway's Mighty is an affordable solution at $223 on Amazon. Or if you want to clean the air in a larger space, consider the Airmega 400.

All of the options mentioned above are excellent, and based on my testing and experience, you can count on excellent performance no matter which one you choose.

Pros: Portable, quiet, cleans the air in a 313-square-foot room in 15 minutes, energy efficient

Cons: Expensive

Buy the RabbitAir BioGS 2.0 Ultra Quiet HEPA Air Purifier (SPA-625A) on Amazon for $399.95