News

Dec 10, 2023

The Best Air Purifiers Tested in 2023

The Westinghouse 1701 air purifier is a unique option in our lineup, as it

The Westinghouse 1701 air purifier is a unique option in our lineup, as it features a patented nano-confined catalytic oxidation (NCCO) reactor in addition to its HEPA filter. NCCO reactors act as medical-grade filters that kill the viruses, fungi, and bacteria they trap. The Westinghouse claims its NCCO units remove up to 99.97 percent of pollutants, germs, odors, and VOCs as small as 0.3 microns from the air.

During testing, we were impressed with how well the Westinghouse performed. Lighting five sticks of incense in a small closet produced an eye-burning amount of smoke, and though a faint incense smell lingered for days, the Westinghouse took the air quality from dangerous to acceptable in just 1 hour. Pet dander and accumulated dust and dirt from our rug-shaking test were gone within just 30 minutes.

Westinghouse's 1701 model does not have an air-quality indicator, and the settings light turns off on its own within about a minute. While this dark operation is useful in terms of reducing power consumption and preventing unnecessary interior light pollution, it may take users some time to get used to. During testing, we came to trust that the Westinghouse 1701 was on and operating effectively via the proof provided by our external air-quality monitor.

Our only real complaint about the Westinghouse was the type of noise produced by the fan. We’re not particularly sensitive to ambient noise, having used an air purifier for allergies that runs at an equally loud 55 decibels on High, but it simply makes a whooshing sound. The Westinghouse features 10 speed settings (plus a turbo and eco mode), and every setting other than the lowest few produced a fan noise with a distracting rattle to it. While we’d certainly put up with this in return for the benefits the unit provides, it may not be an ideal option for noise-sensitive individuals in spaces requiring extended periods of high-speed operation.

Users will also want to note that this model features touchscreen-like controls, which might be confusing at first. We appreciated their contribution to the seamless design, but users will want to give themselves some time to get familiar with their operation, especially when trying to access turbo mode.

The Westinghouse 1701 is ideal for rooms up to 300 square feet, yet its sleek, easy-to-clean design takes up minimal floor space. This small air purifier features a convenient built-in handle, and its weight of under 9 pounds makes it easy to move from room to room.

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Get the Westinghouse air purifier at Amazon, Lowe's, The Home Depot, or Target.