Every time you open a window or swing a door open, millions of microscopic pollutants come barging into your home and set up the base for the long haul. Air purifiers are one of the only ways you can ensure perfectly breathable air inside of your home. Either that or never let “fresh” air into your home ever, ever again.
With the seemingly endless sea of air purifiers on the market, finding the best model requires analyzing and comparing different models head to head. In this article, we’re going to take a look at two of Levoit’s compact purifiers – the Levoit Vista 200 and the Core 300. They’re similar in shape and size, but their performance ratings are worlds apart. Continue reading if you’d like to learn which of the two would make for the better air purifier for your home.
Area Coverage
Vista 200
The Vista, as the smaller air purifier of the two, has a maximum area coverage of up to 161 square feet of space. It is a lot smaller than most of what you’ll find scouring the interwebs, and it’s even the smallest model Levoit has to offer. However, don’t equate compactness with inferior quality since it works beautifully in small spaces like bedrooms, bathrooms, dorms, and home offices.
Core 300
The Core 300, as Levoit’s second smallest air purifier, is a lot different from the Vista 200. Its larger motor can purify rooms as large as 215 square feet. The extra 54-square-foot cleaning capacity of the Core makes it suitable for bigger rooms with open access to the outside world.
Conclusion: As the old adage goes, bigger is better. When it comes to shopping for the best air purifier, a model with a wider area coverage is ideal since it will work in both small and larger spaces effectively and efficiently. Of course, this depends entirely on the area of the room you wish to clean, so your purchase decision shouldn’t be dictated by how big of a space the purifier can purify.
CADR Ratings
Vista 200
CADR (clean-air delivery rate) measures how much air the purifier can move per minute (in CFM). Here, we can see the downside of a smaller unit and motor – the Vista 200 has a CADR rating of roughly 50 CFM. It should be used in small, enclosed spaces.
Core 300
The Core 300 has a more impressive CADR rating of more than 135 CFM. Not only does this make it more suitable for broader spaces, but it’s also a lot more capable of capturing airborne pollutants. However, this isn’t a mightily impressive rating, and considering its maximum area coverage capacity, some might even argue that it’s on the weak side.
Conclusion: If air-cleaning performance is a priority, then without a doubt, the Core 300 is the better option. One major disappointment is Vista 200’s CADR rating isn’t officially released to the public. Manufacturers aren’t required by law to reveal their appliance’s CADR, so its 50-CFM airflow could be much lower.
3-Stage Filtration
Vista 200
One of the more impressive features of the compact Vista 200 is its 3-stage filtration. Comparable models usually come equipped with a 2-stage system, but Levoit took it a step further. Its defense system consists of a pre-filter for large particles, a True HEPA Filter for pollutants as small as 0.3 microns in size, and an activated carbon filter to trap odor molecules.
Core 300
Like the Vista 200, the Core 300 employs a 3-stage system to effectively purifier the air. However, what sets it apart is the customizable HEPA filter; users can choose one of four different filters as the second line of defense. They are a True HEPA Filter, a pet allergy filter, a toxin absorber filter, and a mold and bacteria filter. Choose whichever filter you need to handle specific cleaning tasks at home.
Conclusion: We like that the Vista 200 comes with a True HEPA Filter for maximum purifying performance, but the customizability of the Core 300’s filters takes the cake. But if you’re anything like us and can’t be darned to swap filters for different purposes, just stick with the included HEPA filter – it works beautifully.
Lights and Sleep Mode
Vista 200
No doubt you’ll want to keep your purifier running throughout the night, but one issue customers have is their needlessly bright lights that won’t dim. The Vista 200 somewhat solves this problem by automatically dimming its LED lights when sleep mode is activated. Lights will not shine into the night and penetrate your eyelids.
Core 300
But once again, we find the Core 300 to be at another level. Some users have expressed that even the tiniest bit of light at night can keep them awake, and the Core 300 aims to solve that problem once and for all. The built-in LED lights can turn off if you’d like undisturbed sleep.
Conclusion: If LED lights to cause you to toss and turn at night, then the Core 300 is for you. An optional switch turns its display lights off, whereas the Vista 200 dims its lights. We acknowledge that this is a matter of personal preference, and some people might be content with a soft glow from their air purifiers.
360° Cleaning
Vista 200 and Core 300
What’s impressive about the style and design of the Vista 200 and Core 300 are its 360° reach. Users are free to place these devices anywhere in a room without worrying about blocking any of their suction inlets. Its ideal placement is in the middle of the room, but you could still get high-performance cleaning from a corner or near a wall.

Levoit Vista 200 vs. Core 300: Which is the better Air Purifier?
Looking at these two Levoit beauties, we can conclude without a doubt that the Core 300 is the better option of the two. Despite its “larger” purifying capacity (215 square feet as opposed to the Vista’s 161 square feet), it is the preferable air purifier for smaller rooms. It also has an official CADR rating, unlike the Vista’s merely hearsay.

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Last update on 2023-06-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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