I tested the Molekule Air Pro air purifier for a month — and it's worth the price

If you’re after the best air purifier that is powerful and won't look like an eyesore, the Molekule Air Pro is a good contender.

With a four-stage filtration process, the Air Pro is among the most thorough air cleaners available, but it lacks an electrostatic filter that others have. Still, it claims to eradicate bacteria and viruses, making it stand above its competition.

However, it's also one of the most expensive air cleaners you can get, and its replacement filters are similarly big-ticket items. So you'll need to weigh up these factors for long-term value.

Read our Molekule Air Pro Air Purifier review to see if it fits into your home and budget.

Molekule Air Pro review: Price and availability

The Molekule Air Pro is now available for $1,014 on Amazon with one HEPA filter, two or three times what others cost.

If you sign up for the company’s automatic filter delivery schedule, the price drops to $979. They cost $175, easily twice what some competitors charge.

However, if you're on a strict budget, the company’s Air Mini+ sells for $359 on Amazon, and can cover a smaller room.

Molekule Air Pro review: Design

The Molekule Air Pro has a modernist design that looks like it could be a giant’s water bottle. It might not be for everyone, but the brushed aluminum tower is a welcome change from traditional, box-like air cleaners.

It stands 23.1 inches tall and has a diameter of 11.6 inches, making it easy to hide. That would be a shame because the extruded aluminum body and white plastic base are striking.

At 23 pounds, it’s a lot to carry. Adding wheels would have been a big help in making the Air Pro more portable, but its leather handle at least helps make it luggable between rooms.

The air enters from below, passes by a set of sensors and filters to emerge straight up through angled louvres. These give the cleaned air stream a spiral counterclockwise rotation, although there’s no way to aim its flow. Its circular vent has a blue backlight from the sterilization equipment.

Molekule Air Pro review: Ease of use

Easy to unpack, the illustrated setup instructions and a statement of Molekule’s air cleaning philosophy are printed on the box.

It came in a white duffle bag that can be used for storing the Air Pro, or as a neat laundry bag. After firmly pressing the circular top, it popped up and out, providing access to the plastic-covered HEPA filter. In a minute, everything was unwrapped, back together and ready.

It sits solidly on the floor but lacks an auto shut-off switch if the device is tipped over. The Air Pro’s heavy-duty 6-foot cord has a three-prong plug, so it might not easily fit into an older house with ungrounded outlets.

On the other hand, the Air Pro is the rare air cleaner with a place to spool the excess cord underneath, making it the one for neat freaks.

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While many other air cleaners rely solely on a particulate sensor, Molekule’s technology adds measurements for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), which the Air Pro’s activated carbon layer can absorb.

Additionally, there are sensors for humidity and carbon dioxide, which can’t be significantly changed by the device’s operation. It took six hours for the sensors to calibrate themselves and provide readings.

The results show up on the Air Pro’s unique circular screen at the center of the vent. The main display shows an air quality index with lower numbers indicating better air and anything from green for “Good” to purple for “Very bad”.

Simply swipe right to see the VOC and particulate levels and swipe again to choose between Manual operation and Auto Protect; it also has an Auto Protect Quiet mode for nighttime use.

One more swipe and the filter’s lifespan is shown, followed by a screen that allowed me to turn the system off and change the language to Korean or Japanese. There’s also a place to see the device’s serial number, firmware and name.

After a few minutes of inactivity, the screen goes dark; press it to wake it up. This means that during the day there’s no outward indication that its actually running, although at night you can see the system’s blue glow. In other words, it’s unobtrusive as it gets.

Molekule Air Pro review: Performance

The Molekule Air Pro fit well in my 25 x 12 foot office and its cable spool means that there’s no extra power cord to trip over.

Inside, its VOC and laser particulate sensors track the air’s quality and adjusts the filter’s operations accordingly with six fan speeds. The system delivered 4.7 mph air speeds at its highest setting, although its lowest was too slow to register on my La Crosse anemometer. That was well below the Windmill Air Purifier's 6.5 mph peak.

I set it to Auto Protect mode and left it to get to work. It reacted quickly when I fired up the grill, that is just outside the room on a patio. The PM2.5 level rose to over 100 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³), although it quickly dropped back to 2-4 µg/m³.

Our indoor tests were just as impressive. During the perfume test, the Air Pro sensed a rise of VOCs to 550 parts per billion (ppb) and PM2.5 to a peak of 25 µg/m³. It was no surprise that the fan speed went to full, and 15 minutes later, it was back to normal with no lingering odor. Not bad!

Similarly, the dust (flour) test gave a decent reading. The PM2.5 level rises to 60 µg/m³ and then 15 minutes later, back to a baseline of 2 µg/m³.

And while the candle test yielded air laden with 390 ppb of VOCs, it quickly dissipated. After 15 minutes, you could no longer smell a burned match or candle scent in the air.

Noise and energy

Noise-wise, the Molekule Air Pro is generally at a low level in the background. Still, it was very loud at 70.1 dBA, which is the upper threshold of a conversation.

Along the way, the Air Pro used between 23.9 and 57.5 watts of power, well off the Windmill’s 68.8 watts at full power.

After recording its electricity use over a full day, it should cost an estimated $38.40 a year to operate, making it the most expensive to use. The Rabbit Air BioGS uses one quarter as much electricity. If you are energy conscious though, the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto gave us a lower energy usage reading.

Maintenance

There’s little maintenance required to keep the air flowing, but you will need to vacuum or shake clean the pre-filter monthly and replace the pair of HEPA filter once or twice a year.

The filter elements cost a reasonable $60 and after three weeks of continuous use, it had 93% of its lifespan remaining; it helpfully shows 171 days until a replacement will be necessary. You can sign up for automatic shipping.

It's worth noting that the Air Pro emits a sweet odor, that Molekule engineers says is from the blue light cleaning organic matter from the filter. However, this wasn't a real deal breaker.

Molekule Air Pro review: App

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Despite lacking a remote control, the Molekule Air Pro's app is top notch with versions for Androids, iPhones and iPads.

The main page shows the swirling action of the filter’s fan, its mode and the status of the filter. While the indoor current Air Quality Index is at the top.

What's even more impressive is that the app has an outdoor air quality section that gives an overall appraisal based on your Zip Code when registering. You can other details like ozone, PM2.5 and several types of pollen.

Along the bottom, the app’s More tab has help for things like changing the WiFi network. It also has a place to be notified when the filter needs to be replaced. It lacks its own scheduling ability but can connect to Alexa voice control. It does without Google Home Assistant integration.

Molekule Air Pro review: Verdict

If you're after function and modern style, the Molekule Air Pro is one of the most striking purifiers yet (right up there with the Windmill Air Purifier).

In all our tests, the Air Pro performed well, keeping the atmosphere in a mid-sized room clear and breathable. Its four stage filtering process includes a germ killing stage, although it does gives off a sweet smell. This is something the makers attribute to its HEPA filter coating that sterilizes the air flow.

In fact, many buyers picked up on its characteristic odor while running as a negative aspect of the Molekule Air Pro. While others may be turned off by its noisy operation.

However, it is among one the most expensive air cleaners I've tested, at over $1,000, so it’s a luxury that you'll need to consider.