Head-to-head

Levoit Core 300S Smart Air Purifier vs Shark BreatheClear Compact with NeverChange6 (HP062UK)

Levoit Core 300S Smart Air Purifier8.3Around £140Amazon

Shark BreatheClear Compact with NeverChange6 (HP062UK)8.0Around £200Amazon

The short answer

Two well-specified purifiers with very different running-cost models. The Levoit Core 300S costs around £140, has far more cleaning power on paper (a CADR of 258m³/h) and a published 22dB sleep mode, but needs a £29.99 filter every 6 to 8 months. The Shark costs around £200, has a richer set of sensors and a display that dims itself, and Shark says its filter lasts up to six years.

Over several years the Shark could work out cheaper, because the Levoit's filters add £45 to £60 a year. But Shark's six-year claim assumes a 6m² room and 12 hours a day on maximum, its coverage is modest (6m² at 4.8 air changes an hour), and it has no published noise figure, which matters in a nursery.

My call: the Levoit Core 300S for most nurseries, because its performance and noise figures are published and impressive. The Shark if your nursery is small and you'd pay extra never to think about filters.

Point by point

Measure	Levoit Core 300S Smart Air Purifier	Shark BreatheClear Compact with NeverChange6 (HP062UK)
Tech Dad Score	8.3	8.0
Hygiene & nursery safety	9.0	9.0
Humidity & air-quality control	8.5	9.0
Output for a nursery	8.5	6.0
Night-time noise & light	8.5	7.0
Price & running costs	7.0	8.0
Typical price	£140	£200
Type	HEPA air purifier	HEPA air purifier

★ marks the stronger of the two. Scores are out of 10.

Read the full reviews

Levoit

Levoit Core 300S Smart Air Purifier

Quiet, properly specified and sensibly priced: the purifier I'd put in a nursery.

8.3

Gold StarAround £140

Best for Families near busy roads, with pets or with hay fever in the house who want cleaner air at night.

Read the review Amazon

Shark

Shark BreatheClear Compact with NeverChange6 (HP062UK)

Clever sensors and no filters to buy for years, though its cleaning power is modest for the money.

8.0

Splurge StarAround £200

Best for Parents who want a set-and-forget purifier for a small nursery and hate buying filters.

Read the review Amazon

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