Review Summary
We give the Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
Cat hair and dander got you gasping for air? It’s time to paws and take a breath, because there’s a fix for that. A quality air purifier can help remove pet hair, dander, and odors from your home, leaving you with cleaner air and fewer allergy symptoms. But not every air purifier has what it takes to make it in a cat house.
The Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier wasn’t just made with clean air in mind—it was made with a mind for furry friends. With enough suction power to clear 2,000 feet in just one hour, a sleek design, and pet-specific settings, this purifier can tackle pet hair in the air while keeping your kitty safe and happy.
I had the opportunity to test the Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier in my home, with the help of my very hairy and particular cat, Makoa. Continue reading to discover how it performed, and, just as importantly, whether Makoa tolerated it, in my comprehensive Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier review, below.
If Cat Hair and Dander Are Affecting Your Home Air Quality, You’re Not Alone
We love our cat companions. But we don’t always love their hair, especially when it’s covering our furniture and clothing and making it hard to breathe.
According to the American Lung Association, pet allergies can be particularly challenging to manage because pet dander remains suspended in the air for a significantly longer period than other allergens. That means that every time your kitty pounces on their favorite toy, climbs their cat tower, or rubs on your leg for affection, they’re filling your home with more than adorable energy.
Even if you don’t have cat allergies, the air in your home can still cause issues. On average, indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air (according to the ALA). Cat litter odors, pet hair, and dust kicked up by acrobatic kitty antiques all contribute to poor indoor air quality.
Whether you have allergies to pet dander, are sensitive to pet odors, or simply want a more consistent solution to the hair that accumulates in your house, a quality air purifier can help.
Air purifiers remove particulates, including hair, dander, and odor-causing bacteria, from the air to improve indoor air quality. But finding a purifier that’s powerful enough to tackle fine feline fur while not disturbing your kitty’s cat naps—that’s the real challenge.
About the Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier
The Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier was designed specifically to tackle the dual problems of poor indoor air quality in homes with pets and the challenge of using air purifiers around pets.
This compact purifier is powerful enough to pull floating cat hair out of thin air—before it has a chance to land on your couch. Its multiple fan settings and powerful motor can clear the air in a 2,000-square-foot space in just one hour.
Two large intake vents on each side of the unit increase its reach and ensure pet hair, no matter where it is, gets sucked up and contained. Smartly, the filter is protected by a washable pre-filter. This design feature enables you to quickly and easily remove gathered hair, extending the life of the inner filter and ensuring maximum airflow at all times.
The HEPA-grade filter inside this unit is capable of trapping particles 3,000 times smaller than a grain of sand. This means that pet dander and odor-causing bacteria don’t stand a chance.
But what really sets the Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier apart are the features specifically designed for pet owners.
Along with numerous fan settings, auto mode, and sleep mode, this unit also has a special “pet mode.” In this setting, fan speed is optimized to capture pet hair in the air. The changes between fan speeds in this mode are made smoother to prevent spooking pets with sudden noises.
In addition, the Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier also comes with a chew-proof cord and a tip-over sensor that shuts the unit down in case a cat were to headbutt it too vigorously.
Provirtec, the makers of this pet-friendly purifier, specialize in intelligent and functional home comfort appliances. In addition to purifiers, they also make humidifiers—including a mist-free option—and tower fans.
There isn’t much information available about the company itself or its location, but the Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier and many of their other products are manufactured in China.
With its many pet-friendly features and powerful “hair-magnet” air cleaning technology, this purifier is an excellent choice for cat owners seeking a simpler way to control pet hair and a more effective option for reducing airborne allergens.
Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier Product Specs
Features
The Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier features a range of settings and options.
Modes:
- Fan Speed – Levels 1, 2, 3, or turbo
- Auto Mode – Fan automatically changes speed depending on air quality
- Sleep Mode – Lowest fan setting with display lights off
- Pet Friendly Mode – Higher fan speed dictated by air quality sensor, plus smoother fan speed transitions
- Timer – Set to run from 1 to 8 hours
Additionally, this purifier features a child lock that locks the control panel, preventing pets and children from changing the settings. The display screen indicates the current air quality in parts per million, accompanied by a colored paw print (blue = very good, green = good, yellow = moderate, and red = poor).
This purifier also features an aroma tray that allows you to drop essential oils onto a pad to add a pleasing scent to your clean air. It is, however, important to note that many essential oils are toxic to cats, so you should familiarize yourself with the safety precautions before using this feature.
Size
This purifier is impressively compact given its air-cleaning potential. It’s small enough to sit on a large nightstand while being large enough to stand up to kitty head rubs without falling over.
- Width – 9 ½ inches
- Depth – 9 ½ inches
- Height – 16 ½ inches
- Weight – 8 pounds
Noise
Depending on the setting, the Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier produces noise levels ranging from 32 to 56dB (according to my measurements).
It has multiple fan settings, which makes it easy to lower the noise output when needed. However, it is worth noting that the Pet Friendly Mode, which uses a higher fan setting to pull in hair, is quite loud, averaging around 47.1dB.
If you plan to use this purifier primarily to reduce airborne pet hair, consider placing it strategically to minimize the extra noise that might disturb family conversations or TV time.
Filter
The HEPA-grade filter in this purifier is made up of five layers:
- Removable Pre-Filter - Captures large particles, such as pet hair
- Nylon Pre-Filter - Captures the finer, large particles, including skin cells and large dust particles
- HEPA High-Efficiency Filter - Absorbs allergens, including smoke, fine dust, and pollen
- High-Efficiency Activated Carbon Filter - Absorbs pet dander, odor-causing bacteria, and gaseous pollutants
- Odor Adsorption Filter - Reduces unpleasant odors
While the pre-filter for this unit is washable, the inner HEPA filter, which contains the remaining four filter layers, must be replaced periodically to achieve optimal results. According to the manual, you can expect to replace the filter every 6 to 8 months with regular use. The display features a filter indicator that will illuminate when the filter has less than 10% life remaining.
Comparison
| Feature | Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier | Competing Home Purifiers |
| Coverage | 2000 sq ft | 400 sq ft |
| Filter Type | True HEPA | HEPA-type (not a true HEPA filter) |
| Noise Level | Min 32dB, Max 56dB | 24dB to 60dB |
| Filter Replacement | Every 6 to 8 months | Every 4 months |
| Washable Pre-Filter | Yes | No |
| Pet Safety Features | Yes | No |
Our Experience With Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier
As soon as the Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier arrived, my cat, Makoa, was interested. It was as if he somehow knew this purifier was specifically designed with cats and other pets in mind.
We unboxed it together and got straight to setting up, which took less than five minutes. All I had to do was remove the filter from the inner compartment, unwrap it, and pull the power cord out.
I tested the unit in multiple rooms around my house over the course of about ten days.
I used it in the laundry room, where Makoa’s litter box is located, to test its effectiveness against odors. Here, I set it to auto mode, and it did a great job keeping things smelling fresh throughout the day.
I also tested it in my living room, where Makoa and my two dogs spend most of their time. I set it on the floor in this room to maximize its hair-catching potential.
It’s fall here, and all my pets are shedding like crazy, so I knew this would be a good time to test out Provirtec’s hair-trapping claims.
The manual recommends using Pet Friendly Mode for targeting hair, so I switched it to that mode. Pretty quickly, it became clear that this might not be the best mode for the living room. The higher fan setting in this mode generated a significant amount of background noise—enough to make watching TV somewhat difficult.
For the sake of testing the unit, I pushed through the excess noise for a few days, but eventually switched it back to auto mode during the day and only used Pet Friendly Mode at night.
After 10 days of use, I eagerly pulled out the filter, hoping to find it coated in pet hair, as seen on all the marketing photos for this unit. Unfortunately, there wasn’t quite that much hair. There was a noticeable column of dust on the filter below each intake vent, but only a smattering of hair.
Given that there is certainly not a lack of hair in my house, I was disappointed by this. That said, the hair in my home is not airborne; it’s mostly on carpets and furniture, so my expectations may have been a little high.
Overall, I found a lot to like about this purifier. The auto mode works great for automatically adjusting the flow to keep your air clean throughout the day, and the intuitive display makes it easy to see how your air quality rates at any moment.
I also loved the quiet mode and the overall design of the unit, which makes it easy to place around the house. It has a sleek look, a smaller footprint than many purifiers, and the extra pet safety features really help with peace of mind.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the CADR for this unit?
Unfortunately, Provirtec does not list a CADR for this product. They recommend it for large rooms and claim it can clean the air in a 2,000-square-foot space in just one hour.
Is this purifier energy efficient?
According to my measurements, this unit draws between 3.8 and 32.75 watts of power when in use, making it very energy-efficient compared to comparable home purifiers.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for an air purifier that is made with pet safety—and pet hair—in mind, then the Provirtec HEPA Air Purifier is worth a look. This powerful yet compact unit features multiple pet-specific benefits, including a Pet Friendly Mode, a chew-proof cord, and tip-over protection. At the same time, it utilizes a powerful true HEPA filter that effectively removes hair, dander, and allergens.
While it’s not powerful enough to pull pet hair off your furniture or clothes, it does a decent job of getting it out of the air. It’s also very effective at reducing pet odors and comes with a washable pre-filter and a long-lasting inner filter, helping to save you money in the long run.
Review Summary
