Molekule Air Mini+ air purifier review: Triple-layered filtration that can destroy pollutants at the molecular level

Air purifiers create a healthier living environment for us. They trap and remove harmful particles from the air like pollen, dander or wildfire smoke, to help us live a cleaner life away from such pollutants.

As a brand, Molekule have been working to perfect the air purifier, utilizing their unique, patented PECO technology to actually destroy these harmful pollutants, rather than just trapping them. Their flagship model, the Molekule Air Pro, has been considered one of the best air purifiers in the world, but its price tag puts it out of reach for many of us.

So, the Molekule Air Mini+ is the more affordable alternative. It covers a much smaller area as a sacrifice, but still features that same PECO tech to keep your air free from pollutants. I'm a home tech editor and rigorously tested this out. Read on to find out how it works, and how well it performed in my tests.

Tested and reviewed by

Tested and reviewed by

Dan Fauzi

I've been testing and reviewing air purifiers since I joined Homes & Gardens as the home tech editor at the start of 2024, after previously working on Top Ten Reviews, largely working on small appliance reviews and features including grills, air fryers and coffee makers.

I tested the Molekule Air Mini+ in my city-center home in Bristol, UK, for over a month.

What I thought overall

Even with its small size, the Molekule Air Mini+ purifies a room exceptionally well. I'm an asthma and allergy sufferer, so I can feel the benefits when an air purifier is doing its job effectively.

The PECO filtration offers a notable improvement compared to other purifiers. The Air Mini+ offers some of the best purification available but, at this price, it would be great to see a larger room coverage or additional features (like washable filters or a heating/cooling function).

Molekule Air Mini+: Price

The Molekule Air Mini+ retails for $359.99 at full price from Molekule (where you can also buy replacement filters) and Amazon.

It's the smaller and more affordable alternative to Molekule's Air Pro air purifier, which costs $1,014.99 at full price from Molekule as it covers spaces up to 1,000 square feet, compared to the Air Mini+'s 250 square feet coverage.

Molekule's air purifiers are among the more expensive in the market, but they're often discounted from these off-putting prices by a reasonable amount (over Prime Day, they were each reduced by 40%). If you can wait, I'd recommend buying one during a sale period.

They're this expensive because they're one of the only consumer air purifiers in the world that are FDA-approved as a Class II medical device. They utilize unique tech compared to others – PECO tech – that can actually destroy pollutants at the molecular level.

Molekule Air Mini+: Specifications

Molekule Air Mini+: Setup

The Air Mini+ arrived in a small carboard box, with the air purifier packaged inside a soft drawstring Molekule bag inside.

Like with other air purifiers, all you have to do is remove the cover on the filter and slot it back in. Then, once it's plugged in you can use it straight away. You can also download the Molekule app for more control and a closer look at the air quality data captured by the purifier.

Connecting the purifier to the app requires a few steps. You have to create an account with Molekule to use it, connect the Air Mini+ to your wi-fi router, then name your device. After that, it'll start tracking your air quality and you can control it via your phone.

Molekule Air Mini+: Design and features

Unique to Molekule's air purifiers, PECO technology can destroy and deactivate harmful particles within organic matter at the molecular level. This adds another layer of protection and filtration compared with other purifiers, as the air that's recirculated into your space is cleaner than if it had just been filtered.

The Air Mini+ also uses a HEPA filter, that can capture 99.97% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns, and activated carbon filtration, that helps to capture gases and odors. The best air purifiers use HEPA filters, but it's rarer to see activated carbon used as well. Combined with PECO tech, this is one of the most effective air filtration systems in the consumer market (which is why the FDA approve it as a Class II medical device).

Using the Air Mini+ is similar to any other air purifier I have tested. There's a single touch control on the top of the purifier that can cycle between the different fan speeds or select Auto Protect mode.

You can also control the purifier using the Molekule app where you're also given more insight into your purifier and your home's air quality. It tracks your indoor quality throughout the day and presents this info to you as a graph, where you can see weeks in the past to compare.

The app shows your filter's health (as a percentage) and you can buy replacement filters directly from it. There's also some helpful info on how the Air Mini+ is able to capture air quality data. The app is clear and simple, and I particularly like how the screen's graphics and colors change depending on fan speed or air quality.

Molekule Air Mini+: Performance on test

You can really notice the Air Mini+'s triple-layered filtration when you use it. The air feels clean when it's on and it helps keep odors at bay throughout the day. I keep mine running whenever I'm home and I've noticed a significant improvement in my breathing, my sleep and my allergies (I'm an asthma sufferer, so I can always tell the difference).

The air purifier works quickly, too. If I've lit an incense, or cooked downstairs, or kept the windows open during a particularly pollen- or smoke-heavy day, it doesn't take long for the Air Mini+ to return the air quality to 'good.' At the higher speeds, it can do so at an impressive speed.

While I'm a fan of the air purifier's design (it really does look good in any room of the house), I do wish there was a more visual indicator of your room's air quality. I'm not sure if this was an intentional move from Molekule to maintain the purifier as a 'set it and forget it' type appliance, but I feel it'd be more useful to know my air quality without having to open the app.

Auto Protect mode is the most efficient way to use the Air Mini+, as it will only ramp up the fan speed if the air quality worsens. Many air purifiers share this function, but the Air Mini+ doesn't seem to rest on the lowest fan setting when the air quality's good. It seems to revert to fan speed 2 which, although still fairly quiet, is notably louder than the lowest speed. Instead, I end up leaving it on the lowest fan speed to save energy and make as little noise as possible, and only ramp it up when I can see that the air quality is poor.

Earlier this year I spoke with Molekule CEO Jason DiBona who told me that, on this setting, the air purifier will use up as much energy as a light bulb. That's truly impressive for something that's cleaning our air so thoroughly, and it's a relief for anybody concerned with how much energy such a powerful purifier would demand.

In terms of noise, the Air Mini+ is loud on the higher speeds. It's rare for these high speeds to be required but, if you know you'll need to use it for its full power, it's worth noting it'll make a distracting amount of noise. At full power, the purifier gets as loud as around 73 dBA - which is similar to some cordless vacuum cleaners. At speed 3, it reaches around 50 dBA, the same as a quiet conversation.

Molekule Air Mini+: Maintenance

The Molekule Air Mini+ doesn't utilize any washable/cleanable prefilters to protect the main filter inside. It instead relies on the triple-layered filtration, and Molekule encourages you to replace the filter every six months or so.

Connecting to the app allows you to see your filter's life as a percentage (after over a month of heavy use, mine is currently at 88%). You'll be notified when it's time to replace the filter and you can buy them directly from the app.

How does the Molekule Air Mini+ compare?

The Molekule Air Mini+ has more effective filtration than pretty much any other air purifier on the market (excluding the Molekule Air Pro which uses the same tech). This explains why it's so expensive while only covering a 250 square-foot space.

Others, like the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier MAX, costs around a similar price ($329.99 from Shark) while covering 1,400 square feet, and it comes with washable prefilters to extend the lifespan of the HEPA filter, saving money in replacement filter costs. It doesn't destroy harmful pollutants like the Molekule purifiers but it still captures them effectively with its True HEPA filter.

The Molekule Air Mini+ also doesn't have any other functions. This isn't essential at all, but for around this price it isn't uncommon to find heating or cooling functions included. The Shark Air Purifier 3-in-1 is a strong example, available for $399.99 from Shark with purified heat and purified cooling.

Verdict

The Air Mini+ features some of the most effective air purification tech in the consumer air purifier market. Molekule's patented PECO tech actively destroys harmful pollutants at the molecular level, providing much cleaner air in your indoor spaces.

But this tech comes at a cost and, while noticeably effective, cheaper air purifiers can do a similar job of purifying the air. Or, for a similar price, you can find a purifier with more features and/or a larger coverage, but don't ignore the efficacy of this purifier. It's FDA-approved as a Class II medical device for a reason.

The bigger version, the Molekule Air Pro, retails at full price at over $1,000. The Air Mini+ is a way to be able to bring this market-leading tech into your home without breaking the bank.

Next, learn what to look for in an air purifier and how to choose the right one for your home and lifestyle.