Molekule Air Mini+ review: The baby bear of air purifiers now with more features

We're fans of Molekule around here. The company has, for a few years now, been blazing a path of advanced air purification technology that surpasses the outdated HEPA filter. The standard Molekule has the most features, but it's a bit of a behemoth and costs a whole lot of money. Molekule Air Mini satisfies your air purification needs, but, until today, didn't have any phone-connected feedback. Now, Molekule has launched the Air Mini+, which has all the same features of the Air Mini (plus a few more). And if you already have the Air Mini (not the plus model), you also get Molekule app support.

Is it now the perfect air purifier? Not exactly but it's pretty darn close.

Tiny titan

Molekule Air Mini+: The features

For details on much of what the Molekule Air Mini+ is and does, you can read my review of its predecessor, the Air Mini. There are a couple of additional features in the Air Mini+, including a particulate sensor, which keeps track of how many particulates are in the room, an automatic fan adjustment, which is activated when you set the air purifier on Auto Protect mode, and a vegan leather handle instead of felt.

The Air Mini+ is 12 inches tall and weighs about seven pounds. It has a small fan that pulls in surrounding air and a photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO) filter that, when reacting with UV light, destroys pollutants at a molecular level, including some germs, bacteria, and viruses (note: Molekule does not claim to kill COVID-19).

The fan is adjustable. You can set it to "Auto Protect" and it will quietly pull in air pollutants and zap them out. If you want to give a room an extra-strength cleaning, you can turn up the fan by five speeds.

Though it does not have a separate pre-filter, the Molekule Air Mini+ does have a hybrid pre-filter and PECO filter and a $99 per-year subscription that automatically sends you a replacement every six months.

The Molekule Air Mini+ works using a UV light that destroys molecules like bacteria, viruses, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds), in addition to pollen, pet dander, and mold. The blue light does emit from the base of the Air Mini+, but it doesn't seem to be too invasive for people that have trouble sleeping with lights. I can't even handle the light from an alarm clock, but I'm not affected by the light that comes out of the Air Mini+.

If the light does bother you, however, you can turn off the purifier at night. You can turn it off right from the app, though you can't schedule times to turn it on and off.

Speaking of the app, the Air Mini+ comes with total support for the companion app.

Once you get the Air Mini+ set up, install the Molekule app to connect it to your phone. You can keep track of particulate levels, adjust the fan speed, and make sure your PECO filter is still in good condition.

Notably, the Molekule app now supports all Molekule air purifiers, including the Air Mini, which previously did not have app support.

Though there isn't a clear indication (more on that later), you can turn the Air Mini+ on or off from your phone by pressing and holding the picture of the air purifier for a couple of seconds.

Give me feedback

Molekule Air Mini+: What I like

Just like the non-plus version, I love the size of this air purifier. It's small enough to easily switch from one room to another. It's not very heavy (only seven pounds). It's reasonably priced at $499 considering it's using advanced UV light and PECO filter technology. It cleans up the air in a room about 250 square feet per hour, so it's perfect for a bedroom or home office.

The biggest problem I had with the Molekule Air Mini was that it didn't have a companion app. I love that I can now see that the air purifier is doing its job and can check in to make sure the PECO filter is still running at its best. The app has a lot of work (more on that below), but it really makes the overall experience of using the Air Mini+ more enjoyable. Even better, the current Air Mini now has support for the connected app, so you don't have to buy a new one if you already own it.

Same same

Molekule Air Mini+: What I don't like

The problem with the loud fan has not been corrected in this second-generation model. Once you get past the second speed, the fan is ear-piercingly loud. If you need to run it at full speed for any length of time, you're going to want to leave the room until you can turn it down.

I mentioned above that I love having companion app support with the Molekule Air Mini+, but there seem to be quite a few missing features for this model. You can't schedule an on/off period of time. There is no "Boost" mode to temporarily kick it up a notch. There isn't a clearly identifiable virtual button to let you know that you can turn the Air Mini+ on or off. I almost wrote that you couldn't use the app to turn it on or off until I accidentally pressed on the picture of the air purifier and got a notice that I was turning it off.

The Molekule app support for the Air Mini+ is still very new, so I'm hoping there will be more features over time.

Bottomline

Molekule Air Mini+: Conclusion

I still like the Air Mini as much as I always have, and now that it has support for the Molekule app, it's that much better. I recommend it to anyone looking for a quality air purifier at a reasonable price. The advanced PECO filter and UV light technology makes it more reliable than air purifiers and only half the price.