Please note Fathercraft is reader-supported, meaning, at no cost to you, we may earn a commission if you buy after clicking an affiliate link. Learn more<\/a>.<\/em> Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Air Mini Pl<\/a>us<\/a> comes in a fairly small brown cardboard box, with some nice, stylized white words adorning the outside. Lift the flap, and you’ll find more stylized words and line drawings. While I don’t see putting the Mini+ smack in the center of my nightstand anytime soon, it’s a nice first reminder of something Molekule recommends\u2014don’t put the Air Mini+ right up against a wall, or its 360 degree intake slot won’t be able to suck as much air in for filtering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unboxing was easy, pleasant, well-organized and reassuring. Molekule does a nice job of making the unboxing itself instructive throughout, down to the little cardboard sleeve that encloses the plug:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, documentation that comes with the Air Mini+ is well done\u2014easy to understand and simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Setup of the Molekule Air Mini+ itself was a breeze. You need to open up the device by turning and pulling off the outer shell, unwrap the filter (it’s shipped in plastic to ensure it arrives pristine),stick that back on the base, put the shell back on, and plug it in. That’s it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Molekule devices pair with a mobile app, available from both the Apple App Store and Google Play. It’s hard not to notice the whopping 1.3 star rating when downloading the app, but I’d note a couple of things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what’s all the 1.3 star hubbub about? Connectivity, mostly. And, to be fair, the first time I got the thing you don’t want to see when connecting a smart device:<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, the tried and true method of “try it again” worked like a charm on the second try, and I didn’t have any other issues connecting to internet or setting up the app. The only minor annoyance was I was prompted about 3 times to purchase a filter subscription during setup, which isn’t really the time to push that, in my opinion. Oddly I haven’t been asked about purchasing filters in the dozens of times I’ve opened the app since then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rest of the app setup process is simple and guided well\u2014you name it, in case you have multiple purifiers in your house, potentially download a firmware update for your device, and tell Molekule what pollutants you’re most concerned with. I can’t imagine this changes the operation of your device, but it has a nice reassuring effect that you’re going to deal with all the things, from the mundane\u2014pet odors to the more terrifying\u2014viruses and mold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From there, you’re taken to app’s Home Screen, which displays the ‘particle level’\u2014a measure of how clean your air is\u2014and a lovely visualization of air being drawn into the device. You can toggle the fan level manually on a scale from 1\u20145 (5 being the jet engine level I described earlier), or switch to Auto Protect, which changes fan speed automatically based on the cleanliness of your air. Note Auto Protect isn’t available with the less expensive Air Mini, you’ll need to manually toggle, but will save $100. Finally, you’ll see the status of your filter on a countdown from 100% to 0%, when it needs to be replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first time I fired this thing up in our bedroom, Particle Level displayed “moderate”<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, a few hours later:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was an extremely reassuring feeling to see the app’s background color go from yellow to green. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do note this particle sensor and display is only available in Molekule’s Air Mini “Plus” mod<\/a>el<\/a> and larger Air Pro<\/a> model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Molekule is from first glance to deep use, a company built with modern well-designed, connected products in mind. It’s been called “The Tesla of Air Pur<\/a>ifiers<\/a>” by Forbes, and has won i<\/a>nnovation of the year awards<\/a> by Time Magazine and Popular Science. Expect clean design, an excellent overall user experience, and a few small quirks common with connected devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s dive into what we loved, what we wish was different, and a final verdict\u2014are Molekule air purifiers really worth it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s a lot to love about Molekule:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, the Molekule Air Mini+ is awesome. My only two areas of complaint are the app and the price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Molekule’s app just needs some work still, particularly the process of setting up a new purifier. That said, a few caveats:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s talk price<\/strong>. Molekule products ain’t cheap. The Air Mini+ retails for $499, it’s slightly-less-smart cousin the Air Mini sells for $399. You can certainly find air purifiers much cheaper for this. With Molekule, you’re paying for cutting-edge tech, and to some extent for looks and brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Molekule Air Mini+ does emit a small amount of light when turned on.<\/strong> Part of the PECO filter’s process involves light activation, so you will notice a faint glow coming from the Air Mini and Air Mini+. I’m someone who loves to sleep in the dark, and during testing I barely noticed it in our room, so odds are this isn’t a big deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You’ll need to replace filters every 6 months, and they’re not free.<\/strong> Filters for the Air Mini+ will cost you $75 each, adding an additional $150 per year to the operating cost of your Air Mini+. (Though do note you get one with your purchase, so won’t need your first one for 6 months.) However, you can save big with a su<\/a>bscription to Molekule’s filter replacement program<\/a>, which take the yearly cost of Air Mini and Air Mini+ filters from $150\/year to $99 per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, is the Molekule Air Mini+ worth it? In a word, yes. If you’ve got the funds to pay for a relatively pricey air purifier, the Molekule is an excellent buy. It’s backed by top-notch technology that’s FDA-cleared to destroy viruses and ba<\/a>cteria<\/a>. It’s small and stylish. And, it’s easy to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the age of pandemics, wildfires, and more, a PECO filter provides nice peace of mind, particularly for parents who are worried about kids growing up with air quality unequivocally worse than what we grew up with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re looking to save, you can shave off $100 by buying the Molekule<\/a> Air Mini<\/a>, which offers the exact same filter and power as the Mini Plus. You’ll give up the particle sensor\/indicator, auto-protect mode, and Apple HomeKit compatibility, but the actual protection level and quality of the filter remains the same, which is nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Molekule websit<\/a>e<\/a> is your best best for purchasing Molekule products. It features all of the company’s best deals, allows you to add filter subscriptions from the get-go, offers free shipping,<\/a> 30-day returns, and a 2-year warranty<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also purchase Molekule products on Amazon<\/a> to take advantage of Amazon Prime shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how much does the Molekule Air Mini+ cost?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Molekule Air Mini+<\/a> is $359.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Molekule also offers filters for larger rooms, the Air Pro, which covers a massive 1,000 square <\/a>feet<\/a> and costs $1,014.99.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Molekule Air Mini does not have an air quality sensor built into it like the Air Mini+ does. Therefore it cannot sense air quality and doesn’t have an auto-protect mode like the Air Mini+. The actual filter is the same between the two units, so you aren’t sacrificing on quality of the actual system, but you can’t rely on auto-protect to do the work of toggling up and down the fan based on air quality for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The short answer: Dyson purifiers use a HEPA filter, not a PECO filter like Molekule. As we’ve described above, PECO has some real advantages over HEPA. Dyson purifiers may include some features Molekule doesn’t, specifically combining a purifier with a cooling fan that rotates to circulate the purified air throughout the room.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Molekule Air Mini+ is smaller than I expected. Given the name, perhaps this shouldn’t have been surprising. It’s a good thing. It sits nicely on a dresser or on the floor. And in this case, small doesn’t equate to lack of power. On its highest setting, the Molecule Air Mini+ is LOUD. My wife […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":18343,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2004,2007],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-baby-gear-and-kid-product-reviews","category-baby-sleep-product-reviews"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUnboxing the Molekule Air Mini+<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fathercraft.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Molekule-Air-Mini-box-opening-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fathercraft.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Molekule-247-931x1024.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fathercraft.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Molekule-Air-Mini-documentation-1024x609.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSetting up the Air Mini+<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Molekule mobile app<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"Molekule](\"https:\/\/fathercraft.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Molekule-app-connection-473x1024.jpg\")
Using the Molekule Air Mini+<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fathercraft.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Molekule-App-Moderate-473x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fathercraft.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Molekule-App-Good-473x1024.jpg\")
Our Molekule review<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The awesome<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fathercraft.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Molekule-Air-Mini-on-the-floor-of-a-kids-room-768x1024.jpg\")
The wish it was different<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Good to know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is Molekule worth it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pricing and where to buy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fathercraft.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Molekule-Air-Mini-top-down-768x1024.jpg\")
Molekule FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What’s the difference between the Air Mini and the Air Mini+?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How does Molekule compare to Dyson air purifiers?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n