If you have allergies or a respiratory illness, an air purifier is worth considering because it can remove dust, pollen, and other potentially harmful airborne pollutants from your environment. The sleek, Wi-Fi-enabled Dreo Macro Max S ($239.99) uses a three-stage HEPA filtration system to scrub the air in spaces up to 432 square feet quickly and effectively. We also like that it supports voice controls and has a useful air quality indicator on the front, but wish it could report more than just the current PM2.5 levels. If you can increase your budget, the Coway Airmega 250S ($449) is slightly more efficient and recommended for rooms up to 930 square feet, but the Dreo model outperformed all other sub-$250 competitors in our air purification tests. Slick, Three-Step FiltrationWith its gray-and-black finish and slim status display, the Dreo Max S has a minimalist aesthetic that should blend in with the decor of any room. The 11.8-pound device measures 20.8 by 11.2 by 11.2 inches (HWD) and can work in rooms of up to 423 square feet. The cylindrical Smartmi Air Purifier P1 ($179.99) can clean the air in rooms of only 325 square feet, but its considerably smaller size (14.0 by 8.6 inches, 6.6 pounds) makes it easier to move around your home as necessary.
The Dreo Max S has air inlet grilles on the left, right, and back, as well as an air outlet grille on the top. The front sports a tall, thin, glossy black display that measures 18 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. The bottom half uses LED lights to report the current state of your air quality: It glows blue when it’s excellent, green when it’s good, orange when it’s moderate, and red when it’s poor. The upper portion of the strip displays the current PM2.5 (microscopic particles smaller than 2.5 microns in size) level, the clean air percentage, and the remaining filter life percentage. It also shows the Wi-Fi status, active fan mode (Auto or Turbo), and current fan speed. You don’t get PM10 (microscopic particles up to 10 microns in size), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide), VOC (volatile organic compounds), and indoor temperature and humidity readings here like you so with more premium air purifiers such as the Dyson TP07.A control panel on the top has several buttons that activate the power, fan speed (1-3 and Turbo mode), Auto mode, and Sleep mode. Rounding out the controls are buttons for Display Info (which lets you cycle between PM2.5, clean air, and filter life readings) and Timer.
At the rear of the device, a handle pulls out to reveal the lower compartment with the cylindrical, three-stage filter: A prefilter catches larger particles such as pet hair and dust, an H13 HEPA filter traps up to 99.98% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, and an activated carbon filter helps remove odors. Filters should last for up to six months with normal use; replacements cost $49.99 each.The Macro Max S supports Alexa and Google voice commands, but not Apple HomeKit or IFTTT, so it doesn’t interact with many other smart home devices, including Dreo’s own products like the Pilot Max Tower Fan.Dreo Macro Max S App ExperienceThe Macro Max S uses the same, straightforward mobile app (available for Android and iOS) as other Dreo devices. It appears on a separate home screen with a picture of the product and an air quality status indicator. If the air quality is poor, the LED strip here shows red, just like on the physical device. This main screen also reports the current PM2.5, clean air, and filter life readings.
(Credit: Dreo/PCMag)
Timer, power, and fan mode buttons also reside in this area. Tap that last option to select between Auto, Turbo, or Sleep modes, manually adjust the fan speed, turn the purifier on or off, toggle the LED strip and control panel, enable panel sounds, and change the display info selection. From this section, you can also set a child lock that disables the control panel, as well as toggle the Adaptive Brightness option (in which the display automatically turns on during the day and off at night).Back on the home screen, tap the Air Quality panel to view a graph of daily and monthly PM2.5 readings. To access Wi-Fi settings, update the firmware, and enable voice control, choose the gear icon.Easy Setup and OperationInstalling the Macro Max S was easy in testing. I downloaded the mobile app, created an account, and removed the plastic wrap from the filter before powering up the purifier. I tapped the plus icon in the upper right corner of the app’s main screen and the purifier immediately connected to my phone over Bluetooth. Next, I selected the purifier icon and held the Wi-Fi button for five seconds per the app instructions. The device successfully connected to my network a few seconds after I provided my Wi-Fi credentials. To complete the installation, I gave it a name. To set up the voice control integration, I found the voice control option in the settings screen, selected Alexa, then tapped Connect. At this point, I got a prompt to link my Dreo account to my Alexa account, which I accepted.
(Credit: Dreo/PCMag)
The purifier responded reliably to app and voice commands to turn on and off, as well as to switch fan modes. More importantly, it scrubbed the air within my 110-square-foot testing space quickly, an environment where it reported an initial PM2.5 level of 1. To test its performance, I set the fan speed to low and lit a stick of incense. Then, when the PM2.5 level hit 200, I extinguished the incense and changed the fan setting to Auto. The fan immediately ramped up to its highest speed. As I experienced with the Proscenic A9 ($219) and the Smartmi P1 purifiers, it produces quite a bit of noise in this situation.The PM2.5 reading was down to 60 after three minutes, dropped to 20 after six minutes, and decreased to 7 after 10 minutes. It took the purifier 13 minutes to get back to the initial reading of 1. For comparison, the Prosenic A9 needed 19 minutes to return to its original reading and the Smartmi P1 required 35 minutes to do the same. The more expensive Coway Airmega 250S only outpaced the Macro Max S by one minute in this test. The Verdict: A Solid ValueWhether you suffer from allergies or simply want to ensure that you are breathing clean air in your home, the Dreo Macro Max S can help. It uses a three-stage HEPA filtration system that performed well in testing, clearing the air quicker than most similarly priced models in our testing. We also appreciate its LED indicator, which lets you quickly see the current air quality at a glance. Moreover, its app, physical controls, and support for voice commands make it easy to use. If you need to purify a very large space and you’re willing to spend more, it’s worth checking out the Coway Airmega 250S for its speedier performance and larger recommended room size. But the Dreo Macro Max S is a top pick among more affordable alternatives.
Dreo Macro Max S Air Purifier
The Bottom Line
The sleek, well-priced Dreo Macro Max S smart air purifier uses a three-step HEPA filtration system to rapidly eliminate harmful contaminants from your environment.
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