If you don't wanna read my story, get a hint for filter life renewing at the end. But I do Love that it gets rid of kitchen and other odors (smells) so quickly. I have now even one by the kitchen, just to kill the cooking smell before it reaches the rest of the house. Tones it down quick, even before it starts. I have three (3) of these machines from Levoit. I havent tried any other generic filters personally that fit, mainly due to the odor reduction I know that is top quality in these. I'd like to add these have inspired me in so many ways. I now also have a $1000.00, IQAir HealthPro Series that is equal to none (other than the odor reduction these baby's do) for... I don't dust my ceiling fans every month, anymore. Maybe... maybe, like every 3 months. And even then they look like 2 weeks, used too!) I purchased it after... these. My wife and I have noticed as a matter of fact, believed to be (for sure to us) by these Levoits (no kiddin) everyone in our home has for sure, gotten less sick, less frequently over the last year that we placed these in our home. I for sure feel better, but to understand why I know for sure, read my backstory below this... Otherwise, just get these filters and keep what ya have, what it is... You do have a Levoit, don't you? O.K., I was born with asthma and was given 6 (six, dangit!) allergy shots from the time I was 8... till stinkin another crap place in life.... puberty. And allergies, almost took my life once at birth. I was saved only by incubation, by doctors in 1974. Unknowing how or what they did, to save me. (They let my lungs develop is what they did!) And being a June baby, my guess is, pollen reduction by July probably helped. And it happened then again in the late spring of 1979. I was almost 5 yrs old and came down with pneumonia, that almost got me again. Now looking back, I'm pretty sure my pneumonia caught in the warm month of May, was caused by allergies.. which caused my chronic asthma. And which left me totally unconscious the first week of hospitalization. And unknowingly again saved by the doctors in my second week! With oxygen! When I came too, I survived a few years more until a cure?!?! that came in the way of the development of allergy shots! "What the Flux Capacitor are you talkin' bout, Willis?!" At 8 yrs old I was so thrilled, about recieving shots (every Wed.), that I wasn't sure that the alternative I'd have to face without them, might just not be a reprieve. Even better! grrr. I later later learned, after watching others go in and out of that awful doctors revolving door. Was that every Wednesday, Allergy Shot day, had an even more gruesome terror in store! I, not him or her, was getting 6 (six! dag-nab-it!), to everyone elses, 1 (one) shot! My pediatrician of awesomeness, literally had to come tear me out of my mother's car on the next visit. Like your dad, would! Just was shorter in stature and had an Indian accent. And shouting at me with a scour in his voice about no one would die under his care, and blah blah blah, did I wanna die. And blah blah blah. Thank you, Dr. Shaw. Yea, yea.. I never tried that again. And yes, saved my life. But at 8 yrs old, I was so like... Biiig Deeaal, doc. My point of all this is that I'm not here taking the time to right this for nothing. I truly did not know how badly, I myself, needed this. And I can honestly now affirm, I did not know how badly my family did, either. Until looking back and the events to follow. HEPA filter-ing our home has been one of the greatest purchases I have ever made, second only to T.V.. Have you ever looked out the window where the sun's glaring in and seen the dust particles floating around? I have all my life too! I am now proud to say after only the first 6mo., I no longer did! And we still do not. Dont see even a spec. Not a spec. No benefits to you, or myself, to be untruthful. No ones sadly, giving me anything to write this. I have been inspired through the use and time it's given. From the purchase date, of our Levoit's, air quality has sky rocketted. I now make everyone take their shoes off at the door and have also been motivated to purchased, what is a very good Vaccuum Cleaner. With a HEPA filter at the discharge end, changed at regular-ish, o.k. sluggish intervals... It too, has definitely been a benifactor in dirt and dust reduction. ((Hint)): If you take your Levoit outside, bringing along a very lightly dampened cloth. You can pull off the back to access the filter (where you would change it).You can then wipe off that thick layer of dirt film thats accumulated on your filters, awesome, pre-cloth and (might) even go one more round. I do this every 3 months, regardless. Not that I reccomend this, of course.. ;) Mark R.