Editor's note: This product is in the process of being tested.
The Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier fits the mold if you’ve been searching far and wide for a budget-friendly air purifier that actually delivers. Many of the very best air purifiers clock in at a much higher price point than this $245-ish purifier. Yet, the Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier is just as capable, even in spaces of up to 465 square feet.
Dimensions: 20.8 x 10.83 x 22.38 inches
Weight: 17 lbs
Filters: HEPA filter and carbon pre-filter
Max noise: 60 dB
Max power use: 127 Watts
Coverage: 465 sq feet
Modes: High, medium, and low cleaning modes, and a Turbo setting
Warranty: 5 years
Energy Star Certified: Y
How do we know? The air purifier scores an impressive Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of over 300 for pollen, dust, and smoke. On average, the purifier can work through the air in a complete room at a rate of one time every 12 minutes - and so, we’ve ranked it as second only to the Rabbit Air MinusA2 when you take its features into account.
The main difference is that the Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier doesn’t have all the extra frills, such as auto modes and smart sensors. The air purifier keeps things simple by keeping to just two well-performing filters, a HEPA and a carbon pre-filter, and high, medium, and low modes. There’s a Turbo setting that you can bang on when your air is desperately in need of sprucing up, and this produces a maximum noise of 60dB (which is just slightly louder than some of the other air purifier options out there).
Honeywell HPA300: Price
Available on Amazon for $249.99 when it first launched, the cost of the Honeywell HPA300 has fluctuated over the years, dropping as low as $146 (in 2017). Despite these fluctuations, the HPA300 has generally held its value: it's still usually sold online for around the $245 mark.
Honeywell HPA300: Features
The Honeywell HPA300 air purifier uses a two-stage filtration technique. First air is sucked into the device using a fan, where it's filtered through an activated carbon pre-filter that covers the whole surface area of the inlet.
This captures VOCs, gases and odors, which is particularly useful for smokers or people with pets. The pre-filter is also able to capture larger particles, like pet hair and dust, and it can be washed or vacuumed to remove large build ups.
Next, the air passes through a True HEPA filter, which aims to captures up to 99.97 per cent of particles as small as 0.3 microns, like pet dander, mold, viruses, bacteria and pollen. Clean air is then pushed out. The Honeywell HPA300 air purifier can filter the air in a room up to five times an hour, which is pretty impressive, especially considering its large reach.
It's a large device, but it's fairly unobtrusive – the blue indicator light can be dimmed. Plus, easy-touch controls located on the top of the air purifier and intuitive settings make the Honeywell HPA300 easy to use. Instead of standard low, medium and high settings, the Honeywell HPA300 air purifier offers settings based on need.
There’s a general clean mode for everyday use; a germ mode for cold and flu season; and an allergen mode. Germ mode is the quietest, followed by general clean and then allergen. Alternatively, if you need a boost of filtration in a hurry – to remove cooking smells, perhaps, or in an extreme allergy situation – there’s a turbo mode.
Size-wise, the Honeywell HPA300 measures in at 22.38 inches high, 20.08 inches wide and 10.83 inches deep. At only 12 pounds it’s a relatively light air purifier, so it can easily be moved from room to room as required. It has a solid and durable design, with a metal body and attractive rounded edges.
Features missing from the Honeywell HPA300 include smart sensors, an auto mode and remote control. You can, however, set the device to run for two, four or eight hours via a timer. Helpfully, it will also alert you when the filters need to be changed via two LED indicators – one for the pre-filter, one for the True HEPA filter – so those don’t need to be manually checked.
Honeywell HPA300: Performance
When it comes to performance, this powerhouse air purifier is impressive. Its CADR rating – that's the measurement for how effectively it can purify the air – is 320 for dust, 300 for smoke and 300 for pollen. (For reference, anything above 300 is very, very good.)
Air quality expert BreatheQuality tested the performance of the Honeywell HPA300 and found it to have amazing efficiency – even on small particles in large rooms. It registered an efficiency of 99.95% of 0.3 microns particles. The team did, however, find a downside to the HPA300’s amazing performance. Because of its larger fan, the air purifier is one of the noisier options at high fan speeds. The HPA300 comes with a Turbo mode, but no silent mode, so it isn’t the greatest choice for a bedroom air purifier if you’re a light sleeper.
Honeywell HPA300: User reviews
Over on Amazon, the Honeywell HPA300 air purifier scores an impressive four out of five stars, from more than 2,000 user reviews. It also has 4.5 out of five stars on Walmart (from around 200 reviews), and five five-star reviews at NewEgg. That's consistently impressive.
The extra-thick HEPA filter garners plenty of praise from users, especially from allergy sufferers, in online reviews. Some have commented that there’s noticeably less dust on their furniture since they started using the Honeywell HPA300 and that their home feels cleaner.
Many users suggest that this air purifier is helping them keep germs and illness at bay. One reviewer commented that after weeks of illness passing around their family, they purchased the HPA300 and are pleased with the level to which it has reduced family illnesses. Other reviewers have said that they are pleased with its effectiveness against pet dander and dirt.
Of the limited negative reviews, some have commented that the HPA300 is louder than they were hoping. We also saw a complaint about a chemical odor. However, in general, feedback is very positive.
Honeywell HPA300: Verdict
As it’s missing smart features, an auto mode, and a remote control, the Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier does require you to be extra attentive. However, it’s an excellent option if you’re searching for an air purifier that has an outstanding performance, and not just in small spaces; the Honeywell HPA300 can sort out up to 465 square foot at a time, purifying the air at a rate of 12 times per hour.
What it lacks in smart features, the Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier makes up for in performance and a sleek, contemporary design. There’s always the handy turbo mode to fall back on too. The fewer features make the air purifier slightly less expensive than some of its similar competitors, and in all, it’s a great, reasonably-priced air purifier for your home.
If this product isn't for you
If you can afford the extra frills, the Rabbit Air MinusA2 is a wise air purifier alternative. It fills in many of the gaps missing from the Honeywell HPA300 Air Purifier, such as a smart sensor and auto mode, and it’s also a well-rounded performer.
If you’re sticking to a tight budget, the Coway AP1512HH air purifier is another option. While the air purifier doesn’t have quite the same credentials as other purifiers when it comes to its CADR, it has an energy-efficient design that will save you pennies on energy costs in the long run.
Meanwhile, pet owners will be hard-tasked to find a more appropriate air purifier than the Winix HR900 Ultimate Pet Air Purifier. This purifier has been designed to catch pet dander, pet hair and pet odors.