I'm allergic to pet dander and pollen. To make matters worse, I don't clean as often as I should. There are just so many more fun things to do, and so I rely on air purifiers to keep the sneezing and itchy eyes under control. One of my favorites is the Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier. It removes allergens and odors without making too much noise or requiring much maintenance.
The Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier specs at a glance
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Specs |
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR) | 320 cubic feet per minute |
| Recommended room size | 581 square feet |
| Weight | 17.4 pounds |
| Dimensions | 9.25 x 20 x 22.25 inches |
| Energy Star-certified | Yes |
| Auto mode | No |
| Type of filter(s) | True HEPA and activated carbon prefilter |
| Filter replacement |
Our review of the Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier
Setup
It took about 5 minutes to set up the Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier. It has two types of filters to rid your air of different irritants. Three identical HEPA filters handle airborne particles, like pet dander, pollen, and dust. The activated carbon pre-filter captures larger particles before they get to the HEPA filter and reduces household odors and volatile organic compounds (VOCs.)
Performance
To test air purifiers, I light an incense stick in a 200-square-foot room, burn it for 15 minutes, and then turn the purifier on and run it on high for two hours. I take particulate matter (PM) and VOC measurements every 15 minutes to see how well and quickly the unit removes the irritants.
In 45 minutes, the Honeywell HPA300 removed over 99% of the PM. This suggests the air cleaner is ideal for people suffering from allergies. It also removed more than 70% of the VOCs in the testing period, making it one of our top performers.
Here's a breakdown of how well the Honeywell HEPA Air Purifier removed PM and VOCs in our testing:
| 0 min. (start incense) | 15 min. (start purifier) | 30 min. | 45 min. (end incense) | 60 min. | 75 min. | 90 min. | 105 min. | 120 min. | |
| PM | 9 | 140 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| VOCs | 502 | 2522 | 5000 | 5096 | 3663 | 2318 | 2047 | 1759 | 1508 |
Noise
The Honeywell air purifier operates quietly. On its lowest setting (Germ mode), it's no louder than ambient sound. In Turbo mode, the noise level is still quieter than normal conversation, about 55 decibels.
Maintenance
Maintenance is a snap. An indicator light tells you when to replace the filters, roughly annually for the HEPA Filters and quarterly for the pre-filter. The HEPA filters are widely available, while the pre-filter appears to only be available on the Honeywell site. The Honeywell HPA300's filter replacement costs are about average, a little less than $100 per year. The only other maintenance is wiping down the unit with a dry cloth every 3 months.
Cons to consider
Many of today's air purifiers feature an Auto mode that adjusts the fan speed based on the air quality. The purifier runs on high to clean the air faster if it's bad. The fan runs on low to conserve energy if the air is fine. Though it's Energy Star-certified, the Honeywell HPA300 True HEPA Air Purifier doesn't have an Auto mode and had high power consumption in our tests.
Using a smart plug, I measured how much power the Honeywell air purifier used in 24 hours. It averaged 0.05 kilowatt-hours, nearly twice the mean in our tests of other air purifiers.
What are your alternatives?
Before making the Honeywell HPA300 the top pick in our air purifier guide, the Honeywell HPA3300BV1 PowerPlus True HEPA Air Purifier held the honor. We removed it because it's frequently out of stock, but we strongly recommend it. It has an Auto mode and used less power than the HPA300. Plus, it did better at removing PM. You can read our full review here.
The bottom line
Whether you're looking to remove allergens or just want to reduce the odors in your home, the Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier is an excellent choice. It's reasonably priced for how much space it cleans, runs quietly, and requires minimal maintenance. If you're in the market for an air purifier, this is the one to get.
Pros: Energy Star-certified, a top performer in our tests, quiet operation, simple setup, affordable upfront cost, widely available filters, low maintenance
Cons: No automatic mode, high power use
