Honeywell QuietClean Air Purifier, Permanent Filters

I bought this air filter unit in 2015 and have run it just about 24 hours every day since (aside from cleaning and moving). After 6+ years this filter still works great, as long as you maintain it properly and have reasonable expectations.

I have severe environmental allergies but live in a house with 3 dogs, 1 cat, and 4 house rabbits that eat hay as a main staple of their diet. This combo resulted in me waking up throughout the night and unable to breathe in the mornings especially. It was a miserable existence.

I chose this filter after much consideration and comparison to other Honeywells, ultimately because the filters are reusable. This cuts down on excess waste from disposable filters, and saves money in the long run. The reusable filters are very easy to clean – just remove, rinse, soak in a little soapy water, rinse, allow to dry completely. I try to clean my filters at least monthly, and 6 years later they’re still working. The difference in air quality after just an hour in a room is pretty impressive; the air just feels cleaner and I’m able to breathe like a normal human.

Just note this is not a HEPA rated filter, guys. If you’re expecting HEPA grade filtered air, pass on this one and buy a HEPA air filter. I have found this unit works great at removing allergens, dander, animal hair, dust, etc from the air, but it is not as effective with smaller particles like smoke (it filters smoke, but not 100%).

I included an image of common airborne particle sizes for reference. The specs on the filter state 1 micrometer as the smallest particle size captured.

I purchased this to replace a very old but similar model that had non-washable filters. I love the ability to wash a filter versus having to purchase new one’s although you can purchase replacement k pre-filters for this unit but don’t have to. I’ve found this unit to be much quieter than the older one it replaced, the oscillation works great and is quiet. Moves a decent amount of air. My only wish was that there was a way to dim the lights on the top, in a bedroom they can seem bright in total darkness. Would purchase again.

This model is a very big improvement on the HFD-010, which is another Honeywell model using electrostatic filter. The HFD-010 is loud, and its filter is poorly made; it has large gaps in between the filter housing, therefore causing lots of unfiltered particles to enter the blower.

The new HFD-120-Q on the other hand, has two newly designed electrostatic filters, all comes with rubber strips on the sides for a better seal. To be fair even with all the seal, trace amount of particle can still be found passing the filter, but compares to the old model it is a big improvement.

The new model uses a single button for speed control, and another button for oscillation. The noise is at the lowest on low setting; mostly the sound of moving air would be heard, and the rotor makes minimal amount of noise.

The oscillation feature is a good addition for an air purifier; it will clear out stale air pockets around the room, and keeps the air circulating. The noise level is also minimal, unlike some of the tower fan, which produces an unbearable whining sound.

The filters do capture quite a lot of fine particles, and they can be cleaned easily through washing. The pre filter comes with two varieties; one is a reusable foam filter, and other is a disposable activated carbon filter. The carbon filter claims to remove some of the odors in the house, however I didn’t notice too much of a change after using it for a while.

The new unit might produce a strong plastic smell when is first used, but after a few days it will start to dissipate. There might be trace amount of ozone smell as well, but you have to be very close to the air vent to smell it.

Overall, this unit does a decent job on capturing air-borne particles, it won’t out shine the true HEPA units, but with regular cleaning its efficiency will not deteriorate (as all HEPA unit experience), and you don’t have to worry about replacing the filters (if you use the reusable pre filter instead of the carbon one) .

Instant relief from pot smoking neighbours on two sides and an unregulated home bakery below us. On Sunday mornings, the fumes from the “bakery” can overpower the air purifier but within minutes after the noxious oven shuts down and the neighbour leaves to sell her goods at her church the histamine response (phlegm at back of throat) stops and I’m breathing clean smelling air again. It took no time at all to get used to the ozone smell from the ionizer but I did do some online research and learned that the machine produces well below harmful amounts. This unit will save us a lot of money and trouble because the filters are washable. We were actually looking for another place to live before it was activated.