Honeywell Review: Air Purifiers

You might know Honeywell for their thermostats, but did you know they're also a major player in the air purifier market? Honeywell is a Fortune 100 company that was founded way back in 1906. They now do business around the world in a wide range of products and services, from aerospace systems to building technologies. They've made a big push into the home comfort and air quality space in recent years.

So many options

Honeywell's air purifier product range is overwhelming, to be frank. They have over 20 products with not much visual differentiation between them. Their product line primarily focuses on air purifiers for smaller spaces. They have 10 models suitable for spaces between 101-200 sq. ft, 6 models for areas of 201-350 sq. ft, 2 larger units for rooms exceeding 351 sq. ft, and 4 compact options designed for small areas of 50-100 square feet It'd be impossible to give you a summary of every air purifier they offer, so we'll give you an overview of the cheapest, the most popular, and the newest models.

• The cheapest: At $69.95, the Honeywell Fresher Air Tabletop Air Purifier is a compact and affordable option to improve your indoor air quality. It has 3 levels to capture common airborne particles like dust, pollen, and pet dander, and helps reduce odors. If you often have the sniffles while working, studying, or sleeping, this air purifier could fit nicely on your desk or bedside table for easy-to-use allergy relief in a smaller room.
• The most popular: The Honeywell Allergen Plus Series HEPA Air Purifier for Large Rooms is effective for spaces up to 310 square feet, where it can circulate and filter the air nearly 5 times per hour. You can easily control it with touch controls and choose from 3 cleaning levels, plus a Turbo Setting for when you need extra air purification. It's designed to operate quietly, and you can set an auto-off timer or dim the control panel lights for nighttime use. It costs $219.95.
• The newest: The Honeywell Designer UltraQuiet Technology HEPA Air Purifier Tower is a feature-rich model that combines advanced air purification with modern design... that we think sort of resembles a UFO about to take off. (There's a light underneath it that changes color according to your air quality, so you can tell from across the room.) Its 360-degree HEPA filtration captures up to 99.97% of airborne particles, and the activated carbon pre-filter helps reduce odors and VOCs. It has an intelligent air quality sensor and an automatic cleaning mode. There's even a tray for your essential oils. You can get it for $199.95.

Energy Star certified

All three of the above models use HEPA filtration to remove airborne particles, offer at least 3 cleaning levels, operate quietly, and have filter replacement indicators. They are all Energy Star certified for efficiency and marketed as effective allergen reducers. Filter replacements range from around $12 to $40.

Function over form for a good price

Honeywell has a lot of air purifiers under $200, including two of the ones we mentioned above. However, they're not the most aesthetically inspiring. They only come in black or white. Function is perhaps prioritized over form here.

30 days for returns

If you're not happy with your Honeywell air purifier, you can return it within 30 days of receiving it. You'll need to contact the returns department for a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. Once approved, you have to ship the item back within 10 days. Unfortunately, the company won't refund shipping costs, and all returns have a 10-30% restocking fee unless the item was damaged or defective. If it was on clearance when you bought it, it can't be returned. If you receive a damaged air purifier, you only have 24 hours to report it. For defective items, you have 30 days to report the issue. In both cases, Honeywell may send you a replacement or a shipping label to return the item.

3-5 year limited warranty

When you purchase a Honeywell air purifier, you're covered by a limited warranty that protects against defects in materials and workmanship. All of the purifiers we looked at in this review were covered by either 3- or 5-year limited warranties. If your air purifier has a problem during this time, you can return it to Honeywell for inspection. If they find that it's defective, they'll either repair or replace it for free, except for the cost of shipping it back to them. As is typical, the warranty doesn't cover damage from improper use, accidents, or modifications.

Poor ratings with customers and the BBB

Each of the air purifiers we looked at for this review had a majority of 5-star reviews on Honeywell's own website. We always approach this sort of situation with skepticism, though. After all, they have the ability to curate what is said about their products. So we took a look at Trustpilot, and sure enough, we found the other side of the story. They had received a "Bad" score of 1.5 from 180 reviews. The reviews that specifically mentioned Honeywell's air purifiers complained that their allergies were not improved or that they had trouble getting satisfactory customer service. Their "F" from the Better Business Bureau is hardly encouraging, either.

Honeywell can't cash in on their name alone

We've seen this before: a big-name company like Honeywell thinking they can coast on their reputation alone. They offer a dizzying array of air purifiers, but in the customer satisfaction department, they fall short. Their products look good on paper, but with poor ratings from customers and the BBB, we can't trust them to sell you a product that will be a good return on your investment. Don't let a familiar name fool you - there are likely better options out there that won't leave you hanging when you need help.

Learn More  ➜

On the Honeywell website