Honeywell HFD-120-Q

FULL REVIEW:

We review a lot of Honeywell air purifiers here, because the brand typically puts out some of the best products on the market. How does the Honeywell HFD-120-Q stack up? Let’s dive in.

Performance

This is quite a useful device for particular situations. Let me throw out a scenario to show you what I mean.

Let’s pretend your hosting a dinner party. Ten minutes before the guests are set to arrive, your wet dog decides to roll around in your small dining room. Maybe he lights up a cigarette for good measure. (He would.)

Now, the smells of your expertly-prepared cuisine are overpowered by wet dog and tobacco.

Why do I bring up this ludicrous scenario? To demonstrate one of the upsides of the Honeywell HFD-120-Q, which is that is works very quickly.

Assuming your dining room is fairly small, this air purifier could resolve your wet dog situation in 20-30 minutes. The HFD-120-Q can circulate air 10 times per hour in small rooms, which is probably more than anyone needs on a day-to-day basis.

But in certain situations, like the one above, it pays off.

The HFD-120-Q has an optimal coverage area of between 170 – 190 square feet, so the unit is designed specifically for small or medium-sized rooms. If you’re placing this unit in a small-ish bedroom or dining room, you can expect the device to work very quickly, efficiently and quietly.

And the device works quickly in medium-sized rooms as well, circulating air up to 5 times per hour in rooms up to 170 square feet.

This purifier’s specialty is allergens. It’s CADR rating for pollen is 132, and the device boasts multi-filtration process that includes:

1) a washable pre-filter which captures larger particles (pet hair dust, lint)

2) a permanent IFD filter that captures smaller particles like pet dander, pollen, smoke, etc.

3) an ionizer (I will touch on this aspect in a minute)

It’s CADR ratings for smoke and dust are a bit lower, sitting at 110 and 100 respectively.

But it’s limitations on handling dust and odor are minimal, and really only rear their heads when you’re using this device in a very large space.

If you stay within the recommended 170 – 190 square foot range, this device actually handles dust and smoke very well, and allergens even more so.

Another bonus: since the filters are permanent, the long-term maintenance cost of owning this device is extremely low. You won’t be shelling out money for replacement filters; you’ll just need to clean the filters that are already installed.

Ozone

I mentioned before that the HFD-120-Q has an ionic element.

Now, there are things you have to take into consideration with an ionizing device. These devices emit ozone (although in very small levels). Too much ozone can be a contributing factor to various lung diseases.

Most people don’t have to worry any ozone-related issues with this device, because the ozone it emits is well below the acceptable limit. (Note: the manufacturer claims it emits zero ozone, but I haven’t been able to independently verify that number).

But as a general rule, people with existing respiratory issues should stay away from ionic air purifiers.

Energy Efficiency and Noise Level

The HFD-120-Q is Energy Star® certified and draws about 43 watts. Generally, the device is very energy efficient given its performance in small spaces. The device becomes less efficient as its abilities are stretched (say, if you use it in a 400 square foot room). But overall, this is the type of air purifier you can run all day without worry about crazy spikes in your electric bill.

It’s a very quiet device, as well. It has to be, considering it’s designed largely for bedrooms. At its lowest setting, the device is “whisper quiet” – you can barely hear anything. You will certainly be able to sleep with this device running in your room at night.

The device gets louder when it has to work harder – no surprise there. But it’s never loud; and if it is, there might be a defect and you should contact the manufacturer.

Verdict:

Honeywell HFD-120-Q

$120

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