Honeywell HPA100 Small Air Purifier – Hands-On Review (2023)

Honeywell is a well-known brand, especially in the USA. They have been available on the air purifier market for almost three decades. Many users trust them not only for their air purifiers but also for many other products.

The Honeywell HPA100 is a small air purifier designed for rooms up to 155 sq. ft. It fits ideally into a small office, home bookstore, small kitchen, or similar room. Honeywell offers several models in this series; I would like to highlight the HPA200 and HPA300 models if you are looking for a similar air purifier for larger rooms and a more powerful CFM.

What attracted me most to the Honeywell HPA100 air purifier is that this model has been on the market for years. Despite the many new, advanced, smart air purifiers on the market, users still want to buy a Honeywell and trust the Honeywell brand after so many years. Perhaps the key factor is the warranty for some users, which is very generous for the HPA100 and lasts for as long as 5 years.

The HPA100 has a history of satisfied users, but the market boundaries are shifting, newer, more modern filtration technologies are coming along, and it is no longer so easy to stay on top. So I believe this review is fascinating, especially for users who want to see whether the Honeywell HPA100 is still a good choice and whether it can compete with many new, modern, smart air purifiers.

Specifications

See all the essential specifications of the Honeywell HPA100 air purifier in the table below.

Installation and Setup

The Honeywell HPA100 air purifier comes with a filter that is ready to go but still requires some preparation before the first start. All you need to do is open the cover on the front, remove the filters, and unpack them from the plastic bag. Then return the unpacked filters, first the True HEPA and then the Carbon Filter, to the machine and close the lid.

With the HPA100 ready to use, place it in the desired location, at least 15 inches away from walls or other obstacles, plug it in, and turn it on.

I would also advise you to place the unit on a hard surface to avoid tipping and possible damage. Also, do not cover air inlet and exhaust under any circumstances.

Design

In terms of design, the Honeywell HPA100 air purifier has a slightly older, somewhat industrial design. Although it won’t fit into any modern environment, it is not ugly. However, I would recommend a new air purifier, such as the Levoit Vital 100, or something similar for a somewhat more modern room.

My one complaint about the manufacturer is the quality of the workmanship, particularly the stickers for the buttons on the top and the quality of the plastic. The model I am showing in this test is black, but this Honeywell is also available in white color.

The buttons on the device are located, as I mentioned, on the top; they are touch-sensitive but not very practical. They do not always respond to pressure as they should. Next to the buttons are LED indicators that light up to indicate which button or option is currently active.

I would like to praise the carrying handles located on the sides of the device. Many air purifiers do not have this specific feature which is very useful, especially if you move the machine from room to room.

Although it looks a bit industrial, the Honeywell HPA100 is a lovely device. I believe it will fit into many environments.

Control Panel

The control panel is located at the top of the device, covered with grey-colored graphic elements.

The buttons located on the panel are the auto-off timer, filter check reminders, power button, fan speed button, and dimmer button.

The Honeywell HPA100 is not a smart device. It does not have a remote control, so the only way to operate it is by pressing the touch buttons located on the top panel.

Although the buttons can sometimes be awkward, this is not the only drawback of the control panel, especially as the LED lights are strangely illuminated, especially at fan speeds, and cannot always be distinguished well.

Airflow

The Honeywell HPA100 is a rectangular air purifier with filters mounted on the front. This means that the unit draws air through openings in the front cover, which is then filtered and pushed out through grilles at the top.

Size and Dimensions

The air purifier weighs 7.74 lb. The dimensions of the device are: 13.54 x 8.9 x 13.94 inches. This very small air purifier is a bit heavier than I thought, but carrying this device will not be a problem, thanks to the slots on the sides.

What’s in the box?

You get a Honeywell HPA100 air purifier, odor-reducing pre-filter, True HEPA filter, and user manual when you buy the device.

Features Overview

The Honeywell HPA100 is an older air purifier that has been on the market for years, so I didn’t expect it to have some advanced features like an air quality sensor or a smart app option. However, I am happy with the fact that this model has more options than some of the much newer air purifiers.

Filter Check Indicator

The Honeywell HPA100 has two built-in filter check indicators connected to the pre-filter and the HEPA filter.

The check filter indicator will light up every 12 months to indicate that the filters on the unit need to be changed. The check pre-filter indicator will light up every 3 months to tell when it is time to change this filter.

This is a handy option, so you don’t have to keep track of when it’s time to change the filter, as the machine will do it all for you.

Timer

The Honeywell HPA100 has another handy option built-in, and that is the timer option. The timer works by setting it for 2h, 4h, or 8h, which means the device switches itself off after the set time. In the absence of smart options, the timer is a command that can be useful as it allows at least partial programming of the device.

Dimmer

The dimmer serves to dim all the indicators on the device. This is a beneficial option if you intend to use the Honeywell HPA100 in a bedroom or other room where you may be disturbed by the lights on the air purifier.

I used the Honeywell HPA100 in a bedroom for a while. The combination of first fan speed and dimmer proved to be very good, but I would not recommend using it in a bedroom due to the slightly higher volume produced by the HPA100 motor.

Warranty

Honeywell provides a 5-year warranty on this model. However, it should be noted that the warranty is limited and does not cover any defects or breakages that may occur in the use of the appliance.

Although this warranty is very generous, I have to say that there are two things that I do not like, namely that the warranty is limited and the customer support at Honeywell is not very adequate, so many customers have had problems with a warranty for their product.

Filtration Technology

Honeywell contains two filters, which means that it essentially uses 2-stage filtration. The first filtration stage combines a pre-filter and an odor-reducing filter. While the second filtration stage is a True HEPA filter.

The filters are rectangular in shape, located on the front of the unit, and are not washable.

What differs from the HPA100 and the other larger models in the series is that the HPA200 uses 2 of the same filters as the HPA100 or the HPA300 uses 3 of the same filters as the HPA100. These are essentially the same models, just larger, with more space to put more filters. The Honeywell HPA100 air purifier lacks a removable pre-filter, which would be easier to clean and maintain.

Pre-Filter and Odor Reducing Combo

Combining a pre-filter and odor-reducing filter is the first stage of filtration. This filter is responsible for neutralizing odors and preventing the ingress of all larger particles of dust, hair, and the like to the True HEPA filter. In this way, this filter will prolong the lifetime of the True HEPA filter.

True HEPA Filter

True HEPA is the last and basic level of filtration in the HPA100 air purifier.

This filter is responsible for the performance and results achieved by the HPA100. This filter helps to capture up to 99.97% of microscopic allergens, 0.3 microns and larger, from any air passing through the filter. If you are looking for a replacement filter, always purchase the original filters by looking for the mark on the filter: HRF-R1.

How to Replace Honeywell HPA100 Filters?

The Honeywell HPA100 uses filters that are not washable and need to be replaced periodically.

Fortunately, this model uses filter reset indicators to let you know when it’s time to change the filter. On the control panel, you can see two indicators, the filter check indicator, which indicates when the True HEPA filter has expired, and the check pre-filter indicator, which will let you know when it’s time to replace the pre-filter and odor-reducing filter combination.

The True HEPA filter should be replaced every 12 months on average, and the pre-filter and odor-reducing filter combination should be replaced every 3 months on average. Suppose you change the filter before the indicator lights up. In that case, you need to reset the indicator by holding your finger on the check filter or check the pre-filter button for 5 seconds, but make sure the unit is switched off.

Total time: 10 minutes.

Noise Test

The Honeywell HPA100 uses 4 speeds to operate. The more speeds the machine uses, the easier it is for the user to adapt and determine the speed that suits him best. To begin with, I would like to point out that the Honeywell is very loud at first speed, much louder than I expected.

At first speed, the HPA100 produces 48.2 dBA of sound, which is really too much. This is where a sleep mode or a different speed would undoubtedly have come in handy, at which the motor would have run more slowly, and the sound it produces would have been more pleasant.

The situation is slightly better at maximum speed compared to competitors, with the Honeywell HPA100 making only 58.5 dBA at full speed.

Overall, I would not recommend the Honeywell HPA100 in a bedroom or similar room, as it is too loud at minimum speed. However, this should not be a problem in everyday use, especially due to the well-optimized motor sound at higher speeds.

Performance Tests

The Honeywell HPA100 is a small air purifier designed for rooms up to 155 sq. ft. I have been using this device for some time in various rooms in my home.

The main thing I have noticed is that the performance is acceptable, but the HPA100 struggles very hard with removing odors, either from cigarettes or cooking. This is mainly because it uses a carbon-coated fiber filter, which has not proven very effective in eliminating odors.

However, this model is perfect for allergies, dust removal, and almost any situation where the True HEPA filter is widely known to do a superior job.

In addition to using the device in everyday situations, I have also tested it in pre-defined rooms, as I have done with almost all the air purifiers I have tested so far.

120 sq. ft. Room Test

In the first test, in a 120 sq. ft. room, the Honeywell ran for 60 minutes continuously at maximum speed and improved air quality by approximately 93% during that time.

This is an excellent result, which in a way I expected, especially as the room is slightly smaller than the recommended dimensions.

194 sq. ft. Room Test

In the second test, Honeywell had a slightly more difficult task in a slightly larger room than recommended. Operating at maximum speed, this air purifier improved air quality by approximately 89% in just 60 minutes.

The Honeywell HPA100 was a little more troublesome in this room, but again I am pleased with the results.

Operating Costs

The Honeywell HPA100 is a small energy star-certified air purifier using a 50W motor. The Honeywell HPA100 uses only 16W at minimum speed and 32.7W at maximum speed. This means that if you left the HPA100 running at full speed, 24 hours a day, and so on for a month, the machine would increase your electricity bill by about $2.9.

Comparing power and electricity consumption, one of the main competitors of this model, the GermGuardian AC4825, uses a 53W motor, which is almost identical to the HPA100. Interestingly, the Blueair 211+, although a much more powerful air purifier with much higher airflow, uses a motor of only 61W.

A slightly higher cost is the filter replacement, which needs to be changed on average once per year for True HEPA and about four times per year for the pre-filter.

Fortunately, filters are not changed often and are not very expensive either, so if you add up the price of filters with the cost of electricity consumption, the Honeywell HPA100 is not costly to maintain.

FAQ on Honeywell HPA100

Pros and Cons

To revise, here are the advantages and disadvantages of the Honeywell HPA100:

Final Thoughts