I've owned this air purifier for about 7 years now. Keep in mind any air purifier that has a high output fan and is highly efficient and is going to move a significant amount of air is going to have some fan noise. Don't buy this or any high output fan-based purifier thinking it is whisper quiet.
The only way to get around this is to have a whole-house central-air purifier where the mechanics, fans and motors are in the garage and the duct work is throughout the house. This would be the only way to eliminate noise completely and still have a high output air purifier.
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Pros
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The price is affordable. Check around for the best price. I've seen it at Home Depot for $39.99. At that price you can buy two of them for a medium to large room!
The product is small, and compact enough to sit on a counter, bookshelf, table. The looks are appealing and sleek and it tends to blend in well with the surroundings.
On high it sucks in air at a pretty good rate. It eliminates smoke and odors in the kitchen after cooking. It freshens the air. The air does seem to be a bit lighter.
The HEPA filter catches allot of dust. I know it is working because when I replace the filter it is light to dark gray from dust that it collected. This is particulate matter that would still be in my home if I didn't have this purifier.
Changing the HEPA filter is quick and easy. You just take off the front grill, take out the dirty filter and replace it with a clean one. I don't like the filters that claim you can vacuum them and reuse them. Nope. I like to make sure I put a clean filter back in. Also if you vacuum a filter and your vacuum doesn't have HEPA filtration you're just blowing that junk out of your vacuum and back into your house when you vacuum the filter. Unless of course you vacuum it outside. But that is a hassle and you'd never be sure the filter was totally clean. I'd rather throw out my dirty filter and put in a clean one. The replacement filters are only $14.00 and well worth it to know that all the particulate matter is thrown away.
The white noise it makes while running on medium or high can be soothing and comforting when sleeping. For myself it depends upon the day. some nights I like white noise and other days I want it perfectly quiet. There are 3 speeds that allow me to do just that.
Speaking of 3 speeds-- It has high, medium and low (sleeping). On low you can hardly hear it and is perfect for sleeping at night when you want it to be quiet but still have some air cleaning ability. Medium speed is hardly noticeable but emits a soft white noise.
The ionizer function works well, but I can't really tell if it is making the air smell any fresher or not. I'm sure ionizer technology has it's benefits.
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Cons
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When the motor is on high there is a noticeable blowing fan sound. This noise might be enhanced because the air is blowing through slits in the top back. But keep in mind, like I said in the beginning any purifier with a fan that is going to be highly efficient is going to emit some noise. For me it is not that bad. Some people have a noise threshold that is more sensitive and therefore they can't tolerate noise. If you can stand the sound of a regular fan blowing than having this purifier on high won't bother you. You can always leave it on high when you're not home and maximize your air cleaning and then turn it to medium while your home and on low when you go to bed! That would be the best routine in my opinion. If you didn't want to waste that electricity while you're gone you could plug them into a timer and set the timer for 2 hours prior to you getting home.
After about the 7th year it developed a slight clicking sound. I'm not sure if this is due to wear and tear or the fact that I have packed and moved it long distance a couple of times. I think if it was never bounced around in a moving truck it would not have gotten that clicking sound. It's not really that bad and in fact It doesn't really bother me.
If this unit had a timer function that would make it perfect! The ability to set the time for it to come on at the high speed 2 hours before I get home from work. And to go off right after I leave for work. This would be a nice addition.
I gave this 4/12 stars. But since there isn't a .5 rating I gave it 4. I highly recommend this product. It does exactly what it is designed to do.
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Honeywell 16200 Desktop HEPA Air Purifier.
