To clean allergens like pet hair and pollen from surfaces, you need a vacuum cleaner or a dust mop. To reduce viruses and bacteria on surfaces, it is usually sufficient to clean them with soap, detergent, or an all-purpose cleaner. Since 2017, I have conducted extensive reporting on and real-world testing of air purifiers in my New York City apartment and in Wirecutter’s New York and Los Angeles offices. I have spoken with manufacturers, engineers, academics, and experts. And I have also lived with most of our picks, running them 24/7 for months—and sometimes years—in my apartment.
The 311i Max’s motor and fan blade are more efficient than earlier models, with a gently flared shape and a slightly larger surface area than its predecessor (and former pick), the 311 Auto. In the 311i Max version, a redesigned honeywell humidifier outlet grille has more area for air to pass through. Levoit’s Core 600S is a powerful machine designed for use in spaces up to about 700 square feet, at four air changes per hour, and it performed very well in our tests.
Parents on our staff who own a Mighty report that it has stood up to toddlers banging on the control panel and older kids roughhousing with it. We place the purifiers at the midpoint of the test room (this is best practice in your room, too). The particle counter goes in the farthest corner of the room, ensuring an accurate reading of whole-room purification. The particle counter takes readings continuously, with counts totaled in one-minute increments.
However, on its medium-high and high speeds, it produced a persistent rattle that we could not ignore nor fix by repositioning the machine and confirming that the filter was properly seated. The Levoit Vital 200S is another excellent purifier and honeywell purifier is similar to the Coway Mighty in both capability and livability. It excelled in our smoke tests, and it resembles the Mighty in energy usage and noise output (meaning it’s highly efficient and very quiet on its lower, everyday fan settings).
We later learned that many of the company’s advertising claims were found to be baseless, and Molekule subsequently retracted almost all of them. (You can read about the saga in our reports from February and June 2020; the Air was then known as the MH1.) That year we also tested a Molekule Air Mini and judged it to be similarly poor. It’s easy to forget the occasional obligation of replacing your purifier’s honeywell air purifier filters—so set a calendar reminder. Purifier manufacturers typically recommend replacing them annually, but check the manual; some models call for less frequent or more frequent replacement. If you specifically need to address high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), we recommend the Austin Air HealthMate HM400. Like our other picks, it uses a HEPA filter to capture particulate pollutants.
HEPA filters are proven to remove microscopic particles, such as dust, pollen, pet dander and smoke, from the air. They’re often used in air purifiers, but you can also find HEPA vacuums and furnace filters—although they may not be the best choice for your furnace blower. Smog, smoke, allergens and even viruses have homeowners wondering about indoor air quality—and what they can do to improve it, especially as they spend more time at home. And with my own recent move to the Denver metro area, I understand the need for a solution to poor air quality days. That’s why I was excited to write a Honeywell air purifier review for the HPA300 model. We’re giving you the full scoop on this easy-to-operate machine.