Honeywell HPA300 vs Coway AP-1512HH vs Winix 5500-2 vs Blueair 211+

Believe it or not, the air you breathe indoors can be just as or even dirtier than the air outside. This is because pollution that gets trapped in our home has nowhere to go, and every time you crack a window, you’re inviting more than just “fresh” air inside.

To solve this problem, or at the very least reduce it to more tolerable levels, you’re going to need an air purifier. Today, we’re comparing four top-selling air purifiers made by popular brands. Read our comparison down below to see which air purifier is right for you.

Honeywell HPA300

The Honeywell HPA300 might not look like much, but it’s a beast that can clean up to 465 square feet while removing as much as 99.97% of the 0.3-micron particles or larger from the air. It does this by passing suctioned-in air through a triple filtration system that consists of a 2-in-1 pre-filter and carbon filter and finally a HEPA filter.

Perhaps what’s most surprising about this seemingly normal air purifier is that its far reach and high ACH (air change per hour) rating. At most, this device can deliver up to 5 ACH to rid the air of lingering cigarette smoke, pollen, dander, VOCs, and cooking smells. Make sure you change the filters once every three months or whenever the LED indicator lights up.

But how well does this unit clean the air? The CADR (clean air delivery rate) figures tell the real picture here. The HPA300 is rated 320 CFM for dust, 300 CFM for smoke, and 300 CFM for pollen. Any air purifier that is rated at least 300 CFM in all three categories is a clear-cut winner in our book.

Our biggest gripe with the HPA300 is that it doesn’t have an air quality sensor, so it doesn’t turn the fan on and off when indoor air pollution reaches a certain threshold. Thankfully, there’s a built-in timer (up to 8 hours) to help cut energy costs.

Coway AP-1512HH

Next up, we have the Coway AP-1512HH, an air purifier that looks as sleek as it performs. There several differences between this and the Honeywell, the most prominent of which is the smaller coverage range. At most, the AP-1512HH snatches pollutants from 361-square-foot rooms at 4 ACH, or, in a rough sense, it’s “weaker” by approximately 23%.

Instead of having just three filter layers to clean the air, the AP-1512HH features a four-stage system that consists of a pre-filter, a deodorizing filter, a True HEPA Filter, and a Vital Ionizer. Like the Honeywell, the True HEPA Filter captures microscopic pollutants while the deodorizing filter remove pet, kitchen, and cigarette smells. But the addition of the optional Vital Ionizer is a real treat—it boosts air-cleansing power by making odor molecules adhere better to the filters.

Something that shoppers will definitely appreciate is the AP-1512HH’s self-sufficiency. The Coway Mighty Pollution Sensor constantly measures indoor air pollution levels and communicates them to the motor. While auto mode is on, the AP-1512HH can automatically turn on when needed and will shut down after the air has been thoroughly purified. Alternatively, you can use the 1/4/8-hour timer if you want to leave it running continuously through the night.

When cleaning dust, smoke, and pollen, the AP-1512HH is objectively “weaker” than the Honeywell. Its CADR figures are just 246 CFM for dust, 233 CFM for smoke, and 240 CFM for pollen—not bad by mid-range air purifier standards, but, again, not at the same level as the Honeywell.

Winix 5500-2

The 5500-2 is one of Winix’s best-selling air purifiers, and it’s certainly not hard to see why. With 40-plus years in the home air quality business, it only makes sense that Winix knows a thing or two about manufacturing some of the best, most reliable air purifiers you can get your hands on. Even though the 5500-2 is an older model, it remains as relevant today as it did when it was released a few years back.

First off, the CADR figures. The 5500-2 is rated at 243, 232, and 246 CFM for dust, smoke, and pollen, respectively. These figures indicate how well the device performs in 360-square-foot rooms, or roughly the same room size as the Coway’s air purifier can clean. While these ratings are nothing to scoff at, especially considering the air purifier’s mid-range coverage, it’s clear that it pales in comparison to the awesome cleaning performance of the Honeywell.

The 5500-2 features a similar filtration system setup as the Honeywell. Its washable pre-filter and activated carbon filter are combined into one single layer, after which the True HEPA Filter comes into play. Like the Coway, the 5500-2 features an optional ionizer—the Winix Plasmawave—to further boost purifying powers by giving pollutants a negative charge that makes them adhere to the triple-filter layers.

If you don’t want to fiddle with the 5500-2 multiple fan speed settings, then simply let it run on Auto Mode. Built-in smart sensors continuously measure pollution concentration levels before kicking the 5500-2’s motor into high, medium, or low gear, or turning it off entirely.

Blueair 211+

Allow us to introduce you to the Blueair 211+, a sleek, modern, quiet, long-reaching air purifier for homes, dorms, apartments, offices, and garage workshops. The 211+ is designed to remove pollution for air in rooms of 550 square feet or smaller while delivering as many as 5 ACH or roughly 1 ACH per 12 minutes of continuous cleaning.

But how well does it remove dust, smoke, and pollen? Finally, we have an air purifier that gives the Honeywell a run for its money regarding CADR. The 211+ is rated at 350 CFM for all categories, which is a definite winner by air purifier standards.

The 211+ traps particles with a triple-filter setup that consists of a washable/vacuumable pre-filter, a HEPASilent Filter, and an activated carbon filter. The HEPASilent Filter boasts the same 99.97% efficiency rating as True HEPA Filters but has the benefit of reducing fan noises by quite a lot. This unit generates only between 31 and 56 dBA.

Forget about manually scrolling through different fan speeds. Simply leave your 211+ on Auto Mode and let the integrated particle sensor do all of the thinking for you. When the air has been thoroughly cleaned, the 211+ will switch to standby mode and await further commands.

If you have any questions or comments, please add them below in the comment section. Similarly, please let us know if you spot any mistakes or omissions. Thanks!

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Last Update: 2024-04-26 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API