Honeywell HFD-120-Q QuietClean Tower Air Purifier Review

The Honeywell HFD-120-Q QuietClean Tower Air Purifier has a three stage cleaning process which is suitable for a small to medium sized room. It’s a great product for those with allergies, sinus problems or asthma who want to remove the pollens, cat dander or dust in general. Most reviewers notice the difference in the air shortly after starting to use it and are very happy with the unit.

You should note that this model is listed as Honeywell HFD-120-Q Tower HEPAQuiet Air Purifier with Permanent IFD Filter, Black.

Reviewers are delighted that both the filters in this unit are washable which cuts down on the costs of running an air purifier. They also like the oscillating effect which circulates the purified air better. Some users are so happy with this unit that they buy more than one for other rooms.

One reviewer uses it in the kitchen and finds it keeps the area free from cooking smells and smoke.

It’s very easy to clean and use and is reasonably priced but check out our full review below to make sure you’re aware of all the features and all the pros and cons. I want to make sure you are fully informed before you buy!

 Read the rest of the Honeywell HFD-120-Q review below:

Table of Contents (click ahead!)
Filter Type            Coverage Area          Features
Noise Level           Dimensions              Customer Reviews
Pros & Cons

Honeywell HFD-120-Q Filter Type

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The Honeywell HFD- 120-Q has a three stage filtering process comprising:

• a washable pre-filter to catch the larger airborne particles
• an IFD filter to catch smaller particles
• an ionizer which puts out negative ions into the room.

The pre-filter is a very important part of the unit since it collects the larger particles and prevents them going to the IFD filter and clogging it up. The more you keep your room clean, the longer the air purifier will run without needing to be cleaned.

You can see the two filters and the rear grill after cleaning on the left.

The IFD filter removes 99% of airborne particles down to 2 microns such as pollen, cat dander, household dust, smoke, viruses, bacteria and mold according Kaz, the manufacturer of the Honeywell home air purifiers. IFD stands for “intense field dielectric”. The airborne particles are electrically charged and then stick to the surfaces of the filter which has the opposite charge. You should note that this isn’t quite as effective as a true HEPA filter which filters 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns.

The great thing about IFD filters is that they can be vacuumed and washed in plain water and so don’t need replacing. Secondly, an IFD filter doesn’t need as much air pressure as standard HEPA filters and so it allows the air purifier to be quieter.

The pre-filter just needs washing in plain water. Both filters should be perfectly dry before replacing into the air purifier.

One reviewer who was a smoker wrote “One day I decided to pour some baking soda into the sink and use hot water. As soon as the hot water reacted with the baking soda, the sink filled with a dark brown liquid coming out of the filter. HOORAY!!! I let it soak for a bit and moved the filters around in the water. After rinsing everything clean, I looked at the formerly dark brown filter and it had restored itself to the original metallic color, free of the tobacco stains stuck on the filter from before. Now I’m truly happy with this air purifier. I’d rather have a washable filter than something I’d have to spend money on constantly replacing.”

However, I warn you to do this at your own risk since it’s against the manufacturer’s recommendations.

The ionizer puts out negative ions into the room. This causes the particles to stick to surfaces which can be dusted or vacuumed. For this reason the manufacturer recommends that you shouldn’t place the unit on light-colored carpet since it may stain.

You should be aware that it is not possible to turn off the ionization.

Honeywell HFD-120-Q Coverage Area

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The Honeywell HFD-120-Q is designed as a single room air purifier and is suitable for small and medium rooms. It will efficiently clean the air in a room up to 13 feet by 13 feet, or approximately 170 square feet in size. This means it would serve well for any room in an average sized house such as a bedroom or living room. You can use it wherever it is most needed.

The Honeywell HFD-120-Q should be kept running continueously for 24 hours a day and ideally all the doors and windows to the room you are using it in should be closed. The manufacturer advises that the unit be kept three feet from walls and furniture.

Features

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The Honeywell HFD-120-Q has some great features which we list below:

• HEPAQuiet air purifier with permanent pre-filter for medium rooms up to 170 square feet
• 3 speed fan which means you can choose between fast filtering and very quiet filtering
• Electronic filter check indicator for easy maintenance
• Captures dust, pollen, cat dander and tobacco smoke
• Built-in ionizer grounds airborne particles for easy vacuuming
• An oscillating tower which helps to circulate fresher air throughout the room. It can be switched on or off.
• energy star rating
• 5 year warranty

Noise Level

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 Since the Honeywell HFD-120-Q uses an IFD filter, it does not require the same air pressure as a traditional HEPA filter and so it’s possible for it to run quieter. The fan has three speeds which are obviously progressively noisier at faster speeds.

Most reviewers have found it very quiet. A few have found it too noisy for them. One person commented that on low, it sounds like a bit like a fan on low speed and that on medium it had a white noise effect.  It’s best to have it on the slowest setting when you need the most quiet and then switch it onto high setting to get a faster filtering effect when you are out of the room or not worried about the noise.

Dimensions

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 The dimensions are 28.7 by 11.22 by 10.04 inches. The unit weighs 13 pounds. It is a tower and so doesn’t take up a lot of space.

Customer Reviews

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As of this date, there are 195 reviews on Amazon. 102 reviews are 5 star and 39 reviews are 4 star. As against that there are only a total of 54 reviews which rated the unit as 1, 2 or 3 star. Most of the reviews, therefore, are very positive suggesting that the unit is efficient and quiet.

Several people commented that the unit gives off a smell when you first use it but this disappears after the first day or so.

“Its very sturdy and well constructed, it cleans and circulates the air through out my bedroom… (read more here: Honeywell HFD-120-Q Review)”

“So remember… This machine is very quiet almost silent, It circulates just as much air as my 21 inch box fan, It has a weighted base which keeps it stable as it oscillates, it has washable filters that must be allowed to dry before you re-install them, It has a weird smell its first few hours of use, its energy efficent and has a 5 year warranty on the box…The tower is black and constructed of durable thick plastic and the base is silver… The unit is tall but has a small diameter so it ended up taking up very little area on my night stand near my bed… (read more here: Honeywell HFD-120-Q Review)”

“This air purifier is very effective at capturing indoor allergens. Since I started using it, I sometimes forget that I have allergies until I step outside… (read more here: Honeywell HFD-120-Q Review)”

 

Average Amazon Rating: 3.9

Pros & Cons

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Pros:

This model uses an IFD filter which doesn’t need so much air pressure. This means you don’t need such noisy fan speeds. On the lowest setting the model is barely audible. Even at the highest speed it isn’t noisy.

Both the filters used in this model are washable and do not require regular replacement like a traditional HEPA filter. The pre-filter is to be washed in water. The IFD filter should be vacuumed and then washed in water. Be sure to dry thoroughly before replacing in the unit.

The oscillating feature allows for better circulation of purified air.

It’s economical because you don’t need to replace the filters and it doesn’t consume a lot of electricity.

Cons:

This model will not allow you to turn the ionization off. So, if that is an issue for you, you had better choose a different model.

For current pricing information on the Honeywell HFD-120-Q, follow this link:

Features Overview:

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