Honeywell HFD120Q Tower Air Purifier Review

These machines appeared several years ago, and since then an overwhelming selection of models has been introduced, each trying to differentiate itself from the others in small (and sometimes silly) ways. The real deciding factor, though, is how much stuff each model removes from your air. How much stuff, and what size stuff.

Although the Honeywell HFD120Q Tower HEPAQuiet Air Purifier is labeled as “HEPA-something” by some online retailers, in truth it’s NOT a HEPA filter. It is, however, a pretty decent machine that doesn’t take up too much space and prevents quite a bit of hair and dust from reaching your lungs. It might not do much for your allergies, but it will make your house cleaner. And maybe that’s exactly what you need.

Air dust remover – Yes. Air purifier? Maybe…

I’ll be honest: when I think of Honeywell, I think of a company that produces solutions to problems that don’t really exist. That’s probably an unfair characterization, though, and they really are at least a step above Sharper Image. The Honeywell HFD-120-Q does try to address a real problem: bad stuff in the air. And it does work, to a point. This model will definitely remove dust and debris from your air. The problem is it’s just not strong enough to get to the nitty-gritty, the allergens and VOCs that can really endanger your health and are the main reason most people look for air purifiers to begin with. As a dust remover, though, it’s not a bad little machine. The main features are:

• Three-stage air filtration (electronic, not HEPA)
• Three speeds and oscillating function
• Tall, slim profile fits any room
• Much cheaper than many other consumer air purifiers

Electronic air filter and ionizer

There’s a lot of buzz about ionizing air filters. The idea is to ionize (charge) particles so they clump together and stick to walls, floors, tables, and other easy-to-clean surfaces, removing themselves from the air. It only takes one look at your blackened walls to know that it really works, but the bad part is that all ionizers (even the ones that say they don’t) also create a small amount of ozone, which can be an irritant and toxin in high quantities. If you’re sensitive to ozone, you should avoid these.

The Honeywell HFD-120-Q uses a three-part filter system. The first is a pre-filter that catches big stuff (hair, dust, etc.). The second is an IFD (intense filed dielectric) filter that attracts dirt using static electricity. You know how dust collects on your TV screen? It works like that. They claim that this filter captures 99% of particles 2 microns and larger. That’s dust, pollen, and mold spores. Anything smaller than that (bacteria, smoke, cat and dust allergens) may or may not get trapped. This is definitely not a HEPA filter. The smoking gun is probably the many customers who say that even though they don’t see as much dust, their allergies aren’t much better. Owners of other air purifiers with real HEPA filters like the Blueair 501 and the Alen A350 complain about other stuff, but not this. Finally, the third filter is the ionizer, which is inexplicably outside the electronic filter…

The great part about the filters, though, is that they’re permanent. No buying filters! Just vacuum or rinse them off every couple of weeks or so and put them back in.

Oscillating function = fancy fan

One really nice feature on the Honeywell HFD-120-Q is the oscillating function: it blows air back and forth like a fan. If you typically have a fan going when you’re home, you can replace it with this unit for less dust. It’s also better than other units that shoot air straight out in one direction, which can be drafty. Unfortunately, the fan function is a little strong. It circulates the air well but can get chilly. There are three speeds of which the lowest two are suitable for sleeping and the third can be used when you’re not at home.

CLICK HERE to see consumer reviews of the Honeywell HFD120Q

Definitely a winning design

Unlike the big, boxy air purifiers that could double as coffee tables were you allowed to put stuff on them, the Honeywell HFD-120-Q is really elegant. It’s tall and slim, perfect for sitting unobtrusively in a corner somewhere. Well, you’re not supposed to put it in a corner, probably because of the wall-blackening ionizing function, but if you’ve got some ugly curtains you don’t care about, you can put it near those and it’ll be out of the way. Even in the middle of the room, it’s not as ugly as, say, the Austin Air HealthMate. Plus it’s so light – 14 pounds – that you can easily tote it around.

Affordable model in an inflated-price market

The Honeywell HFD-120-Q is definitely in the low-end, mass-produced segment of the air purifier market. It’s about a third of the price as the mid-range models; granted, its Clean Air Delivery Rate ratings and cubic foot per minute circulation capacity are about half of those models. So once again, this model is a nice dust collector, but not really an air purifier.

Feedback from other customers

Since the Honeywell HFD-120-Q is such an affordable model, it’s quite popular, especially among folks who would have gone even cheaper with Sharper Image but for the bad press that that company got about its ionizers. By and large, people with serious air quality problems have been frustrated with this model. On the other hand, hundreds of happy customers with less dust and pet hair find nothing to complain about.

• “I do find that I have to clean the filter a couple of times a month rather than once a month, but that may be because I live in the city. Even so, this is a lot cheaper than replacing filters every two weeks, and it is extraordinarily easy to clean the filter for this Honeywell purifier.”
• “When I came in the house from the fresh air outside, there was a horrible smell from the machine. It was like ozone or some chemical smell. I guess from the ionizer. So we will look to return the unit, and hope no damage to our heath has been done.”

• “Bought this to clean air from cigarette smoke. Works great, neighbors can’t smell anything anymore, they were complaining constantly. Easy to wash and clean the filter. Works very quietly.”
• “I was disappointed in this product and sent it back. It was advertised as HEPA but in fact does not have a true HEPA filter. Rather it has a ‘HEPA like’ filter.”
• “I would be bit concerned for the winter time use, since it does create bit of draft even at the lower fan-speed setting. I’ve had the units running for 1 month now, and air quality in each room has gotten better. I do have seasonal allergies so it did help a bit, not a big help.

As you might expect from an inexpensive machine, there are several complaints about quality. Motors start knocking, oscillators start clicking, and have you ever tried getting a mass-market consumer electronics company to honor a warranty? Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a fan that doubles as a dust-remover and makes your home smell kind of chemically clean (lots of people like the smell) and you don’t want to drop a lot of money, the Honeywell HFD-120-Q is the machine for you.

I want to get one!

The Honeywell HFD-120-Q sells for pretty much the same price across the internet and in stores, so it’s only a matter of customer service. Amazon has good customer service and an excellent returns policy, and they ship this model direct (not through third-party vendors).

Save up to 11% off the Honeywell HFD120Q Tower Air Purifier Today at Amazon – including FREE SHIPPING

Read more air purifier reviews…
1. Austin Air Healthmate
2. Alen A350 HEPA Air Purifier
3. IQAir HealthPro Plus HEPA Air Purifier