Air Purifiers Reviews

Does the job. Small size fills with allergens much faster than a large unit. For the small size it works great but plan on replacing every 90 days if you use your unit constantly.

The 1 star is NOT for the quality but for the error in the description. Please do not make the same mistake I did and order this thinking you are receiving 3 filters. You only recieve 1.

Date written: July 25, 2005.

I have pointed this out to Amazon today so they may change the description so no one else makes this mistake.

I placed an order for this item based on the good reviews and the new permanent HEPA filter. When I received it, it was indeed the 50150, but obviously an older model, as the product did not match the photo, and the HEPA filter required replacement (the specifications on this page list a permanent HEPA). Customer service immediately sent me a new one, and once again, I received the same older model. While the product seems to work fairly well, buyers should be cautious that Amazon may not be sending you this newest model.

This purifier is bulky. Honestly, I can't tell any difference in air quality. I think much better option is to spend money on a really great vacuum cleaner.

First off, I don't believe everyone needs an air purifier. If you are in a suburban area and can open your windows from time to time, and if you vacuum your home regularly there is only a need unless you have special contaminants (like pet hair) and specific allergies (like dust -- mold should probably be removed from home, not "filtered" as that's like masking an odor instead of cleaning what's causing it).

Personally I live in NYC which means:
- I have a small apartment with horrible air quality
- There is outdoor (and indoor) noise and commotion almost constantly
- I don't feel like paying $400+ for a HEPA filter because I pay enough for rent
Not related to NYC in particular:
- I have a cat

This filter, for someone in a similar situation, is FANTASTIC.
- The circular design really moves air well (you can feel a subtle breeze when it's on "turbo" speed
- HEPA means allergens and that evil "black dust" will be captured
- There is a noticeable "whooshing" air sound on all speeds but 1 (of 3). For city dwellers this is the same sound that "white noise" generators produce and can actually help you sleep at night -- instead of it being very quiet then suddenly there is a subway going by, a motorcycle revving and setting off car alarms, etc. all of these sounds kind of become background noise instead of dramatic, startling noise.
- The price is reasonable (side note about complaints about replacing the charcoal prefilters every three months in reviews of other sizes of same basic Honeywell filter: depends on what level of dust and particulates you collect over the course of a few months, if not a lot then see my first point -- you might not need a filter. I can say that after 2 of the 3 months of use my prefilters are FILTHY and I would rather start with a new one than vacuum it (if it were even an option). Also: anything extra the prefilter can capture just alleviates stress on the HEPA filter.

Other thoughts:
- Not sure why everyone and their grandmother is putting BRIGHT BLUE LIGHTS all over their electronics. It's kind of cool now, but will be completely dated in a few years. (the fan knob has a blue backlight) A friend and I were joking that it could be marketed as a "free nightlight!". Of course once you add that to the other million "nightlights" from my other electronics you have a room that is too bright to sleep in.
- Design is simple and maintenance is easy
- Not sure if Honeywell plans to change this, but let's face it, even "lifetime" filters will need to be replaced eventually. It seems like the replacements now are now "stackable" ones -- I'd need 3 to replace my one HEPA filter -- NOT a good design as it allows more possible air leaks for contaminants to get through.
- Though I am no consumer-reports science lab that can measure how many individual particulates are being pulled from the air, I can say that my vacuum does have less to pick up (I don't fill up bags nearly as quickly as I used to) and my girlfriend (who is allergic to cats) is comfortable in the bedroom where an older Honeywell HEPA filter has been cycling air for over a year.

I bought this from all the hype from consumer reports (This is the 501 model, not the 401). At first it seemed to get rid of 95% of pollutants (dust, etc) in the room at which it was placed... after a long while, it dropped to 80% or so. After I replaced the filter, it went back up to 90 to 95%... I found out that the outgoing (or is it incoming) vents actually get dirty with dust and have to be cleaned ocassionally to maximize the effect and efficiency of the device. Who knows if the internal components also get dusty degrading the device as well (I suspect that it does to some extent, even if the particles are small). Too bad there was nothing about that in the instruction manual. The cost of replacing filters gets too expensive in the long run in my opinion. True, it has helped with breathing, caughing, etc..., but next time I think I'll just get me something akin to the models that allow you to clean the filters without actually buying them - even if they aren't as good. I can buy 2 of them with the money saved in the long run instead of just one of these units. It might not be as effective - but in the big picture of things, if you don't have allergies, then it really doesn't make sense to get this. And if you do - you probably need something more expensive anyway. About the only real plus I can say is that this thing really looks good and is much better than ozone generators that I've used to clean air in the past and at least it does work to some extent (unlike products that are in my opinion waste of money - like most ozone generators that are used to clean air).

After reading reviews a number of places online, I decided to buy the Blueair products. In ended up sampling the 402, 501 and 601, and ultimately returned the 501 and 601 and replaced them with 402s.

The 402 is truly quiet. This was an important consideration for me; the reason I returned the 501 and 601 was because they were noisy. The 402 has four fan speed settings. The fastest is unpleasantly noisy; I would not want to be in the room while the unit is in this mode. The next fastest, though, is *much* quieter. We usually leave the units in this mode. Sometimes we use the next-to-slowest mode, for example when I'm watching a movie and sitting in a chair right next to the 402. The middle two speeds are sufficiently quiet that I never feel like I need to use the slowest speed. (The 501s and 601s are unbearably noisy at any but the slowest setting - which is slower than the middle speeds of the 402. For 2/3 the price you can move more air, more quietly. Go figure.)

The only downside to the unit is size. It is about the same size as a tower PC. It's tall enough not to easily fit under furniture, and it's airflow pattern (in one of the skinny vertical sides, out the opposite side) means that the best placement is with one of the long sides against a wall. If wall space is at a premium, it can be hard to find a place to put it.

I haven't had the units long enough to replace the filters yet, but I have taken out the filters that came with them, and put them back in. It was very easy to do. After two months, only one filter is showing any visible dirt - but the house is *much* less dusty.

After having had a typical inexpensive air cleaner you can buy at most department stores for years, I was concerned about having a filter that was noisy. Our old filter was too loud to leave on even on the lowest fan setting. In fact we would sometimes turn it on for the sole purpose of providing background noise when our kids were sleeping.

I picked the Blueair 402 because of the great reviews that it got for being quiet and for the great ratings on how well it cleans the air. It arrived yesterday and I have been impressed beyond what I expected. I may have had low expectations because of my old filter, but when I first turned it on I had to check to make sure that it was even running because I could not hear it at all! On the lowest two settings the sounds is not even noticeable. On the third setting you can hear it running, but the sound has a much better quality than other filters/fans. Even on the highest setting the noise it not that objectionable (quieter than my old filter on the lowest setting.) I wouldn't leave it at this setting for sleeping, but I wouldn't have any problem leaving it at this setting during the day, especially in a room I was not in.

We left it on setting three all night without a bother (I may consider using setting two after our initial "cleaning" period is over. My wife and I both felt a noticable difference when we woke up this morning. Part of the reason for getting this is that we have a dog and two cats and we were both waking up in the morning all stuffed up and/or sneezy. This morning was noticeably better.

The filter is very easy to replace also. The one downside is that the unit is rather large. As long as you know this going in, it shouldn't be a problem. Unless you have a very large area you are cleaning, you may want to opt against the 501 or 601 as I believe they are even bigger. I may consider getting a 201 for my kids' rooms since they are smaller bedrooms.

Overall I'm very pleased and also like the fact that the filters are environmentally friendly compared with some of the filters used in other units.

I find the greatest thing about running this filter is that we need to dust the house significantly less often.

Another reviewer here recomended vacuming your prefilter. Unless you are doing that outside or you have a true HEPA filtered vacuum, I would suggest you don't do this. You risk making airbourne again many of the things you bought the filter to trap in the first place. As a pre-filter gets dirty it actually filters more stuff (the filter itself though runs less efficiently because less air cycles through it.)

Before ordering a replacement HEPA filter for your Honeywell (or other brand) Air Cleaner, be sure to check the model number on the unit. This filter is for four Enviracare Models (51500, 61500, 11520, and 17200). I replace my HEPA filter every year because I am very allergic to cigarette smoke, pollens, dust, molds, and other allergens and irritants. Honeywell suggests that you replace your HEPA filter every 1-3 years. Also, this HEPA filter has pre-filters which wrap around it, so you may want to order a box of those, too. Honeywell recommends that the pre-filters be changed every 3 months, but I've found if I vacuum them at least once a month, I can keep them longer. I really like my HEPA filters because they remove so much dust and pet hair from the air.

Before ordering a replacement HEPA filter for your Honeywell (or other brand) Air Cleaner, be sure to check the model number on the unit. This filter is for four Enviracare Models (51500, 61500, 11520, and 17200). I replace my HEPA filter every year because I am very allergic to cigarette smoke, pollens, dust, molds, and other allergens and irritants. Honeywell suggests that you replace your HEPA filter every 1-3 years. Also, this HEPA filter has pre-filters which wrap around it, so you may want to order a box of those, too. Honeywell recommends that the pre-filters be changed every 3 months, but I've found if I vacuum them at least once a month, I can keep them longer. I really like my HEPA filters because they remove so much dust and pet hair from the air.

BEST PURCHASE I HAVE EVER MADE! I recently moved into an upstairs apartment, a heavy smoker lives beneath me. My place constantly smelled of stale smoke and smelly cooking odors.\:( It was miserable to live with the overpowering odors; I tried everything to get rid of them. One day, my daughter said, "This place smells like a stinky motel." NOW, I enjoy very clean, fresh air in my apartment. The Bio Fresh is very quiet and easy to use. It arrived quickly and packed very securely.

I have problems with airborne allergens and with asthma. I have spent nearly two thousand dollars on different air cleaners over the past ten years. They all proved to be ineffective, noisy, ugly, and/or overpriced. The Bio Fresh works for me. None of the others did. I enjoy the several different modes of cleaning available. It is an attractive machine that fits nicely against a wall. Everything about it is well thought-out. It is well worth the money. I just purchased my second Bio Fresh air cleaner and it was delivered earlier than expected. It has helped my breathing more than all the antihistamines, inhalers, and all the other machines combined.

I am delighted with my new air purifier. I did alot of research and comparison studies before my purchase. I have parrots with powder producing feathers. My aviary is part of the main living area in my home and I needed a unit that could serve a large area. I am happy with the performance. No more feather dust all over everything. My roommate is not coughing anymore. I have a cat; and the odor from the litterbox is no longer an issue. I have it set on automatic - how easy is that? I can barely hear it working. Add to that, long lasting filters and low-cost operation make this product a winner