1. Whirlpool AP450, Honeywell HA300BHD, IQAir GC Multigas, Austin Healthmate and Immunity machines. Have had some of these running without problems for 10-20 years so models have likely changed. Range in price from \~$224 to \~$!400.
2. Generic filters - in general not a great idea. Filters are sized to fit the casing and the fan is matched to the filter. Might be done but a bit risky.
3. Although I haven't needed to purchase machines recently my suspicion is that the "smarter" and more automated the machine is (auto speed, remote, etc.) the less likely they will be controllable by a smart power switch.
4. For printer and VOC removal the best machines run $1K or more. Filters can run as much as $700 (Austin Immunity Machine), but can last for 5 years.
1. Yes, I have them all on Satechi Smart Plugs.
2. I did check Amazon for 3rd party HA300BHD filters and they do exist. 3rd party Filters will more likely be available for models that have been out there a long time as there will be more units sold making it profitable for 3rd parties. This one, or similar ones from them, has been out for > 10 years. No way to tell about their quality or effectiveness. Since I am extremely sensitive I personally don't want to take the risk.
Given their specialized nature don't see any for Austin or IQAir.
3. You need to choose a company that has been doing this for a long time and is successful.
For reasonable VOC removal there are only 4 players I know in the market which offer products which have the minimum 10 pounds of sorbent media: Airpura, Allerair, Austin, IQAir.
Wildfires product a huge mix of chemicals - from the vegetation, contents of burned buildings, etc. There is no consumer solution that removes all VOCs. Each type of media is better at some chemicals, not so good or not effective at all with others. For the same reason there is no sensor that I know that will give you the level of all VOCs.
These machines and filters tend to be expensive. I just upgraded my Austin units with Immunity Machine filters which cost \~$700 each. We were spared wildfire smoke this season but with AQI numbers breaking 100 I was able to keep my indoor values close to 0.
I use Austin and IQAir VOC machines along with Honeywell and Whirlpool HEPA units, 3 filters per room.
I’ve had good luck with the Honeywell HPA100/200/300 line of purifiers. My two hpa300 purifiers had worked well for about 5-6 years now.
For choosing the size, I’d recommend going with one unit per frequently used room. You can choose the unit size based on just the specific space that way
You are describing exactly why I didn’t buy some of the more popular models often recommended.
I just got 2 Honeywell HPA300’s. They are simple, process a lot of air, and the noise is very tolerable. I run 2 of them on medium setting in my apartment all the time along with an HPA100 and HPA200 (those last two are older gen’s)
In my observation, the larger units have a less annoying noise than the smaller ones. Even though the decibels might be the same on paper, the larger flow chamber has a lower pitch, less piercing noise.
I’ve never had a different brand than Honeywell before and I’ve been considering branching out. But your post is exactly why I chose to go with them again.
Honeywell makes good air purifiers. They're manually controlled, so not a smart device, but I have 4 of them in my home running 24/7 and they have been going for 6 years without any problems. I bought the HPA300 model.
They need regular prefilter changes, and annual hepa filter changes. The replacement filters are a bit expensive. Whatever you end up buying, I would advise you to look into replacement filter prices and availability. There are cheaper 3rd party filters available for mine, but the fit isn't always perfect with them.
The NYT just did a review and ranked the Coway Airmega 200 as the best air purifier. They're under $200.
I bought two and like them a lot so far. They have an ionizer, but you can turn it off. They're quiet and move a good amount of air.
There are two types -- one has a large circular front and sucks in air around the edges of the circle, and the other is a regular rectangular front that sucks air in across the entire front. I have the rectangular front model. They also have a good handle for moving it around.
I really liked the Honeywell HPA300 (I think that was the model), but they stopped making them. The ones they sell now look similar but are about 1/3 bigger, and don't perform any better. I feel like the bigger model is really weak at lower levels and only works well on turbo, which is really loud, while the older models worked better at lower levels. And it's just way too big for the average room and has no handles for moving it around.
I have one of those cylindrical Levoit purifiers, and it works fine but I don't like how it only sucks in air at the bottom 1/3 of the purifier. A lot of the bird dust I get (I have a grey) is floating much higher in the room.
Top Air Purifiers on Reddit
1
Coway
Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty
87% positive of 126 users
Durable, effective for allergens/odors, but loud on high.
Caprichoso1
