Shark - NeverChange™ Air Purifier MAX (HP302)

Mine is working fine. When I brought it home it read 90. Now I keep it on level 3 and its at 100. If I open a door for an extended time it goes down to 90. I know this is the official Shark hate sub, but mines OK. The only way the filter lasts 5 years is if you have it on auto, because it will never turn on lmao. Gotta keep it on manual mode. I expect to change the filter once a year.

If you're actually looking for any functionality, Dyson is off the table. When it comes to Dyson's air purifiers, design dictates function, so the engineers had to consider the aesthetics of the device over the functionality. The Philips 8000 is essentially the same thing as the Dyson, Philips doesn't have magic engineers, they're using the same "bladeless fan" design. The "bladeless" look they're going for essentially uses a cylindrical centrifugal fan to force air through small channels and out from the thin gaps around the upper frame, this is completely an aesthetic design and does absolutely nothing functionally except increase noise levels and suffocate air volume output. Hence why at anything above 5/10 fan speed, this fan sounds like a jet engine. If you want a functional air purifier, look at the Winix 5510 ($165) for an affordable option, Shark HP302 ($330) for a midrange option, Medify MA-112 ($700) for a high end option. If you want functional VOC filtration, the consumer grade stuff won't cut it. You have very few options like the IQ Air Health Pro Plus XE ($1,200) or AustinAir Healthmate Plus ($855) and the other options are industrial grade filtration systems like the ones I have for my workshop. However, this is unnecessary unless you live in a city with absolutely terrible air quality. I only have gas filtration because I have machines that emit toxic fumes and UFPs.

The Shark HP302 is the largest Neverchange model. By the way, the neverchange claim is a marketing gimmick, they just have high quality pre-filters that are easily cleanable which extends the life of the HEPA filter, which to their credit is probably a HEPA13 filter and will likely outlast most other models but should be replaced after 2-3 years.  The Medify has substantially higher airflow than any of the other consumer grade options, it will be able to filter much greater volume in less time. It is pricey but you were willing to pay for Dyson and it’s around the same ballpark. You can probably order direct from their website.  The Coway air purifiers are a good midrange option. Blue air is more of a low end option.  The Winix 5510 is just the newer version of the 5300. The biggest difference is that the 5300 uses a fibrous carbon filter while the 5510 uses a higher quality pellet charcoal filter. As I’ve already said previously, none of these consumer-grade activated charcoal/carbon filters are actually effective for more than a week or so. Won’t make much of a difference functionally between the 5510 and 5300, you’re only really looking at the HEPA filtration. If you want real gas filtration, you gotta pay up for the IQ Air or AustinAir. 

Same thing happened to me, returned it and never looked back. Very common with this model. Shark wanted me to cut the cord and send out a new one but I am done, returned it.

Don’t get the shark.

Sorry. To expand - don’t get the Shark, it’s poorly built and they’re lying about never changing the filters.

The Shark 302 is the only good unit Shark makes, and it’s… fine. The “never change” filter is a lie - yearly changes are necessary - and the sensor doesn’t measure anything useful, but it’s a decent unit.

No. For several reasons: 1. Never change is a lie, you’ll be lucky to get a year from the filter. 2. It comes with SCENT PACKETS. Air purifiers remove contamination from the air, they don’t add things to it! 3. Like all things Shark, it’s disposable.

I have a Shark NeverChange MAX and it does a great job while not needing the filters to be replaced for a while. I have family with cat allergies and it does a good job making it manageable. The odor capsules are also pretty helpful especially if you're a member of /r/trees

Winix was the other brand I saw at the store and it was definitely cheaper than Shark. I only went with Shark because I knew of the brand already and did next to no research.

Another edit because I can’t respond to everyone since I’m on mobile. I already bought it, brought it home, and plugged it in. I plan on using it for a bit to see if I notice a difference. It’s the Shark NeverChange Max. There was another brand at Costco (Winix?) that was cheaper but like I said, I did practically no research and went with Shark because I knew the brand. The tiny research I did on my phone in the store said I should be able to not have to change the filter for a few years, which is a huge plus to me. I’m finally looking more into reviews of this particular model and they’re overwhelmingly good, so that makes me happy. I guess we’ll see how it works going forward.

Definitely! It said it works well up to 1400 sq ft which is bigger than our entire house, lol. I have it in our living room/play room where we spend most of our time.

No because I did practically no research. Since I already brought this one home, we are going to try it out and see how well it works.

I got shark neverchange last year on sale after doing a ton of research on if they actually help. I had been suffering with a stuffy nose at home for a few years after moving into an apartment that had poorly sealed windows and having a wildfire season that made the air really bad. After getting one, my stuffy nose has cleared up, and it's easier to breathe at home now. I dont think super cheap ones will work well, and you dont need to buy a really expensive one. But they are worth it and, in my opinion, really do help.

The version i have is the Neverchange Max. It does come with a scent packet with a dial to turn it up or down. I have that turned to medium most of the time as well and have not noticed any effect on my cat. It may be different for other cats with the scent. Good luck with the new fan!

I'm currently debating keeping it or returning to Costco. CONS: the scent pods are horrendous! I don't like anything scented, so don't plug them in. It's an option. Not sure about the 100% clean air being actually 100%. As someone else said: you can run it on low 24/7 PROS: it does kick in on auto setting when cooking, so the sensor works! Cooking odors seem to be neutralized after a while. The multi-stage filtration seems like a good idea, we will see how long the filter **really** lasts? The fan is strong on max (also loud) I'm having mixed feelings, not sure it's worth the $230 (with coupon) but worst case could keep it as a fan (albeit overpriced)

Joining for comments. I'm trying to decide whether to keep it or return it to Costco. It seems to be working to some degree, but don't have pro tools to measure the actual particles. Worst case I'll keep it as a (expensive) fan? At $230 it's not a terrible price for "never" changing a filter. Sitting in the kitchen on auto it kicks is immediately when cooking, so it's doing something.

I grabbed the Shark NeverChange MAX off Costco a few months back and honestly, it's grown on me.

I have bought a lot of different air purifiers over the last decade. This one is my favorite for many reasons but mainly because you don’t have to constantly buy new filters. Doesn’t have to be these exactly but something like this. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/shark-neverchange-air-purifier-5-year-filter-life-650-sq-ft-black/6567890.p?skuId=6567890 Or https://www.bestbuy.com/site/shark-neverchange-air-purifier-max-5-year-filter-life-1400-sq-ft-white/6548655.p?skuId=6548655#tabbed-customerreviews

I have 2 Coways and tried a Shark. I kept the Shark moved the Coways to less prominent rooms. The Shark performs better at detecting lower air quality sooner and has another fan speed level, so it doesn't get as loud all the time. I prefer the Shark and bought a second with larger capacity and it's even better. Shark NeverChange Air Purifier MAX

I have mostly shark. There is a large 1200 sq ft never change filter one. The filter is good for like 5 years. They auto update the speed based on air quality and there is a noticeable difference in the air. I also have a blue air. It’s very fancy and WiFi connected and does the exact same shit my sharks do but with an app. It’s more aesthetically pleasing which is why we got it.

I have one and am happy so far - and to contradict misleading statements posted here - you can set a fan speed and have it run 24/7. The default automatic mode will shut off the fan if the sensor deems air quality is good I run mine 24/7 with the intent of perhaps replacing the filter every 2 years but will monitor - it definitely will NOT last 5 years if you run the fan continuously (read the fine print). Also every time I cook in my condo it air quality sensor detects the degradation of air quality and display values reflecting the air quality change so I believe the sensor is reliable. Also it can circulate a lot of air quickly and I ramp up the fan speed sometimes just for the cooling effect without the need to run my AC as often.

Not worth it at all, tried it for a week and returned. The “auto” mode turns off the fan entirely because the sensor claims the air is 100% clean which defeats the entire point of an air purifier. Also uses sent pods which just add VOCs to the air. Got the Winix 5520 from Amazon on sale for $150 and night and day better. Fully automated but air is always moving even on sleep mode. Also quicks up to higher speeds quickly when cooking or my dog farts while walking by lol.

Depends on what your expectations are. The Shark Neverchange is fine as far as purifiers go, people on this sub are obsessed with Coway and Winix so you won’t get many other suggestions outside of that. Air purifiers are essentially a fan with a filter, the neverchange has pre filters to protect the hepa filter. The hepa filter in that machine also has an included “pre filter” wrapped around the actual hepa filter. The filter will undoubtedly last longer than one without or with partial “pre filters”, just maybe not 5 years. For the space you’re looking to cover I’d recommend 2 purifiers or using the neverchange on med-high permanently (avoid auto).

I just started havung cat allergies. Would wake up im the morning with my face. completely swollen, lips so swollwn they were cracked and bleeding. My cat does not sleep with me. I got a Shark Neverchange Pet Pro Air Purifier. Also Allergy dry shampoo for the cat. The face swelling improved by 75% in just a few days.

I have 2 Sharks. A small.clean air sense model.for the bedroom and a large never change (filter) model for the first floor. We have a 85lb GSD and it really helped with the dog smell. I've also noticed a lot less dust. Overall the house feels and smells a lot better.

Shark has never change filter air purifiers on their clean sense IQ models now and they have built in air quality sensors and auto mode which is economical as it only turns on the fan when it senses something in the air. Also it has a button to switch between air quality views and show you what (PM 10, PM .5, PM 1) is fouling up the air quality. Also shows time to clean air and percentage of the air that's clean. I have two of them. I also have two of the Vornado AC350's. Their filter replacement are reasonable and the carbon filter can be easily upgraded on Amazon for a reasonable price.

I really like my Shark never change filters. They’re really quiet and pick up on air quality changes super quick. Easy clean

Same! Felt my allergies starting to kick up again and for some reason, it's always worse in our bedroom and at night and my shark purifier verified it. But more importantly, since I have had it running, my allergy attack subsided way way faster than it normally does. 

Just got the shark never change and it's pretty quiet even on its highest setting (like a low fan). It's only on the highest setting when air quality isn't the best. If I keep it running all day and night, it's usually whisper quiet at night since it already cleaned the air during the day. 

I can't comment on the Levoit. I did recently purchase the shark never change air purifier. It has a HEPA filter and does not produce ozone. I live in a small apartment and it has improved the air quality. The one I purchased purifies 650 sqft., it was $179 on Amazon. I would recommend this air purifier based on my experience.

I've read mixed reviews about it. I took the chance and am pleased with my purchase.

We have 3 Levoit, but I got a Shark "never change" and I'd recommend it. You can turn all the lights off for sleeping and you don't need to replace the filter but every 5 years I think? It also has several modes and shows the percentage the air is clean. It'll kick on when needed

Shark Never change Air Purifier is great

We own two of the shark never change and we are so happy with them. Highly recommend. If you want to test the air filter, cook something near it. When we cook bacon, the display drops down significantly

Looks the same as ours we got a year ago. We have a dog, three cats, and two children. Really the only time it goes low is if we are cooking bacon. I usually just leave it at level two speed. It does pick up hair and what not. Usually open it up and pull hair off of the outside of the filter every month.

I have had mine for a few months and mine works great. It’s super sensitive. It is on auto and I can see it working when I’m cooking and when my HVAC turns on. I have a 105 year old house and it has noticeably helped my allergies. Not sure if maybe it’s the placement? No real idea honestly.

As soon as we took this thing out of the box and set it up I knew it didn’t actually work. I’ve had other air purifiers and this thing just never ran. Returned it that same night.

I have had one of these for a couple years. I know it's pulling in air because of all the cat hair I have to clean off of it. It also changes when I cook, a cat uses the litter box, my husband walks inside from smoking, etc. Sound like your might be a dud. The "air quality" detector is 4 small holes on the back. Bring a burning candle or put out a match near those spots to see if the reported air quality changes.

I got two and it's getting super clogged with the senors. I put a new filter in and it's still 0%. Just make sure you clean it frequently.

You also have it to close to the wall. The sensors that read the air are in the back. The directions say it needs to be like 6 inches away from the wall to work correctly. https://preview.redd.it/cu3dvtfrocne1.png?width=1440&format=png&auto=webp&s=a9aaba9a94e2bcba209f5c6033b693a6d48727a4

Mine drops to 0 whenever I cook anything. If I open the balcony door during the winter inversion, the number drops by a lot as well.

Where do we get replacement filters? All of my shark max filters lasted less than 1 year and I have replace filter error.

Mine didn’t change either until I started cooking and the smoke will make it change pretty quickly.

I just got one this year .. with mine it goes from 100% to like the 60s whenever I make popcorn or cook bacon in the house. Also whenever I turn on a humidifier in the room it always drops the air quality reading of it lol

I have this one and it the percentage changes a lot with cooking. I changed the filter after 6 months and it was very dirty so it was doing its job. Ours just slowly runs most of the time though. Maybe yours is just a dud?

I ordered 4 of these things and ALL of them sat off all day and night saying the air was perfect. I placed another brand (Winix) right next to it and it shows the air was dirty and ramped up for a couple hours. It's no wonder the filters last for 5 years, the thing never runs. All 4 of them did the same thing and would rarely come on. They are not "purifying the air" if they are not moving the air through the filters. Total garbage and I returned all four and replaced with much cheaper Winix units which have been great.

Same, mine always goes berserk when I start cooking

Hey Costco friends! Just grabbed that sweet Shark MAX deal ($150 with extra filter) and I'm starting to think my unit might be the air purifier equivalent of an overly-optimistic friend. (Razor for scale - it’s big!) According to Shark, my air quality is a perfect 100% ALL DAY LONG. Even when: - My elderly Akita wanders by shedding fur like it's his job (and also pooting pretty non-stop) - I deliberately sprayed Lysol directly in front of it (for science!) Meanwhile, my trusty Coway Airmega 200M goes absolutely bonkers at the slightest disturbance. When the Akita walks by? BEEP! Lysol spray? "I'LL SAVE YOU HUMAN!" The Shark? "100% perfect air, nothing to see here!" 🙄 I did all the obvious stuff - removed the plastic from the filter, checked connections, etc. I also noticed barely any air being pulled INTO the unit (though it does push air out). Anyone else experiencing this with their Shark MAX? Is my unit defective or just incredibly optimistic about my home's air quality?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

You can manually turn it up, yes. But because it thinks the air is always fantastic, when I put it on auto/Eco mode, the higher fan rate is never triggered.

Shark has my undying loyalty prior to this because of the way they’re vacuumed have handled Akita hair. Maybe I’ll just stick to the vacuums of this brand.

I’m glad you said that. I was starting to second-guess my shark max air purifier purchase yesterday!

My experience: I have two of these, the taller model in the master bedroom, and a shorter one for the living room area. They always say 100%. I think once or twice they might've said 99% briefly, other than that they're always at 100%. The irony is, my house is dusty as hell. Always has been. On top of that, my GF moved in and her dog is shedding everywhere which is driving my allergies crazy. There's so much hair, there's hair all over the vent grating of the one in the living room. I generally run them on manual medium speed. After four or five months I pulled the filter out and it had a significant layer of dust and hair on it. And yet, both of them read 100%. I've had a bit of a problem finding replacement filters for them. I've had to resort to third-party filters on Amazon. I guess that's OK, because the Shark filters are ridiculously expensive, that is if you can find them. The times I've checked they are even sold out on the Shark website. If anybody knows where to get the OEM filters let me know.

I had one of those and returned it 2 years ago. As much as I love Shark vacuums, I hate this product. It went from everything is fine to TURBO MAX DEFCON 1, every 5 seconds.. Yes I took the plastic bag off the filter.

I bought the Shark Hepa Max couple weeks ago for the same price. It works good but i returned it and bought the Dyson TP07. I got it for $335 brand new. Go to Dyson's website and sign up for their news letter and text message and you'll receive a 10% off code. It works on sale products.

I have a Shark and a coway in my basement pottery studio. They are not right next to each other. I keep them both on medium fan speed and they usually agree with each other. When I have them on low fan speed, the coway reads dirtier air more than the shark. Try leaving it on manual medium fan speed for a day or two and see what it does.

I have 2 of these and they are really sensitive (but I run them pretty high manually). If that’s where you actually leave it it’s way too close to the wall.

I have one of these and it works well. Blow out a candle in front of it and you’ll see it turn red

I have an older model. Works pretty well. It gets angry when we cook and sometimes if a window is open and there’s a lot of pollen or whatever it will be mad at us but if we’re just chilling it sits at 100 or 99. That 100% is just the thing saying that it’s not worth filtering the air because it’s good.

We have a purifier on every level of the house, 3 in total. They are definitely game changers and help with smell, but also dust. We have two shark air purifiers with hepa filters, looks like it’s 120$ right now online. (So you can possibly get two depending how your house is set up) Those two are on our downstairs level one in the basement where the box is and one on the main level. They’re very quiet I never hear them, run them 24/7 with no issues. Our third is a dyson, honestly it was a gift i wouldn’t spend money on it 🤣 id stick with the sharks lol

I have a Dyson - it was a gift, and honestly I wouldn’t buy one myself 🤣 I honestly don’t even know if it does anything it’s on in our bedroom. We have two other purifiers one on each floor and they’re sharks, they were about 100$ each. Work great and the one in the basement really keeps the kitty litter smell to 0.

I bought one. Not so sure it works. The light ring that indicates a change in air quality does change when I cook. I’m in an apartment. The unit is in my living room. But it takes a good 40 min to an hour to get back to 100 %. I would think that’s just the natural time of the air clearing. No help from the unit. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Also I just put it in the bathroom w my bf while he poops. No change in the air reading or smell of the bathroom. After this test I am returning.

I have one and I love it! I have two sick people in my house with a cold. It’s been kicking on a lot lately because it detects bacteria and viruses in the air. 🦠

I just bought a Shark air purifier and it’s near the kitchen. No more food smells lingering in the kitchen. It does NOT like sauerkraut, burnt eggs or fried tortillas 😆

Clears the air way faster and better than my Dyson. It’s a workhorse.

I've had 2 Levoit air purifiers and recently bought the new Shark Ninja one that doesn't require filters. They are all awesome at helping me breathe and keeps the dust and cat hair under control.

there are 2 filter, it has pre-filters on the outside that can be washed and inside is a typical air filter cartridge. The idea is the outer pre-filters catch most the debris and can be washed off, saving the inner hepa. But no, it’s not actually never-change, you will eventually have to replace the hepa, I think they say 5 yrs but all depends on

I have this model. It advertises as lasting 5 years between changes, but I think that is inaccurate because each environment is different. I think mine will need yearly or bi-yearly changes.

We've had ours for a few months. We keep it on auto, and don't use the fragrance thing. The purifier kicks on when we are cooking. It's nice and quiet.

I have one and love it. I keep it running constantly. Every now and then it will turn itself off and I have to spray off the filters on the sides and then it goes right back to work. I have 2 dogs and there’s a noticeable improvement in pet smell. I’m not sure where to get replacement air fresheners for it though. I definitely recommend one of these, especially if it’s discounted

Good for cigar smoke.

I’ve been running a Shark air purifier for about 3 months with no noticeable reduction in dust

Just bought the Shark from Costco last night. My anecdotal evidence so far: My college age son has allergies and always wakes up feeling crappy, he said he actually felt good this morning. I let the dogs out this morning and left the patio door open the air quality monitor dropped significantly and the air purifier kicked into high. My husband and I went to bed with sore throats last night after running errands, no sore throats this morning. As someone who is affected the bad air quality I’m getting desperate.

We have 2: one downstairs and one upstairs. They work very well. Only have to change the filters every 5 years.

I bought a shark air purifier a few years ago and it was always at 100% I had to get a replacement and it actually worked.

I have a Shark one in my kitchen and do love it, but only bought it because of our lack of extractor fan and the fact I became a bit intolerant to my cats when I got pregnant. I probably wouldn’t want to spend the money on one unless, like you said, there is a specific issue you need to tackle. A dehumidifier on the other hand - we’ve noticed the air quality rating on the purifier improve drastically since we bought the dehumidifier. The house warms easier and, obviously, there is less moisture and condensation in the house so we worry a lot less about mold and damp in the colder air (especially being close to the coast in the UK).

Mine stopped working after 2 months. Sensors read poor air quality all the time so the unit was running non stop. Luckily I bought it from costco so return was easy.

I have shark, love them!! I smoke weed but honestly don’t smell it when I get home anymore 😜

Shark

Had it for a few months, takes some of the dog smell away… seems to be working well

Buy the shark. The Winix ones die so fast.

I bought ours during Canadian wildfires recently. Have 3 cats. I think it helps, esp with cooking related stuff.

I like my Shark Air Purifier. The filters are reusable and easy to clean, and the unit itself is affordable.

We have a Shark that we got on sale and I like it because it also gives a reading of what the air quality is in the room. But we also have a “levoit” small one from Amazon that we put in a small room, and we’re used the reader on the Shark to see if it works and it works just as well.

There are lots of fraudulent bad air purifiers which are nothing but expensive fans out there. I have asthma, and have 3-4 purifiers of various different stripes throughout my home. Some are indeed better than others. Because i have asthma, I make sure that air purifiers do not have ionizers (which emit ozone and cause respiratory irritation). I use germ guardian, honeywell and shark. Depending on the size of the room, I try to get ones that fit the area in question. The current one I like is: # Honeywell AllergenPlus HEPA Air Purifier, Airborne Allergen Reducer for Large Rooms, Reduces Allergens, Smoke, Wildfire Smoke, Pollen, Pet Dander and More, Black, HPA200

We have a shark that filters very well. I'll hit my bong and watch the air quality go to 0%. That's when I know I'm really getting clean air.

I have had Levoit purifiers and 1 Shark throughout my house, so a total of 9, which range in all sizes. 7 of them have sensors built in, which change the color based on air quality. I also have a couple other sensors one being a Kaiterra Egg the other two being handheld air quality testers from Amazon. I’ve found the readings between them to be very consistent and accurate.

I tried it and returned it. I wanted to use its auto mode. But it doesn't seem to ever turn on by itself. Since that's the primary reason I wanted that model, it just didn't work out.

I suspect that's part of their marketing for the Never Change filter, by using the auto mode.