Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B Air Purifier: Trusted Review & Specs

Honeywell has a tradition to upgrade smart features for the old middle devices. For example, out of the HPA models, it will choose the HPA200 and make a smart HPA250B. Also, with the HFD models, the company will choose the middle AirGenius 4 and upgrade to the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B. Today, we will give you the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B Review to help you decide whether or not to purchase this air purifier.

Update: If you are looking for the Honeywell HFD flagship, you should look for the Honeywell AirGenius 6.

Honeywell HFD280B ranks B in our air purifier ranking list. We give the biggest and most thorough database of air purifier reviews in the world.

In Breathe Quality, we have reviewed all air purifiers under these sections. Also, we guarantee that:

• We provide honest reviews (both pros and cons) so that everyone can make the best decisions.
• We do not (and never will) exaggerate one product just to let you click the links and buy that product blindly.

Sections

Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B is truly what Honeywell needs to compete with the rising number of Smart Sensor air purifiers in the low-range market. To do that, the Honeywell HFD280B has to sacrifice something, but not a significant loss. Let’s see what you gain and lose with our Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B Review.

Other Honeywell’s Air Purifier Reviews:

Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B Price

The Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B is the tactical ace to target the low-range segment. Sadly, this air purifier is no revolutionary, but when you compare it to the Honeywell HPA030B or the GermGuardian AC5250PT and other similar price range air purifiers, it’s still the device that has more smart function.

You will get all the same functions as the Honeywell AirGenius 4, but with a compact size and lower power fan, at a saving of more than $70. Therefore, the price of this Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B is around $129. You can get the better deal below.

Related post: Best air purifier 2023.

Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B Design and Size

While the Honeywell HPA250B was pretty much a clone of the HPA200, it’s not quite the same story for the Honeywell HFD280. It retains most of the Honeywell AirGenius 4’s good looks, but you do have to make one compromise: no light at the bottom. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it does feel like a backwards step from Honeywell.

It still has the same back-to-front airflow system, with an air intake grill from the back and an air outlet grill on the front. The air grill is also more stylish, giving the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B a more modern appearance to users. And with only 19 inches in height, its size gives the compact tower air purifier a more robust and durable build.

There is a minor change to the order of buttons in the control panel, which is more simple and thinner than the previous HFD310 while keeping the same number of functional buttons.

Source: Amazon.com

With its compact size, the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B only weighs 2.6 lbs, making it lighter than even the Blue Pure 411 (with 3.4 lbs), Honeywell HPA020B (with 4.8 lbs), or the Levoit LV-H132 (with 6 lbs). With a weight of 2.6 lbs, you can easily transport this air purifier anywhere.

Related post: Best air purifiers for bedroom.

Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B Filters

One advantage (or disadvantage) of any Honeywell HFD model air purifier is that it uses the same ifD air filter. That being said, the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B is running a 2-stage air filtration system, as shown below.

1. Pre-filter – Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B uses a normal pre-filter. This pre-filter can capture larger particles before they enter the ifD filter. Also, the pre-filter is washable and therefore permanent.
2. ifD filter – The Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B uses a unique ifD filter to capture up to 99.9% of down to 0.3 micron contaminant particles like pet dander, mold, viruses, bacteria, and pollen. This air filter adds an Activated Carbon filter to help deodorize the air and reduce odors.

Like I stated above, as one member of the HFD family in Honeywell, the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B is using the latest air filter, which even the latest AirGenius 6 or AirGenius 5 are using. While it guarantees the performance rating of the lower-range air purifiers (like the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B), we can’t help but ask why we need the more expensive device. Not upgrading the air filter is an issue with not only Honeywell but also other air purifier brands as well.

Again, if running in the same test conditions, the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B can have a high efficiency of 92% for every particle as small as 0.3 microns in size. The difference between this Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B and others in the HFD family, such as the Honeywell HFD-010 or the Honeywell HFD-120-Q, is clearly visible in the chart below.

Back to the air filter, it is still an ifD filter, which stands for Intense Field Dielectric. This technology is a breakthrough permanent filtration method that is highly effective against all types of airborne particles that are larger than 0.3 microns. It works like an ionic air filter and, therefore, can emit traces of ozone. Again, Honeywell doesn’t make an on/off button for the ionic feature. This will discourage others with asthma or breathing issues from buying this Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B.

Source: Amazon.com

The ifD air filter HRF-K2 is a permanent air filter and will remove the inevitable annual filter cost from other True HEPA devices. Also, it is only $17, so if you want to purchase a new filter, you won’t need to think twice.

Related post: Best air purifiers for allergies.

Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B Room Coverage

Being a compact tower air purifier, the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B has a smaller fan and, as a result, can only cover a smaller area. Its room coverage is only 150 square feet, which is similar to the Honeywell HPA100.

The ACH of Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B is still 5x. Even with a smaller fan, Honeywell still commits to making high-ACH rating fans, which can clean your room every 12 minutes.

The CADR of Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B is only 95 Dust/ 98 Smoke/ 84 Pollen (cfm). With a lower CADR rating than even the small HPA100, the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B will need more time to clean a room of 150 square feet.

Related post: Best large room air purifiers.

Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B Sound

There is one advantage to not having True HEPA filter in your air purifier: the silence of its fan. It’s really difficult for a good True HEPA air purifier to deliver a quiet noise level. Luckily, thanks to the ifD air filter, the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B (and others in HFD models) is really quiet.

With only 4 fan speeds, the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B is a must-have air purifier in any quiet place, such as your office or bedroom.

Related post: Best air purifiers for baby.

Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B Power Consumption

One of our most FAQs is, “Do air purifiers use a lot of energy?” This is because we need to run an air purifier for an extended period of time, and power consumption is something to consider.

The power consumption of the Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B is only around 15 watts, which is much better than the HPA models of this brand. Yes, this is an air purifier with an Energy Star rating, and it has one of the lowest power consumptions on the market.

For using a Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B for 8 hours per day, it would cost you up to $5 per year.

Related post: Best air purifiers for pets.

Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B Additional Features

The reason you sacrificed the fan power of this Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B is because it would bring more additional features, right? Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B brings in an air sensor to optimize allergen capturing performance. However, unlike other Smart Sensors, you must manually select the allergen setting to activate the function.

Also, you will still have all these AirGenius 4 features, such as a 2, 4, and 8-hour auto-off timer or a dimmer option for the control panel lights. There is one button for the oscillation function and one LED indicator for filter replacement, too.

If you are looking for a Honeywell smart air purifier, you can also look for the Honeywell HPA180 and Honeywell HPA830.

Related posts:

1, Best air purifiers for smoke.

2, Best air purifiers for dust.

3, Best air purifiers for mold.

Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B Customer Service

Honeywell is a market leader in air purifiers, but its customer service is not as friendly as that of competitors. You can reach customer service via the mailbox at the Honeywell Store at 407 N. Quentin Road, Palatine, Illinois. But I suggest you call 847-701-3038 for any support questions. Or you can email sales@honeywellstore.com for any problems you experience while on the site or after buying a product. Honeywell is available from Monday to Friday.

It doesn’t have free shipping like Rabbit Air or Alen, and you must notify customer service within one business day of any problems with a third-party shipping service like USPS or FedEx. Otherwise, it will not accept liability for any merchandise damage during transit. Also, the shipment can take up to 10 business days from the date that the order is shipped.

The hardest part is when you want to return one Honeywell air purifier, as you only have 30 days from the date you receive your item to process your return. If there is no transit damage or workmanship defects, you won’t receive the shipping charge (on both the original shipping charge and the return shipping charge) and will have to pay a 10–30% re-stocking fee.

Honeywell’s warranty policy is also among the longest in the industry, with up to 5 years of coverage.

Source: Amazon.com

Our verdict

The Honeywell Compact AirGenius 4 HFD280B is one of the best mini air purifiers for its price. Though the performance rating is not as good as that of other True HEPA air purifiers, the additional features are still a bright spot for this device.