Honeywell HPA5100 Air Purifier: Trusted Review & Specs

The first air purifier in the new Honeywell 5000 series lays on the InSight display trick, but is the Honeywell HPA5100 enough of an improvement? Let’s find out in our today Honeywell HPA5100 Review.

Honeywell HPA5100 ranks B in our air purifier ranking list. We give the biggest and most thorough database of air purifier reviews in the world.

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Honeywell air purifier is a brand name under Kaz company, with more than 30 years of making air purifiers. Its air purifiers are well-known for their high-quality filters, durability, and great customer service. However, with the rise of new names in the market, the 5000 InSight Series is the latest attempt by this company to gain market share. So, let’s take a look at our Honeywell 5100 Review to learn more about this series’ smallest device.

Other Honeywell’s Air Purifier Reviews:

Honeywell HPA5100 Price

Honeywell has crafted another fine-all-around budget contender in the Honeywell HPA5100, but does it offer a better experience than the old Honeywell HPA100, which has always been our recommendation for raw power on a budget?

You can guess the answer: yes, the Honeywell HPA5100 hasn’t advanced much beyond its predecessor, and you can find better value elsewhere. I don’t know why Honeywell can forget to implement the Smart Sensor into this Honeywell HPA5100, while the mini Honeywell HPA080 can have one.

The Honeywell HPA5100 also has a very ridiculous asking price of $179, as you can find on its website. However, the real value of this Honeywell HPA5100 can easily be found at $99, which is much more reasonable. It costs around the same as the starting price of the HPA100 or the tower Honeywell HPA030B.

At this price, the Honeywell HPA5100 comes up against the likes of the Levoit Core 300, which also doesn’t have the Smart Sensor feature. But you shouldn’t forget that we can buy either the Winix A230 or Blue Pure 411 Auto, and they both show off better features.

It seems Honeywell is gathering data with new products because, like I said earlier, the HPA080 does have a Smart Sensor at the same price. If we can get a HPA5150 model, it would be great to compete against others.

Related post: Best air purifier 2023.

Honeywell HPA5100 Design and Size

Honeywell continues its legacy with new air purifiers, and the Honeywell HPA5100 has been very well defined by the previous Honeywell HPA3100. It begins a new design that is different from its predecessor, and we can easily be forgiven for thinking it isn’t a Honeywell air purifier.

Yes. Honeywell air purifiers used to have parallel horizontal air grills, which are still found on the latest tower devices like the Honeywell HPA180 and HPA080. But the Honeywell HPA5100 and the rest of its brothers feature vertical air grills. While many people just think of it as aesthetic, the new design will not gather dust as much as the old ones. And it is necessary because it will take your time to clean the air inlets.

The Honeywell HPA5100 is the same as the Honeywell HPA100, at 15 inches in height and 14 inches in width. However, the Honeywell HPA5100 weighs more at 13.5 lbs, which is double the weight of its previous model. As a result, it feels more sturdy, and you can forget that you have a cat who likes to play with the air outlet.

The color scheme is just the same, as the Honeywell HPA5100 comes in two basic models: black and white. Our testing unit is a black model, but if you prefer the white color option, a.k.a. Honeywell HPA5100W, here you go.

But the main system concept of bottom-to-top airflow remains in this air purifier. I must say the current airflow system concept is the fastest method to clean a real-world room.

Honeywell brings the all-new touch control panel to the Honeywell HPA5100, and you will prefer it over the old one. In my opinion, I prefer the old physical control panel from old Honeywell air purifiers, but your mileage may vary.

Related post: Best air purifiers for bedroom.

Honeywell HPA5100 Filters

Honeywell HPA5100, like the rest of its line, adds one more air filter to the air cleaning system to form a 3-stage air cleaning system. In general, more filtration layers mean better protection.

1. Pre-filter – The pre-filter is a carbon filter. This will both help adsorb VOCs, gases, and odors and trap larger particles. You will need to replace this filter after 3 months of usage.
2. Optional Activated Carbon filter – A honeycombed carbon filter is specially formulated for customization.
   • HRFSK1: Formulated with potassium permanganate and activated carbon for faster odor adsorption and reduction.
   • HRFSS1: Formulated with treated activated carbon for smoke and odor adsorption.
   • HRFSP1: Formulated with activated carbon and zeolite for pet odor adsorption.
   • HRFSC1: Formulated with pelletized activated carbon for VOCs adsorption.
3. True HEPA filter – The Honeywell HPA5100 uses a true HEPA filter to capture up to 99.97% of contaminants down to 0.3 microns, like pet dander, mold, viruses, bacteria, and pollen.

Honeywell’s HEPA air filters are so good that the company is using them for next-generation air purifiers, starting with the Honeywell HPA5100. Some people may think that the fact that two different air purifiers launched many years apart use the same air filtration system represents a lack of progress, but I think of it as a proof of its high quality.

That being said, if you are familiar with older Honeywell products, you will be likely to keep up with the Honeywell HPA5100. Even the new optional Activated Carbon matches the same quantity as the HEPA filter, so you can easily buy a bundle without worry.

Source: Amazon.com

The Honeywell HPA5100’s console line can be further customized for the optional Activated Carbon filter, which can help with things like wildfire and chemical smoke. And I believe that you can’t complain about the quality of its new filter, which is thicker and contains more carbon than any other competitor’s.

The Honeywell HPA5100 runs better than its predecessor, and it is recommended for larger rooms. As you can see from the below chart, the Honeywell HPA5100 has higher performance than both its brother – the Honeywell HPA100 and the competitor, the GermGuardian AC5250PT.

The best part? Honeywell uses the same air filter for all of its air purifiers. You will need to buy the filter R (HRF-R1) for this Honeywell HPA5100, with only 1 (qty) of air filter.

Related post: Best air purifiers for allergies.

Honeywell HPA5100 Room Coverage

The Honeywell HPA5100, despite being the budget model of its line, is a strong performer. You should remember that all Honeywell air purifiers are qualified by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM). The Honeywell HPA5100 has a room coverage suggestion of 195 square feet.

The ACH of Honeywell HPA5100 is 5x. All air purifiers verified by AHAM tests will clean a suggested room size 5 times per hour.

The CADR of Honeywell HPA5100 is 140 Dust/ 125 Smoke/ 140 Pollen (cfm). Honeywell HPA5100 has a better fan power than the Honeywell HPA100, and that would be a reason to choose it over its predecessor.

Related post: Best large room air purifiers.

Honeywell HPA5100 Sound

Honeywell has never had a good reputation for making quiet air purifiers, but its next-gen series is doing a good job at keeping the noise level tolerable. The Honeywell HPA5100 is an example, as it keeps the noise level as low as 25 decibels (dB). It is below the noise level of a “quiet” room.

On its highest speed, the Honeywell HPA5100 is louder at 53 decibels. It is just the noise of, well, something like a refrigerator, and your house layout can even dampen the noise more.

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Honeywell HPA5100 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.

Honeywell’s HPA5100 is another Energy Star air purifier from this company, and I’m not surprised. However, the CADR per watt is just decent, at 2.4. To put it another way, the rated power of the Honeywell HPA5100 is 52 watts.

If you plan to run the Honeywell HPA5100 for at least 8 hours per day, you need to pay up to $19 annually.

Related post: Best air purifiers for pets.

Honeywell HPA5100 Additional Features

The Honeywell HPA5100’s lack of a Smart Sensor was quite a shock to me when testing because the previously tested Honeywell HPA080 made use of a gas sensor and kept the same price as our today unit. I don’t know why Honeywell has made such a move, but if you want the InSight Smart Sensor, you should save up for the Honeywell HPA5200.

Other than that, it has the same features as the old HPA100, like a timer, auto dimmer setting, and a LED indicator for filter replacement. It isn’t much, but it can help you run it easier.

Related posts:

1, Best air purifiers for smoke.

2, Best air purifiers for dust.

3, Best air purifiers for mold.

Honeywell HPA5100 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

Honeywell redesigns its budget model with the new Honeywell HPA5100, and the air purifier even performs better. However, it doesn’t have any new additional features, and the annual cost is just the same. Yes, you should have bought this new product, but only if you’re a die-hard Honeywell fan.