Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 air purifier review: The power of simplicity

We love our smart gadgets here at Live Science, and air purifiers are no exception. However, if there is anything we have learned after testing dozens of air purifiers over the last three years, it is that not everything that glitters is gold. As often as not, the better appliances are those that lack glitzy looks and digital frills, but make up for it with ease of use and top-notch air-cleaning performance. The Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 is a good example here.

This air purifier does not have a touchscreen, remote control or dedicated apps, nor does it look particularly modern or unique. What it does, however, is nail the essentials. The Honeywell Designed Series HPA830 features an auto mode, an air quality indicator light and a certified HEPA filter capable of removing up to 99.97% of airborne pollutants as small as 0.3 microns. Plus, it is quiet, Energy Star-certified and costs just $199.

The Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 is a strong contender for inclusion in our guides to the best air purifiers and best air purifiers for allergies, but does it have what it takes to land the prized spot?

Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 air purifier review

Honeywell Designer Series HPA830: Design

• Space-savvy tower design
• No handles or ridges to improve portability
• Affordable filter replacements

The Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 requires some assembly, but the entire process takes less than a couple of minutes — pop in the three detachable legs, unwrap the air filters, and reinsert them into the chamber. Then, press the on/off button. Quick and easy.

The design of the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 is also refreshingly simple. It is a rather old-school tower air purifier, with button controls at the top and air outlets located around the bottom of the unit. It is not particularly modern-looking or eye-catching, but it can easily fit in with most home decor, and it is intuitive to use, too. That said, we would not consider it particularly portable. The Honeywell Designer Series does not have any handles or ridges, so some people may find it tricky to move it around the house.

Durability is another mixed bag. While the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 seems generally stable and sturdy, it also has some fragile parts. For example, this air purifier comes with an essential oil diffuser, which can be accessed through a small plastic cover at the top of the unit — but we managed to fracture that cover on the first attempt at putting it back into the appliance. Admittedly, we may have used too much force there, but still, we would prefer it to be more resilient to accidental damage.

On the bright side, the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 comes with a decent set of specs. Most importantly, this air purifier features a certified HEPA filter capable of removing up to 99.97% of airborne particles measuring as little as 0.3 microns. This means it can capture a wide range of pollutants, including the most common allergens, such as pollen, pet dander and dust mites.

On top of that, the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 features a pre-filter layered with activated carbon. Not only does this capture large particles (dust or pet fur, for example), but it also helps reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs — gaseous chemicals emitted by paints, varnishes and other household items), smoke particles and odors from cooking and cleaning. The Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 is a full package.

Speaking of filters, the HEPA filter supplied lasts approximately 12 months, and costs around $38 to replace. Compared to other brands, they are on the affordable end of the spectrum.

Honeywell Designer Series HPA830: Features

• Three fan speeds and an auto mode
• No remote control or smart features
• Non-dimmable air quality indicator

The Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 has three fan speeds (Quiet Clean, General Clean and Allergen), an air quality indicator and an auto mode that, if selected, automatically adjusts these fan settings based on the air quality measurements. It also has a filter check/reset light that will remind you when it is time to change your filter, and, as mentioned before, an essential oil diffuser for aromatherapy. That is pretty much it — the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 does not have a remote control, smart features or any other frills typical of a modern air purifier. We liked this simplicity, though. This air purifier was intuitive to use and refreshingly low-maintenance, and most of the time, we could just leave it to do its job.

If anything, we would complain about the air quality indicator light. At night, it may be too bright and distracting, and there is no way to dim it or turn it off. On a sunny day, on the other hand, the light can barely be seen on the floor. If monitoring air quality is important to you, you may need to take that into account when buying the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830.

Honeywell Designer Series HPA830: Performance

• Very quiet in use
• Responsive air quality indicators
• Efficient air-cleaning performance

According to the manufacturer, the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 is best suited for rooms measuring up to 190 square feet (17.65 square meters). While this air purifier can be technically used for larger spaces — it is often advertised as suitable for spaces up to 900 square feet (83 sq m) — it will take much longer to clean the air in these circumstances, therefore reducing its overall effectiveness.

That is because its Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) rating is 120 CFM, which means it does not purify more than 120 cubic feet of air per minute (more about CADR ratings can be found in our guide on how to choose an air purifier.) For best results, we would recommend using this air purifier only in small- to medium-sized rooms, as per the manufacturer's guidelines.

Now to the performance — which is really good. To start with, the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 is one of the quietest air purifiers we tested. When we used the Sound Meter decibel-counting app to measure its noise levels at the lowest fan speed, we recorded just 22 dB — equivalent to a buzzing mosquito or leaves rustling in the wind. When we switched to the highest fan speed, we noted just 58 dB. To put that into perspective, 58 dB is on the same level as a quiet refrigerator or a typical office. The Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 is unlikely to disturb you with noise, making it a great pick for studies and home offices (or bedrooms, as long as you do not mind the bright light from the air quality indicator).

More importantly, the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 appeared to do a good job of removing airborne pollutants, swiftly kicking into high fan speeds whenever it sensed cooking smells, sprayed cosmetics or cleaning chemicals lingering in the air. We also noticed a considerable difference in air freshness. Our at-home tests confirmed this — the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 is indeed a very effective air purifier.

As with every other air purifier we test at Live Science, we measured its air-cleaning performance using a Perfect Prime air particle monitor, an industry-grade device capable of detecting airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. We started with ambient tests — we placed the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 in a closed medium-sized room, then ran the air purifier for 30 minutes in auto mode. During the first 15 minutes, it captured 51% of particles measuring 0.3 microns and 75% of particles measuring 2.5 microns (no 10-micron particles were detected at this stage). After 30 minutes, these values rose to 77% and 82%, respectively. Given that the air quality was good on that day, we were more than satisfied with these results.

The Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 also performed well in our smoke tests. We challenged this air purifier to different types of heavy air pollution, first by burning 10 incense sticks, then by lighting up 10 matches. We measured the air quality before and after running our Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 for 30 minutes. In auto mode, the air purifier removed on average 89% of particles measuring 0.3 microns, 91% of 2.5-micron particles and all particles larger than 10 microns. When used at the highest fan speed, these values were higher by around three to five percentage points.

Honeywell Designer Series HPA830: User reviews

At the time of writing this review, Amazon's customer reviews gave the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 a solid 4.4 stars, while buyers at Target and Walmart rated it 4.8 out of 5 stars. This air purifier was almost universally praised for its air-cleaning performance, quiet operation and ease of use, and a significant number of users said that it had a positive impact on their allergy symptoms.

As one buyer commented: "I recently purchased the Honeywell air purifier to combat the alarming air quality caused by the Canadian wildfires that have engulfed New York City. This device has truly been a lifesaver! It has transformed the atmosphere in my home, making it clean and fresh, amidst the smoke blanketing the city. [...] Considering the exceptional air-cleaning capabilities, the whisper-quiet operation, and the overall quality of this Honeywell air purifier, I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone facing air quality issues."

Negative remarks, though few and far between, often focused on its non-dimmable light indicators and poorly designed essential oil diffuser. As one user said: "The diffuser does nothing; it just sits in the reservoir and that’s it. There is no heating element under it or really any air streaming under it to diffuse the oil. There is also some light bleed from the LED indicators. I had to put caps on the lights as they were too bright."

Should you buy the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830?

✅ Buy it if: You want a budget-friendly performer without the unnecessary frills. The Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 removes air pollutants quickly and efficiently without making excessive noise or taking up much space, and it costs less than $200.

❌ Do not buy it if: You are looking for advanced air quality monitoring, remote control and other smart features, or something suitable for large spaces. The Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 performs well, but it will not suit those looking for the modern extras.

If the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 is not for you

If you are looking for something cheaper, consider the BlueAir Blue Pure 411i Max — this air purifier costs around $169 and is often on sale. While it does not have an activated carbon filter or essential oil diffuser like the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830, it is just as quiet, easy to use and efficient at removing airborne particles. Plus, it offers relatively detailed air quality monitoring.

Need something bigger and more powerful? Then you can't go wrong with the Levoit Core 600S. This air purifier is suitable for spaces up to 3,175 square feet (295 sq m) and comes with a range of useful smart features. The best part? It is only $100 more expensive than the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830.

If you prefer something more stylish, take a look at the RabbitAir A3. This smart air purifier comes in a myriad of colorful, eye-catching designs and with a wide range of customizable air filters. However, it costs around $750, which is more than three times the price of the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830.

Honeywell Designer Series HPA830: How we tested

We spent three weeks testing the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 air purifier, rigorously assessing its design, features, day-to-day performance, ease of use and value for money. We also checked the cost and availability of its replacement filters, and measured its noise levels with a Sound Meter decibel-counting app.

Next, we conducted a series of air quality tests using a Perfect Prime air particle monitor, an industry-grade device capable of detecting airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. We started with ambient air quality tests: we placed the Honeywell Designer Series HPA830 in an enclosed, aired-out room and ran it on auto mode for 30 minutes, taking air quality readings every 15 minutes.

Then, we performed several smoke tests. We burned matches and incense sticks to expose this air purifier to different types of heavy pollution, then measured the changes in air quality before and after running it for 30 minutes on different fan speed settings.