When it comes to air purifiers you can trust, the name brands seem to be the way to go. There are countless brands out there that provide high-quality air purifiers that can turn even the hairiest pet homes into a clean and fresh environment.
Two such brands seem to stand out amongst the crowd, however, and offer some of the best products on the market today: Holmes and Honeywell. Both companies strive for perfection and offer only the best when it comes to air purifiers.
However, which brand is the brand for you? It’s important to get a high-quality air purifier that is able to properly and thoroughly clean out the room you place it in, so you don’t want to go with the second-best option.
The goal of our review is to provide an answer to the question of who is better: Holmes or Honeywell. We will be directly comparing three devices from each brand to determine where they each shine and where improvements can be made.
This comparison has been broken down into three separate categories: desktop, tower, and whole room purifiers. We’ve tested and reviewed each of these products so that you can have a better understanding as to which brand offers more to their consumers.
Product Comparisons – Holmes Versus Honeywell
To start our comparison of two of the top air purifier brands, we’ll take a look at their best desktop purifiers. The next category goes up in size and considers which brand offers the best air purifier tower.
Finally, we consider which of the two offers the best whole room purifier. We understand that not everyone is going to want a whole room purifier so it’s important to take a look at the smaller devices each brand has in stock.
The Desktop Purifiers
Whether you’re in a stuffy office environment or you simply need that final kick of pure air while working at home, a desktop purifier offers many different benefits. This is the smallest type of air purifier, but the power they can emit is quite impressive.
Just because they’re small doesn’t mean they’re too limited in the space they can cover. Here is a comparison of the best Holmes desktop purifier and the best Honeywell desktop purifier.
Holmes Desktop HEPA Air Purifier
Honeywell QuietClean Compact Air Purifier
And the winner is…
Though these two devices are certainly neck and neck, the winner comes down to the lower maintenance fees you’ll experience with the Honeywell. You won’t have to worry about replacing the filter unless damage occurs, and the power of the purifier is unmatched.
The Tower Purifiers
The next comparison takes a look at the tower purifiers from each brand. A tower purifier – typically shaped like, you guessed it, a tower – is akin to a space heater whereas a whole room purifier is more like a central heating system. It has less coverage but is fantastic for smaller spaces.
We take a look at the best tower purifiers from each brand so that you can find the perfect middle ground in terms of coverage. Here are the best tower air purifiers from Holmes and Honeywell.
Holmes aer1 Tower Air Purifier
The customizable, three-fan settings enable you to tailor your experience towards your needs. Filter a room up to 192 square feet with this fantastic tower purifier from Holmes.
Honeywell QuietClean Tower Air Purifier
Unlike the Holmes, this tower offers on/off oscillation so that you can purify many different spots in your room. The only drawback is that this is the less-powerful cleaner.
And the winner is…
While the Honeywell offers more in terms of features and extras, the Holmes is simply the better purifier. With the Holmes tower purifier, you’re getting a cleaner room and a simpler experience.
The Whole Room Purifiers
Now we take a look at the powerhouses of each brand’s collection. A whole room purifier – as the name indicates – is able to cover an entire room.
These purifiers are best suited for large spaces and are able to purify an entire space, even when you place it on one end of the room. Here is our comparison of the best whole room purifiers from both Holmes and Honeywell.
Holmes True HEPA Console Air Purifier
The enhanced carbon filter is one of the most powerful available, and comes with three replacements so that you don’t have to break the bank for every replacement.
Honeywell True HEPA Whole Room Air Purifier
This purifier comes with a 2, 4, and 8-hour shutoff timer and offers up to 5 air changes in an hour of use. The purifying experience is automated with this device.
And the winner is…
Thanks to the square foot coverage alone, the Honeywell purifier takes this category. It’s a powerful purifier that can cover even the largest rooms. The Holmes device, while impressive, limits you a little more as to how big the room you’re covering can be. The Honeywell’s special shut-off timer will save you energy and offers great customization.
Our Conclusion – Who is Better?
Though there are many comparisons that can be grabbed between the two brands, and many similarities in device quality, we had to select a winner.
When comparing Holmes and Honeywell, Honeywell is the better of the two brands in most categories after a direct comparison. Their devices are powerful, durable, and will clean your space like no other.
That’s not to say that Holmes isn’t a fantastic brand to go with – their products are more affordable and the quality is insanely high. But, if you want the best, Honeywell is the brand with the all around best air purifier products.
Features of a Great Air Purifier
Here are the main features that we look for in an air purifier. Each feature we list were looked for in our tests of the purifiers from Holmes and Honeywell. When you’re shopping for an air purifier, these are the main things you should keep an eye out for as they will help prove quality in a product.
Range of Coverage
This will certainly come down to the type of air purifier you purchase, but it’s still important to make note of. Air purifiers are unique in that lower ranges of coverage do not necessarily indicate lower quality. An air purifier with a lower spread of coverage could simply be putting a focus on quality over quantity.
With that being said, many of the best air purifiers tend to boost the amount of space you can cover with one device.
This is especially important if you have a larger space that needs to be purified – you don’t want a desktop device or even a whole room purifier with a small spread as this simply won’t do the job.
If you’re living in a smaller space, then having a powerful and more concentrated air purifier might be the better option. It all comes down to your situation and what you need out of your purifier.
Specific Pollutants
Our recommendation is to look for a purifier that can specifically combat pollutants in your area. Some purifiers cover general pollutants, but don’t offer a specified coverage. This can leave you with a halfhearted purification that simply doesn’t work as well.
If you have many pets, choose a purifier that can combat pet hair well. If you’re in an area where cigarette smoke is an issue, pick a device that specifies that as their main target.
Noise Levels
The best time to use your air purifier is at night when you’re sleeping. This is when you’re going to be spending most of your time in the space, and whether you’re breathing or snoring, the intake of dust and pet hair will be more than throughout the rest of the day.
You don’t want to have to choose between a quality sleep and breathing in the morning, so select a machine that won’t disturb you throughout the night. Low noise settings are quite important for an air purifier.