The Honeywell 17000 QuietCare Air Purifier goes in tune with the other Honeywell products as it maintains surprising silence while it churns out the dust and microbes from the air in a room. It is suitable for use in a bedroom or a medium sized living area and is quite powerful for its size. The shape of the machine is slightly disorienting at first but it is rather effective as the air has the right outflow from all sides.
The first thing that you will notice about the machine is the unconventional shape. It is broadly cylindrical but at the top is curved for a bit and then flattened to accommodate the control buttons and the handle that makes carrying the machine very easy. The curved design may seem like it takes up a lot of space but in reality, the overall dimensions are fairly small so it can be placed even on a cabinet or the like, although that is not advisable.
Coming to the performance of the machine, it features the usual two-stage filtration process. However, the pre-filter here has been optimized and is very effective. It is capable of trapping almost all the dust particles that settle on tables and require you to clean them up. The filter can be removed and replaced easily and according to the manufacturer, this can be cleaned a couple of times before it needs complete replacement. Behind the pre-filter is the HEPA filter that is responsible for getting rid of the allergens, bacteria and other disease causing organisms. The claim is that after two stages of filtering, the air is 99.97% free of dust and bacteria but it stands unverified. However, the testing showed that this machine is indeed capable of wonders, but in a room that is no more than 170 sq.ft. The Honeywell 17000 packs enough power to filter the air in a room of 170 sq.ft about 6 times in an hour and it does that very effectively and quietly. There are no sudden increases in the noise levels and neither is there any stuttering.
Controlling the air purifier is a simple job and there are three levels to choose from. These are all adjusted manually and considering the purifier’s price, it would be unreasonable to expect an automatic sensor and adjustment system. The impressive aspect here is that all the three levels are fairly quiet and you wouldn’t notice the noise in the background even in the high power mode. The purification is obviously stronger in the higher ranges but the low power can be comfortably, in fact soothingly used at night while sleeping. For convenience, Honeywell has included meters that show how clean the filters are and these are useful to know when the filter needs to be cleaned or changed.
On the whole, this machine is great as it offers great value for money. There is no automatic adjustment facility and the design might not be greatly appealing despite its reasonable functionality. In addition, while the machine is quiet initially, users have reported that it gets a little noisy as you use it. The Honeywell 17000 is one of the decent air purifiers in the market today and if you don’t mind the design and if it falls within your budget, by all means go for it and you will not regret your choice.
Pros
- Impressive value for money
- Shows how clean the filters are
- Quiet but powerful
Cons
- Design is slightly unflattering
- Gets noisy with repeated use