The catch
Honeywell HPA300
Beyond a basic timer, it has no particle sensor, Auto mode, app or scheduling.
Side by side
Honeywell HPA300 vs Honeywell HPA5300B: 5300B responds to VOCs, HPA300 makes you pick the fan speed by hand
Quick verdict
The HPA5300B is the pick for automatic response to its VOC sensor and a slightly smaller cabinet. For manual fan control, the HPA300 is the simpler machine.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Compare room sizes at an equal turnover rate
Honeywell HPA300 works out to about 450 square feet and Honeywell HPA5300B to 485, at five air changes per hour and an eight-foot ceiling.
Where this comes from
Area = CADR × 60 / (ceiling feet × air changes per hour). Inputs are 300 and 323 CFM, 8 feet and 5 changes. The CADR used is the smoke figure at maximum speed. Air mixing, furniture, open doors and filter loading change real conditions.
The catch
Honeywell Insight HPA5300B
Auto mode is driven by a VOC sensor and not by a PM2.5 particle sensor.
Honeywell HPA300
- Why pick it
- Setting the fan by hand suits you
- A familiar layout of controls on the unit will do
- The catch
- Beyond a basic timer, it has no particle sensor, Auto mode, app or scheduling.
Honeywell Insight HPA5300B
- Why pick it
- The sensor should handle the fan speed
- Your room benefits from a shallower cabinet
- The catch
- Auto mode is driven by a VOC sensor and not by a PM2.5 particle sensor.
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What this page compares
Automatic response to its VOC sensor and a slightly smaller cabinet point to the HPA5300B. The HPA300 is simpler if you want manual fan control.
The step up in sizing is modest
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
The room is big enough to call for extra airflow
With the same five-change target and eight-foot ceiling, Honeywell HPA300 has a calculated limit of 450 square feet and Honeywell HPA5300B has 485. Allow margin if you plan to run below maximum speed.
- Honeywell HPA300
- Depends
- Honeywell Insight HPA5300B
- Better fit
The cabinet needs to fit next to furniture
Honeywell HPA300 needs 20.1 inches of width and 10.8 inches of depth, and Honeywell HPA5300B needs 19.1 by 10.08. Intake clearance is extra, so measure the gap in both directions.
- Honeywell HPA300
- Depends
- Honeywell Insight HPA5300B
- Depends
I want to run it from another room
Honeywell HPA300 and Honeywell HPA5300B both lack app control. If remote schedules are essential, choose a connected alternative.
- Honeywell HPA300
- Not suitable
- Honeywell Insight HPA5300B
- Not suitable
Ceiling height is ten feet
At ten feet and five air changes, the modeled room areas drop to 360 square feet for Honeywell HPA300 and 388 for Honeywell HPA5300B. That is 20% less floor area than the eight-foot example, because the purifier has more air to move.
- Honeywell HPA300
- Depends
- Honeywell Insight HPA5300B
- Depends
In practice
Differences you will notice
Compare room sizes at an equal turnover rate
Honeywell HPA300 works out to about 450 square feet and Honeywell HPA5300B to 485, at five air changes per hour and an eight-foot ceiling.
How we worked this out
Area = CADR × 60 / (ceiling feet × air changes per hour). Inputs are 300 and 323 CFM, 8 feet and 5 changes. The CADR used is the smoke figure at maximum speed. Air mixing, furniture, open doors and filter loading change real conditions.
Measure the cabinet first, then buy
Honeywell HPA300 has a 217.1-square-inch cabinet envelope, against 192.5 for Honeywell HPA5300B. A shallower shape can still need more wall width.
How we worked this out
Width × depth: 20.1 × 10.8 = 217.1 in² and 19.1 × 10.08 = 192.5 in². These are cabinet bounding rectangles and do not include required air clearance.
A small gain that also takes up less floor area
Compared with the HPA300, the HPA5300B has about 8% more smoke CADR and about 11% less cabinet footprint.
How we worked this out
(323 / 300 - 1) × 100 = 7.7%. 1 - (19.1 × 10.08) / (20.1 × 10.8) = 11.3% footprint reduction. Intake clearance comes on top of that.
Plug in your numbers
Can either purifier keep up with your room?
This checks hard limits only. Personal preferences are left out of the math.
Honeywell HPA300
Works with your numbers300 CFM of verified clean-air delivery works out to about 7.5 air changes per hour in this room. Hitting the 5 ACH target takes 200 CFM.
Honeywell Insight HPA5300B
Works with your numbers323 CFM of verified clean-air delivery works out to about 8.1 air changes per hour in this room. Hitting the 5 ACH target takes 200 CFM.
This uses each model’s pollutant-specific CADR at top speed and a target of five air changes per hour. Quieter settings clean less air. Raw airflow and one-change coverage claims are never swapped in.
Option A
Honeywell, HPA300
HPA300
This True HEPA workhorse is simple and high in airflow, with no ionizer, no app and no particle sensor to depend on.
- Best for
- Filtering smoke and pollen if you like simple physical controls and filters that are easy to find
Facts we checked
- AHAM suggests 465 square feet, with CADR of 300 CFM for smoke, 320 for dust and 300 for pollen.
- The HPA300 has a separate odor-reducing prefilter and three certified True HEPA cartridges.
- Physical controls cover four cleaning levels, a timer, a dimmer and filter reminders.
Option B
Honeywell, HPA5300B
Insight HPA5300B
This large Honeywell keeps things straightforward, with strong separate CADR figures and an automatic mode that responds to VOCs, but there's no app.
- Best for
- A large room where you care about verified airflow, physical controls and filters that are easy to find
Facts we checked
- Honeywell's published CADR values are 323 CFM for smoke, 335 for dust and 335 for pollen.
- The room rating of 500 square feet is based on 4.8 air changes per hour.
- The cabinet is 19.1 by 22.3 by 10.08 inches, and a VOC sensor drives automatic fan changes.
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Honeywell HPA300 | Honeywell Insight HPA5300B | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke CADR | 300 CFM | 323 CFM | Better to rely on a smoke-specific rate than on a one-air-change marketing room size. |
| Pollen CADR | 300 CFM | 335 CFM | The model that leads on smoke does not necessarily lead on pollen as well. |
| Cabinet width and depth | 20.1 × 10.8 in | 19.1 × 10.08 in | Check both dimensions against the real gap, and keep the clearance the manual calls for around the intakes. |
| Remote app control | No app | No app | Remote schedules matter if the purifier sits far from where you spend your day. |
| Automatic sensor response | Set speed manually | Included | Apps and pollution sensors do separate jobs, and a schedule tells you nothing about air quality. |
| Ionizer or electrostatic stage | none | none | If a purely mechanical filter path is what you want, treat this preference as a firm requirement. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Honeywell HPA300
- At high airflow it is among the louder options, with RTINGS measuring roughly 39 to 60 dB.
With Honeywell Insight HPA5300B
- With three HEPA cartridges and a carbon prefilter on a three-month cycle, the replacement schedule gets busy.
Decision guide
How to decide
Go with the HPA5300B if you want its VOC sensor to drive the fan and a slightly smaller cabinet, or with the HPA300 for simpler manual fan control.
The step up in sizing is modest
Smoke CADR goes from 300 to 323 with the HPA5300B, adding about 35 square feet at five air changes and eight-foot ceilings. That isn't a jump into a different class of room.
Know what the sensor detects
Honeywell calls the Insight sensor a VOC sensor. Automatic response works for that input, but don't read a VOC light as a dedicated PM2.5 measurement.
Get the right complete filter set
Each takes several HEPA filters inside a larger cabinet. Before judging ongoing cost, compare the exact complete replacement set and any compatible optional odor filters.
What this page can’t tell you
- CADR is based on the maximum rated fan speed, and minimum noise and maximum airflow occur at different operating points.
- What these calculations compare is particle-cleaning capacity. Nothing in them promises health outcomes or the removal of a specific gas.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the air purifiers we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
How many fit
Only 14 of the 70 models checked meet every need here: “Wildfire smoke makes its way inside”, “Floor space is very tight for me”, and “I want it to respond automatically”.
14 models fit, out of 70 checkedShow the facts and the math
How we countedThe count uses each product's current fit ratings for “Wildfire smoke makes its way inside”, “Floor space is very tight for me”, and “I want it to respond automatically”. A need with no documented match is not counted.
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honeywell HPA300 |
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| Honeywell Insight HPA5300B |
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Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Honeywell HPA300
Setting the fan by hand suits you
See price & reviews on AmazonHoneywell Insight HPA5300B
The sensor should handle the fan speed
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