Honeywell HPA100 Vs Levoit Core 300 – Real Comparison (2023)

Today’s comparison could be, in a way, a tiny appliances edition, because Honeywell HPA100 and Levoit Core 300 are a petit version of home purifying appliances. Even though they seem quite different at first, these air purifiers are much more alike.

To begin with, the space they cover, Levoit has a slight advantage since it covers up to 219 sq. ft., while the Honeywell can handle up to 155 sq. ft. While the plastic material that both air purifiers are made of is of average quality, it won’t disappoint you especially since both Levoit and Honeywell come in black and white color, which makes them adaptable to any interior concept you may have.

There aren’t some extraordinary features that would make either one of these air purifiers stand out, but that doesn’t make them less useful. The important thing is both Levoit and Honeywell have high-quality filters, and each is 100% ozone free. 

So, why don’t we see which air purifier deserves to take place on the throne?

Specs: Honeywell HPA100 Vs Levoit Core 300

Features Overview

As I was saying at the beginning, these two air purifiers will not give you plenty of additional features, yet there are all the basic ones to make them more than just useful and qualitative. 

For example, I liked that Levoit Core has a sleep mode and a child lock, while Honeywell HPA100 amazed me with the dimmer feature. 

Now, let’s dive into more specific elaboration.

Filter Reset Indicator

If you are into air purifiers, then you’ve probably already heard of the filter reset indicator. A pretty handy feature, don’t you agree? It makes you rely on a simple Indicator that will notify you when it’s time to replace the filter in your air purifier. 

Honeywell has a bit of a specific situation, I would say, with this indicator. More specifically, it has two of them. One is the check filter indicator that lights up to warn you of a True HEPA filter replacement time. The other one is a check pre-filter which is related to a pre-filter and an odor-reducing combo filter. Now I have you interested in Honeywell filters, have I?

On the other hand, Levoit Core 300 has a bit simplified use of the filter reset indicator. When you see the light is ON, you will know it’s time to replace the filter. 

One thing I found interesting is that Honeywell has separate filters, while Levoit uses 3-in-1 filters. 

Sleep Mode

As I already mentioned, the sleep mode is a feature that only Levoit Core 300 has, as opposed to Honeywell HPA100. With this option, Levoit gets the barely there role, while you take your afternoon nap, for example. And all of that, thanks to the QuietKEAP technology.  

Timer

So, you did some vacuuming and still feel that the job is incomplete? Just turn your air purifier ON and set the timer. That way, you won’t have to be afraid of forgetting to shut it down. Both Honeywell HPA100 and Levoit Core 300 have this feature. Honeywell will let you set the purifying time to either 2h, 4h, or 8h, while Levoit adds 6h as an option too. 

Display Off / Dimmer

Sometimes air purifiers tend to look like DJ boards, with all the buttons and indicators lighting. Therefore, if you wish to turn the indicator lights off, there is another button to press. You will find this feature as a dimmer in Honeywell HPA100, and you can adjust it up to three levels. Levoit Core 300 simply dims all indicators by a single pressure on the display off button. 

Child Lock

The child lock feature is quite a useful option if you have kids or a bit of a nosey friend, if you know what I mean. So, basically, once you press this option, your air purifier is safe from all (un)intentional button pressings. 

Airflow

When it comes to Airflow, it’s where these two air purifiers differ a lot, mostly due to construction differences.

Honeywell HPA100 has a rectangular shape, thus, the filtration process goes on frontally. The suction holes are located on the bottom part of the appliance. Once the air runs through filters, it gets dispersed through the holes on the upper side. 

Same as Honeywell, Levoit Core 300 has a voided filter that follows its cylindrical shape. The air goes bottom-up, being filtered along the way. 

Warranty

I bet this will be a pleasant surprise to you, as it was to me. If you decide to buy Honeywell HPA100, you will be rewarded with a five-year warranty. Yes, you heard me well!

On the contrary, if you prefer to buy Levoit Core 300, you will end up with a two-year coverage. However, there is a catch. In order to attain a full warranty, you must register on the Levoit website straight upon the purchase. 

Filtration Technology

Honeywell HPA100 and Levoit Core 300 are not only different in shapes (rectangular vs. cylindrical), but also in the number of filtration stages. The first one, Honeywell, has 2 stages, while Levoit has 3 of them. 

Like many other air purifiers, these two also have a pre-filter in the first place. Only, Honeywell has a pre-filter and odor-reducing combo. Not only does it prevent all the great particles from penetrating the True HEPA filter, but it also has an odor-neutralizing role. On the other hand, the pre-filter that Levoit Core 300 has is a nylon mesh pre-filter, with a protective role as well. Any great dust particles, hair, or dander will be held by this filter, thus protecting all the rest filters. 

As always, I recommend you to keep these pre-filters clean by doing a full cleanse at least once a month. This way, you prolong its durability and maintain high performance. 

A True HEPA filter takes second place in the purifying process of both air purifiers. Without a doubt, by being the main filter, True HEPA is the real reason why both Honeywell HPA100 and Levoit Core 300 have shown such great performances. Almost 100% of microscopic allergens could be prevented by the True HEPA filter. That’s how good it is. 

The last filtration stage belongs to Levoit’s pellet-based carbon filter. Honestly, I liked this filter more than the one Honeywell uses combined with the pre-filter, as it turned out much more efficient. 

Even though I think Honeywell could pay attention to upgrading its carbon filter, both air purifiers have pretty efficient filters integrated. 

How To Replace Filter On Both These Devices?

Depending on how well you keep the filters clean, they will stand up to their main role. For example, while Honeywell’s True HEPA filter can last up to 12 months and Pre/Carbon filter up to 3 months, all Levoit’s filters will last up to 6 months. Since neither one is washable, you’ll have a demanding task to do. Replacing them occasionally would be recommended.

If you want to see a detailed process on how to replace filters in each of these air purifiers, go and check out the separate reviews I’ve posted previously to make sure you’re doing it the right way. 

Tip: when you’re buying a new filter, make sure it is of the original producer. That way, you’ll know for sure that you will get the quality you expect.

Noise Tests

Overall, both Honeywell HPA100 and Levoit Core 300 have 4-speed levels, but there is a slight difference. Honeywell is missing the Sleep mode, which is the fourth speed level at the Levoit air purifier.

The primary thing I would like to point out is that the motors of both air purifiers work fluidly, without any cracking noise. Still, I had to make a thorough noise comparison, and I must say, I was surprised how both of them work on the lowest speed level. 

For example, Honeywell has produced 48.2 dBA, which is a lot more than Levoits’ 40.7 dBA. So, if you were hoping to keep the Honeywell air purifier in your bedroom, you better think twice. No way you will be able to fall asleep with this much noise at the lowest speed level. 

Even though both air purifiers are louder on maximum speed level, Honeywell is slightly quieter. But, even this slight advantage is not enough for Honeywell to assure me that Levoit Core 300 is not a better option, regarding the noise each of them makes.   

Performance Tests

One of the reasons this comparison was more than interesting is the fact that both air purifiers cover almost the same room size. That way it was a lot easier for me to compare various features and make a final decision. 

For the same reason explained above, I decided to put both air purifiers to the test in a 194 sq. ft. room size, and here is what I realized. 

194 sq. ft. Room Tests

Here is the thing, in order to make relevant results, I had to test both air purifiers separately for 60 minutes while working at top speed level. 

By the time the last minute expired, I managed to measure the real-time air quality. While Honeywell improved the air quality by 89%, Levoit has shown way better results, with 93% of improvement. 

While analyzing these results, bear in mind that this room size exceeded the coverage of Honeywell, while it was too easy for Levoit. Thus such good performances. 

Another thing that surprised me is how well did Levoit neutralize all the unpleasant odors in the room. Way better than the Honeywell. All thanks to a better carbon filter.  

Operating Cost

Honeywell HPA100 and Levoit Core 300 have approximately the same motor power, which is 50W and 45W, respectively. As you can see, there is not much of a difference. 

However, according to my tests, even with a more powerful motor, Honeywell managed to use far less energy than Levoit. This means that if you set both air purifiers running on top speed, 24/7, for a whole month, you will get 2.9$ more to pay for Honeywell and 3.8$ for Levoit. 

Here’s another thing regarding filter replacement. Even though Levoit has slightly cheaper filters, the replacement time is more frequent than the Honeywell filter. 

Bearing in mind all the costs and the level of energy consumption, I believe that Honeywell is a bit more affordable to maintain.