They are two of the most popular air purifier brands in the market owing to their effective filtration systems, wide range of sizes for varied coverage and competitive pricing. In this article, we will compare GermGuardian vs Honeywell features in detail to help you make an informed choice. Although some of the respective models may share some similarities such as the same type of air filter or an equivalent number of speed settings, they also differ among brands and models.
We have explored these similarities and differences in terms of size, coverage, number and type of filters and the noise level, among other features. We have also featured some of the most sought-after models in our comparison of GermGuardian vs Honeywell brands. At the end of this guide, you should be able to identify the right brand and model that will improve your indoor air quality without costing a fortune or requiring constant maintenance.
Honeywell International Inc. has been making air purifiers, heaters and air filters for at least 75 years. The subsidiary of Kaz, which is the parent company of Vicks, also manufactures electric vaporizers. It currently has industrial facilities in Korea, Portugal, Taiwan and China. It is the brand most recommended by doctors to prevent airborne allergies.
Guardian Technologies is an Ohio-based Company whose portfolio includes air purifiers, aromatherapy oils, diffusers HVAC appliances, and HEPA filters. The Company is relatively recent, having been found in 1998, but that hasn’t affected demand for its products such as GermGuardian models.
Both GermGuardian and Honeywell air purifier brands make products suited to cover spaces of different sizes to give you more options. You will notice that Honeywell seems to favor units designed for extensive coverage such as large rooms while GermGuardian leans more towards coverage of small and medium-size rooms. There are exceptions, of course, like GermGuardian AC5900WCA which provides substantial coverage of up to 365 square feet.
Among the products we have reviewed, GermGuardian models come with a warranty of 3 or 5 years while Honeywell offers a limited 5-year warranty for the models featured in this guide.
As well as comparing GermGuardian vs Honeywell, we have analyzed the features of some of the most popular models offered by the two brands.
| GermGuardian AC4825E | Honeywell HFD-120-Q | |
| Coverage area | 153 sq. ft. | 170 sq. ft. |
| Filtration | 3-stage | 2-stage |
| Pre-filter | no | yes, permanent |
| Carbon filter | yes, 1-year lifespan | no |
| True HEPA filter | yes, 1-year lifespan | HEPAClean filter |
| Ionizer/similar technologies | yes, UV-C light | no |
| Noise level | 40 dB (on lowest speed) | 40 dB (on lowest speed) |
| Speeds | 3 | 3 |
| Dimensions | 21.5 x 6.8 x 10.3 inches | 28.7 x 9.7 x 10.4 inches |
| Weight | 8.5 lbs. | 12.3 lbs. |
| Warranty | 3-year limited | 5-year warranty |
| VIEW ON AMAZON | VIEW ON AMAZON |
Honeywell HFD-120-Q and GermGuardian AC4825E provide great coverage for mid-sized and small spaces. The former is designed to cover a slightly bigger area of 170 square feet while the latter purifies air in rooms of up to 153 square feet.
Honeywell HFD-120-Q and GermGuardian AC4825E consume wattage power of 60 and 55 respectively at the highest settings which makes them efficient.
Honeywell HFD-120-Q purifies air through two stages. The first is a permanent washable pre-filter, followed by a HEPAClean filter capable of eliminating up to 99% of airborne allergens that are at least 2 microns in size. The manufacturer claims that this model removes up to 18 times more contaminants than ionic air purifiers. However, a true HEPA filter would be more effective in removing even the smallest particles.
GermGuardian AC4825E features a more advanced 3-step filtration process. Air is purified by a True HEPA filter that removes up to 99.97% of harmful microorganisms, mold spores, pet dander, pollen and allergens that are 0.3 microns, or larger. It also boasts of UV-C light which kills rhinovirus and influenza as well as reduces volatile organic compounds by working in conjunction with titanium dioxide in a process known as photocatalytic oxidation. The third step of filtration has an activated charcoal filter to remove smoke, pet odor and cooking fumes, making it one of the best air purifiers for asthma and pet allergies. The True Hepa filter and the carbon filter should be replaced annually.
Both Honeywell HFD-120-Q and GermGuardian AC4825E are quiet air purifiers which generate little noise of 40 decibels on low setting.
The two models come with 3 speed settings that can be adjusted to regulate output.
The tower-shaped GermGuardian AC4825E measures 21.5 x 6.8 x 10.3 inches and Honeywell HFD-120-Q stands higher with dimensions of 28.7 x 9.7 x 10.4 inches.
As expected, the larger-sized Honeywell HFD-120-Q is also heavier. It weighs 12.3 pounds, and GermGuardian AC4825E weighs 8.5 pounds.
Honeywell HFD-120-Q has CADR rating of 132 for pollen, 110 for smoke and 100 for dust particles whereas GermGuardian AC4825E rating is 125 for pollen, 99 for smoke and 118 for dust, indicating that the latter is more effective at keeping the air in your room clean.
Honeywell HFD-120-Q circulates all the air in the room 5 times in every hour while GermGuardian AC4825E which has a 4x ACH rating purifies the room 4 times hourly.
Honeywell HFD-120-Q offers a limited warranty of 5 years and GermGuardian AC4825E comes with a 3-year limited warranty.
| GermGuardian AC5350B | Honeywell AirGenius 5 | |
| Coverage area | 167 sq. ft. | 250 sq. ft. |
| Filtration | 3-stage | 2-stage |
| Pre-filter | Yes, mechanical filter | yes, washable foam pre-filter/odor reducing pre-filter (doubles as a carbon filter) |
| Carbon filter | yes, 6-8-month lifespan | see above |
| True HEPA filter | HEPA filter, 6-8-month lifespan | No, permanent ifD filter instead |
| Ionizer/similar technologies | yes, UV-C light | no |
| Noise level | 40 dB (on lowest speed) | 41 dB (on lowest speed) |
| Speeds | 5 | 5 |
| Dimensions | 27.6 x 6.7 x 9 inches | 28.7 x 9.7 x 10.4 inches |
| Weight | 11.1 lbs. | 12.3 lbs. |
| Warranty | 5-year limited | 5-year warranty |
| VIEW ON AMAZON | VIEW ON AMAZON |
GermGuardian AC5350B is suitable for small and medium-sized rooms since it covers 167 square feet. On the other hand, Honeywell AirGenius 5 is equipped to purify air and remove contaminants in spaces of up to 250 square feet, making it the superior option for larger rooms.
GermGuardian AC5350B incorporates a 4-in-1 filtration system which includes a mechanical pre-filter to trap debris and a carbon filter with a lifespan of 6 to 8 months to absorb gaseous pollutants and odor. One of its most effective filters is the true HEPA filter which is capable of removing at least 99.97% of contaminants as tiny as 0.3 microns. The other kind of filtration in this model is UV-C light technology. It prevents respiratory infections and allergies by destroying microbes, pathogens and mold spores which it achieves by changing their genetic structure.
Honeywell AirGenius 5 filtration system features a pre-filter doubling up as a carbon filter to reduce odor and a permanent and washable ifD (Intense Field Electric) filter. ifD filters work with fans to eliminate 99% of 0.3 micron-size pollutants which is almost as effective as true HEPA filters. They should be cleaned after every 6 months for optimal performance, and the carbon filter should be replaced every 3 months.
The two air purifiers are almost equal in noise at low setting with one producing 40 decibels and the other 41 decibels. This is pretty quiet a normal conversation equates to 60 decibels.
Honeywell HFD320 AirGenius 5 and GermGuardian AC5350B have 5 customizable speed settings.
Honeywell HFD320 AirGenius 5 is larger, with dimensions of 28.7 x 9.7 x 10.4 inches compared to GermGuardian AC5350B’s size of 27.6 x 6.7 x 9 inches .
GermGuardian AC5350B is lighter by 1.1 pounds.
CADR is an acronym for Clean Air delivery Rate. This rating is derived from independent ANSI/AHAM AC-1 tests conducted by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), and is indicated in cubic feet per minute. The test is carried out on a specific air purifier to gauge how effective they are in filtering out tobacco smoke, pollen and dust in an area with specified coverage. It involves operating the air purifier on maximum power for 20 minutes. The rating correlates to the volume of filtered air after the test, and not the type of filtration used, with a higher rating reflecting that the unit has high speed and top-peak performance to eliminate pollutants.
GermGuardian AC5350B has a CADR rating of 108 for smoke, 127 for pollen and 114 for dust. The CDR rating for Honeywell AirGenius 5 Air Cleaner is 161 for smoke, 170 for pollen and 160 for dust.
Another important rating to consider before choosing an air purifier is ACH (Air Changes per Hour) which shows how powerful a specific unit is by calculating how many times it takes to clean space of specific size. Honeywell AirGenius 5 has a rating of 5x which means it can purify a room every 12 minutes while the 4x rating of GermGuardian AC5350B shows that it exchanges the full air in a room every 15 minutes.
Both models come with a warranty of 5 years.
| GermGuardian AC5900WCA | Honeywell HPA300 | |
| Coverage area | 365 sq. ft. | 465 sq. ft. |
| Filtration | 3-stage | 3-stage |
| Pre-filter | no | yes, Honeywell A and A+, 3-month lifespan (doubles as a carbon filter) |
| Carbon filter | yes, 6-8-month lifespan | See above |
| True HEPA filter | yes, 6-8-month lifespan | yes, 1-year lifespan |
| Ionizer/similar technologies | yes, UV-C light | no |
| Noise level | 40 dB (on lowest speed) | 48.3 dB (on lowest speed) |
| Speeds | 3 | 4 |
| Dimensions | 16 x 20.9 x 9.7 inches | 13.7 x 22 x 23.6 inches |
| Weight | 13 lbs. | 17.3 lbs. |
| Warranty | 3-year limited | 5-year warranty |
| VIEW ON AMAZON | VIEW ON AMAZON |
Our next comparison is between two models with expansive coverage that makes them the best air purifiers for large rooms. The coverage area indicates the size of room that a specific air purifier can effectively eliminate airborne impurities without overworking, and is expressed in square or cubic footage by manufacturers.
GermGuardian AC5900WCA has maximum coverage area of 365 square feet and Honeywell HPA300 covers extra-large rooms of up to 465 square feet.
Both models remove airborne contaminants in three steps to improve your indoor air quality.
GermGuardian AC5900WCA does not include a pre-filter. Instead, it employs a true HEPA filter as well in addition to a carbon filter and UV-C technology to kill germs. The true HEPA and carbon filters should be replaced after every 6 to 8 months to maintain the effectiveness of the air purifier.
Honeywell HPA300 filtration consists of a washable Honeywell A and A+ pre-filter with activated carbon to neutralize odor and remove smoke particles and mold. It also comes with Turbo Clean setting and a true HEPA filter which traps up to 99.97% of airborne particles that are.3 microns, or larger. The lifespans of the pre-filter and the True HEPA filter are 3 months and one year respectively.
GermGuardian AC5900WCA generates only 40 decibels of noise on the lowest setting. Honeywell HPA300 has decibel rating of 48.3 decibels on the lowest speed but it is noisy in Turbo mode, as reported by several users.
GermGuardian AC5900WCA features 3 adjustable speed settings while Honeywell HPA300 has a total of 4 settings; 3 fan speeds and Turbo mode.
Unsurprisingly, Honeywell HPA300 which has greater coverage is also larger in size, measuring 13.7 x 22 x 23.6 inches compared to the 16 x 20.9 x 9.7 inches dimensions of GermGuardian AC5900WCA.
Honeywell HPA300 is heavier than GermGuardian AC5900WCA by approximately 4 pounds.
One of the features that make Honeywell HPA300 one of the best purifiers for large rooms is its high CADR rating of 300 for smoke, 300 for pollen and 320 for dust. This is ideal in spaces that are constantly exposed to contaminants. GermGuardian AC5900WCA is also a great contender with a high CADR rating of 235 for smoke, 237 for pollen and 239 for dust.
The Air Changes per Hour rating of Honeywell HPA300 is 5x while GermGuardian AC5900WCA’s is 4x.
The limited warranty provided for GermGuardian AC5900WCA and Honeywell HPA300 is 3 years and 5 years respectively.
As we noted earlier in this guide on GermGuardian and Honeywell air purifiers, most of Honeywell products are ideal for larger rooms while GermGuardian suits small and mid-sized rooms. This is also reflected in their respective sizes. Honeywell models are unmatched in coverage, with the best illustration provided by Honeywell HPA300 which is designed for rooms of up to 465 square feet. Honeywell also offers a lengthier warranty of 5 years for the models above, and some products are available with cost-saving permanent filters.
We like the GermGuardian models because they all come with a True Hepa filter which effectively removes up to 99.97% of airborne impurities. We particularly like the 4-stage filtration provided by GermGuardian AC4825E which includes ionizing technology which kills germs and reduces VOCs. It is also quiet.
