Holmes® HAP242-UC HEPA-type Desktop Air Purifier

Comment: Saw this at a cheaper price at Target -plus- I thought it was a true HEPA from the description but it turned out to be just HEPA-type. However, I like the desktop design and it operates quietly at the lowest speed.

Comment: I bought this air purifier for my nephew as I already own two myself and am very happy with the product.

Comment: I have larger air purifiers, but I wanted a desktop air purifier for the convenience of moving it around the house where needed. It has been very useful near the cat litter. Our older cat has a problem making it to the cat litter box before he drops a bomb on the newspaper near his cat litter box. The newspaper has been laid down to help collect his 'bombs'
I hear other cats do the same thing. I would recommend this desktop air purifier for anyone with a pet.

Comment: I've owned mine for about 5 years, and I love it. I was surprised to see so many negative comments from other reviewers. If I may add my two cents to the discussion:

* This machine works great as an air purifier for small/medium bedrooms. It is designed to remove dust and other allergens from the air, and it does so quite well in my opinion. It's not meant to clean the air in the whole house. It's not meant to remove strong odors like stinky pets, dirty diapers, etc. That's what an odor eliminator is for. (I use a Hamilton Beach 04271R TrueAir Plug-Mount Odor Eliminator next to the litter box, and I can't complain.) An odor eliminator contains a carbon filter than neutralizes bad smells. A HEPA air purifier contains a filter of thickly folded fibrous paper that strains tiny particles out of the air. The two devices have completely different purposes and methods.

* Yes, you do have to replace the filter periodically. I run my unit continuously on the low setting and have to replace the filter about once a year. Target usually sells them in two-packs or three-packs for a good price.

* It needs to be wiped down with a damp cloth every couple of weeks because the outer casing gathers dust and lint. In my experience it does NOT, as other users have commented, get filthy. I supposed it might if you never cleaned it. The fact that it attracts dust means it's working.

* It's almost silent on the low setting. Medium is audible but not intrusive. The high setting is almost as loud as a dust buster. I've found the low setting to be sufficient for small bedrooms.

I hope this helps.

Comment: So, why do you want an air filer???

Papers & books breakdown. Ask any bookstore in the mall. Next, let's talk about the (2) types of dirt...outside & people. Then, there's all the chemi-kills your house is built out of, the mold, and the chemicals it takes to clean it. The Environmental Protection Agency says inside pollution is 2 to 5 times worse than outside. Monitors are dust collectors. PC's suck in dust all day. Electronics act like a huge magnet pulling in yuck from all sides of the room, and then you sit your face by it for hours at a time...dust is a problem.

So, you can spend half a grand and get some ozone poisoning if you like to kill off everything in the house. (Ozone is a carcinogen. Check up on the ppm before you buy one to see how much you are getting.) Just take out a loan and buy a Sharper Image stick cleaner. They work. The reason they don't use a fan is because the ions push the air around.

However, for the rest of us...Holmes has a good solution. HEPA filtration was like nuclear submarine quality about a decade ago. No one had this because we couldn't afford it. Today, these little units start at just under thirty bucks. I got the HAP2400, and somehow filled the pre-filter face in less than 15 days. But, I don't know how...my room was clean! I'm reading smoke, pet, molds, but I don't have these problems. That's when I learned about the magnets in the computers, and the normal level of junk in the air. I think I read that 90% of your time is spent at home. If you saw the stuff I pulled down, why wouldn't you get one of these? I feel like I just vacuumed the air. Replacement filers only run about ten bucks, and they last 3-4 months.

Negative side:
- I read that small particles out the back of the unit don't wash off easy if you don't replace the filter on a normal basis.
- I'm not big on negative ions because I don't know enough about them.
- These should not be placed on the floor becuase of the plastic construction.
- Smoke from fires will build up in the filter and be pushed out at a later date. But, the filters are that good, they will pick the smoke up...yes.

(I'm going to see if I get rid of my paper piles, if that helps...dust is N-Asty!)