Hamilton Beach 04492 True Air Ionic Air Purifier

I did a LOT of research on air cleaners before I decided to purchase this model. My order was canceled twice without explanation before I actually had an order ship. That isn't even the reason I give this… a four (4). It's not very quiet at all. It's about the sound of a window air conditioner, which wouldn't be bad, but I do not like when they advertise it as "whisper" quiet. It's louder than a whisper! It is easily picked up and is very portable. I do notice a significant difference in the dust in my bedroom where I have the unit. It has not helped my allergies at all; I didn't purchase this actually for my allergies as they aren't all that bad, but I did expect it to help with the cat hair and dust - that it has done. So if you do not have allergies and want a unit that's priced about $100.00 and only want it to help with pet hair, dander and dust, this is the unit for you. If you have allergies, do not purchase this unit. I believe you need to research a model that is much more expensive. This unit is NOT a true HEPA! It is easy to assemble and clean and I do like the fact that I do not have to purchase new filters; an average cost of $125.00 a year for most units. So for $100.00 - a one time expenditure - this isn't a bad unit.

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I've had mine for a week now and it works good but this baby is loud. If you own a Xbox 360 and you think that's loud then this is even worse. It's not as bad if I have my stereo on or my central air. If… you want a nice quiet day at home turn this off. I also started to get a small fan rattle after just a few days. Set up out of the box is easy just remember to take the bag off the filter. I won't buy this style again.

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I bought one of these at Wal-Mart to replace an expensive Honeywell that I had in my house for many years. It finally died and I went to buy another one just like it, but it was no longer available. I… decided to try to this one and have been very impressed. The unit is quiet, not like the other review. The auto setting automatically adjusts when the air is dirty. In the morning after my wife sprays her hairspray, the unit in our bedroom kicks up to high for a few minutes to clear the air! I am so impressed by this unit, that I have purchased six more, for a total of seven. We have a large house and I want two in my living area, two in my family room, one in my bedroom and one in each kid bedroom. The unit is much quieter than the Honeywell and I like the fact that I do not have to replace the filter. Only time will tell if it is a good product for several years, but right now this is a GREAT PRODUCT!!

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This air cleaner works very well (takes the smoke right out of the room) but the permanent filter seems to have a flaw. It's made of a thick, fabric-like material and is in an accordian shape within it's… frame. I vacuum it often so it is not clogged. But whenever the unit is on any higher setting other than "Whisper", it mades this very annoying whistling noise. I've removed the front magnetic cover while unit is on, poked around the fabric layers of the filter, and been able to alter the whistling noise, but haven't been able to eliminate it. I wrote to Hamilton Beach about this design flaw and they graciously offered to replace the unit. They always stand behind their warranties. But the filter is the problem. If it was redesigned somehow to produce a different intake airflow, then a replacement filter would solve the problem. But there's no problem with the unit itself; it's how the air is pulled through the filter that causes the noise. So if "quiet" isn't really a requirement, this air cleaner works great!

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