Searching for a highly-rated air purifier can be a little intimidating considering you have UV air purifiers, filterless air purifiers, and plug-in air purifiers. But if you do settle on looking for the best plug-in air purifier, or even the best air purifier with a washable filter, you would do well to consider the Hamilton Beach 04386A.
Why We Like It – Hamilton Beach 04386A Air Purifier
Hamilton Beach 04386A Air Purifiers are budget-level, plug-in air purifiers that pull out all the punches to compete with their higher-end brethren. The room coverage is virtually the same as the rest of the competition, and it’s still able to capture most, if not all, common airborne particles.
- Good Room Coverage for a Plug-In Purifier
- Captures All Manner of Airborne Contaminants
- Very Lightweight and Portable
- No Activated Carbon Filter
- High Power Consumption
- Noisy
Power/Speed
The Hamilton Beach 04386A is very simple in its design, just like the Honeywell HFD 120Q. It is a one-stage filtration machine, which means it is easy to operate and get going, nut also means that it’s missing an activated carbon filter which greatly aids in filtration. Check out the GermGuardian GG1000 if an activated carbon filter is something you must have or have become accustomed to.
Efficiency
unlike its cousin the Hamilton Beach Trueair, the Hamilton Beach Air Purifier covers a room of about 160 square feet. It may not sound like much, but this is actually pretty average when it comes to plug-in air purifiers. Even the Germ Guardian AC4825E covers about the same amount of space. Power consumption isn’t the unit’s strong suit though as it comes to $36 per year, which is actually more than double other purifiers in its class, to run.
Versatility
Unlike the Blueair Blue Pure 411, the 04386A uses a Permanent HEPA Filter instead of a True HEPA Filter which means it can be vacuumed or cleaned for minimal upkeep while still providing the same HEPA grade filtration. It removes 99% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, and this includes dust mite debris, pet dander, mold spores, and dust for the best air possible in the room.
Durability
The Hamilton Beach 04386A is among the lightest plug-in air purifiers we’ve seen at just over five and a half pounds. It’s half the weight of the GermGuardian AC5350B. It’s easy to carry around and place in different rooms that need air cleaning. Unfortunately, the unit is rather noisy with an upper-end level of 60dB and a lower end of about 20dB. Compare this to other purifiers that have an upper-end level of 30dB and you’ll understand why we need to deduct points.
Value
At $56 you can’t really go wrong with at least picking one up to see if plug-in air purifiers are a good solution to your needs. And if you really need to, it’s affordable enough to buy multiple to put into every room that needs it. The three-speed settings are nice and let you adjust their power based on your needs. Just don’t expect any smart features. It’s got a 4.5/5 star rating on Amazon too, based on a whopping 10,972 reviews.
Hamilton Beach 04386A Air Purifier Wrap Up
There are some setbacks to the Hamilton Beach 04386A, namely that it’s noisy and that its power consumption is high, but with a washable filter, you should be able to save on these power costs. One will cancel the other out. You’ll just have to get used to the noise though. Especially if you plan on having it close to you or in the bedroom while sleeping.
