Delhi’s air crisis may have eased this monsoon, but don’t be fooled, clean air is still a luxury. As I write this, the AQI sits at 97, far from the choking 1,000-plus readings we endured last winter, but still not safe by any global standard. Delhi remains one of the world’s most polluted capitals, and while rainfall offers temporary relief, PM2.5 levels continue to linger well above health limits.
What most people don’t realize is that your car can be one of the worst places to breathe. Park it under the sun, let the dust settle in, and you’re essentially stepping into a box of trapped pollutants. That’s where car air purifiers come in, not as a luxury, but as a necessity for anyone commuting in NCR’s polluted air.
So, is investing in one actually worth it? After spending a month with the Honeywell Move Pure 5, I can confidently say yes. Here’s my FAQ style review of how it fared against Delhi’s infamous pollution and whether it deserves a spot on your dashboard.
What is the Honeywell Move Pure 5 made of?
The Honeywell Move Pure 5 car air purifier is built primarily from durable ABS plastic. The construction feels solid enough to handle Delhi’s dust-heavy environment and daily vibrations inside a car. It’s not meant to astonish you with its look, but it’s sturdy, scratch-resistant, and practical. It is exactly what you want from an in-car purifier.
How big is it, and where can I place it in the car?
The Honeywell Move Pure 5 measures 221.2 × 194 × 73.2 mm, making it compact enough to fit neatly inside most cars without feeling bulky. At roughly the size of a lunchbox, it’s easy to mount behind a headrest using the included strap or rest on a flat surface. Honeywell adds a dashboard sticky pad, but we advise you to place it on the back of the headrest for safety reasons. The backseat headrest mount is far safer, keeps airflow circulating well, and avoids cluttering your line of sight while driving.
How do you access or replace the filter?
Honeywell has made the filter replacement process refreshingly simple. The entire top lid doubles as a push-button mechanism. A light press makes the lid pop open, giving you instant access to the filter compartment. You can slide in a new HEPA filter or remove the old one without any tools or complicated latches. This design is especially useful for car owners who don’t want to deal with fiddly maintenance. Considering that filters need to be replaced regularly in polluted regions like Delhi-NCR, this ease of use is a major plus point.
What kind of controls does the Move Pure 5 have?
Controls are minimal, almost too minimal. The purifier has only one touch-sensitive power button located on the side. Tap it once, and the unit powers on with a beep. Tap again, and you’ll hear two beeps to indicate maximum fan speed. The problem is that there’s no visual indicator for which fan speed is active. If you’re new to the device, it can feel unintuitive, since you’re left guessing whether it’s on low or high mode. While the simplicity keeps the design clean, a small LED or digital indicator would have made operation far more user-friendly.
Does it show real-time air quality inside the car?
Yes, and this is one of the Move Pure 5’s best features. The purifier has a transparent front panel that displays PM2.5 levels in real time, letting you monitor how polluted your cabin air actually is. It also uses a simple but effective color-coded light system: green when the air is clean, and yellow when it’s time to replace the filter. For commuters who spend hours in traffic, this feature adds peace of mind — you don’t just assume the purifier is working; you can see the AQI numbers drop inside your car.
How is the Move Pure 5 powered?
Unlike some portable purifiers, the Honeywell Move Pure 5 isn’t battery-operated. It requires constant power from your car’s 12V cigarette lighter adapter (CLA). This creates one major drawback: a dangling cable running across your cabin. Depending on your car’s layout, the wire can get in the way of gear shifts or look messy if not tucked properly. The lack of USB Type-C or USB-A charging options is disappointing, especially in 2025 when most modern car accessories support them. A built-in rechargeable battery would have made the Move Pure 5 far more versatile, especially for users who want a cleaner setup.
Are there any design flaws to be aware of?
Yes, a few. The biggest gripe is the lack of fan speed indicators, which makes it confusing to operate at first. Dashboard placement, while suggested by Honeywell, is unsafe in case of an accident. And finally, the reliance on a CLA charger without USB-C or battery support means you’ll always be dealing with cable clutter. These aren’t dealbreakers, but they’re worth considering if you want a truly seamless in-car purifier experience.
What kind of filtration system does the Move Pure 5 use?
The Honeywell Move Pure 5 carries forward Honeywell’s proven 4-in-1 filtration system, designed to tackle everything from dust to harmful gases:
- Pre-filter: Captures larger airborne particles such as dust, lint, and pet hair. This extends the life of the other filters by preventing clogging.
- Nano-silver antibacterial layer: Neutralizes bacteria and microorganisms, reducing the risk of microbial growth inside the filter.
- H12 HEPA filter: Acts as the main line of defense, filtering 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. This includes PM2.5, pollen, and other fine particles that can aggravate asthma and allergies.
- Formaldehyde removal crystals: Target harmful gases and odors, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde, which is common in car interiors due to upholstery and plastics.
This layered approach ensures both visible pollutants and invisible toxins are filtered, making it more comprehensive than single-layer purifiers.
What is the CADR rating of the Move Pure 5?
The Honeywell Move Pure 5 has a CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of 60 m³/h. In practical terms, this means the purifier can filter the air inside a compact or mid-sized SUV cabin (like a Creta, Kushaq, or Seltos) within 30–45 minutes. A higher CADR usually translates to faster cleaning, and 60 m³/h is competitive for car purifiers in this price range.
How did you test the Move Pure 5’s performance?
To evaluate the Honeywell Move Pure 5, we carried out controlled real-world testing inside a Skoda Kushaq, a popular five-seater SUV that mirrors the kind of vehicle many Indian buyers are opting for today. The Kushaq’s cabin, with its 1760 mm width and 2651 mm wheelbase, offers ample space and legroom, making it a suitable benchmark for assessing whether a compact air purifier can effectively handle the larger interiors of SUV-style cars.
The testing was designed to replicate real-world scenarios that urban drivers face in polluted cities like Delhi and Gurgaon. We conducted the tests with two occupants in the cabin, keeping the vehicle stationary to eliminate external airflow variables. Multiple runs were carried out under two distinct conditions: first, with the air conditioning set to recirculation mode, sealing the cabin from outside air, and second, with the AC switched off, allowing outside air to flow in freely. To measure the air quality, we used the Pranaair Pocket PM2.5 portable monitor, recording PM2.5 levels at 15-minute intervals across a 45-minute cycle.
At the beginning of the test, the in-cabin PM2.5 reading stood at 230 μg/m³, a level considered hazardous and nearly four times higher than India’s safe limit of 60 μg/m³. After 15 minutes of running the Move Pure 5 in max mode, the PM2.5 level dropped to 111 μg/m³, marking a reduction of around 52 percent, though the air was still unhealthy at this stage. At the 30-minute mark, the reading further improved to 78 μg/m³, representing a 66 percent reduction and approaching the moderate zone. By the end of 45 minutes, the purifier had brought PM2.5 levels down to 49 μg/m³, which amounts to a 79 percent reduction and finally places the cabin air well within the “safe” zone under Indian standards.
Put simply, the Honeywell Move Pure 5 was able to transform the air quality from hazardous to safe in just 45 minutes inside a mid-sized SUV. For drivers navigating Delhi-NCR’s winter smog, where AQI often spikes above 200 or even 400, this means the purifier can deliver healthy, breathable air within the time frame of an average city commute.
How often should you replace the Honeywell Move Pure 5 filters?
Honeywell recommends replacing the Move Pure 5’s filters every 6 to 8 months, depending on your driving conditions and pollution exposure. However, given the high concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida, especially during the winter smog season, it’s more realistic to plan for a 6-month replacement cycle. A clogged filter not only reduces purification efficiency but also puts additional strain on the fan, potentially increasing noise levels and reducing the purifier’s lifespan.
Where can you buy replacement filters for the Move Pure 5?
As of now, replacement filters for the Honeywell Move Pure 5 are under production and will be available on the Amazon and Honeywell websites soon.
Review Verdict: Should You Buy the Honeywell Move Pure 5?
Pros
- Effective purification
- Easy to mount on the headrest or dashboard
- Quiet operation (24 dB on low, 45 dB on max)
- Simple real-time AQI display
- CADR of 60 m³/h
Cons
- Powered only via CLA charger; no USB-C option
- Wires can dangle awkwardly if mounted on headrest
The Honeywell Move Pure 5 is one of the few car air purifiers in India that feels purpose-built for Delhi-NCR’s harsh pollution levels. It’s compact, well-designed, and capable of taking your cabin air from hazardous to safe in under an hour. The real-time AQI display is simple but effective, and the purifier runs quietly enough that it won’t disturb conversations or music in the car.
That said, it isn’t perfect. The lack of fan-speed indicators makes operation confusing at first, and Honeywell’s decision to stick with a CLA charger instead of a modern USB-C port feels outdated. The biggest drawback, however, is the limited availability of replacement filters, which makes long-term ownership tricky.
If you live in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, or any city where AQI regularly crosses 200, the Move Pure 5 is absolutely worth it. Think of it less as a luxury accessory and more as a health investment for your daily commute.
First reviewed in September 2025.
