BlueAir 603

Blueair 603 Review Summary

The Good:
The Blueair 603 is an improved Blueair 503. It is still as quiet, but performs much better due to a different casing design and more efficient motor.

The Bad:
The machine’s efficient HEPASilent filter is expensive. And it doesn’t have an automatic sensor that adjusts the fan speed according to the pollution level.

The BottomLine:
If you want a high performance room air cleaner to clear normal household pollutants, this is one of the contender. But be prepared to pay a premium.

What we like about the BlueAir 603

The filters: The major difference between BlueAir machines and other air purifiers that uses a HEPA filter is in the technology called the HEPASilent.

The HEPASilent filters made by Blueair has larger holes than a normal HEPA but before dirty air is sucked through the filter, the machine uses ion brushes to charge if first. So, while normal air purifiers suck the air through their filter, the Blueair 603 makes the charged contaminants attracted to it’s filter.

Because of this, the filter is quieter and more efficient than most machines in the market. If a HEPA can trap contaminants 0.3 micron and larger, this one traps smaller airborne contaminants – from 0.1 micron or larger.

There are 3 HEPASilent filters positioned in this machine.

Filter change is easy: To replace all 3 filters inside the unit, you just need to open the top lid with your hand.

Practical: The unit is made of galvanized steel and you can move it around your rooms using it’s castors. There’s also a timer that counts down from 6 months to remind you when to change the filter. And because it so quiet, there’s a blue power on light to let you know if it’s on operation.

Uses little electricity: An Energy Star qualified, it consumes 35 Watt on low and 120 Watt on high speed.

Works faster: Similar to the best-selling 503, the 603 diffuses filtered air from all sides. And because the filter doesn’t block the air, filtered air is released faster than machines using traditional HEPA.

It’s silent: Since air is not forced through the filters, the motor doesn’t need to work hard. Coupled with noise-muffling steel for the housing, you’ll get a quiet machine that lets you sleep peacefully.

Safe for kids and pets: This air purifier shuts down automatically if it’s door is opened. Important feature if you have small kids or curious pets around the house.

But, we are concerned that :

• It’s relatively expensive: Covering around 600 sq feet, the 603 is one of the most expensive air purifier in the class.
• The filter cost: You need to spend around $160 a year if you change the filter every 6 months as recommended by Blueair.
• Warranty : 10 years – but only if you change the filter according to Blueair’s schedule.
• No pre-filter : Most air cleaners come with pre-filter to stop bigger airborne particles from entering the main filter. But the 603 one lacks one. We suggest you vacuum your filter to help it lasts longer.
• It’s all manual: It has only 3 fan speeds that you adjust with a manual dial knob. It will not adjust the fan speed automatically if the air suddenly gets contaminated.
  
• No remote control : Not a big issue for most people.
  

BlueAir 503

Blueair 503 Review Summary

The Good:
The silent Blueair 503 consumes little energy and is rated as one of the most effective air purifier in the market due to it’s filter technology.

The Bad:
You need to change the unit’s 3 filters every 6 months.

The Bottomline:
This a solid air purifier for everyday use provided you don’t have any serious smoke, odor and molds problem.  If peaceful sleep is a major concern, this is one of the machine you should consider. But it is not cheap to own or maintain.

What we like about Blueair 503.

The filters:
The major difference between BlueAir machines and other air purifiers that uses a HEPA filter lies in the technology called the HEPASilent.

The HEPASilent has larger holes than a normal HEPA but before dirty air is sucked through the filter, the machine uses ion brushes to charge if first. So, while air cleaners made by other companies force the air through their filter, the Blueair 503 makes the charged contaminants attracted to it’s filter.

Because of this, the machine is quieter and more effective than most air purifiers in the market. If a HEPA can trap contaminants 0.3 micron and bigger, this filter can trap smaller airborne contaminants of 0.1 micron or larger.

Filter is easy to change: You can change the filter without a screwdriver or any other tools.

Practical: The unit is made of galvanized steel and can be moved around using it’s castors. There’s also a timer that counts down from 6 months to remind you when to change the filter. And because it so quiet, there’s a blue power on light to let you know if it’s on operation.

Uses little electricity: An Energy Star qualified, it only consumes 35 Watt on low and 120 Watt on high speed.

Works faster: The 503 diffuses filtered air from the sides and top. And because the filter doesn’t block the air, clean air is delivered faster.

It’s silent: Since air is not blocked, the motor doesn’t need to work hard. Coupled with noise-muffling steel for the housing, you’ll get a quiet machine that lets you sleep peacefully.

Safe for kids and pets: This air purifier shuts down automatically if it’s door is opened. Important feature if you have curious kids or pets around the house.

But, we are concerned that :

• It’s not cheap: The price says it all.
  
• The filter cost: If you replace it every 6 months as advised by the company, you’re looking at around $160 a year. It’s bigger sibling, the Blueair 603 costs the same but covers bigger area.
  
• Warranty : You need to change your filter according to the schedule or you’ll void your warranty.
• No pre-filter : Most air cleaners come with pre-filter to stop bigger airborne particles from entering the main filter. But this one lacks one. We suggest you vacuum your filter regularly.
• No auto sensor: You need to adjust the fan speed manually because there is no automatic sensor to detect pollution and adjusts the settings.
• No remote : Because it is not a digitally controlled machine, there’s no remote control.

BlueAir 403

BlueAir 403 Review Summary

The Good:
Just like any other Blueair air cleaners, the 403 comes with an energy efficient HEPA Silent filter and a quiet motor.

The Bad:
You need to change the filter every 6 months.

The Bottomline:
The Blueair 403 still maintains the efficient and energy saving filter used by it’s bigger siblings. But with only 1 filter and negligible amount of carbon in it means that it will not help much with odor or smoke problem.

What we like about the Blueair 403.

The filter: BlueAir 403 uses the HEPASilent air purification system like any other machines made by the company.

It works like this. Before dirty air is sucked through the filter, the machine uses ion brushes to charge if first. So, while air purifiers made by other companies force the air through their filters, this one makes the charged contaminants attracted to the filter.

And because the dirty particle willingly cling to the filter, the HEPASilent can have larger holes than a normal HEPA. As a result, you get a quiet and efficient cleaning machine.

Filter is easy to change: The unit is designed so that you can change the filter without using a screwdriver or any other tools.

Practical: The unit is made of galvanized steel and can be moved around using it’s built-in carry handle. There’s also a timer that counts down from 6 months to remind you when to change the filter. And because it so quiet, there’s a blue power on light to let you know if it’s on operation.

Uses little electricity: It only consumes 30 Watt on low and 70 Watt on high speed.

It’s silent: Because the filter has better airflow than a HEPA filter, the Blueair 403 is one of the quietest machine in it’s class. Suitable for your bedroom or study area.

Our Concern :

• The Price: It only covers a relatively small area but the cost is similar to machines that cover twice the area.
  
• The filter cost: At around $120 a year for 1 filter, it is one of the most expensive replacement filter in it’s class.
  
• Warranty : You need to change your filter every 6 months or the 10 years warranty will be void.
• No carbon : Because it lacks a specialized carbon filter, it won’t handle smoke, gases or odor well.
• No pre-filter : Most air cleaners come with pre-filter to stop bigger airborne particles from entering the main filter. But this one lacks one. We suggest you vacuum your filter to help it lasts longer.
• Movability: Yes, there is a carry handle but at 33lbs, castors are better.
• Not automatic: There’s only manual dial to adjust the 3 fan speeds. There’s no automatic sensor to adjust the speed according to the pollution level. At this price, we expect to find one.
  

BlueAir 203

Blueair 203 Review Summary

The Good:
This portable machine is relatively quiet and comes with the efficient HEPASilent technology used by it’s more expensive siblings.

The Bad:
Filter is quite expensive.

The Bottomline:
There’s no doubt that this is a good machine for your small room. Unfortunately, we think it is quite expensive to own and maintain. If money is not an issue for you, this is one of the air purifier that you should consider. Otherwise, keep looking.

What we like about Blueair 203.

The filters:
BlueAir 203 uses a HEPA-like filter called the HEPASilent like all other machines made by the company.

It works like this. Before dirty air is sucked through the filter, the machine charged if first. So, instead of being forced through it, the charged particles will naturally stick to the filter.

And because the dirty particle seeks the filter, it can have larger holes than a traditional HEPA without degrading the performance. As a result, you get a quiet, efficient machine.

Filter is easy to change: You don’t need use any tools to change the filter.

Practical: The unit is made of galvanized steel which is light enough to move around using it’s carry handle. There’s also a timer that counts down from 6 months to remind you when to change the filter.

Uses little electricity: It only consumes 20 Watt on low and 50 Watt on high speed to clean the air.

It’s silent: The filter has been designed allow better airflow than a HEPA filter. Thus, Blueair 203 is one of the quietest machine in it’s class. Perfect for your bedroom or study area.

But, we are concerned that :

• The Price: Most air purifiers that covers area this big is around $200. But this one is $100 dearer.
  
• The filter cost: At around $100 a year, it is one of the most expensive replacement filter in it’s class.
  
• Warranty : You need to change your filter every 6 months or the warranty will be void.
• No carbon: Because it has no carbon filter, it won’t handle smoke, gases or odor well.