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 still 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.

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.

Alen T300 Review

Alen T300 Air Purifier Review Summary

The Good: Stylish and full of features. Has a lifetime warranty and the filter cost is reasonable.

The Bad: No air intake on sides.

The BottomLine: With features you’ll only find in premium air purifiers, the stylish T300 tower air purifier is definitely a good buy. If you want an affordable air purifier for your kid’s room, this is a perfect choice.

What we like about the T300

Slim but packed with features: It has almost all the accessories of  it’s big brother – the high performance A375. The difference is it’s slimmer and is made to clean a smaller area.

Has UV Lamp: It also comes with UV lamp to kill bacteria in your air. Handy if you suspect you have floating molds due to damp carpets, etc.

Cheaper: And unlike many air cleaners, at around $45 to $60, the cost to maintain it is reasonable because apart from 1 UV lamp, there is only 1 filter (pre-filter, HEPA and carbon are combined) to change.

Easy: The T300 comes with digital display and a smart automatic filter change indicator that will let you know when to change your filter. There’s no need to mark your calendar.

Less Worry: Like any other Alen air cleaners :-

• This machine shuts down automatically if the lid is opened. A very important feature if you want to put it in your kid’s bedroom.
• Alen backs it with a lifetime warranty, provided you change the filter every 6 to 9 months. No other air purifier makers back their machines this long.

But we are concerned that:

• This tower air purifier has no air intake on both it’s sides. Thus, it may be less efficient compared to machines with 360 degrees air intake.
• The unit also comes with an ionizer button. Ionizers may emit ozone, which is harmful in large quantity. Alen Corp claims that the ozone this machine emits is far below the limit set by the FDA. If you’re worried, just leave the button switched off.