Normal Price: $450
Area Covered: up to 365 sq ft
Editor's Rating:
BlueAir 403 Review Summary
The Good:
Just like any other Blueair air cleaners, this one 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 a HEPA-like filter called the HEPASilent like 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.
Same Model, Different Filter
There is another machine called the 403 with SmokeStop filter.
The only difference is the 403 with the SmokeStop comes with a slightly different filter to help reduce gases, smoke and odors. The small amount of carbon in the standard filter is not strong enough to do the job.
In the Smokestop is 3 lbs. of activated coconut shell carbon impregnated withPotassium Iodide (KI), Phosphoric acid (H3PO4), and Potassium Hydroxide (KOH).
The Smokestop is not cheap. While the normal price of a 403 is $450, the SmokeStop version is $530. And the long term filter costs is also double the price of your normal 403 filter.
Blueair 403 Specifications
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 10 years (provided you change your filters every 6 mth) |
| Filter Type | HEPASilent filter |
| For Room Size | 365 sq ft |
| Noise Level | 27 db on low, 51 db on fast |
| Size | 23"H x 20"W x 11"D |
| Power Consumption | 30 - 70 Watt (on max) |
| Weight | 33 lbs |
About Blueair
Blueair is a Swedish company founded in 1996 by a former Electrolux executive, Bengt Rittri.
The company initially struggled but was saved by the introduction of Blueair 501 (revised to become 502 and 503 now). Stemming from this success, Blueair introduced similar but bigger models like the 601.
Product Quality
Blueair focuses a lot on design, durability and ease of use.
The housing is made of galvanized steel while the fan and blower are manufactured by a German engineering company.
While many air purifiers are not designed to be stylish, Blueair machines have received the Excellent Swedish Design award and the Blueair 501 air purifier is displayed as an exhibit at the Swedish National Museum.
Different Filter
Most companies are happy to use standard HEPA filters. Blueair, on the other hand uses a HEPA-like filters that they claim work better and quieter.
Known as the HEPASilent, Blueair’s filters have larger holes and do not resist air flow like a normal HEPA.
To make it efficient, an electrostatic charger is positioned before this HEPA to charge airborne pollutants. This way, the particles will first be charged and end up attracted to the HEPASilent. This is different from standard HEPA machines which force air through the filters.
Reputation:
- The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) awarded Blueair air purifiers the highest CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) in it’s category in 2004. This means its’ air purifiers clean polluted air faster than other machines tested.
Blueair’s headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden, and Chicago, Illinois.