Blueair 203

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:22:23 +0000

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.

Model Variations

Same Model, Different Filter

There is another machine called the 203 with SmokeStop filter.

The only difference is the 203 with the SmokeStop is designed to filter gases, smoke and odors.

The SmokeStop comes with 0.2 lbs. of coconut shell activated carbon which contains Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) and Potassium Iodide (KI).

Unfortunately, with only 0.2 lbs of carbon, we do not think it is strong enough to do what it is supposed to do. It also costs $50 more.

Specifications

Blueair 203 Specifications

Specifications	Details
Warranty	10 years (provided you change your filters every 6 mth)
Color	2 Options - White or Silver
Filter Type	HEPASilent filter
For Room Size	175 sq ft
Noise Level	29 db on low, 44 db on fast
Size	21"H x 17"W x 10"D
Power Consumption	20 - 50 Watt (on max)
Weight	25 lbs

Pictures

Air is sucked from the side and released out of the top of the unit

Company

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.