REASONS TO BUY
Excellent air cleaning performance
Quiet operation
Large CADR
REASONS TO AVOID
Very high operating costs
Blueair Pure 211+ Review
A top notch, powerful model that boasts excellent performance, but also demands top notch spending
Credit: Blueair
RELATED: Best Air Purifiers
Our Verdict
Packing in more power than any of the other models we tested, the Blueair Pure 211+ provides high-end cleaning performance to rooms of up to 525 square feet. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and in this case, by responsibility, we mean cost. It costs quite a bit upfront, and even more over its lifetime. This was the highest lifetime cost we calculated by far and took the Blueair out of contention for our highest honors. However, it is incredibly capable, and if you don't mind incurring extra costs to make sure you're large living room gets effective air cleaning, this product will serve you well.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Blueair Pure 211+ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | |  | | |
| Price | $300 List $299.99 at Amazon | $250 List $209.99 at Amazon | $230 List $192.99 at Amazon | $220 List $188.99 at Amazon | $100 List $99.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Excellent air cleaning performance, quiet operation, large CADR | Exceptional air cleaning performance, very quiet operation, simple user experience | Excellent air cleaning performance, quiet operation, average lifetime cost | VeSync smart app, air quality sensor, three-stage filter | Budget friendly, compact, great performance |
| Cons | Very high operating costs | Expensive operating cost | Expensive operating cost | Some features only accessible with app, expensive replacement filter | Loud, doesn't have an automatic air sensor |
| Bottom Line | A top notch, powerful model that boasts excellent performance, but also demands top notch spending | Excellent, high quality air cleaning performance from a quiet and convenient appliance | A top performing model that combines average lifetime costs to create a great value | An easy-to-use, mid-sized air purifier that performs well and offers a variety of programmable features in its companion app | A budget-friendly and space-efficient model that gets the job done but is a little underpowered for large spaces |
| Rating Categories | Blueair Pure 211+ | Winix 5500-2 | Coway Airmega 1512HH | Levoit Core 400S | Levoit Core 300 |
| Air Cleaning Performance (40%) | |||||
| Noise (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (25%) | |||||
| Operating Cost (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Blueair Pure 211+ | Winix 5500-2 | Coway Airmega 1512HH | Levoit Core 400S | Levoit Core 300 |
| Dimensions //L x W x H// | 12.8 x 12.8 x 20.25 | 8.2" × 15" × 23.6" | 16.5 x 9.5 x 18.5 | 10.8" x 10.8" x 20.5" | 8.7" x 8.7" x 14.2" |
| Weight | 12.2 lbs | 15.4 lbs | 12.7 lbs | 10.5 Ibs | 7.5 Ibs |
| CADR | 350 CFM | 246 CFM | 240 CFM | 260 CFM | 135 CFM |
| True HEPA (99.97%) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Estimated Lifetime Cost (5 years) | $1,105 | $660 | $556 | $735 | $455 |
| Annual Cost | $221 | $132 | $111 | $147 | $91 |
| Airborn Particulate Reduction After 1 Hour (%) | 99.95% | 99.99% | 99.84% | 99.98% | 96.33% |
| App Control | No | No | No | Yes | No |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
The Blueair is a high scoring air purifier that excels across the metrics, particularly when it comes to air cleaning performance and noise levels.
Air Cleaning Performance
The Blueair shares the top score with three other models in our air cleaning tests. It is just a hair better than the other top-performing models, but not to enough of a degree to warrant a higher score. After a half-hour fighting the haze in our smoky testing room, it had reduced airborne particulate counts by 98.97%, and just 15 minutes later, it improved to 99.95%. It held that level until the end of our hour-long test. That was the highest reduction percentage we saw in our testing.
Its CADR (clean air delivery rate) of 350 is also the highest of all the models we tested and gives it enough power to handle rooms of up to 525 square feet. Unless your house was once featured on MTV Cribs, chances are that will be enough for any room in your home. The only downside is that it doesn't have a carbon filter, so it didn't do much for odor. However, the models with carbon filters barely did much better, so we wouldn't let this dissuade you away from the Blueair.
Noise
The Blueair is again near the top of the leaderboard in our noise testing scoring. When set on high, the Blueair is actually similar to the Coway, with a medium pitch that is noticeable but consistent and mellow enough that it will likely fade into the background once you get used to it. On low, it makes a very quiet hum that you may notice while doing quiet activities like reading but is by no means annoying. The Coway is a bit better in this regard, as it is nearly silent on low.
Despite a large capacity filter and fan the Blueair is fairly quiet.
Ease of Use
The Blueair is an average scorer in our ease of use testing. It is very simple to use, as a single button lets you turn it on and off and cycle through three fan speeds. Considering how powerful it is, the weight is quite low at 12.2 pounds, so it's not too difficult to move around. It lost points because of its lack of feature; we would have expected a model of this caliber to have more fan speeds and at least an automatic off timer.
The Blueair's controls consist of a single button.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Operating Cost
Its estimated lifetime cost is $1,105, which is much higher than the costs of any of the other models we tested and nearly double the average. This starts with a fairly high but not unreasonable list price. It gets compounded by the fact that replacement filters cost $70 and must be replaced twice a year. It is also one of the more power-hungry models we tested, incurring estimated annual electricity costs of $21.02.
Value
The Blueair is a top-notch performer, but we wouldn't call it a particularly good value. It certainly demands a premium for its high performance. If you don't mind paying a premium to have a single unit that can clean a large living room, you'll be happy with the Blueair. Just remember that for the same lifetime cost, you could buy two Coway Airmega 1512HHs.
Conclusion
The Blueair Pure is an incredibly effective and powerful purifier, but that performance carries a large price premium, especially when you factor in lifetime costs. If you don't mind paying a big premium for a simple, aesthetically pleasing, and powerful machine, it is a great choice.
—
Steven Tata, Max Mutter
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