Re: Blueair 270e in Adjoining Rooms

A Reader writes:

Hi Ed,

What a great site you have here; I was totally lost in an internet maze of air purifier confusion until your site brought it all into focus.

Basically, I need an air purifier to help with my dust allergies and I finally decided on the Blueair 270E, but I need to know how these purifiers operate in different sized areas.

I intend to use the Blueair in the bedroom during the night with the door closed. The bedroom is only about 90sq feet so the Blueair should be able to handle this adequately.

However, as I am home all during the day, I then intend to move the Blueair into the lounge room to keep this area clean.

The lounge room not large; only about 195sq feet.

However, the lounge room, dining room, kitchen, hobby room and corridor all form part of a semi-open plan area only separated by a couple of walls with 6 feet wide archways and no doors.

The total area which cannot be closed off is about 670sq feet, which is too large for the Blueair to handle properly, even though I only need the lounge room cleaned.

There are no indoor pets, no smokers and no fumes in this entire area.

In this scenario, do you think the Blueair will just clean the immediate surrounding area (the lounge room) effectively and not try to extend beyond that range, or will it attempt to clean the whole 670sq feet area, the strain of which may cause ineffective cleaning of any area at all?

The ideal situation would be to purchase several 270E units or a 650E unit, neither of which I can afford to do.

Any insight as to how you think the Blueair will perform under these conditions would be really appreciated.

Many thanks.

Ed's Reply

Hey Reader;

Since you are mostly concerned with particles, you won't need the highest priced option on the Blueairs - the SmokeStop filters.

270e is an elegant small room air cleaner.

But Blueair 270e, with only 135 CADRs, is not a real strong air cleaner.

And you are paying $100 for a premium option, the automation sensors, bells and whistles.

Here is the one area in which I strongly agree with Consumer Reports, which refuses to recommend any air cleaner under 150 CADR.

Low powered air purifiers just don't set up enough wind current to clean larger areas, even when they are just adjoining rooms.

For your suite, there will be lower air quality than in the bedroom.

Particle counts will still decline, but having too much dirty air to pull in will keep the purifier from reaching it's lowest possible particle count.

AC/furnace circulation, body drafts when moving from room to room, and foot disturbance of floors keep particle counts up.

Six foot archways make the entire space "one room."

Unless you sit, as I do, in a stationary location where the 270e could be very close - I keep an air purifier close 24/7 - you'll be losing ground with the cute 200-Series Blueair.

I recommend you consider the manually switched Blueair 403 - priced only about $50 higher but lacking the automatic sensors - for your situation.

It is quiet enough to run in the bedroom - many use speed 3 at night - obviating part of the need for automatic cycling.

I consider the Blueair 403 to be the entry level Blueair.

403 has 240 CADRs, almost double the power, and is the most cost effective Blueair.

The main drawbacks are about $40 per year higher filter costs and slightly reduced portability (33 pounds).

See;

BlueAir 403 HepaSilent Air Purifier Review

I pump the automated functions, but for those on a budget, cleaning power trumps convenience.

Best wishes,

Ed

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