BlueAir 650E Air Purifier Review:

"Smokey the Bear"

"Smokey the Bear, Smokey the Bear
Prowlin' and a-growlin' and a-sniffin' the air.
He can find a fire before it starts to flame.
That's why we call him Smokey,
That's how he got his name."

Blueair 650e Automated Air Purifier

Since the HEPA standard was invented, air cleaner manufacturers have sought methods to circumvent the extra costs and/or performance impediments inherent in the high internal pressures required to drive a true-HEPA setup.

The majority have sought to offer cheaper HEPA-type (not qualifying as True-HEPA) filters in lower quality equipment.

Others have used real HEPA filters in loose fitting housings, allowing bypassing of uncleaned air.

Both of these methods have allowed cheaper components to be substituted, lowering price.

There have also been electrostatic (often erroneously labeled "ionic") air purifiers, and photocatalytics.

But so far every attempt to match true-HEPA particle capturing performance with a non-HEPA setup has failed.

Except one.

Blueair.

Blueair's hybrid filter design uses electrostatics and charged polyethylene media to achieve HEPA-like performance - capturing 99.97% of particles at .1 micron.

An open flowing design reduces noise and energy costs. Increased throughput gives awesome CADRs on particulate pollutants - Blueair650 is very powerful.

But whether Blueair 650E can match premium true-HEPA performance over the entire 6-month life of the hybrid electrostatic filters remains, in my opinion, yet to be demonstrated.

650E is a premium air purifier, among the world's best. Built to last in Sweden, Blueairs are made of stainless steel.

Most premium allergy shop websites will carry Blueairs, though not always the $799.95 top-of-the-line 650E.

For 2009, Blueair has upgraded its entire line with new fans, motors, filters, and numbering.

The 402 is replaced by 403 and 450E. 501 by 503 and 550E. Blueair 601 is superseded by 603 and 650E.

Smarter than the Average Bear: 650E is Automated!

To me, the real news from Blueair is the E-series, 650e and its smaller brothers 550e and 450e.

"E" stands for electronic automatic controls, something I have been begging western premium air purifier builders to add.

Asian competition in the premium space - think Lexus cars - is gaining fast on US and Euro-based air cleaner builders.

One aspect of the Japanese-led air cleaner engineering challenge is automation.

650E is a Blueair 603 (upgraded 601) with some real spiffy automated electronic controls and digital displays added.

Blueair's dust and odor sensors control the air purifier in Auto Mode, matching performance to measured chemical/odor/particulate pollutant loads.

E-series Blueairs have a dual digital displays which give the user feedback as to actual indoor air quality.

Three Blind Mice

Many readers may balk at the notion of paying more for sensors and automatic operation, an idea I push here.

"What's in it for me?", they ask.

Feedback!

Smart buyers seek air purifiers to reduce particles we cannot see (not visible dust as many are fooled into believing) and chemicals we often cannot smell.

So how do we know when our air is actually clean?

Relying on symptoms works only for the seasonal pollen allergy sufferer.

Those of us with more serious ailments will not be able to determine air quality and it's relationship to our health without the feedback provided by Blueair 650e's Dual Air Quality Displays.

Manual feedback loops always close the gate after the horses have already escaped.

Turning up the air purifier only when symptoms flare is working on the very simplistic notion that our symptoms are caused entirely by airborne contaminants.

Turning up the air purifier after symptoms flare will be ineffectual even where symptoms are largely dependent on airborne irritants. But an automated air cleaner like the Blueair e-series (450e, 550e, 650e) can interdict unseen particulate and chemicals before they enter our lings.

Blueair 650e - The Great Communicator

Smokey was "always sniffin' at the breeze."

650e's electronic sensors work and display air quality levels, even in manual mode.

Asian air purifier builders, encumbered by communication barriers, have taken to putting the goofy "happy face" on sensor readouts, so why shouldn't Blueair have one?

When contaminant levels are acceptable, it grins, if not, a frown.

Fortunately 650E also has dual four level pollutant bar-graph displays, quantifying particle and odor/chemical contaminants separately from the happy face.

When Auto Mode is selected, 650E runs on high for five minutes, then settles into the automatic, energy saving, quiet watching-and-waiting game.

This is pretty close to the state of the art - kudos to Blueair.

Additional communications include a filter change indicator - just a six-month countdown timer - which illuminates a red light-emitting diode.

A timer and 20-foot remote round out the electronic interface.

Blueair 650es are intended to run 24/7 year-around.

650E: Top CADRs

Like the Blueair 601 before it, 650E is one high powered particle grabber.

Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) rankings are >400 Dust, >450 Smoke, >450 Pollen - the highest possible scores.

Airflow rates are 88 to 490 cubic feet per minute.

AHAM rates the 650E for it's maximum room size - 698 square feet.

I'd try 500 sq. feet, depending on other factors and contaminant level.

Note that CADR ratings say nothing about chemical and odor reduction.

Blueairs - No Prefilter

Blueairs are designed to score well on the CADR tests, and lack a prefilter to collect coarse dust.

If you look at a Blueair with nearly expired filters, you'll see heavy coarse dust accumulation. These visible size fragments would be best collected in a separate washable prefilter.

I'd prefer a slightly lower CADR to the shorter filter life and internal contamination that Blueair's design implies.

Semi-annual cleaning of the 650e's interior is advised, a somewhat difficult task.

Users are advised to vacuum the air intake grille, with a soft brush attachment, from the inside when replacing filters.

"HEPASilent"

Blueair 650e uses the same filter technology as it's predecessors.

Blueairs combine aspects of electrostatic and mechanical technologies in a progressive three-stage filter.

Particulates are ionized in a metal chamber by a clever set of oxone-free electrostatic brushes.

This allows them to be collected efficiently by looser-than-HEPA polypropylene media.

The Blueair design is similar to formerly popular charged-grid electrostatic models, which were plagued by efficiency losses when frequent cleaning was neglected.

Blueair's design, which does not charge the filter media itself, requires attention only twice a year.

The filter design has progressively smaller fiber spacing to collect decreasing sizes as particle laden air penetrates the filter.

The 650's filter is advertised to capture 99.97% of the tiniest 0.1 micron particles on power level one.

While this is very good, I'd like to see efficiency quoted at .3 microns, the HEPA "most penetrating particle size."

At higher power settings I suspect efficiency falls significantly, but not nearly as far as the more primitive electrostatics (Oreck, Frederick C90b,.....).

I'd also like to see Blueairs' efficiency numbers for the entire 6-month maximum life of the filter.

I suspect there will be some efficiency deterioration as the media is coated and electrostatic forces weaken.

The main weakness of Blueair 650e's design is the electrostatic filter replacement interval.

To maintain warranty coverage, Blueair owners must buy filters, for around $80, at least twice a year.

Users with health issues, or with contaminated living spaces (pets, tobacco...), may need tri-annual filter replacements.

But some user reviews report keeping the filters as long as one year without issues.

Others say careful monthly vacuuming prolongs media life.

Blueair 650e's three filters are easily replaced without tools.

SmokeStop Filter Option

It appears that the upgraded standard filter on the new Blueair models includes some activated carbon, seen as black on the reverse side of the filter.

But gas phase pollutants still require the optional (means "expensive") $150 SmokeStop filter.

SmokeStops have activated carbon and Potassium Iodide for better gas adsorption and oxidation.

But since the 650e can now tell us how much gas phase pollution is in our breathing space, we won't need to blindly buy and replace high-dollar filters we don't need.

User reviews report break-in carbon odors from new SmokeStops, but say the extra carbon is excellent for removing odors and fumes.

I formerly advised Blueair buyers to routinely order the SmokeStop filter option - now only smokers, artists, shops, wood stove users, or multi-pet households should choose it.

If after 6 months using the standard HEPASilent filters you are seeing consistent gas pollutants indicated, then replace filters with optional SmokeStops.

650e uses only genuine Blueair filters.

650e Emissions

Blueairs are not silent, and are known for a whistling noise which a minority find irritating.

650e makes 32dB(A) @88cubic feet/min on low, which is fairly quiet.

But 68 dB(A) on high, blowing an incredible 490 cfm, will be loud.

But if your home air contains enough pollutant to keep a 650 running on high, I advise relocating.

Blueair's ionization brushes use low voltage, which does not create corona discharge (blue arc around electrical fields), and is nearly ozone-free.

Tests in sealed test chambers have verified Blueairs no-ozone claim.

Blueair 650e's powder coated finish emits no chemical outgassing.

Blueairs have a blue LED which some cover with tape for bedroom use.

Utility

Blueair 650 is EPA Energy Star® qualified.

Power usage is 35 watts on low to 120 watts on high, quite reasonable for the brawny power output.

A bit boxy at 23 inches high by 20 wide and 11 deep, 650e weighs 35 pounds and has casters to roll around on. Elderly folks may need help getting it upstairs.

The 650e's detachable cord, at just 5 feet, could be longer in this premium class.

Blueair Corporate

Since 1996, Blueair air purifiers has established itself, building an excellent reputation, and successfully penetrating the upscale air purifier market.

Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Blueairs are distributed in North America from Chicago.

Blueair Inc.
17 N. State, Suite 1830
Chicago, IL 60602

Blueairs warranty has been an incredible 10 years since the company was founded. It appears that there has been some reappraisal, as the current company webpage lists 650e as warranted for 5 years.

The Filter Subscription Program, calling for new filters from the company every 6 months, is required for warranty participation.

Blueair customer service has a good reputation when there are issues.

Conclusions

Blueair's 650e is a high quality, long lasting, premium air purifier.

Blueair is targeted at affluent buyers, but I think many who have paid $200-300 repeatedly for Chinese-built department store models with short life expectancies could have come out ahead going premium at the outset.

I am absolutely delighted that Euro-Zone engineering innovator Blueair has matched the Asian tigers in what I consider a key area - automation!

The $150 premium for the 650e's electronic interface is a stiffer price than I had hoped for. But those with serious health issues really need the feedback.

Review Rating

Each of ten factors gets up to 10 points, 100 is perfect and very unlikely.

1. First do no harm; minimal out gassing, no ozone.

Score: 10 of 10.

2. Serious gas and odor removal is a requirement if health benefits are expected: Units with real carbon VOC capability rank higher.

Score: 8 of 10, 9 of 10 with SmokeStop Filter option.

3. Quality construction; case, gaskets, seals, and precision fitting eliminate bypassing and assure high efficiency at filtering sub-micron particles.

Score: 8 of 10, three filter design is not as tight on top filter.

4. The design maximizes the lifespan of each filter stage by allowing independent filter replacement. Ideally this is combined with electronic filter monitoring.

Score: 8 of 10, combined chemical/particle filters are replaced as one.

5. Unit has long filter life, low maintenance requirements, and reasonable operating costs.

Score: 9 of 10, not the cheapest to own.

6. Purifier produces low noise levels and meaningful air flow rates relative to noise.

Score: 10 of 10, automatic operation keeps noise down.

7. Manufacturer has a track record, with many units in the field and a reputation for supporting what they sell. Warranty period and average service life are long.

Score: 10 of 10, warranty is now shorter, but company widely respected.

8. Purifier is a value in terms of price/performance ratio. Every price range should be included, “models above $1,200 are best”, while true, is not useful to most consumers.

Score: 10 of 10, premium price, premium performance.

9. No dirt; unit and manufacturer should be devoid of class-action suits, high returns, recalls, consumer complaints, and legitimate negative consumer reviews.

Score: 10 of 10.

10. Unit is stylish, portable, comfortable, and convenientfor consumer use.

Score: 10 of 10, Automated with dual display :), handy remote, easy interface.

Air-Purifier-Power Numeric Rating; 93 (94 w/SmokeStop Option), Blueair 650e is tops