Hello, Blueair

Abdulla and I have been suffering with the issue of dust (and cat dander) ever since we moved into our new apartment last June. No matter how much we dust or vacuum around the house, a thin veil of fuzzy greyness will find itself on everything. Everything.

After complaining to my colleagues at work (isn’t that what they’re there for?!), they suggested I get an air purifier by Blueair; they both swore by them. Naturally, I embarked on my usual, “Scour the Internet for Reviews” adventure, and wow! People barely had anything negative to say about Blueair. Satisfied with what I read, but still undecided between the 503 and 650E models, I went to Xcite at the Avenues to find the perfect purifier for the house.

The 503 model (129 KD) seemed like a good choice; however,  I went with the 650E (149 KD* at the time I bought it) because it came with more options that I felt would make my life easier down the line. There’s an LCD panel that indicates smoke and smell levels, fan speeds, and when its time to change the filters. But all in all, I may or may not have been swayed to get a Blueair because of how I love everything Swedish. May or may not.

Fan speeds:

• Low (1) is almost inaudible.
• Medium (2) is audible but not unpleasant (it’s actually recommended to keep it at 2 throughout the day).
• High (3) is loud – like, really freaking loud.

So, what do I think? I’ve been using the Blueair 650E for almost a month now, and I’ve noticed a significant decrease in my dust allergies. My chest doesn’t feel heavy when I wake up in the morning, and I can’t remember the last time I saw cat dander floating in the air. Success! Here’s a quick run down of my thoughts on the Blueair 650E:

Pros:

• It wipes out floating particles in the air (dust/pet fluff), and the smell of food (if your neighbours fry everything [like ours!] then you’ll love this feature).
• The Low level is very quiet, and is perfect for when we’re sleeping.
• The unit is made of metal and comes with a magnetised remote. This is extremely convenient as it sticks to the sides of the purifier (or any magnetic surface of your choice).
• Setup is very simple: plug it in and turn it on – the end. Once switched on, you can choose the different fan speeds from the LCD panel or the remote.
• Auto mode runs on Low until dust or smells are detected, then it goes up to Medium or High.
• The unit has 4 heavy duty castors, and I can easily move it around from one room to the next.
• Frowny and smiley faces indicate whether the air has been purified or if there’s dust/smoke. (It’s cute, come on!)
• Comes with a timer so you can adjust how long you want the purifier to be on.

Cons:

• The Blueair 650E is quite large, but luckily blends well with our predominately white furniture.
• The stench of death (aka the smell emanating from our cats’ litter boxes) was slightly lessened even after placing the purifier in the same room on High for 10 hours. TEN.FREAKING.HOURS. Guess Blueair can’t triumph against cat litter; but then again, nothing can. Nothing…
• The price. The Blueair 650E is almost 2-3 times more expensive than other purifiers in the market.
• The High (3) level is ridiculously loud; so loud, actually, that my cats run out of the room every time!
• Auto mode. I know I put it under pros, but when we’re sleeping at night and one of the cats sleeps on top of the purifier (they like the cool air blowing up on their bellies), it’ll kick the fans to High mode and wake us up. I wasn’t kidding when I said it’s loud.
• The LCD display is awkwardly placed. It’s located at the bottom of the unit, and I must lean over/squat to read it.
• Carrying the unit up the stairs on my own is not easy. Definitely a job for two.
• Blueair recommends changing the HEPA filters (45 KD for all 3) every 6 months. That’s an additional 90 KD every year for a machine that costs 149 KD.

Despite the cons, would I recommend the Blueair purifier? YES! The pros totally outweigh the cons, and I can’t imagine the house without it. If you decide to purchase the Blueair 650E, I would suggest to bypass Auto mode when you first switch it on and crank it up on High for 5 hours; this will help get rid of the icky particles and odours in the room faster.

Goodbye allergies, hello clean breathing!

*At time of publishing this, the price of the Blueair 650E model increased to 159 KD from 149 KD at Xcite.