Blueair Classic 280i 200 Series Air Purifier Review
Blueair Classic 280i 200 Series Air Purifier Review
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Buy it at Amazon: Blueair Classic 280i 200 Series Air Purifier [Affiliate Link]
Takeaway: Simple setup and easy to use, fresher air in hours, and cleans quietly in the background.
During our home renovation, I had concerns about all the construction dust we were creating as we cut, patched, and sanded the walls. Not only did it cause a perpetual haze, the dust would settle on surfaces throughout the home on a daily basis, so we needed an air purifier with a HEPA filter to capture these particles and keep our breathable air clean.
This is the Blueair Classic 280i and it comes with an instruction manual. The unit measures 21 inches tall, 16.5 inches wide, and 8 inches thick; the weight is about 25 pounds. On top, the front half is a lid that flips up to reveal the touch control panel. You have a WiFi button and indicator, power button, filter life indicator, auto-mode, VOC indicators, and PM 2.5 indicator.
The body of the unit is made of sheet metal while the handle for the filter door and hinged lid on top are plastic. The unit doesn’t have wheels on the bottom, just 6 plastic feet that are not rubberized for grip on smooth surfaces, so be aware that it could slide around. If you do need to move the unit, it can be picked up using the built-in handles on the sides. The machine is rated for 120VAC power and consumes about 80 Watts per hour.
Before first use, you’ll need to remove the protective plastic sheet from the pre-installed filter inside the unit, as indicated by this red sticker. Open the grated door on the back by pulling firmly on the handle on the right-hand side. Then remove the sticker and filter.
My unit came pre-installed with the SmokeStop Series filter which captures fine dust particles, pollen, mold, and viruses, as well as VOCs, odors, and chemical fumes. On one side, are pleated non-woven fabric grooves for electrostatic and mechanical filtration, and on the back the screened side is filled with activated charcoal granules which takes care of gaseous impurities and pollutants in the air. This filter is a little more expensive to replace than the plain particle only filter, and note that filters should be replaced about once every 6 months. Note that when re-installing it, the pleated side, that’s marked “facing you,” should face out from the machine, the filter is also marked on top, “insert this way” to prevent any confusion. Simply slip the filter back into the compartment and press the door closed. The 7ft power cord on the unit is attached to the bottom left-hand side on the machine.
This unit is smart, so you can control it remotely from a smartphone app over WiFi. Note that it is only compatible with 2.4 GHz networks and not 5 GHz networks. After plugging the unit in, the LEDs on the control panel with light up blue. To activate WiFi pairing, tap and hold the WiFi button, and it should start flashing slowly. Then on your smartphone, connect to the “classic-config” WiFi network and the WiFi LED should stay a steady blue.
The touch controls are not dimmable and don’t turn off even when the control panel lid is closed,so as you can see the blue light bleeds from the back of the panel. However, the light is not visible from the front when the panel is closed even in a dark room. There is a small blue LED light on the front of the machine but it can be dimmed or turned off in the app though not from the unit’s physical controls.
The fan can be set to low, medium, or high by tapping the power button. There’s also an “Auto” mode that uses built-in sensors to detect the amount of pollutants in the air and automatically adjusts the fan’s speed to match the amount of filtration needed to clean the air. If you don’t want the unit running on autopilot all the time, you can also create a custom schedule to run only during certain times or days and set up child lock to disable the manual controls.
The various kinds of contaminants that it detects are PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, which are different sized particles; it also detects tVOC for chemicals and vapors. In the app, levels for each contaminant are recorded on a graph that tracks them over time, showing you when there are spikes and how efficiently they are removed by the BlueAir filter. I feel these sensors work well as it always shows predictable increases in pollutant levels during/after cooking, and when we were painting the dining room we saw an expected increase in tVOC levels. The indicators on the control panel change from blue to orange when contaminant levels are detected as high. It was pretty cool to see how fast these levels were remediated with the fan set to high. We typically saw levels return to low or undetectable within an hour or two.
The 280i is a good fit for our space because it’s rated for a maximum room size of 279 sq ft, which is close to the largest single room that we have in this house. It can completely filter the air in a room that size five times an hour. The SmokeStop filter also does a nice job removing smells, odors, and vapors, for example, new paint smells from our renovation were less noticeable and completely eliminated in over just a few days. Since the air purifier draws in air from the back through the filter, be sure to leave enough clearance behind it so that air flow won’t be blocked. Filtered air exhausts from the top of the unit, so try not to set the unit under anything that can get blown around.
I feel the air is cleaner and fresher smelling too. And during the spring and summer months when there’s a lot of pollen, I don’t wake up stuffy-nosed and itchy-throated in the mornings. The best part is that when the unit is on low, we barely hear it. Sometimes I forget that it’s even on until I walk past and hear the gentle hum of the fan whirring; so this could be a good choice for use in a bedroom especially for light sleepers. At the highest fan speed, it’s louder, but no more so than a box fan or space heater.
The one thing about air filters is that you do have to replace the filters eventually, which can be costly. BlueAir offers an automatic refill subscription services that will send you a new standard particle filter every 3, 6, or 9 months for a discounted cost. However, third-party vendors do offer compatible air filters as well which can save you a little more, and I’ll list a few options in the description below. A “filter status” tracker in the app counts down from 180 days so you’ll know when the filter should be replaced. Changing the filters is as easy as removing the old one and popping in a new one, though you may also want to wipe down any dust on the interior of the unit as well. Just look at all this dust and debris that it captured that we would have otherwise been breathing in.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the performance of this Blue Air air purifier. It appeared to be well-made and durable, is quiet while operating, and our air quality does feel cleaner and fresher since we’ve started using it. Maintenance is simple and straightforward, and the app is user-friendly, giving you access to historical data, outside air quality reports, as well as temperature and humidity levels inside your home. I hope you enjoyed this review, you can ask me any questions in the comments. I’ll put a link to the product in the description below. Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel and join me next time.
Buy it at Amazon: Blueair Classic 280i 200 Series Air Purifier [Affiliate Link]
Takeaway: Simple setup and easy to use, fresher air in hours, and cleans quietly in the background.
During our home renovation, I had concerns about all the construction dust we were creating as we cut, patched, and sanded the walls. Not only did it cause a perpetual haze, the dust would settle on surfaces throughout the home on a daily basis, so we needed an air purifier with a HEPA filter to capture these particles and keep our breathable air clean.
This is the Blueair Classic 280i and it comes with an instruction manual. The unit measures 21 inches tall, 16.5 inches wide, and 8 inches thick; the weight is about 25 pounds. On top, the front half is a lid that flips up to reveal the touch control panel. You have a WiFi button and indicator, power button, filter life indicator, auto-mode, VOC indicators, and PM 2.5 indicator.
The body of the unit is made of sheet metal while the handle for the filter door and hinged lid on top are plastic. The unit doesn’t have wheels on the bottom, just 6 plastic feet that are not rubberized for grip on smooth surfaces, so be aware that it could slide around. If you do need to move the unit, it can be picked up using the built-in handles on the sides. The machine is rated for 120VAC power and consumes about 80 Watts per hour.
Before first use, you’ll need to remove the protective plastic sheet from the pre-installed filter inside the unit, as indicated by this red sticker. Open the grated door on the back by pulling firmly on the handle on the right-hand side. Then remove the sticker and filter.
My unit came pre-installed with the SmokeStop Series filter which captures fine dust particles, pollen, mold, and viruses, as well as VOCs, odors, and chemical fumes. On one side, are pleated non-woven fabric grooves for electrostatic and mechanical filtration, and on the back the screened side is filled with activated charcoal granules which takes care of gaseous impurities and pollutants in the air. This filter is a little more expensive to replace than the plain particle only filter, and note that filters should be replaced about once every 6 months. Note that when re-installing it, the pleated side, that’s marked “facing you,” should face out from the machine, the filter is also marked on top, “insert this way” to prevent any confusion. Simply slip the filter back into the compartment and press the door closed. The 7ft power cord on the unit is attached to the bottom left-hand side on the machine.
This unit is smart, so you can control it remotely from a smartphone app over WiFi. Note that it is only compatible with 2.4 GHz networks and not 5 GHz networks. After plugging the unit in, the LEDs on the control panel with light up blue. To activate WiFi pairing, tap and hold the WiFi button, and it should start flashing slowly. Then on your smartphone, connect to the “classic-config” WiFi network and the WiFi LED should stay a steady blue.
The touch controls are not dimmable and don’t turn off even when the control panel lid is closed,so as you can see the blue light bleeds from the back of the panel. However, the light is not visible from the front when the panel is closed even in a dark room. There is a small blue LED light on the front of the machine but it can be dimmed or turned off in the app though not from the unit’s physical controls.
The fan can be set to low, medium, or high by tapping the power button. There’s also an “Auto” mode that uses built-in sensors to detect the amount of pollutants in the air and automatically adjusts the fan’s speed to match the amount of filtration needed to clean the air. If you don’t want the unit running on autopilot all the time, you can also create a custom schedule to run only during certain times or days and set up child lock to disable the manual controls.
The various kinds of contaminants that it detects are PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, which are different sized particles; it also detects tVOC for chemicals and vapors. In the app, levels for each contaminant are recorded on a graph that tracks them over time, showing you when there are spikes and how efficiently they are removed by the BlueAir filter. I feel these sensors work well as it always shows predictable increases in pollutant levels during/after cooking, and when we were painting the dining room we saw an expected increase in tVOC levels. The indicators on the control panel change from blue to orange when contaminant levels are detected as high. It was pretty cool to see how fast these levels were remediated with the fan set to high. We typically saw levels return to low or undetectable within an hour or two.
The 280i is a good fit for our space because it’s rated for a maximum room size of 279 sq ft, which is close to the largest single room that we have in this house. It can completely filter the air in a room that size five times an hour. The SmokeStop filter also does a nice job removing smells, odors, and vapors, for example, new paint smells from our renovation were less noticeable and completely eliminated in over just a few days. Since the air purifier draws in air from the back through the filter, be sure to leave enough clearance behind it so that air flow won’t be blocked. Filtered air exhausts from the top of the unit, so try not to set the unit under anything that can get blown around.
I feel the air is cleaner and fresher smelling too. And during the spring and summer months when there’s a lot of pollen, I don’t wake up stuffy-nosed and itchy-throated in the mornings. The best part is that when the unit is on low, we barely hear it. Sometimes I forget that it’s even on until I walk past and hear the gentle hum of the fan whirring; so this could be a good choice for use in a bedroom especially for light sleepers. At the highest fan speed, it’s louder, but no more so than a box fan or space heater.
The one thing about air filters is that you do have to replace the filters eventually, which can be costly. BlueAir offers an automatic refill subscription services that will send you a new standard particle filter every 3, 6, or 9 months for a discounted cost. However, third-party vendors do offer compatible air filters as well which can save you a little more, and I’ll list a few options in the description below. A “filter status” tracker in the app counts down from 180 days so you’ll know when the filter should be replaced. Changing the filters is as easy as removing the old one and popping in a new one, though you may also want to wipe down any dust on the interior of the unit as well. Just look at all this dust and debris that it captured that we would have otherwise been breathing in.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the performance of this Blue Air air purifier. It appeared to be well-made and durable, is quiet while operating, and our air quality does feel cleaner and fresher since we’ve started using it. Maintenance is simple and straightforward, and the app is user-friendly, giving you access to historical data, outside air quality reports, as well as temperature and humidity levels inside your home. I hope you enjoyed this review, you can ask me any questions in the comments. I’ll put a link to the product in the description below. Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel and join me next time.
Buy it at Amazon: Blueair Classic 280i 200 Series Air Purifier [Affiliate Link]
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