Blueair 2-in-1 Purify + Humidify Review

Design and features

• Smart controls
• 3 air purifier filters: back, and both sides
• Water is poured on top of the waterproof display

Blueair’s design philosophy is that air purifiers don’t have to be bulky and boring. I previously tested the Blueair Blue Signature Air Purifier, a stylish model with 6 fabric pre-filters colors to choose from. That modern-looking, round air purifier even has a tabletop to hold light items like a book. 

The Blueair 2-in-1 Purify + Humidify has a completely different design, but is just as trendy and stylish. It arrived in a brown, branded cardboard box and was securely packaged to keep the air purifier safe during transport. The Blueair 2-in-1 Purify + Humidify is 26-inches in height, making it one of the tallest air purifiers I’ve ever tested. However, it’s only 13.6” in diameter, so it doesn’t take up much floor space, and it weighs 13.8 pounds, so it’s not heavy to transport. 

The minimalist, Scandinavian design looks good in any room – but what makes it a clear winner is the ability to both condition and humidify the air.

On the top of the air purifier is the control panel and the user interface display.

The control panel has the following icons:

On/standby: this is also where the display lock is enabled or disabled (by pressing for five seconds), and the factory reset is initiated (by pressing for 15 seconds).

Brightness setting: pressing this icon cycles through seven brightness levels, ranging from zero to six.

Night mode: in this mode, the air purifier displays the lowest brightness level and fan speed.

Information toggle: switches between showing the relative humidity or the PM 2.5 level.

Manual fan speed: can be adjusted between zero and four.

Auto mode: automatically adjusts fan speed based on PM 2.5 level when humidification is off. When humidification is on, fan speed is adjusted based on both PM 2.5 level and relative humidity level.

Humidification mode: turns humidification on and off. Pressing it 15 seconds resets wick filter replacement light.

The black user interface display has icons for Wi-Fi, display indicators (relative humidity or PM 2.5 level), number display (actual numbers for relative humidity or PM 2.5 level), humidification mode, display lock, fan speed, water level, percentage mark for relative humidity, air purifier filer change alert, wick filter change alert, night mode, and auto mode. 

There’s also an auto-dry feature, which comes on when the machine is out of water, or when the fan speed is on zero.

On the top front of the air purifier is a color-coded air quality indicator light. It’s blue when the air is excellent, green when it’s good, yellow when the air is moderate, orange when it’s polluted, and red when the air is very polluted.

The Blueair app provides plenty of useful information as well. For example, it display a low water level warning when the water tank is empty. The app also displays PM 2.5 levels, Outdoor AQI (air quality indicator), humidity level, and the indoor temperature. I can also select the fan speed, set a timer, adjust LED brightness, and view remaining filter life. 

The Blueair 2-in-1 Purify + Humidify has 3 air purifier filters: one on the back side, one on the left side, and one on the right side.  They are designed to last for 6 to 9 months, but this depends on usage. The air purifier filters are sold as a 3-pack for $50, and since they should last 6 months with normal usage, that’s not a bad deal (I’ve tested air purifiers with filters that are $100 and even $200). Behind the air purifier filters are the pre-filters, which can be brushed and vacuumed.

The humidifier’s filter is washable so you won’t need to replace it. However, the humidifier’s wick filter should, on average, be changed every 6 months. The wick filter is $25. 

The humidification system is slightly more complex than the air purifier’s. It consists of the humidification module, the blue wick filter, which is housed in the wick frame and wick frame top, and the water pump module water pump pre-filter, and the water tank.

There are two ways to add water to the machine. The water tank can be removed from the machine, and then water can be poured into the tank. For testing purposes, I placed the tank into the sink and then filled it with tap water. 

However, my preference – and the filling and refilling mode actually recommended by Bluair – is to merely pour water onto the display on the top. The display is waterproof, so there’s no worry that it will get damaged. This is much easier than having to fill the tank and assemble it before inserting the tank back in the machine. Full disclosure, the first time I did this, I read the instructions three times. My mind could not process the concept of pouring water onto the display – and I knew that if I was mistaken, I could have ruined the machine. But it worked perfectly.

There’s a brown leather strap on the back of the air purifier, which is used to open the back panel. It also adds yet another stylish touch to the machine’s chic design.

On either side of the machine is a fabric handle, which is used to lift the air purifier. And this leads to the only concern that I have with the machine: the handles look sturdy, but after more than a month of picking the machine up, those handles aren’t as taut as they used to be, and I wonder if they will get looser with continued use. I don’t think this will pose a safety risk, but it could affect the machine’s appearance. 

Performance

• CADRs are pretty good
• Mist-free moisture
• Notifications make it easy to operate humidifier

The CADRs (clean air delivery rates) are 232 for smoke, 235 for pollen, and 222 for dust. These are pretty good CADRs. (Note: there are a few air purifiers with CADRs in the 400 range, and even in the 600 range, which means they can remove air pollution at a much faster rate.) However, the Blueair 2-in-1 Purify + Humidify is designed to purify a 360 square foot room in 12.5 minutes, and a room size of 863 square feet in 30 minutes. For a room size of 1,726 square feet, it takes roughly an hour.

I have a smoking neighbor – and on the highest setting, the air purifier effectively removes that filth from my bedroom in 10 to 15 minutes. Fortunately, even on the highest setting, the Blueair isn’t nearly as loud as most of the air purifiers that I’ve tested.  My living room, which is also open to the kitchen and the steps leading downstairs to the front door and garage, is a much larger area, so it takes at least twice as long to clear the polluted air.  

Most of the time, the air purifier is on the 3rd fan speed, which is quiet enough that it doesn’t affect my concentration when I’m writing. When it’s in the bedroom, the air purifier doesn’t interrupt my sleep on the 3^rdfan speed setting. In addition to my neighbor’s smoke, the air purifier also removes dust, chemicals and other allergens. 

While the air purifier does a really good job, the humidifier does an excellent job. I love the convenience of being able to pour plain tap water into the top of the machine – right on the display, which is waterproof. The humidifier works quiet effectively to add moisture back into the air, which is important when the air is dry and stifling. And the humidifier uses InvisibleMist technology, so there’s no white dust, water residue, or sticky walls and floors. The humidifier has a UV-powered water pump to recirculate water, helping to eliminate the risk of bacteria that tends to grow in still water. Also, when I turn the humidifier off or when the water tank is empty, it enter auto dry mode, which also helps to keep the machine hygienic.

Notifications via the app, or the flashing red icon on the control panel serve to alert me when the humidifier is out of water, and both make it easy to monitor the water level.

Should you buy it?