One-minute review
The Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto, or Blueair Blue 3210 in the UK, is a dedicated air purifier, designed to remove harmful particles from the air inside your home, so you can breathe easily.
And while it’s true that some of the best fans come with filters that enable them to emit purified air, these can be expensive. As such, a dedicated air purifier is an excellent option if air quality is the priority. Although, note that it works via a fan pushing air out of the top of the unit, moving air around the room.
As we learn more about indoor air pollution and allergens, air purifiers are becoming a consideration for many people, with the 411 Auto a good-value, entry-level model. Designed for rooms up to 190ft2/ 41m2, it isn’t for huge open-plan spaces; but it will work well in most bedrooms or smaller living rooms.
It offers three-stage filtration that can remove pollen, dust, mold, smoke and more, leaving the air in your home cleaner and fresher, and more comfortable for everyone, but particularly for allergy sufferers. It also comes with sensors and a light to indicate the current air quality in your space. And with three speeds as well as an auto mode, you can adjust the settings accordingly.
During testing, I was impressed by the combination of its simplicity and stylish good looks. Not only that, but I noticed improved air quality and freshness without any intrusive sound or excessive energy consumption. However, keep in mind that if you have very large rooms or open-plan areas then it won’t be up to the task.
Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto: price and availability
- List price: $140/ £179
The Blue Pure 411 Auto (or Blueair Blue 3210 in the UK) is available direct from Blueair. In the UK, it’s the most affordable model the brand offers; in the US, it’s among the more affordable options.
The pre-filter, which is the colored fabric cover on the exterior of the purifier can easily be swapped out for one of five options. The Blue Pure 411 Auto arrives with the "Arctic Trail" option as standard, which is a gray beige color. A new pre-filter in a different color will set you back $10/ £19.
Filters need replacing every six months, if you’re using the unit 24 hours a day, or the equivalent of 4380 hours. A new filter costs $24/ £27 direct from Blueair. You can make savings on filters by setting up a subscription, which is also great for offering a reminder that it’s time to replace the filter.
- Value score: 5/5
Blue Pure 411 Auto review: specifications
- Price: $140/ £179
- Dimensions: 16.7 x 7.9 x 7.9in/ 42.5 x 20 x 20cm
- Weight: 3.8lbs / 1.68kg
- Speeds: 3 plus auto
- Filtration: Three-stage filtration system with HEPASilent particle and carbon filter technology
- Air sensors: Yes
Blue Pure 411 Auto review: design and features
- Subtle cylinder shape
- Five color choices
- Simple one-touch controls
The size and appearance of the 411 Auto air purifier where, in my opinion, Blueair has hit the spot. First, as a floor-standing air purifier it’s quite compact, which will make it suitable for most spaces. It weighs just 3.8lbs / 1.68kg, too, so is lightweight and easy to move from room to room.
Its round shape is pleasing to the eye, and the fabric jacket that covers the bottom two-thirds of the unit detracts from the fact that it’s an appliance, allowing it to blend in with your space. This is further helped by the fact that said jacket can be switched out for one of a different color – there are five colors to choose from – simply by unfastening the velcro and sliding it off the filter.
The controls consist of just one round button on the top. Press it once to start auto mode, with each subsequent press cycling through the other modes – which are Night, Everyday, and Boost – before switching off. Three lights circle the button, lighting up depending on the mode chosen. The only other light is a small air quality light on the front. Blue indicates the air quality is good; orange indicates moderate air quality; red means polluted. This is determined by sensors that assess the particulate matter in the air.
The exterior colored jacket acts as the pre-filter; this is machine washable. Beneath this you'll find the main particle and carbon filter. This will require changing roughly every 6 months or 4,380 hours – and you'll be alerted to this by the indicator lights on the top, which will glow red when it’s time to change it. Blueair calls the filtration technology HEPASilent. A combination of electrostatic and mechanical filtration means the filters are less dense than traditional HEPA filters, offering similar performance but at reduced noise levels.
The system can remove 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.1 microns in size, including pollen, mold, pet dander and dust. The 360-degree air intake pulls air in from all directions, with the clean air blowing out of the top of the purifier. However, note that in order to be effective, the unit must be placed no closer than 4 inches / 10cm to another object.
- Design score: 5/5
Blue Pure 411 Auto review: performance
- Low energy consumption
- Whisper-quiet operation
- Leaves air smelling fresh and light, as if a window has been open
The Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto arrives set up and ready to go out of the box. All I had to do was familiarize myself with the controls, which didn’t take long since there’s just one button and four settings. The air quality light was showing blue at first, but just one spray from a can of anti-perspirant deodorant in the area above the purifier, saw it change to orange within a few seconds. This tells me that the air quality sensors are doing their job.
I was testing the unit in spring, when the pollen was affecting my husband's hay fever. As such, I kept the Blueair purifier running on auto the whole time, switching to Night mode at bed time. On several occasions I noticed the air quality light change from blue to orange, as well as red; the unit increased the speed accordingly, which was reassuring. But I’d use the Everyday mode in winter, when there are fewer contaminants that might irritae.
It’s great to have four operating modes so it can be set depending on what’s going on inside your home or with your allergies. So, for example, if you're a hayfever sufferer you might choose a lower setting in winter when there's not much pollen. Or if you're spring cleaning and dust is flying around as you move furniture, a higher may be required. I would also certainly switch it to Boost if I noticed the air quality light was showing red and indicating that the air was quite polluted.
Both myself and my husband slept well with the air purifier turned on in Night mode, with neither of us being disturbed by the sound of the unit. In addition, it was reassuring to know the air we were breathing all night long was clean. In fact, I noticed that despite the windows being closed (they’re nearly always open in our bedroom), the room smelt fresh and the air didn't feel heavy or stagnant as it can do when the windows are closed.
On the standard Everyday setting, the Blue Pure 411 Auto is quiet, measuring just 35dB on the sound meter. In Night mode, its gentle hum is barely noticeable, registering 29dB; chances are, your own breathing will be louder. As expected, the unit is louder in Boost mode at 55dB, but still no noisier than most fans I’ve encountered.
IN terms of power consumption, having been on for four hours on the Everyday setting, the air purifier used only 0.008kWh of electricity, which is so low you’ll barely notice a change in your electricity bill. In the UK, this is less than 2p per 24 hours of continual use at this setting (based on an electricity price of 35p per kWh). In the US, the cost would be less than 1 cent for a 24-hour period (based on an electricity price of 20c per kWh). Note that prices vary between states and suppliers, so you may need to do your own calculations. Either way, the Blue Pure 411 Auto air purifier isn't an appliance that guzzles energy.
Maintenance is super easy, too; the fabric pre-filter can be vacuumed and machine washed. It removes easily – simply twist off the top white section, undo the velcro and slide the fabric from the filter. From here you can also remove the main filter by sliding it off the inner structure.
- Performance score: 5/5
Should I buy the Blue Pure 411 Auto?
Buy it if...
Don’t buy it if...
Also consider
If you'd prefer a fan to keep you cool instead, here are a couple of options to consider...
How I tested the Blue Pure 411 Auto
- I slept with it running in the room
- I used a decibel meter to check noise levels
- I disassembled it to see if the filter is difficult to change
I tried this air purifier in my own home, not a science lab, so therefore wasn't able to measure its efficiency in terms of the particles removed from the air. However, I was able to gauge anecdotally how it made myself and my husband feel, and whether the air felt fresher and lighter with the air purifier in use.
I left it on through the night to see if Night mode disturbed our sleep and t gauge how the air in the room felt come the morning. I also measured the sound level on each of the settings through a decibel meter.
To check it wasn’t guzzling energy, I plugged in an energy meter. As well as assessing the everyday ease of use, I also evaluated maintenance, checking to see how easy it was to change the filter.
Read more about how we test.
[First reviewed April 2023]
