The Blue Signature is a sleek, cylindrical purifier that measures 17.2 by 15.5 by 15.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 13.2 pounds. It utilizes a wraparound filter protected by a washable cloth pre-filter layer. The filters uses Blueair’s seven-stage HEPASilent filtration technology, which employs electrostatic charges to attract pollutants and capture volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as other harmful chemicals. Additionally, carbon, enzyme, and mineral elements absorb and break down gases and odors before recirculating the cleansed air back into the room. The filters are designed to capture at least 99.97% of airborne pollutants down to 0.1 microns in size.
(Credit: John R. Delaney)
Several other top-rated air purifiers also use 360-degree filters, including the Editors’ Choice-winning Dyson Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09 ($849.99) and the Dyson Big+Quiet Formaldehyde BP03 ($1,099.99). The Blue Signature’s cylindrical filter is rated to last up to one year before replacement is necessary. A replacement filter will set you back $99.99. That’s more expensive than the Dyson HP09 filter, which costs $79.99 and is also expected to last up to one year. The Dyson BP03 filter is the longest-lasting, with a five-year lifespan, but is also the most expensive to replace at $169.99.
Because the top of the Blue Signature purifier is flat, it can be used as a tabletop to hold a plant or books, but if you really want this device to blend in as a furnishing, you can order a $79.99 wooden base with legs that adds another 4 inches to the overall height and makes the purifier look like a real end table. Other accessories include pre-filter coverings in various colors ($24.99 each) and a chrome base ring ($99.99). The Blue Signature isn’t the only air purifier designed to blend in with your home decor: The Ikea Starkvind ($219.99) also doubles as an end table, while the Editors’ Choice-winning Rabbit Air A3 ($749.95) offers a choice of several art prints for the front panel including Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave, or Jan Davidsz. de Heem’s Vase of Flowers.
The Blue Signature has a 360-degree air outlet grille positioned between the top and the filter compartment. It offers four fan speeds, along with an Auto Mode that adjusts the fan speed according to the current PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less) level, and a Night Mode that operates the purifier at its lowest fan speed with the LEDs dimmed to their lowest brightness setting. For comparison, the HP09 has a 10-speed fan for cooling and can also warm the air, functioning as a space heater.
(Credit: John R. Delaney)
Onboard capacitive touch controls are located on the top along the front edge, but they remain dark until you trigger a motion sensor by approaching and waving at the purifier. It features buttons for power/standby, locking the display (which disables the onboard controls), fan speed adjustment, Auto Mode, and Night Mode. Here, you’ll also find a PM2.5 level display as well as Wi-Fi connection and filter replacement indicators.
An LED strip embedded in the front grille of the purifier glows blue when the air quality is excellent (0 to 5), green when it is good (6 to 10), yellow when it is moderate (11 to 15), orange when it is polluted (16 to 25), and red when it is very polluted (26 to 999).
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The purifier uses the Blueair mobile app, which is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. It appears in a panel on the app’s home screen, which features a power button and displays the device’s name, as well as the current air quality. Tap the panel to open a screen that displays real-time readings for PM2.5, PM1 (particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 1 micron), and PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less). Below that is a graph showing daily, weekly, and monthly levels for each PM type.
Dyson air purifiers like the HP09 and the BP03 provide even more air quality measurements, tracking pollutants including PM2.5, PM10, volatile organic compounds (VOCs, such as gases from aerosol sprays and air fresheners), nitrogen dioxide (NO2, or pollutants from smoke, gas stoves, and candles), and in some cases formaldehyde (HCHO, a colorless chemical emitted by cleaners, plywood, varnishes, and many other common household items and materials), in addition to room temperature and humidity level.
(Credit: Blueair/PCMag)
Scroll down in the Blueair app to view information about each PM level, with examples and what each LED color represents in terms of air quality. Keep scrolling to access fan speed settings and to enable AirSense, a feature that automatically turns on the purifier at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day for 10 to 25 minutes (depending on the air quality). Here you can also activate the display lock, adjust the display brightness, create purification schedules, check the remaining filter life, order a new filter, and access the device settings menu.
Device settings let you select a time zone, turn on AirSense, and enable Welcome Home, which puts the purifier into standby mode when you leave your home and turns it back on when you return.
