Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review: there’s something special about this budget-priced air purifier, and I can’t get enough of it

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max: two-minute review

The Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is a simple-to-use and space-saving air purifier. It’s available from Amazon in the US and the UK at a list price of $69.99 / £79. It’s far from the most high-tech air purifier on the market but it seems to do a good job of purifying the air, despite its lack of bells and whistles and low price point.

Replacement Particle and Carbon filters are cheap, costing $21.99 / £18, and should theoretically last a long period, with BlueAir stating that they can last up to six months of 24-hour use. There are other filter options available, namely Allergenblock and Smokeblock, which offer more tailored protection.

An ideal air purifier for desktop or nightstand use, the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max measures only 11.4 x 6.8 x 5.9 inches / ‎172 x 172 x 289mm and is impressively lightweight. The reason behind this portable purifier weighing so little is down to the lack of protective casing over the filter itself. The colored fabric covering doubles as a washable pre-filter over the filter, and other than some structural plastic on the inside, that’s all the base consists of.

It’s possible to purchase further pre-filter coverings, and they’re available in a range of different colors, which is always a bonus for me. While this design is innovative and sustainability-conscious, it does mean that the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max could be at higher risk of damage than heavier plastic-covered alternatives.

The Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is as low on features as it is in price, but that’s fair enough. It has no automated fan settings or particle detection, just three fan speeds that can be cycled through via the fan touch button on the top of the purifier. It is helpful enough to monitor the condition of the filter, however, showing a yellow indicator when the filter is due to be changed soon, and red when it needs changing.

The Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max was a breeze to set up and operate. The touch buttons were responsive and the air purifier reacted quickly upon switching settings. Even though the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max lacked any kind of contamination indicators, the change in air quality was noticeable when the purifier was in operation. It had a surprising cooling effect on the surrounding environment, but as I was using it on a chilly November morning in the south of England, I consider this to be an indicator of how well the Blue Pure Mini Max was circulating the air.

In terms of volume level, the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max operated very quietly on the lowest fan speed, so it was no problem sleeping or working next to it. The two higher settings are more noticeable, but still at a satisfyingly low volume, with the top speed giving me a reading of just 47 dB.

Overall, you’re getting what you pay for with the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max. The price for the air purifier is great, and the filters are good value, especially considering their longevity and the cost savings from the filter subscription plan available in the US currently.

In closing, I was pleasantly surprised by the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max. I didn’t expect to be impressed due to this mini air purifier's low price point and lack of features, but the ease of use, good performance, and innovative design really won me over, and could see it sneaking its way into our selection of the best air purifiers before too long.

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review: price & availability

• List price: $69.99 / £79
• Available now in the US and UK

The Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is a simple, desktop-sized, small-room air purifier that’s available in the US, and UK at Amazon for $69.99 / £79.

One element that often has the potential to catch people out is the cost of replacement filters compared to the initial cost of an air purifier itself. I’m pleased to say this isn’t the case with the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max, as replacement Blueair Particle and Carbon filters cost just $21.99 / £18, which is particularly good considering the filters can last up to six months, even when used 24 hours a day. This cost can be brought down further still with Blueair's filter replacement subscription, but at the time of writing the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max and associated filters are only showing up on the Blueair website, so we’ll have to wait for them to become available on the official site to take advantage of this offer in the UK.

There are other filter types available too: the Allergenblock filter, designed to reduce our exposure to dust allergens, pollen, and pet dander, and the Smokeblock filter, with double the activated carbon intended to remove wildfire smoke, plus heightened protection against other wildfire emissions.

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review: specs

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review: design and features

• No display
• Long-lasting filters
• Machine-washable fabric pre-filter

This is a very simple example of an air purifier, with no app support, visual display, or automatic detection – but at this price point, it’d be unfair to expect much more. The fact that the low-cost filters can last up to six months when running for 24 hours a day is certainly an attractive feature, and one thing the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max can monitor is the filter life, displaying a yellow light on the top of the unit to indicate that the filter will need changing soon, turning red when it actually does.

The outer fabric looks nice from a distance, but the finish gives away the budget cost of the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max; the fabric is a little loose, and the seam is wiggly and uneven, bulging out where it goes over the tan leather effect Blueair tag. The reason for this looseness becomes apparent as it’s not simply an aesthetic covering; it’s designed to be a washable fabric pre-filter.

I’ve never seen a design quite like this, as most air purifiers have plastic casing to protect the inner filters whereas the body of the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is simply some structural plastic sitting within the particle and carbon filter, covered in the washable pre-filter. This goes to explain its very light weight of 2.5 lb / 3.4kg but could make it vulnerable to damage.

Despite its minor flaws, it’s a nice touch that Blueair made the pre-filter part of the overall aesthetic, which has meant less material and wasted plastic, which we’re always happy to see at TechRadar. It’s also an advantage that they are machine washable and extras can be purchased in a range of colors, just in case you don’t want to wait for one to dry, or want to switch things up occasionally.

Not only is it delightfully light, it’s dinky in size, too. Measuring just 11.4 x 6.8 x 5.9 inches / ‎172 x 172 x 289mm. This cylindrical 360-degree design enables the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max to be placed in a variety of spaces, as there’s plenty of opportunity for it to pull air in.

There is no display panel on the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max, with only a power button, a fan button, a filter indicator light, and three fan speed indicator lights on the top of the air purifier. The fixed power cable extends out of the lower portion of the white plastic top section of the purifier. I found this placement odd at first but, of course, as the base is simply composed of the filters and plastic frame, this was the only logical place to put it.

There’s not much to dislike about the aesthetic of the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max. The finish along the seam of the fabric pre-filter could be better, and the cable placement looks a little unusual, but all things considered, it lives up to its name. It's satisfyingly small and lightweight, making it a perfect option for anyone wanting to relocate their purifier regularly, or for those who struggle with maneuvering things.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review: performance

• No display or smart features
• Operated quietly
• Easy to use

The Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max proved easy to set up and operate. It was essentially just a case of removing the packaging and plugging the air purifier in, job done. The touch buttons were responsive, so it was quick to turn the purifier on and off and to cycle between fan speeds. The reaction speed was satisfyingly quick when changing between fan settings, whereas some purifiers take time to slow down, even when quickly cycling past the highest setting to get back to the lowest.

Despite the lack of air quality data to review, the Blue Pure Mini Max made the air around me feel fresher quickly upon first use when running it at fan speed 2. It had quite the cooling effect straight off the bat, which I’ve not encountered with other air purifiers, with cold air blowing quite strongly through the air vents at the top of the unit. This suggested to me that the air was circulating well, but after a while, on a grey November morning in the South West of England, it made the room uncomfortably cold, so that’s worth bearing in mind if you plan to use your air purifier in the winter.

In a 13 x 16 ft / 4 x 5 meter room, the sound of the air purifier is noticeable when on its second speed setting if there’s no other sound to drown it out. The pitch of the noise is interesting: it reminded me of the sound of a blowtorch, which is ironic considering it was cooling the room down. Blueair claims that their lowest fan speed is quieter than a whisper, and while I didn’t get a reading as low as they’ve stated, it was pretty darn quiet at 26 dB. It was barely audible to me from around four feet away. If I listened hard, I could hear a low humming, but it didn’t prove disruptive in the slightest when I was trying to sleep or working away at my desk.

Naturally, the higher fan speeds were louder, with fan speed 2 giving a reading of 35 dB, and speed 3, the highest setting, giving a reading of 47 dB. This was of course much more noticeable and made my cats a little wary at first, but compared to other air purifiers, such as the Molekule Air Mini+ whose lowest fan speed was 39 dB, it’s satisfyingly quiet.

As with other low-priced air purifiers I’ve tested, the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max couldn’t remove cooking smells. It did have some impact on the intensity, however, as I noticed that the cooking odor got a little stronger once I’d switched the purifier off, so I was pleased that it managed to make a small impact at least.

Overall, using the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max was a pleasant experience. It was small enough and light enough that I could find a space for it in every room, and it worked at a low enough volume that it wasn’t distracting.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

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Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review: Also consider

How I tested the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max

• I used the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max for one week
• I tested how much of an impact it had on the surrounding air quality
• I tested its ability to tackle cooking smells

I checked how easy was to get the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max set up, how easy it was to operate, and how portable it was.

I tested it in different rooms in my home, and observed how quiet it was at night time and whether it disturbed my sleep.

I assessed its design and structure, paying close attention to quality and any sustainable elements.

I reviewed the impact it had on the air quality in my environment, and how well it handled cooking smells.

• First reviewed: November 2024
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