Eoleaf vs. Blueair air purifiers

At first glance, Blueair air purifiers are eye-catching: their devices boast impressive Clean Air Delivery Rates (CADR), are aesthetically pleasing, and offer an impressive number of reviews on Amazon. However, some inconsistencies on their website leave us a bit perplexed. Read on as we delve into the differences between Blueair’s Blue 3610 model, their largest model, with our AEROPRO 150, our largest model.

Performance

Blueair Blue 3610

Let’s start by taking a look at the Blueair Blue 3610 model’s main technical specifications as stated on their website:

Right off the bat, the first thing we notice is the impressive CADRs for this device. CADR is an industry standard that allows consumers to compare air purification efficiency and performance between brands. It is an important metric for buyers in choosing a device that will efficiently filter the air in the entirety of their space. For comparison’s sake, Eoleaf’s AEROPRO 150 offers a CADR of 670 m3/h, one of the highest on the market. This is why we were impressed when looking at these impressive CADR numbers for Blueair’s Blue 3610! Considering that they advertise this device as being able to filter the air in spaces up to 122 m2, we had to dig deeper.

Unfortunately, we found some hitches in their claims. We’ll start by looking into their filtration technologies, specifically their trademarked HEPASilent technology. Blueair devices use Blueair’s own trademarked technology called HEPASilent (post-filter electrostatic charge for their Blue family of devices), as seen below.

Filtration technologies

What does this technology entail? Essentially, it is a combination of ionisation technologies and fine particle filtration (HEPA). These technologies are both effective against fine particle pollution (particulate matter), and Eoleaf employs both of them in all of our devices as part of our 8-step filtration method. But that’s not the whole story.

Ionisation

Ionisation works by generating and diffusing negatively-charged particles into the air. These negatively-charged particles then seek out positively-charged particles (many air pollutants are positively-charged). Once brought together, the negatively-charged particles bind to the positively-charged particles, weighing them down to the ground where they no longer pose danger of being inhaled through the lungs and causing negative health effects. This is exactly the first step in Blueair’s HEPASilent technology and a good way of combatting airborne fine particles.

HEPA technologies

HEPA technologies are viewed as the gold standard of air purification technologies. This technology was created in order to filter a high percentage of particles of an incredibly small size, down to 0.3 microns in diameter. However, in reality, HEPA technologies are able to filter particles of a much smaller size, often down to 0.01 microns (as is the case for Eoleaf air purifiers). Read more about the 0.3 micron barrier myth here.

Air purifiers that are HEPA-certified, meaning that they are tested and verified for their efficacy and performance by a third party, are guaranteed to remove 99.97% of particles of the previously-mentioned size in a single pass. It is important to mention that Blueair air purifiers are not HEPA-certified. Blueair air purifiers do not undergo the process of third-party verification to certify their performance. That said, Blueair is able to make unsubstantiated claims regarding CADR because there are no third-party checks in place to verify their devices’ efficacy. This provides an explanation as to why they are able to state such high CADRs for pollutants. What kind of air purification efficacy is the consumer getting when purchasing Blueair products? This remains unknown.

UVC sterilisation: the germ problem

UVC sterilisation technologies are very helpful in public spaces, healthcare facilities and other settings where there is a high risk of disease transmission. A device that does not use sterilisation technology cannot disinfect the filter(s) of an air purifier, however UVC sterilisation technology is useful for much more than that. A filter's function is to collect contaminants, such as germs. It is not enough to just capture germs; after they have been captured, they must be eliminated. Getting rid of the bacteria lessens the likelihood that they will reappear in your indoor environment, even if you continue to use the device with a saturated filter, which we strongly discourage. Getting rid of microorganisms also prevents your device from becoming a breeding ground for infections. Unlike Eoleaf devices that have UVC lamps positioned at the core of the cylindrical filter to enable sterilisation across the entire device, Blueair products do not have any form of sterilising technology.

Recommended room size

Another aspect that immediately caught our attention was the fact that Blueair often lists two different values for room surface areas for their air purifiers. Their Blue 3610, for example, treats ‘up to 122m2’ or ‘rooms up to 51m2’.

Even as experts in the field of air purification, we found this to be quite confusing. For consumers who are less familiar with air purification concepts, how are they to be sure that they are choosing a device with performance sufficient enough to filter the air in their space when there is such a disparity between the two values?

Let’s clear the air (pun intended) of any confusion. Industry standards recommend an Air Changes per Hour (ACH) value of 4 or 5 in order for an air purifier to be considered effective. ACH refers to the number of times the air in a space is renewed with purified air per hour. Using the industry standard as an example, with an ACH or 4 or 5, the air is renewed 4 or 5 times per hour.

Blueair has decided to include two values regarding room treatment size: the more impressive one (122m2) refers to the room size that could be filtered using an ACH value of 2. More specifically, yes, their Blue 3610 device is capable of filtering the air in spaces of 122m2, but the air will only be renewed twice per hour. This means that if a person sneezes, it will take 30 minutes for the Blue 3610 device to renew the air in a space of that size! This is clearly a value used exclusively for misleading marketing purposes because a device with an ACH of 2 would never be recommended by any industry standard because it is not enough to protect consumer health. This is why Blueair has included a second value, a much more realistic value, regarding room size: 51m2 with an ACH of 4.8. This is the room size that should be considered by consumers.

Eoleaf AEROPRO 150

Now, let’s compare the above information with some technical specifications of Eoleaf’s AEROPRO 150 device.

Filtration technologies

Compared to the simple three-step air purification method of Blueair’s Blue 3610, Eoleaf devices use all three of those technologies as part of Eoleaf’s 8-step filtration method designed to combat all of the main types of air pollution. The main types of air pollution include fine particle pollution (particulate matter like PM10, PM2.5, and PM0.1), biological pollution (germs including bacteria and viruses and allergens like dust and dust mites, pollen, mould and spores, and pet hair and dander), and chemical pollution (ozone and VOCs like formaldehyde and benzene).

With our combination of filtration and depollution technologies, your indoor air is rendered pollutant-free and safe to breathe. Each step of our 8-step process is designed to target the following types of pollutants:

• Pre-filter: particles larger than 1 micron in diameter (hair, fibres, certain dust and pollen particles, mould and spores)
• Bamboo filter + antibacterial coating: bamboo has particle filtration properties and the antibacterial coating serves as antibacterial and antifungal protection
• HEPA H13-certified filter: 99.97% of fine and nano particles down to a size of 0.01 microns in a single pass
• Activated carbon filter: volatile organic compounds (VOCs), toxic airborne gases, and unpleasant odours
• Photocatalysis: VOCs and toxic airborne gases
• UVC sterilisation: germs like bacteria and viruses, including the influenza virus and COVID-19
• Ionisation: fine particle pollution (PM, pollen, mould spores)

All of our devices are HEPA H13-certified, a certification overseen by European standards EN 1822 and EN ISO 29463. This indicates that all of our devices are verified by a third party for efficiency.

Recommended room size

Our AEROPRO 150 is designed to filter the air in rooms up to 120m2. We size all of our devices so that, depending upon the fan speed used and the consumer’s specific room volume, the device will achieve an ACH of 4 or 5 as recommended by industry standards. ACH is not a one-size-fits-all metric: it varies depending upon the fan speed used (higher fan speeds will renew the air at a faster rate) and the consumer’s specific room volume.

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Maintenance and warranty

Blueair Blue 3610

Blueair recommends filter replacements every 6 months for all Blueair air purifiers. This means two things: their filters are of a lower quality (they are able to accumulate less pollutants, becoming saturated faster) and will add significantly to your air purification budget with such frequent filter replacements.

By default, Blueair products come equipped with a limited one-year warranty.

Eoleaf AEROPRO 150

Our filters are high quality: they require replacing every 12 months compared to Blueair’s requirement of every 6 months. Investing in an Eoleaf air purifier means less filter waste and less money spent on replacement filters.

Eoleaf offers a 3-year warranty on all our devices. This is evidence that we believe in the longevity of our products.

Usability and connectivity

Blueair Blue 3610

The Blueair Blue 3610 is not a smart air purifier. It does not offer any smart features like Wi-Fi connectivity. It does offer connectivity via the Blueair mobile app, but users complain that it is often difficult to pair with their devices. The Blue 3610 also does not have any way to move the device easily.

Eoleaf AEROPRO 150

Eoleaf devices come equipped with smart features like sensors that track air quality in real-time, Wi-Fi connectivity, app compatibility (Tuya Smart), hands-free gesture control, voice commands, and smart scheduling and timers. These all make managing your indoor air quality easier. Additionally, our devices are equipped with either handles or wheels for easy movement.

Choose Eoleaf for quality, certified air purification

Here at Eoleaf, our goal is never to trick customers into buying our products. With your health in mind, our high-quality, certified air purification technologies speak for themselves. Feel free to reach out to our team of air purification experts for help in choosing the best product for your needs. You are also welcome to refer to our Buying Guide for assistance in considering all of the factors required before purchasing an air purifier.