I didn’t expect to have romantic feelings for the Blueair Blue Signature purifier, but we’ve become so close that my Roomba should probably see a therapist.
It’s always looking after me, measuring the air quality and informing me (through its app) of the current rating. You’ll be pleased to know that this morning, it’s been “excellent,” scoring 2 out of 99.
But that’s probably because my baby works so hard. It comes in several sizes, and mine is the largest, processing up to 3,385 cubic feet of air in one hour. When I’m bingeing Platonic, caramelizing onions, and grooming my cocker spaniel, there it is, sitting quietly and prettily in the corner of my living room, whirring furiously to purify the atmosphere of my New York City apartment so that it’s as pristine as the Swiss Alps.
Its main job is waging war against particulate matter, which likely has all sorts of negative effects on one’s health. Numerous studies have proven that high exposure to PM 2.5—smoke, soot, dust, and other pollutants that are less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter—significantly increases asthma risk, especially in children.
But the Blueair, armed with a seven-part filtration system, is having none of this. According to the company’s data, it can remove up to 99.97 percent of airborne particles in a single cleaning session. That usually lasts around an hour, or whenever its sensors (which measure PM 2.5 as well as PM 1 and PM 10) indicate that it has done all it can. Every six months or so, an indicator light signals that its two of its filters need to be replaced.
My Blueair is programmed to work mornings, although it’s occasionally enlisted at dinnertime to tackle a pressing odor issue. It can erase all evidence of burned chicken in about ten minutes, making it the perfect gift for terrible cooks or anyone who still makes microwave popcorn.
Blueair has been in this business since 1996, when Bengt Rittri, its founder, developed one of the first HEPA filters to mimic the fresh air of his Swedish archipelago. Despite all the science and tech, the company doesn’t skimp on design. The Blue Signature model was designed to resemble a side table, with a flat top that’s ideal for a stack of magazines or fiddle-leaf fig plant.
Some Blueair loyalists swear that the purified air helps them sleep better at night, and I don’t doubt it. Just knowing that something is out there fighting air pollution on my behalf is comfort enough.
Ashley Baker is the Executive Editor at Air Mail Look
