Blueair is well known in the world of air purifiers as they’ve been selling them since 1996. Originally from Sweden, the company became part of the multinational Unilever in 2006. They create many different air purifier ranges, and Blue Pure is their budget performance range. This range doesn’t have the features and extras you get in their premium ranges.
The cheapest Blue Pure air purifier (Blue Pure 411+) is available for just $119.99, and the 311 Auto we are reviewing here costs $229.99.
As I always like to clarify, we don’t accept free units in exchange for reviews. We buy all the air purifiers with our money, so we can share in detail how they perform with no biases. The core part of our review process is our performance test. This is where we put all units through the same test inside the same space so that we can compare their performance like for like.
This review will walk you through the findings of our performance test. Whenever possible, I will compare this unit with other similarly priced air purifiers on the market so you can decide which of them is better for your individual needs. I will also share my impressions when using this air purifier regarding the design, portability, user experience of its control panel, and more.
Okay, let’s get to it.
The lowdown on the Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto
What we really like
What we think could be better
The specifications
250 CFM CADR for less than $240 is a strong proposition considering you would need $500+ for a similar performance from other air purifiers.
| HouseFresh rating: | ★★★★☆ |
| Time to clean our 728 cubic feet test room (with the device running at top speed): | 21 minutes |
| Air purifier technology: | True HEPASilent filter with activated charcoal |
| Recommended room size (4.8 air changes per hour): | 388 sq. ft. |
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | Dust: 250 CFM Smoke: 250 CFM Pollen: 244 CFM |
| Dimensions (in inches / in cm): | 20.5H x 10.2W x 10.2D inches (52.1H x 25.9W x 25.9D cm) |
| Weight (in pounds / in kg): | 6.8 lbs (3.08 kg) |
| Filter life: | 6 months |
| Noise level in decibels (measured from 3 ft. away with a sound level meter): | Speed 1: 35.8 dB Speed 2: 40.2 dB Speed 3: 59.4 dB |
| Electricity consumption in watts (recorded with an electricity usage monitor): | Standby mode: 0 watts Speed 1: 2.61 watts Speed 2: 5.74 watts Speed 3: 32.01 watts |
| Estimated running cost (electricity consumption + official filter replacement): | $128.79 per year |
| Cost per CADR cfm (based on dust CFM as reported by AHAM): | $0.96 |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 1 year (can be extended to 2 years by creating a Blueair account and registering the unit within 60 days of purchase) |
| Country of manufacture: | Designed and engineered in Sweden, assembled in China |
Customizable design and simple control panel
The Blue Pure range of air purifiers all have the same simple look, with one button to control everything. You also can change the pre-filter to fit your interior design scheme.
Simple is the name of the game with the Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto. The control panel can’t get much simpler with a device like an air purifier. One-click switches into auto-mode, and you can then leave the unit to change speed automatically as it senses new pollutants.
Pressing the button again, you can adjust the speed with three options. Press the same button again and it switches off. It’s that simple!
On the front of the unit is a small LED that acts as an air quality indicator and a filter replacement warning light. When in auto mode, this light will report the air quality in your room with three different colors. Your air quality is measured in real-time using the sensors on the back of the unit.
A cool feature that Blueair has used previously is to customize your unit using the different color pre-filters. Keep the gray one it comes with, or spice it up a little by swapping it out for Arctic Trail, Night Waves, Archipelago Sand, Winter Reed or Aurora Light:
The 311 Auto is the middle-sized unit in Blueair’s Blue Pure range, between the smallest 411+ and the second largest 211+.
When comparing the Blue Pure 311 Auto (right) with the 411+ (left), you can see the difference in size is not as stark. The fact that the 311 Auto manages to drive 250 CFM with such a small unit is impressive:
The size difference is more noticeable when comparing the 311 Auto (right) against the larger 211+ (left). The 211+ weighs 12.5 lbs (5.67 kg), nearly double the 311 Auto (6.8 lbs or 3.08 kg).
The Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto is a good-looking air purifier that will fit small to medium-sized rooms without taking up too much space.
HEPASilent filtration technology for rooms sized 400 sq. ft.
As with all the Blueair range, the Blue Pure 311 Auto has a filter powered by HEPASilent technology, combining electrostatic and mechanical filtration technologies.
Wondering how HEPASilent technology works? The fan draws air into the Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto, where airborne particles receive an electrical charge causing them to adhere to the filters.
Larger particles get stuck in the washable pre-filter before the air moves through the HEPA filter, which removes pollen, dust, pet dander, viruses and bacteria:
From that point, the air moves through the activated carbon layer, which removes odors from pets, cooking and smoking.
The HEPA filter will need replacing around every six months (the filter replacement indicator will let you know when), but don’t worry; it’s super easy to do so.
Follow these step-by-step instructions:
- Unplug your 311 from the outlet
- Twist the top of the unit (the white bit) until you feel it unattached from the body, and remove
- Peel the velcro from the pre-filter and pull it from the HEPA filter
- Pull the pre-filter over the new HEPA filter and reattach the top
This is the perfect time to wash the pre-filter and clean the rest of the air purifier so it works to its maximum efficiency.
As with the 411 and 211 range, the Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto brings excellent performance for $ spent, dB created and energy usage. The HEPASilent matches its expectations, and this unit has the best air cleaning performance value for rooms sized 400 sq. ft.
Be aware that when receiving a new unit or buying a replacement, the filters will be in a sealed bag and must be removed before they can be used.
The Blue Pure 311 Auto cleared our test room in 21 minutes
The main job of an air purifier is to remove tiny particles from the air, as we know how damaging they can be. We test every unit we review with the same methodology to determine its effectiveness in this area.
We burn an incense stick in our 705 cubic ft test room, and using air quality sensors, we track how long it takes a specific air purifier to remove PM1.0ug/m3, PM2.5ug/m3 and PM10.0 ug/m3.
We track this data and compare the performance to all the other units we have tested.
Air cleaning performance test results
The Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto took 21 minutes to achieve a level of 0 PM1. This is 22 minutes better than the smaller 411+ and only three minutes less than the larger and higher-priced 211+.
The 311 Auto provides excellent cleaning performance on a budget. It took the Alen 75i three more minutes to clean our test room. The Dyson HP04 combo unit, which costs over $700, took 63 more minutes to remove all the pollutants.
Noise levels test results
The Blue Pure range is hard to beat for pure power to sound. We had high hopes for the HEPASilent technology and were impressed with the maximum level of 53 dB, which is in range with much smaller units with less performance like the Levoit Core 300, which took 40 minutes to clean and had a maximum sound level of 50dB.
Cost to run the Blue Pure 311 Auto: $116.77 per year
1. Electricity costs = $36.79 per year
At its maximum fan speed, the Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto only recorded 34.5 watts, the same as the highest-power LED bulbs on the market. Compared to competitors, it pulls much less power; the Levoit Core 300, for example, recorded 45 watts for less air-cleaning power.
2. Filter costs = $79.98 per year
The filter costs are fair for this level of air cleaning performance and the all-in-one filter only needs replacing twice in 12 months. Some generic filters are available, which brings the cost per year down to $43.99 for two filters, one of the cheapest we have seen for this level of air cleaning.
Bottom line
The Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto gives you a great performance ratio to sound, price and energy usage. This is the perfect air purifier for those who love the Blueair Blue Pure range and have rooms that are too big for a Blueair 411+ but not big enough to warrant a Blueair 211+.
If you want an air purifier that with a customizable design that is lightweight and offers solid air cleaning performance for a medium-sized room (like a living room or a bedroom), then the Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto is a good option to keep your room free of pollutants without noise disturbance or bulky aesthetics.
SOURCES
We calculated the monthly energy consumption costs with the help of the Department of Energy’s appliance energy calculator. We calculated yearly costs associated with running Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto for 24hs a day for 365 days. We chose to run this calculation utilizing the U.S. average utility rate of $0.12/kWh as of the 1st of May, 2023.
Last update on 2024-09-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
