I have been open about my disappointment in the air cleaning power of Dyson combo devices like the TP07, HP04 and PH03. But the BP06 is Dyson’s first pure air purifier, so my expectations are much higher.
The BP06 doesn’t have any of the smart functionalities you’ll find in other models in Dyson’s Big+Quiet range. The issue is that, selling at $600, this bare bones air purifier falls into the territory of premium devices with smart features like the Levoit EverestAir. In this review, I will help you decide whether its performance is worth the investment.
The overall score for the Dyson Big+Quiet BP06 incorporates first-hand data results from our battery of tests, as well as our ratings for customer service, brand transparency and design & UX. Check out the full scorecard below to see the split of categories.
The pros and cons of the Dyson BP-06
A summary of our top-level findings after testing this air purifier following our methodology.
“The Dyson BP06 is a much better air purifier than every Dyson combination units I have tested before. It offers good performance at top (51 dBA) and bottom (40.4 dBA) fan speeds and is more affordable than other units in Dyson’s Big+Quiet range.
That said, the BP06 offers the same power you will get from cheaper air purifiers, like the Winix T810, Vital 200S the Alen 45i.”
HouseFresh Founder
& Lead Tester
CONS
PROS
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | – Top speed PM1 CADR: 198 cfm – Sub-45 dBA PM1 CADR: 128 cfm – AHAM PM2.5 CADR: 190.8 cfm (dust) |
| Recommended room size: | 297 sq. ft. (5 air changes per hour) |
| Dimensions: | 32.67 x 17.08 x 16.33 in (83H x 41.5L x 43.4W cm) |
| Weight: | 25.5 lbs (11.57 kg) |
| Noise level in decibels from 3 ft. away: | Speed 1: 40.4 dBA Top speed: 51.4 dBA |
| Electricity consumption in watts: | Standby: 0.5 watts Speed 1: 10 watts Top speed: 32.9 watts |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 2 years |
| Country of origin: | UK |
| Country of manufacture: | Malaysia |
Filtration technology
The Dyson BP06 comes with a cylindrical HEPA filter and a separate activated carbon filter.
To access the filter, you need to remove the head (or conic amplifier) from the top and the metallic cover underneath:
To catch particles, the BP06 comes with a large cylindrical H13 HEPA filter that Dyson recommends you to replace every 5 years.
The activated carbon filter is a flat piece of carbon impregnated fabric that clips into place around the internals of the device. Dyson states it comes with 900g of carbon.
This is a good amount of carbon and will help remove unwanted odors from the air.
However, if you are looking for an air puriifer to deal with serious VOC issues, you should look into the Austin Air HealthMate instead.
Design, controls and features
The BP06 is a large air purifier without smart functions that you can operate with one button.
Love it or hate it, one can’t deny that the design of the Dyson Big + Quiet range is unique in the world of air purifiers. While it still uses a cylindrical design for the filter section at the bottom of the device, the fan on top looks very different from what brands like Winix, Coway, Blueair and pretty much everyone else offers.
The BP06 weighs 11.57kg (or 25 lbs), which matches the weight of other large air purifiers like the Atem X from IQAir. However, it’s much heavier than mid-size devices like the Levoit Vital 200s or Winix 5500-2.
So you could say that this device lives up to the ‘Big’ in its name.
We found it tricky to carry it upstairs because it doesn’t have any handles, so you basically have to pick it up like a giant box.
The bigger size and weight make it tricky to find a space for it, especially in smaller rooms. But it has wheels to move around the room on smooth floor surfaces.
You can upgrade the look by choosing the Nickel + Prussian Blue of the BP03 for an extra $300 or the fancy Prussian Blue + Gold of the BP04 for an extra $400.
But it’s not just the looks. Unlike the BP06, the BP03 and BP04 come with smart features, app connectivity, an on-board air quality sensor and multiple fan speeds.
In terms of operation, you get one button you can press to turn your BP06 on, rotate through the two fan speeds available, and also turn it off.
Like other Dyson devices, the BP06 comes with a display screen where you can see the current fan speed and real-time air quality readings.
The BP06 doesn’t have sensors for particulates or gases, but it comes with a CO2 sensor so it will show you real-time CO2 readings on screen.
While air purifiers can’t remove CO2, high levels of CO2 are a good indicator of poor ventilation. This can prompt you to open the window, which will make a big difference to your air.
Air cleaning performance
We tested the Dyson BP06 in our 728 cubic ft. test room, tracking how fast it removed all PM1 particles from the air after we filled the space with incense stick.
According to our PurpleAir Zen sensor, the BP06 needed 30 minutes to achieve PM1 zero in our 728 cubic ft. test room. We estimate a PM1 CADR of 198 cfm, which matches the AHAM PM2.5 CADR result of 190.8 cfm.
When it comes to raw particle removal speed, it’s clear from the table that you pay a lot more with the Dyson BP06.
Now, when we compare the performance of this device to what we saw with other Dyson devices, you see that the BP06 vastly outperformed the combo units we’ve tested here in the past:
However, when we compare the results of the BP06 to those of other premium air purifiers, it once again becomes clear that the Dyson tax doesn’t mean you are getting the best air cleaning power:
Sound levels
The sound levels of the Dyson BP06 range from 40.4 dBA to 51.4 dBA — quieter than popular models like the Winix 5510, the IQAir Atem X, and the Coway Airmega 250S.
As part of our testing, we use a sound level meter to measure how much noise each of the air purifiers we review generates at each fan speed.
Dyson made things extra easy for me because the BP06 only has two fan speeds 🙂
At top speed, it reached 51.4 dBA. We visualized how this compares to other similarly-prices air purifiers running at top speed:
The Dyson Big + Quiet BP06 lives up to its name with a significant reduction in sound when compared to other similar performing HEPA retail devices. But as expected it can’t compare with a PC fan powered air purifier like the Luggable XL-7 from CleanAirKits.
Running at speed 1, the BP06 managed to reach PM1 zero in 46 minutes while generating just 40.4 dBA.
The data shows the BP06 offers the same level of performance at speed 1 than the $189.99 Vital 200S. And while it is a little quieter, it can’t compete with larger CADR devices like the EverestAir and the Rabbit Air A3.
We estimate a PM1 CADR of 128 cfm at speed 1, which would be enough to provide five (5) air changes per hour in spaces no larger than 192 sq. ft.
Long-term running costs
Running a Dyson BP06 will cost you $194.64 per year, combining energy consumption costs and filter replacement prices.
We measured how much energy the BP06 uses when running at speed 1 (10 watts), speed 2 (32.9 watts) and on standby (0.5 watts). It would cost you $36.66 in energy costs for a year, based on 24/7 usage at top speed at the average U.S. energy rate.
And you will also need to replace the filters eventually. The original HEPA filter costs $169.99 and the carbon filter costs $89.99.
On their website, Dyson states that the lifespan is half that time: 21,900 hours (or 30 months) for the HEPA filter and 8,760 hours (or 12 months) for the carbon filter. So, you would need to budget $157.98 annually for filter replacement costs.
When combining energy costs with filter replacement costs, you can expect to spend a total of $194.64 each year to run a Dyson BP06 24/7 at full speed.
The running costs for the Dyson BP06 are fair compared to other popular air purifiers and as it comes with a non-bonded filters, you could also choose to run the device with HEPA only if you wanted to save money on carbon filters.
There are many generic filters available, starting at $162.22 for a set of one particle and one carbon filter. We will be testing the performance of the BP06 with generic filters as part of the experiments we share with our supporters on our Patreon.
Bottom line: Should you get a Dyson BP06?
The BP06 is a much better air purifier than any of the Dyson combo units we have tested before.
When it comes to air cleaning, the BP06 offers good performance at top speed at a much lower sound levels than competing HEPA retail devices.
At speed 1, it’s quiet enough (40.4 dBA) to leave it running in the background, with an estimated PM1 CADR of 128 cfm. This is good enough for five air changes in spaces up to 192 sq. ft., which is the same power you will get from popular devices like the Levoit Vital 200S and the Winix T810 running at fan speeds below 45 decibels.
The only fly in the ointment is the price.
The BP06 is bare bones compared to other models in Dyson’s Big+Quiet range and this lack of fan speeds and features comes at a lower price tag that is easier to swallow, selling currently at $699.99 at the time of writing this review.
However, at this price point, this bare bones BP06 falls into the territory of premium devices like the Coway Airmega ProX, the Levoit EverestAir and the Rabbit Air A3, both of which offer multiple fan speeds, app support, an onboard particle sensor, and higher performance at lower sound levels.
So, it is big and it doesn’t come cheap, but if you are a fan of Dyson and are set on getting an air purifier from their range, then I can confidently say that you won’t be burning your money if you go with the BP06 – which isn’t something I could say about older models.
Now, if you like the BP06 and want the extra features such as remote control, particle and gas sensor, app connectivity, auto mode and more fan speeds, then you may want to look at the pricier BP03 and BP04, but I think it’s much harder to make a value case for these models because the price places them in the Atem X territory and they are not nearly as powerful.
If you have any questions I haven’t answered already about the BP06, please drop them in the comments below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
And if you do decide to buy an air purifier after reading one of my reviews, please use the affiliate links in the buttons or buy us a coffee to support the work we do here at HouseFresh.
