Blueair 550e Air Purifier

The Blueair 550e is a good choice for a large room. It is very similar to the Blueair 503. It will work well in the living room, den, or dining room. It's going to do a great job in a room up to 605 square feet. It features sturdy all steel construction.

Features

Blueair 550

• HEPAsilent filter
• Optional activated carbon filter
• All steel construction
• Electronic controls with remote
• Quiet operation

Electronic control
and remote

Unlike the 503, the 550e has electronic controls and a remote control. The picture to the right shows the controls and remote.

Type of Filter

The Blueair 550e has an ionizer and a filter. The ionizer charges the particles in the air. This helps them stick to the filter media. The mechanical filter is less dense than a regular HEPA filter. This helps to reduce the amount of noise it makes, by causing the fan to work less. This filter can remove up to 99.97% of airborne particles 0.1 microns and bigger. It will remove dust, dust mites, pollens, and other allergens.

The optional activated carbon filter can filter out odors and chemicals. It's a smokestop filter.

Maintenance Cost

The 550e has a filter life of 6 month before the filter must be replaced.

• The regular filter is $80.
• The smokestop filter is $150.

Just like with the 503, we think that this cost too much. If you use a smokestop filter, you will spend $300 a year on new filters. With the regular filter you will spend $160 a year. This is a lot of money to pay each year. It is definitely something you want to think about before you invest in this purifier.

Technical Details

The Blueair 550e is rated for rooms up to 605 square feet. That's a room 30 feet by 20 feet. In a room this size the 550e can provide 5 air exchanges. In a smaller room, which most of us have, it would work even better. It is good for any large open space. It would work well in a combined living room dining room area.

It has a CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of:

• Smoke: 390
• Dust: 390
• Pollen: 390

The 550e can automatically monitor the air quality. It changes the fan speed based on the number of particles in the air. If you use the automatic setting at night it can speed the fan up causing a lot of noise. It could wake you up. We recommend always setting the fan to the lowest speed at night.

The 550e measures 20 inches X 13 inches X 26 inches (L X W X H). It weighs about 33 pounds.

There is a 5 year limited warranty.

To keep the warranty, the filters must be replaced every 6 months. You can sign up and have the filters automatically shipped to you.

Our Recommendations

We like this air purifier. We like the addition of a remote control. It is very easy to change settings without getting out of bed. We also like the automatic setting. The machine works harder if the air is dirtier. Don't leave it on automatic overnight. It might speed up and make lots of noise. If it is in the bedroom it can wake you up quickly. So, remember to turn the fan speed to low at night.

It removes most of the junk in the air. It's a great choice for an allergy sufferer. It will also work well for anyone who wants cleaner air.

The optional activated carbon filter is expensive. We don't recommend it with this model. The cost of new filters can quickly add up. If smoke and odors are you primary concern, you should purchase a different air purifier.

The maintenance cost is a little on the high side. To keep the warranty you have to replace the filters twice a year for $160 or $300 with the smokestop filters.

Overall, this is a very good air purifier for allergy suffers to use.