REASONS TO BUY
Effectively cleans air in small spaces
Eliminates odors
Quiet operation
REASONS TO AVOID
Absent carrying handle
Somewhat pricey to operate
Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max Review
This air purifier proved its worth across many of our testing metrics, and we appreciated the uncomplicated interface and overall design
Credit: Blueair
By Genaveve Bradshaw ⋅ Senior Review Analyst ⋅ October 25, 2024
Contributions From: Ryan White
RELATED: The Best Air Purifiers of 2025
Our Verdict
The Blueair 311i Max is a super solid air purifier with a low-key yet effective design and interface. It comes in multiple colors to suit your decor needs and has the power to back up its good looks. While it won't cover a huge space, it should prove more than adequate for a small to medium room of around 1,800 square feet. There are more robust air purifiers out there with greater coverage, but we liked the small footprint of this model as well as its super quiet operation. One main gripe comes down to the operating cost. It's pretty forgiving when it comes to energy consumption, but the filters will cost you in the long run.
We believe this air purifier stacks up well against its peers. Take a look at our Air Purifier Review to see for yourself.
Our Analysis and Test Results
With a built-in app that proved intuitive and effective, and the overall ease of use and efficient design, the Blueair 311i Max proved to be a great little air purifier. We really liked that it was ready to go right out of the box without fussing with the filters and that the pre-filters came in multiple colors and were easy to clean as well. As a bonus, the small footprint and quiet operation of the device are appealing.
The Blueair 311i Max managed well in testing across the board in our tests, except for long-term operating costs, which we found to be a bit excessive.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Air Cleaning Performance
When it comes to pure air cleaning ability, the Blueair 311i Max is great. Utilizing a Dylos Monitor, we were able to see the large and small particle count, thus giving us a reading on the overall AQI (air quality index).
We burned smoke until our test room reached an AQI of at least 500 and then measured the percentage of smoke particles removed over the course of an hour.
Credit: Genaveve Bradshaw
In our smoke test, the room was remarkably less smoky and smelly at the 30-minute mark, and by the end of the testing duration, the smoke was gone in terms of visibility, with only a faint smoky scent lingering; overall, it performed very well. In fact, it was able to remove 99.99% of the smoke particles within the hour. The CADR (clean air delivery rate) of this particular air purifier is top-notch: 250 for smoke, 250 for dust, and 250 for pollen.
Our smoke test in action.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Noise
Using a decibel reader, we were able to perfectly detect the overall noise levels of the Blueair 311i Max, and it was impressively quiet on all power settings. On the highest setting, it's definitely noticeable, and on paper, it's not much quieter than more robust air purifiers. However, the tonality and character of the sound emitted were quite mellow and pleasant overall. On the lowest setting, we could barely even hear the purifier operating.
The Blueair 311i Max was fairly quiet on its low and medium settings. On its highest setting, we measured roughly 49.2 decibels. For reference, that's about the same sound level as a refrigerator humming.
Credit: Genaveve Bradshaw
Ease of Use
Upon unboxing the Blueair 311i Max , we realized just how frictionless the setup was. Simply remove it, plug it in, and it's ready to start cleaning the air in your home. There's no need to unwrap a filter or fiddle with anything else. An indicator light turns red when it's time to change the filter, and the pre-filter is washable as well.
Showcasing the disassembly of the filter and pre filter on the Blueair 311i Max.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The interface has two tactile buttons: one for power and one to control the fan speed. There is also an app available that can be used to control the unit remotely from your phone. While we wished it had a couple more buttons to control other functions, the app was a breeze to use, so we can't complain too much here.
The interface is clean and simple.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Operating Cost
The Blueair 311i Max is relatively efficient when it comes to energy costs, which we appreciated. We measured annual electricity costs to be $8.32. However, you will need to keep replacing the filter once every six months (assuming you're running it all day every day), and the effective Hepa filters are $44.99. We calculated the annual cost of this device to be $144.30, factoring the upfront cost and breaking it up over five years. All told, it's up to the user to decide if the clean air produced by this particular device is worth the lifetime cost to keep it running.
The Hepa filters are super effective at cleaning the air, but can leave a dent in the wallet.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Should You Buy the Blueair 311i Max?
This air purifier checks a lot of boxes: a small footprint, effective cleaning ability, smart functionality via a solid phone app, and a great design that should fit in well with any home thanks to the available color choices. We believe this is a device worth considering if you can manage the filter costs and don't need it to clean large spaces over 1,800 square feet.
What Other Air Purifiers Should You Consider?
If you want to save a little money on ongoing costs like filters, the Coway Airmega 1512HH is easier on your electric bill, with cheaper filters that don't need to be changed as often. For pure cleaning power in a larger space, the Alen BreatheSmart 45i provides roughly double the coverage of the Blueair 311i Max.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max versus top competing products:
—Genaveve Bradshaw and Ryan White
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