One-minute review

The Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto, or Blueair Blue 3210 in the UK, is a dedicated air purifier, designed to remove harmful particles from the air inside your home, so you can breathe easily.

And while it’s true that some of the best fans come with filters that enable them to emit purified air, these can be expensive. As such, a dedicated air purifier is an excellent option if air quality is the priority. Although, note that it works via a fan pushing air out of the top of the unit, moving air around the room.

As we learn more about indoor air pollution and allergens, air purifiers are becoming a consideration for many people, with the 411 Auto a good-value, entry-level model. Designed for rooms up to 190ft2/ 41m2, it isn’t for huge open-plan spaces; but it will work well in most bedrooms or smaller living rooms. 

It offers three-stage filtration that can remove pollen, dust, mold, smoke and more, leaving the air in your home cleaner and fresher, and more comfortable for everyone, but particularly for allergy sufferers. It also comes with sensors and a light to indicate the current air quality in your space. And with three speeds as well as an auto mode, you can adjust the settings accordingly.

During testing, I was impressed by the combination of its simplicity and stylish good looks. Not only that, but I noticed improved air quality and freshness without any intrusive sound or excessive energy consumption. However, keep in mind that if you have very large rooms or open-plan areas then it won’t be up to the task.

Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto: price and availability

•  List price: $140/ £179

The Blue Pure 411 Auto (or Blueair Blue 3210 in the UK) is available direct from Blueair. In the UK, it’s the most affordable model the brand offers; in the US, it’s among the more affordable options.

The pre-filter, which is the colored fabric cover on the exterior of the purifier can easily be swapped out for one of five options. The Blue Pure 411 Auto arrives with the "Arctic Trail" option as standard, which is a gray beige color. A new pre-filter in a different color will set you back $10/ £19.

Filters need replacing every six months, if you’re using the unit 24 hours a day, or the equivalent of 4380 hours. A new filter costs $24/ £27 direct from Blueair. You can make savings on filters by setting up a subscription, which is also great for offering a reminder that it’s time to replace the filter.

• Value score: 5/5

Blue Pure 411 Auto review: specifications

• Price: $140/ £179
• Dimensions: 16.7 x 7.9 x 7.9in/ 42.5 x 20 x 20cm
• Weight: 3.8lbs / 1.68kg
• Speeds: 3 plus auto
• Filtration: Three-stage filtration system with HEPASilent particle and carbon filter technology
• Air sensors: Yes

Blue Pure 411 Auto review: design and features

• Subtle cylinder shape
• Five color choices
• Simple one-touch controls

The size and appearance of the 411 Auto air purifier where, in my opinion, Blueair has hit the spot. First, as a floor-standing air purifier it’s quite compact, which will make it suitable for most spaces. It weighs just 3.8lbs / 1.68kg, too, so is lightweight and easy to move from room to room. 

Its round shape is pleasing to the eye, and the fabric jacket that covers the bottom two-thirds of the unit detracts from the fact that it’s an appliance, allowing it to blend in with your space. This is further helped by the fact that said jacket can be switched out for one of a different color – there are five colors to choose from – simply by unfastening the velcro and sliding it off the filter.

The controls consist of just one round button on the top. Press it once to start auto mode, with each subsequent press cycling through the other modes – which are Night, Everyday, and Boost – before switching off. Three lights circle the button, lighting up depending on the mode chosen. The only other light is a small air quality light on the front. Blue indicates the air quality is good; orange indicates moderate air quality; red means polluted. This is determined by sensors that assess the particulate matter in the air.

The exterior colored jacket acts as the pre-filter; this is machine washable. Beneath this you'll find the main particle and carbon filter. This will require changing roughly every 6 months or 4,380 hours – and you'll be alerted to this by the indicator lights on the top, which will glow red when it’s time to change it. Blueair calls the filtration technology HEPASilent. A combination of electrostatic and mechanical filtration means the filters are less dense than traditional HEPA filters, offering similar performance but at reduced noise levels.

The system can remove 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0.1 microns in size, including  pollen, mold, pet dander and dust. The 360-degree air intake pulls air in from all directions, with the clean air blowing out of the top of the purifier. However, note that in order to be effective, the unit must be placed no closer than 4 inches / 10cm to another object.

• Design score: 5/5

Blue Pure 411 Auto review: performance

• Low energy consumption
• Whisper-quiet operation
• Leaves air smelling fresh and light, as if a window has been open

The Blueair Blue Pure 411 Auto arrives set up and ready to go out of the box. All I had to do was familiarize myself with the controls, which didn’t take long since there’s just one button and four settings. The air quality light was showing blue at first, but just one spray from a can of anti-perspirant deodorant in the area above the purifier, saw it change to orange within a few seconds. This tells me that the air quality sensors are doing their job.

I was testing the unit in spring, when the pollen was affecting my husband's hay fever. As such, I kept the Blueair purifier running on auto the whole time, switching to Night mode at bed time. On several occasions I noticed the air quality light change from blue to orange, as well as red; the unit increased the speed accordingly, which was reassuring. But I’d use the Everyday mode in winter, when there are fewer contaminants that might irritae. 

It’s great to have four operating modes so it can be set depending on what’s going on inside your home or with your allergies. So, for example, if you're a hayfever sufferer you might choose a lower setting in winter when there's not much pollen. Or if you're spring cleaning and dust is flying around as you move furniture, a higher may be required. I would also certainly switch it to Boost if I noticed the air quality light was showing red and indicating that the air was quite polluted.

Both myself and my husband slept well with the air purifier turned on in Night mode, with neither of us being disturbed by the sound of the unit. In addition, it was reassuring to know the air we were breathing all night long was clean. In fact, I noticed that despite the windows being closed (they’re nearly always open in our bedroom), the room smelt fresh and the air didn't feel heavy or stagnant as it can do when the windows are closed.

On the standard Everyday setting, the Blue Pure 411 Auto is quiet, measuring just 35dB on the sound meter. In Night mode, its gentle hum is barely noticeable, registering 29dB; chances are, your own breathing will be louder. As expected, the unit is louder in Boost mode at 55dB, but still no noisier than most fans I’ve encountered.

IN terms of power consumption, having been on for four hours on the Everyday setting, the air purifier used only 0.008kWh of electricity, which is so low you’ll barely notice a change in your electricity bill. In the UK, this is less than 2p per 24 hours of continual use at this setting (based on an electricity price of 35p per kWh). In the US, the cost would be less than 1 cent for a 24-hour period (based on an electricity price of 20c per kWh). Note that prices vary between states and suppliers, so you may need to do your own calculations. Either way, the Blue Pure 411 Auto air purifier isn't an appliance that guzzles energy.

Maintenance is super easy, too; the fabric pre-filter can be vacuumed and machine washed. It removes easily – simply twist off the top white section, undo the velcro and slide the fabric from the filter. From here you can also remove the main filter by sliding it off the inner structure.

• Performance score: 5/5

Should I buy the Blue Pure 411 Auto?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if...

Also consider

If you'd prefer a fan to keep you cool instead, here are a couple of options to consider...

How I tested the Blue Pure 411 Auto

• I slept with it running in the room
• I used a decibel meter to check noise levels
• I disassembled it to see if the filter is difficult to change

I tried this air purifier in my own home, not a science lab, so therefore wasn't able to measure its efficiency in terms of the particles removed from the air. However, I was able to gauge anecdotally how it made myself and my husband feel, and whether the air felt fresher and lighter with the air purifier in use.

I left it on through the night to see if Night mode disturbed our sleep and t gauge how the air in the room felt come the morning. I also measured the sound level on each of the settings through a decibel meter.

To check it wasn’t guzzling energy, I plugged in an energy meter. As well as assessing the everyday ease of use, I also evaluated maintenance, checking to see how easy it was to change the filter.

Read more about how we test.

[First reviewed April 2023]

If you’re looking for an entry-level full-frame camera that’s ridiculously affordable, look no further than the Canon EOS R8. Of course, there are some trade-offs, such as the lack of IBIS, a small battery and only a single card slot; but if those aren’t dealbreakers, this could be the camera for you.

It’s a compact, travel-friendly hybrid camera that can comfortably handle most shooting scenarios, and it even gives some more expensive models a run for their money, particularly if size and weight are big factors for you. It has the same 24MP full-frame sensor as the Canon R6 Mark II, but it’s more than just the baby brother to that camera. Think of it as the Canon RP meeting the R6 Mark II – it’s the size of the former camera, but has many of the same inner workings of the latter.

I was really impressed with the image quality the camera produced, and its ease of use – it’s an absolute dream to shoot with. There are, however, a few things that make it obvious that this is more of an entry-level camera, in particular the EVF and the LCD screen, neither of which is particularly high in resolution.

This would be a great camera for anyone who wants to up their photography game but who doesn’t have the budget for meatier full-frame cameras. It would easily lend itself to most shooting styles, is extremely user-friendly, and will be able to handle almost anything you throw at it.

Canon EOS R8 price and availability

• Released April 18 2023
• $1,499 / £1,699 / AU$2,489 body-only
• Cheaper than its direct rivals with a lot of similar features

The Canon EOS R8 is the newest full-frame camera in the Canon R lineup. It’s priced at $1,499 / £1,699 / AU$2,489 body-only, and $1,699 / £1,899 / AU$2,699 if you purchase it with Canon’s new RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 collapsible kit lens, making it one of the most affordable full-frame cameras on the market from any brand. 

This camera is receiving a lot of attention because it’s so much cheaper than its closest rivals – it’s around $1,000 / £1,100 cheaper than the Canon EOS R6 Mark II.

Given that there’s nothing else available at around $1,500 / £1,700 that can compete with what this camera has to offer, you might be wondering what the catch is. How can Canon create such a good entry-level full-frame camera for that price? And there are, indeed, some trade-offs which go some way to explaining the lower price point, which I’ll get into in the course of this review.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Canon EOS R8: Specs

Canon EOS R8: design

• Essentially the same as the Canon RP
• Compact and lightweight
• Comfortable to hold, though you can get a separate grip 

The body of the Canon EOS R8 is essentially the same as the Canon EOS RP. The only real difference between the two is that on the R8 the on/off/lock are combined into one switch, and there’s a separate photo/video switch where the on/off switch used to be on the other side of the top plate. It also has a new sensor – it’s the same one that’s in the Canon EOS R6 Mark II, which was released in late 2022, which is an advantage, especially when Canon could have easily used an older sensor to keep the cost down.

In terms of ease of use and comfort, I got on incredibly well with this camera. It fit really well in my hands, and it felt like it was made just for me – though it’s worth noting that I do have small hands, so this may not be the case for everyone. It measures approx 132.5 x 86.1 x 70.0mm and weighs just 461g (with the battery and card), so it’s extremely light and compact, which makes it a dream to use.

Canon offers the EG-E1 Extension Grip that attaches to the bottom of the camera and gives you a bit more to get hold of, which could make it a lot more comfortable to hold if you have larger hands or are using the camera for longer periods. Canon is asking $80 / £89.99 for this grip, and it doesn’t do anything other than give you more to hold onto, and specifically somewhere for your little finger to sit; it’s not big enough to house an extra battery and there are no vertical shooting controls.

The camera is weather sealed, though not to the same extent as models aimed at more serious photographers and pros. During the few days I spent shooting with the camera, the weather was fair, but it’s safe to say you wouldn’t want to shoot for very long in a downpour, where you should err on the side of caution. 

I did identify a few niggles in terms of usability, one being the lack of an AF joystick. You can just tap the screen to focus and take a photo, but it would make life a lot easier if Canon had included a joystick on the back of the body for adjusting the focus point, rather than making users wholly dependent on the touchscreen. There are also no dials on the D-pad on the back of the body, which would’ve been helpful. There are only two control dials, but it would be really helpful if the user was able to control all three elements of the exposure triangle independently when shooting in manual mode. 

I also didn’t love that the menu button was on the left of the body, where it felt like it was rather out of the way. I like to be able to get to all the controls easily, and the button’s placement became annoying when I wanted to access the menu while holding the camera, as I had to adjust my grip in order to be able to press it. That said, once I’d configured the customizable buttons and got everything how I wanted it, I didn’t have to go into the main menu much when I was out shooting. 

• Design score: 4/5

Canon EOS R8: features and performance

• Can shoot up to 40fps
• Small battery means shorter battery life
• Impressive tracking and autofocus

One of the major strengths of the Canon EOS R8 is its autofocus tracking. For a long time, Sony was known for being the industry leader when it came to this technology; however, this camera, along with other newer Canon cameras that I’ve used, are giving Sony a real run for their money in this area, and some are outright better. 

It has the same autofocus system as the Canon R6 Mark II, which is really impressive when you consider the R8 costs $1,000 / £1,080 less. This means you get the same subject detection that can track people, faces, and animals, and which can effortlessly detect subjects and remain locked onto them as they move through the frame. 

When I was out testing the camera I came across several dog walkers who were happy for their pets to be used as test subjects, and while none of them were especially cooperative, the AF still managed to track their faces and eyes effortlessly, and all the shots I got were in focus. It also worked really well on my black cats, animals that are notoriously difficult to photograph; many cameras wouldn’t even recognise that there’s a face in the frame, and cats aren’t known for being the most obliging sitters even at the best of times, so I was particularly impressed.

There’s also a new subject detection feature which is super useful if there’s more than one face in the frame. When this feature is enabled and you’re looking through the viewfinder, you can just tap the screen and toggle through the different faces in the frame until you settle on the one you want to focus on (particularly useful if you’re shooting weddings, for example). 

Another notable feature of the R8 is its ability to shoot up to 40fps which is, quite frankly, ridiculous. However, this is only achievable in electronic shutter mode. If you shoot in electronic shutter first curtain, it’s more like 6fps when you’re shooting in raw, which, for most situations, is still enough, though there isn’t an option to use a mechanical shutter. I actually found 40fps to be a bit much, particularly as it filled up the buffer a lot faster and it took longer for it to clear before I could start shooting again. Compressed raw basically gives the same results in terms of image quality, but the smaller files allow improved performance for continuous shooting. 

Another downside of this camera is that the battery is very small, which may be great for keeping the size and weight down, but isn’t so great for battery life on long shoots, particularly on a camera this powerful. At least the small size of the battery means it’s easy to carry a couple of charged spares with you, so this isn’t a dealbreaker. I took the R8 out to shoot some friends rollerskating in a car park and ended up taking over 1,000 shots, and the battery life was more than enough for that. 

• Features and performance score: 4/5

Canon EOS R8: image and video quality

• Can shoot 4K 60p uncropped video
• Great colors straight out of the camera
• No IBIS, but most lenses have image stabilization

In terms of image quality, the EOS R8 performs very well. I tested it in a poorly lit car park where the camera set the ISO to 16000 and, although there is noticeable noise in the images, they’re still pretty decent, and usable. I did notice a bit of banding and rolling shutter, so if you’re going to be shooting fast-moving subjects in bad light, this may be an issue for you. There were also a couple of occasions where the autofocus missed the subject. Its high-ISO noise-handling capabilities would make it a great camera for astrophotography, though, and where shots are underexposed you can still bring out a lot of detail in the shadows during editing.

I tested the R8 with the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, and I was able to capture images with beautiful bokeh, images that were pin-sharp from the center to the corners, and images with great dynamic range. I was also impressed by how accurately it reproduced colors, particularly on a fairly overcast day.

Overall, the Canon EOS R8 is a pretty solid offering in terms of its video package. It can shoot uncropped, oversampled 4k 60p video which, for the price point, is quite good. You can also shoot slow motion at up to 1080/120p – the quality isn’t amazing, but it’s a useful feature to have. 

One downside of this camera is that it doesn’t have IBIS, but most Canon lenses do offer some kind of image stabilization. That said, there is a digital image stabilization mode for video – footage does still have a slight wobble, but overall it’s pretty good. I still wish there was a full IBIS system within the camera itself, but most serious video shooters will be using a gimbal anyway, and when you remember that this is a $1,500 / £1,700 camera, it’s hardly a surprise that IBIS is one of the features Canon omitted.

• Image quality score: 4/5

Should I buy the Canon EOS R8

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Canon EOS R8: Also consider

Before you leave our Canon EOS R8 review, it's worth considering these alternatives that offer some of the same advantages for either stills or videos (or both).

How I tested the Canon EOS R8

I tested the Canon EOS R8 over several days, with the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens, around my local area.

In the short time I had with the camera, I wanted to capture a number of different subjects to see how well the camera performed in different environments. I tested it in daylight and low-light situations (though sadly the weather didn’t allow for any astrophotography), and I tried to capture a range of different colors, as well as contrasting light and shadows. I also enjoyed testing the eye autofocus on a number of different animals.

As a photographer, I know that choosing a camera is a serious decision, so I tried to test this camera in a way that reflects many of the ‘real-world’ situations that photographers will encounter, and with a focus on the features and specs will be most important for most users. 

First reviewed March 2023