GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite: two-minute review

The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite is a space-saving air purifier that's easy to use, thanks to simple onboard touchscreen buttons, app, and voice control. It has a list price of $49.99 / £59.99 on the Govee website and is also available to purchase at Amazon. Both Govee and Amazon offer the occasional discount on the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite, so it's worth checking in to see if there's a deal to be had.

Replacement filters can easily be purchased from the Govee site and Amazon for a price of $19.99 / £19.99. This is an acceptable price for a 3-in-1 HEPA filter; however, this depends on how long the filter life is, which is currently an unknown as Govee doesn't appear to have provided this information

A great size for placing on your desktop or dresser, the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite measures just 6.2 x 6.2 x 10.75 inches / 158 x 58 x 273mm and is delightfully lightweight at 2.4lb / 1.1kg.

The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite purifies using a 3-in-1 HEPA filter, designed to trap particle matter up to 2.5 microns, as well as VOCs (volatile organic compounds). 3-in-1 filters are fairly commonplace in air purifiers, but since testing purifiers such as the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max and Shark NeverChange, I'd love to see more brands using washable prefilters over disposables built into the filters.

Unsurprisingly for the low cost, the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite doesn't have an abundance of features, but it does offer app and voice control via the Govee Home app and compatible smart home devices, something many other similarly priced air purifiers don't offer. There's no air quality data available, and it doesn't possess the capability to react to contaminants, so it'll need to be controlled manually to ensure efficiency.

The onboard touchscreen buttons are easy to use, with it simply being a case of pressing the power button to cycle between the sleep, low, high, and custom modes, and there are also Wi-Fi and filter change indicator lights on the control panel. Custom mode is another feature I've not often seen for this price. It enabled me to set up a routine triggered by selecting this setting; for example, I was able to set the purifier to run at high, low, and sleep modes for set increments at a time, making it perfect to set off in the run-up to bedtime.

The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite proved satisfyingly efficient when it came to freshening up the air in my living room, with a noticeable improvement when walking into the room. The only failure in terms of performance came from the aromatherapy function, which only produced a light fragrance even when the fragrance pad was saturated with a very intensely fragranced oil.

When it comes to noise levels, the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite was satisfyingly quiet. Volume ranged from 30dB on sleep mode, to 38dB on low, and 47dB on high. The whisper quietness of sleep mode meant that I found it easy to sleep with the purifier on, even with it next to my side of the bed.

In summary, you'd certainly be getting your moneys worth with the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite. The aromatherapy aspect was underwhelming, and there's a lack of detection and air quality data, but the latter is forgivable for the price. However, the smart and custom features really set this air purifier apart from competitors, and I was impressed with this Govee air purifier's performance. I'd highly recommend the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite, but if you'd like to see some other options, I'd suggest checking out our pick of the best air purifiers.

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: price & availability

• List price: $49.99 / £59.99
• Available now in the US and UK

The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite is a smart yet simple-to-use small-room air purifier available at a list price of $49.99 / £59.99 on the Govee website, which is offering a discount at the time of writing, lowering the price to $34.99 / £47.99. It’s also available to purchase at Amazon and is occasionally included in their limited-time deals, so there’s often a saving to be made.

Replacement filters are easy to purchase on the Govee website for $19.99 / £19.99. That's pretty standard for a replacement HEPA filter of this size, assuming that it will last around six months like the HEPA filters in other air purifiers, as Govee doesn’t appear to have released guidance on the recommended usage period.

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: specs

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: design and features

• Simple design
• 360-degree air intake
• Smart features

The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite is pleasantly lightweight, weighing just 2.4lb / 1.1kg, and with dimensions of 6.2 x 6.2 x 10.75 inches / 158 x 58 x 273mm, it’s small enough to sit on a desk or dresser. While Govee hasn’t reinvented the wheel with the aesthetic of the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite, the materials look and feel good. The bottom of the air purifier comprises of white plastic slats that enable 360-degree air intake. As with many air purifiers, the 3-in-1 HEPA filter is accessed by unlocking the base by twisting the handle on the bottom of the unit, making it easy to remove and replace the filter when required.

The 3-in-1 HEPA filter is made up of three layers, a pre-filter, for hair and fibers, a personal HEPA filter, which aims to capture from PM 2.5 to 0.1-micron particles, and an active carbon filter intended to trap cooking odors, smoke, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). While the design of the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite feels suitably robust, in terms of sustainability I prefer the option of a washable pre-filter. Pre-filters built into these 3-in-1 filters have a shorter life span as they can’t be cleaned to restore efficiency or be reused; the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is a great example of this being done right.

The touchscreen control panel was simple to use. All I needed to do was hit the power icon to switch it on, then press again to cycle through to my chosen setting with a choice of sleep, low, high, and custom. There are two light-up icons on the control panel too, consisting of Wi-Fi and filter change indicator lights. While I appreciated the simplicity, I don’t generally like needing to increase to a higher power before switching the purifier off, but the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite responded far quicker than other purifiers I’ve tested, so it wasn’t a major problem.

If I didn’t have the patience to cycle through the settings, I could easily change the settings from my phone. The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite has 2.5GHz WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity so can sync with the well-designed Govee Home app, and works with smart home assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri.

One feature I was particularly interested in testing out was the built-in aromatherapy function. There’s a small pop-out tray located above the removable power cable at the back. This houses a pad for dropping essential oils onto that’s intended to circulate the fragrance through the air outlet. Unfortunately, this excitement was short-lived – as you'll discover below.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: performance

• Operated quietly
• Easy to use
• Aromatherapy feature underperformed

The Govee Home app is user-friendly and visually appealing. It was easy to add the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite and connect it to my Wi-Fi, and the settings were simple to use, plus was no delay between the app and the purifier whenever I switched between different power modes. Although the interface is fairly simple, there were plenty of useful settings I could alter, which I was pleased to find as some lower-priced air purifiers have limited options. The display brightness can be adjusted, it’s set to “always on” by default, but I could change it to only be on within a certain time frame, so it was simple to set it to switch off around bedtime. I also had the option to set schedules, set a timer, and change the name of the device.

One feature that the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite lacks is data on the quality of the surrounding air, which is an important thing to note if you’re someone who wants to keep track of these details. This isn’t unusual for a purifier of this price, so while the Smart Air Purifier Lite doesn’t lose any marks for this, it does mean that you’ll need to be proactive in adjusting the settings to suit your environment.

I found the custom mode, which is the final setting in the cycle when using the onboard touchscreen controls, to be a useful feature, as it allowed me to choose a series of three settings, each with their own timer. For example, I could set the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite to run at high for half an hour, then reduce to low power mode for two hours, before switching to sleep mode continuously. This was great for an evening air purifying routine and was simple to calibrate within the Govee Home app.

I loved the prospect of purifying and adding fragrance to my living space in one process; in practice, however, the result was lackluster. Due to the intensity of my chosen fragrance oil, I only applied a couple of drops to the aroma pad at first. For context, I only need a maximum of four drops of this fragrance oil in a water diffuser to get an intense aroma, but I needed about twelve drops to be able to detect any hint of it from the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite.

While this aligns with the advice in the user manual, it was surprising that a fragrance this potent needed this many drops to get just a slight hint of the fragrance even when sitting right next to the purifier. In the end, I used enough drops to saturate the pad, resulting in a light fragrance. Obviously, this isn’t going to be a substitute for a diffuser or wax melt burner, but I can forgive this as it isn’t the product's main function, although I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed.

Aromatherapy aspect aside, I was pleased with the performance of the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite. It made a noticeable difference to the air quality of my 13 x 16 ft / 4 x 5 meter living room after running for just two hours on the low-speed setting. I found it easy to sleep with the purifier located next to my side of the bed, something that didn’t come as a surprise as I measured a sound level of just 30dB, which is comparable to a soft whisper. When watching TV, I found the low-speed setting wasn’t noticeable with a reading of 38dB, a sound level similar to light rain, and the high-speed setting was 47dB, which is as loud as moderate rainfall. So overall I didn’t find it disruptive.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should I buy the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: also consider

How I tested the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite

• I used the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite for one week
• I tested the usability, app, and smart features
• I tested how much of an impact it had on the surrounding air quality

I assessed how easy it was to get the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite set up, how easy it was to operate via the touch screen and app, and how portable it was.

I tested it in different rooms in my home and observed how quiet it was at night time and whether it disturbed my sleep.

I looked at its design and structure, paying close attention to quality, and I reviewed the impact it made on the air quality in my environment, and how well the features worked.

• First reviewed: January 2025
• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i : two-minute review

Blueair offers similar air purifiers under different model names in the US and UK. In the US, this air purifier is known as the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max, but as I’m located in the south of England, I tested the UK model, Blueair Blue Max 3250i.

The Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max is available to purchase at the Blueair website and Amazon for a list price of $169.99, but can occasionally be on offer for a discounted price. In the UK, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is priced at £169 at multiple retailers including Very and Amazon, and also sees a price drop now and then.

Despite being compact and impressively light for its capabilities, there’s a lot to love about the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. The two touch buttons make it simple to power on the air purifier and to cycle through auto mode, night mode, and fan speeds one to three.

The straightforward design is composed of the white plastic top section that houses the working parts, and a simple yet efficient base that consists of a lightweight frame within the changeable particle and carbon filter, plus a machine-washable fabric pre-filter outer layer. The neatness of the seam isn’t perfect, but other than this it is a great way to capture dust before it reaches the single-use filter, and is available in a range of colors making it effortless to switch things up if desired.

The Blueair Blue Max 3250i does a great job for the price, rivaling some of the best air purifiers. For the most part, the fan speed remained on the lowest setting when the Blueair Blue Max 3250i was left in auto mode.

This came as no surprise to me, but I’ve seen some customer reviews complaining that this air purifier doesn’t do anything. In fact, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is purifying, and it’s capable of clearing more than just the PM2.5 it detects, such as VOCs when manually operated – it just doesn’t possess the capability to detect these things automatically. That's fine, in my professional opinion, considering the low price.

During testing, it took just 10 minutes for the contamination from spraying dry shampoo to be detected and cleared by the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. It continued to impress me over the days I tested it, being sensitive enough to detect the drop in air quality when I used hair products in the next room.

In terms of noise levels, I didn’t experience any issues with the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. I found that I could sleep or watch TV with it in the room without it being disruptive.

I’m a big fan of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, both for its innovative design, and its good performance for a low price, so I can envision it finding its way into our choice of the best air purifiers in the near future. So if you're in the market for a low-cost air purifier that won't shock you with extortionate costs for replacement parts, this is the one for you. If you'd like to learn more, read on for our full review to get all the facts.

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: price & availability

• List price: $169.99 / £169
• Available: in the US and UK under different product names

The Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max is available to purchase from the Blueair US website for $169.99, and at the time of writing has a Black Friday deal slashing the price down to $119.99 at Amazon US. The comparable UK model, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, can’t be purchased from the Blueair website but is available at many major UK retailers, including Argos, Very, and Amazon. The list price is £169 for the Blue Max 3250i at Amazon, and a Black Friday deal has knocked the price down to an even more impressive £113.

I was pleasantly surprised that the Blueair Blue Max 3250i performed so well and had such a considered design considering its price tag, making it fantastic value for money. Replacement components won’t break the bank either, with replacement Particle and Carbon filters costing just $29.99 / £35 – this is particularly impressive as Blueair states that these filters can last between six to nine months.

• Value for money score: 5/5

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: specs

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: design and features

• No display
• Simple to use
• Machine-washable pre-filter

I became a fan of the design aspects of the Blue range when I reviewed the impressive Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max. The standout design feature is the attractive machine-washable fabric pre-filter covering most of the purifier’s outer. This design proves innovative, as directly behind the pre-filter cover sits the particle and carbon filter (this can be upgraded to Smokeblock or Allergenblock filters if desired), which surrounds a simple plastic frame. This makes the base of the purifier super lightweight for its size, weighing in at 7.5 lbs / 3.4 kg. The Blueair Blue Max 3250i can purify an area of 219 sq ft / 48 sq meters yet still remains fairly compact, measuring 18.9 X 10.6 X 10.6 in / 481 x 269 x 269 mm. I’m very pleased with the reduced amount of materials used on the body of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, but my concern with this construction is that the exposed filter could be prone to damage.

I’ve never seen a design quite like this, as most air purifiers have plastic casing to protect the inner filters whereas the body of the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is simply some structural plastic sitting within the particle and carbon filter, covered in the washable pre-filter. This goes to explain its very light weight of 2.5 lb / 3.4kg but could make it vulnerable to damage.

Despite its minor flaws, it’s a nice touch that Blueair made the pre-filter part of the overall aesthetic, which has meant less material and wasted plastic, which we’re always happy to see at TechRadar. It’s also an advantage that they are machine washable and extras can be purchased in a range of colors, just in case you don’t want to wait for one to dry, or want to switch things up occasionally.

Not only is it delightfully light, it’s dinky in size, too. Measuring just 11.4 x 6.8 x 5.9 inches / ‎172 x 172 x 289mm. This cylindrical 360-degree design enables the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max to be placed in a variety of spaces, as there’s plenty of opportunity for it to pull air in.

As was the case with the Mini Max, the seam of the fabric pre-filter could be neater as it is a little puckered and bulges in places, but this is less noticeable on the Blueair Blue Max 3250i as the overlapping seam doesn’t stand out as much over the larger area.

The controls on the top of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i are simple, there are just two touch-operated buttons, a power button, and a fan button that cycles between auto mode, sleep mode, and fan speeds of one to three when pressed. There’s no LED display to view the air quality data; however, there’s a light on the front of the unit that changes color to indicate the air quality score, ranging from Excellent to Very Polluted, and a light below each fan mode to indicate which is currently being used.

Real-time quality levels are easy to view on the Blueair app, but there’s no detailed data to review, simply a colored graph showing the air quality rating over time. I found I was able to use a pinching motion to zoom in and out of the graph, which allowed me to view more detail of the air quality changes over smaller increments of time.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: performance

• Quiet operation
• Clears PM2.5 contaminations quickly
• Detects and reacts to PM2.5 that originates in other rooms

Getting the Blueair Blue Max 3250i set up was quick and simple. The user manual was easy to follow, containing first-time setup instructions including how to connect it to my home Wi-Fi, which proved to be a breeze. It also included instructions on how to remove and wash the fabric pre-filter, which I appreciated. Upon installing the Blueair app, I was given the option to use it without creating an account, but I chose to so I could enter my location and view the outdoor air quality data too.

Connecting the Blueair Blue Max 3250i to the app was blissfully straightforward, taking less than three minutes after switching the air purifier on to view my indoor air quality. As I was using the Blueair Blue Max 3250i in my living room, I selected “Living room” as the product name, but there was an option to add a custom name should I have been using it in an office or nursery, for example.

It’s worth noting that although it’s claimed the Blueair Blue Max 3250i’s electrostatic and mechanical filtration captures airborne particles as small as 0.1 microns, it will not detect anything smaller than PM2.5. PM2.5 is particulate matter over 2.5 microns in size, including dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria. Other far more expensive air purifiers, such as the Molekule Air Pro, can monitor and react to VOCs along with PM2.5. These volatile organic compounds can come from paint, furniture, carpets, and cleaning products, and are often the main offenders behind lower air quality, so having an air purifier capable of detecting these contaminants would be advantageous.

However, just because an air purifier doesn’t detect these contaminants doesn’t mean it isn’t tackling them, but it won't be aware of them so won’t initiate higher fan speeds in their presence. Considering the low price of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i though, it’s not surprising that it doesn’t have this capability, but this is something to bear in mind if you want a purifier that you can leave to its own devices to tackle all the common contaminants.

According to the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, the air quality in my living room was considered excellent, so it remained at a low fan speed when I put it into auto mode. To test how sensitive the sensors were to contaminants, and how quickly they reacted to them, I sprayed some dry shampoo roughly three meters away. Within two minutes the Blueair Blue Max 3250i detected the dry shampoo, raising the contamination reading to 56 on the graph within the app over about thirty seconds, which it classed as very polluted. Within three minutes of spraying the dry shampoo, the reading had lowered to 25, classed as good; within six minutes, it returned to excellent.

It was at this moment that my fluffy cats chose to pay a visit, and interestingly, the air quality reduced slightly again, raising the score, so it appeared to detect their fur or dander in the air. Within a minute of them leaving, the score gradually dropped further than before, so it appear that the Blueair Blue Max 3250i’s particle sensors were doing a good job.

I continued to be impressed by how sensitive this air purifier was to changes in air quality over a week of testing. I would be surprised to hear the fan speed ramping up, before realizing I’d used my dry shampoo in the next room. I’ve not encountered a cheap air purifier that possessed this level of sensitivity before.

When it came to viewing the testing data on the air quality graph on the Blueair app, I found that it wasn’t very easy to view data over multiple days. Whenever I viewed the graph, the data was in real time and I would need to scroll along for some while. I could change from hourly readings to readings across a day or month, but when I scrolled back to a previous day and switched to hourly view to see more detail, it returned to the current day and time. This meant that I could only see this level of detail by scrolling all the way back to my chosen day when in hourly view, which wasn't ideal. The air quality graph didn’t give the full picture of how contaminated the air had become after I sprayed the dry shampoo. It communicated the highest score as being 22, despite reaching 56 in reality. This lack of detail isn’t unheard of, though, as I found that the Molekule Air Mini+ also failed to relay all readings if they were cleared quickly.

I found the Blueair Blue Max 3250i to be easy to sleep next to when in sleep mode, and I found that I couldn’t hear it over the TV when operating on fan level 2. Some other air purifiers can prove deafening at higher fan speeds, but this was not the case with the Blueair Blue Max 3250i.

Overall, though, I was very impressed with how sensitive the Blueair Blue Max 3250i was, how quickly it responded to contaminants, and how swiftly it dealt with them. The level and quality of features are great for the price, and this is only the second non-VOC detecting air purifier that I’ve found myself growing a fondness for, with the other being the Blueair Blue Mini Max.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: Also consider

How I tested the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i

• I used the Blueair Blue Max 3250i for a week and a half
• I tested how much of an impact it had on the surrounding air quality
• I tested how easy it was to operate and live with

I checked how easy was to get the Blueair Blue Max 3250i set up, how easy it was to operate, and how portable it was.

I tested it in different rooms in my home, and observed how quiet it was at night time and whether it disturbed my sleep.

I assessed its design and structure, paying close attention to quality and any sustainable elements.

I reviewed the impact it had on the air quality in my environment, and how well it handled cooking smells.

• First reviewed: November 2024
• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i : two-minute review

Blueair offers similar air purifiers under different model names in the US and UK. In the US, this air purifier is known as the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max, but as I’m located in the south of England, I tested the UK model, Blueair Blue Max 3250i.

The Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max is available to purchase at the Blueair website and Amazon for a list price of $169.99, but can occasionally be on offer for a discounted price. In the UK, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is priced at £169 at multiple retailers including Very and Amazon, and also sees a price drop now and then.

Despite being compact and impressively light for its capabilities, there’s a lot to love about the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. The two touch buttons make it simple to power on the air purifier and to cycle through auto mode, night mode, and fan speeds one to three. The simple design is composed of the white plastic top section that houses the working parts, and a simple yet efficient base that consists of a lightweight frame within the changeable particle and carbon filter, plus a machine-washable fabric pre-filter outer layer. The neatness of the seam isn’t perfect, but other than this it is a great way to capture dust before it reaches the single-use filter, and is available in a range of colors making it effortless to switch things up if desired.

The Blueair Blue Max 3250i does a great job for the price, rivaling some of the best air purifiers. For the most part, the fan speed remained on the lowest setting when the Blueair Blue Max 3250i was left in auto mode. This came as no surprise to me, but I’ve seen some customer reviews complaining that this air purifier doesn’t do anything. In fact, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is purifying, and it’s capable of clearing more than just the PM2.5 it detects, such as VOCs when manually operated – it just doesn’t possess the capability to detect these things automatically. That's fine, in my professional opinion, considering the low price.

During testing, it took just ten minutes for the contamination from spraying dry shampoo to be detected and cleared by the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. It continued to impress me over the days I tested it, being sensitive enough to detect the drop in air quality when I used hair products in the next room.

In terms of noise levels, I didn’t experience any issues with the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. I found that I could sleep or watch TV with it in the room without it being disruptive.

I’m a big fan of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, both for its innovative design, and its good performance for a low price, so I can envision it finding its way into our choice of the best air purifiers in the near future. So if you're in the market for a low-cost air purifier that won't shock you with extortionate costs for replacement parts, this is the one for you. If you'd like to learn more, read on for our full review to get all the facts.

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: price & availability

• List price: $169.99 / £169
• Available: in the US and UK under different product names

The Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max is available to purchase from the Blueair US website for $169.99, and at the time of writing has a Black Friday deal slashing the price down to $119.99 at Amazon US. The comparable UK model, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, can’t be purchased from the Blueair website but is available at many major UK retailers, including Argos, Very, and Amazon. The list price is £169 for the Blue Max 3250i at Amazon, and a Black Friday deal has knocked the price down to an even more impressive £113.

I was pleasantly surprised that the Blueair Blue Max 3250i performed so well and had such a considered design considering its price tag, making it fantastic value for money. Replacement components won’t break the bank either, with replacement Particle and Carbon filters costing just $29.99 / £35 – this is particularly impressive as Blueair states that these filters can last between six to nine months.

• Value for money score: 5/5

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: specs

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: design and features

• No display
• Simple to use
• Machine-washable pre-filter

I became a fan of the design aspects of the Blue range when I reviewed the impressive Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max. The standout design feature is the attractive machine-washable fabric pre-filter covering most of the purifier’s outer. This design proves innovative, as directly behind the pre-filter cover sits the particle and carbon filter (this can be upgraded to Smokeblock or Allergenblock filters if desired), which surrounds a simple plastic frame. This makes the base of the purifier super lightweight for its size, weighing in at 7.5 lbs / 3.4 kg. The Blueair Blue Max 3250i can purify an area of 219 sq ft / 48 sq meters yet still remains fairly compact, measuring 18.9 X 10.6 X 10.6 in / 481 x 269 x 269 mm. I’m very pleased with the reduced amount of materials used on the body of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, but my concern with this construction is that the exposed filter could be prone to damage.

I’ve never seen a design quite like this, as most air purifiers have plastic casing to protect the inner filters whereas the body of the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is simply some structural plastic sitting within the particle and carbon filter, covered in the washable pre-filter. This goes to explain its very light weight of 2.5 lb / 3.4kg but could make it vulnerable to damage.

Despite its minor flaws, it’s a nice touch that Blueair made the pre-filter part of the overall aesthetic, which has meant less material and wasted plastic, which we’re always happy to see at TechRadar. It’s also an advantage that they are machine washable and extras can be purchased in a range of colors, just in case you don’t want to wait for one to dry, or want to switch things up occasionally.

Not only is it delightfully light, it’s dinky in size, too. Measuring just 11.4 x 6.8 x 5.9 inches / ‎172 x 172 x 289mm. This cylindrical 360-degree design enables the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max to be placed in a variety of spaces, as there’s plenty of opportunity for it to pull air in.

As was the case with the Mini Max, the seam of the fabric pre-filter could be neater as it is a little puckered and bulges in places, but this is less noticeable on the Blueair Blue Max 3250i as the overlapping seam doesn’t stand out as much over the larger area.

The controls on the top of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i are simple, there are just two touch-operated buttons, a power button, and a fan button that cycles between auto mode, sleep mode, and fan speeds of one to three when pressed. There’s no LED display to view the air quality data; however, there’s a light on the front of the unit that changes color to indicate the air quality score, ranging from Excellent to Very Polluted, and a light below each fan mode to indicate which is currently being used.

Real-time quality levels are easy to view on the Blueair app, but there’s no detailed data to review, simply a colored graph showing the air quality rating over time. I found I was able to use a pinching motion to zoom in and out of the graph, which allowed me to view more detail of the air quality changes over smaller increments of time.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: performance

• Quiet operation
• Clears PM2.5 contaminations quickly
• Detects and reacts to PM2.5 that originates in other rooms

Getting the Blueair Blue Max 3250i set up was quick and simple. The user manual was easy to follow, containing first-time setup instructions including how to connect it to my home Wi-Fi, which proved to be a breeze. It also included instructions on how to remove and wash the fabric pre-filter, which I appreciated. Upon installing the Blueair app, I was given the option to use it without creating an account, but I chose to so I could enter my location and view the outdoor air quality data too.

Connecting the Blueair Blue Max 3250i to the app was blissfully straightforward, taking less than three minutes after switching the air purifier on to view my indoor air quality. As I was using the Blueair Blue Max 3250i in my living room, I selected “Living room” as the product name, but there was an option to add a custom name should I have been using it in an office or nursery, for example.

It’s worth noting that although it’s claimed the Blueair Blue Max 3250i’s electrostatic and mechanical filtration captures airborne particles as small as 0.1 microns, it will not detect anything smaller than PM2.5. PM2.5 is particulate matter over 2.5 microns in size, including dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria. Other far more expensive air purifiers, such as the Molekule Air Pro, can monitor and react to VOCs along with PM2.5. These volatile organic compounds can come from paint, furniture, carpets, and cleaning products, and are often the main offenders behind lower air quality, so having an air purifier capable of detecting these contaminants would be advantageous.

However, just because an air purifier doesn’t detect these contaminants doesn’t mean it isn’t tackling them, but it won't be aware of them so won’t initiate higher fan speeds in their presence. Considering the low price of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i though, it’s not surprising that it doesn’t have this capability, but this is something to bear in mind if you want a purifier that you can leave to its own devices to tackle all the common contaminants.

According to the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, the air quality in my living room was considered excellent, so it remained at a low fan speed when I put it into auto mode. To test how sensitive the sensors were to contaminants, and how quickly they reacted to them, I sprayed some dry shampoo roughly three meters away. Within two minutes the Blueair Blue Max 3250i detected the dry shampoo, raising the contamination reading to 56 on the graph within the app over about thirty seconds, which it classed as very polluted. Within three minutes of spraying the dry shampoo, the reading had lowered to 25, classed as good; within six minutes, it returned to excellent.

It was at this moment that my fluffy cats chose to pay a visit, and interestingly, the air quality reduced slightly again, raising the score, so it appeared to detect their fur or dander in the air. Within a minute of them leaving, the score gradually dropped further than before, so it appear that the Blueair Blue Max 3250i’s particle sensors were doing a good job.

I continued to be impressed by how sensitive this air purifier was to changes in air quality over a week of testing. I would be surprised to hear the fan speed ramping up, before realizing I’d used my dry shampoo in the next room. I’ve not encountered a cheap air purifier that possessed this level of sensitivity before.

When it came to viewing the testing data on the air quality graph on the Blueair app, I found that it wasn’t very easy to view data over multiple days. Whenever I viewed the graph, the data was in real time and I would need to scroll along for some while. I could change from hourly readings to readings across a day or month, but when I scrolled back to a previous day and switched to hourly view to see more detail, it returned to the current day and time. This meant that I could only see this level of detail by scrolling all the way back to my chosen day when in hourly view, which wasn't ideal. The air quality graph didn’t give the full picture of how contaminated the air had become after I sprayed the dry shampoo. It communicated the highest score as being 22, despite reaching 56 in reality. This lack of detail isn’t unheard of, though, as I found that the Molekule Air Mini+ also failed to relay all readings if they were cleared quickly.

I found the Blueair Blue Max 3250i to be easy to sleep next to when in sleep mode, and I found that I couldn’t hear it over the TV when operating on fan level 2. Some other air purifiers can prove deafening at higher fan speeds, but this was not the case with the Blueair Blue Max 3250i.

Overall, though, I was very impressed with how sensitive the Blueair Blue Max 3250i was, how quickly it responded to contaminants, and how swiftly it dealt with them. The level and quality of features are great for the price, and this is only the second non-VOC detecting air purifier that I’ve found myself growing a fondness for, with the other being the Blueair Blue Mini Max.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review: Also consider

How I tested the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i

• I used the Blueair Blue Max 3250i for a week and a half
• I tested how much of an impact it had on the surrounding air quality
• I tested how easy it was to operate and live with

I checked how easy was to get the Blueair Blue Max 3250i set up, how easy it was to operate, and how portable it was.

I tested it in different rooms in my home, and observed how quiet it was at night time and whether it disturbed my sleep.

I assessed its design and structure, paying close attention to quality and any sustainable elements.

I reviewed the impact it had on the air quality in my environment, and how well it handled cooking smells.

• First reviewed: November 2024
• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max: two-minute review

The Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is a simple-to-use and space-saving air purifier. It’s available from Amazon in the US and the UK at a list price of $69.99 / £79. It’s far from the most high-tech air purifier on the market but it seems to do a good job of purifying the air, despite its lack of bells and whistles and low price point.

Replacement Particle and Carbon filters are cheap, costing $21.99 / £18, and should theoretically last a long period, with BlueAir stating that they can last up to six months of 24-hour use. There are other filter options available, namely Allergenblock and Smokeblock, which offer more tailored protection.

An ideal air purifier for desktop or nightstand use, the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max measures only 11.4 x 6.8 x 5.9 inches / ‎172 x 172 x 289mm and is impressively lightweight. The reason behind this portable purifier weighing so little is down to the lack of protective casing over the filter itself. The colored fabric covering doubles as a washable pre-filter over the filter, and other than some structural plastic on the inside, that’s all the base consists of.

It’s possible to purchase further pre-filter coverings, and they’re available in a range of different colors, which is always a bonus for me. While this design is innovative and sustainability-conscious, it does mean that the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max could be at higher risk of damage than heavier plastic-covered alternatives.

The Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is as low on features as it is in price, but that’s fair enough. It has no automated fan settings or particle detection, just three fan speeds that can be cycled through via the fan touch button on the top of the purifier. It is helpful enough to monitor the condition of the filter, however, showing a yellow indicator when the filter is due to be changed soon, and red when it needs changing.

The Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max was a breeze to set up and operate. The touch buttons were responsive and the air purifier reacted quickly upon switching settings. Even though the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max lacked any kind of contamination indicators, the change in air quality was noticeable when the purifier was in operation. It had a surprising cooling effect on the surrounding environment, but as I was using it on a chilly November morning in the south of England, I consider this to be an indicator of how well the Blue Pure Mini Max was circulating the air.

In terms of volume level, the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max operated very quietly on the lowest fan speed, so it was no problem sleeping or working next to it. The two higher settings are more noticeable, but still at a satisfyingly low volume, with the top speed giving me a reading of just 47 dB.

Overall, you’re getting what you pay for with the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max. The price for the air purifier is great, and the filters are good value, especially considering their longevity and the cost savings from the filter subscription plan available in the US currently.

In closing, I was pleasantly surprised by the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max. I didn’t expect to be impressed due to this mini air purifier's low price point and lack of features, but the ease of use, good performance, and innovative design really won me over, and could see it sneaking its way into our selection of the best air purifiers before too long.

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review: price & availability

• List price: $69.99 / £79
• Available now in the US and UK

The Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is a simple, desktop-sized, small-room air purifier that’s available in the US, and UK at Amazon for $69.99 / £79.

One element that often has the potential to catch people out is the cost of replacement filters compared to the initial cost of an air purifier itself. I’m pleased to say this isn’t the case with the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max, as replacement Blueair Particle and Carbon filters cost just $21.99 / £18, which is particularly good considering the filters can last up to six months, even when used 24 hours a day. This cost can be brought down further still with Blueair's filter replacement subscription, but at the time of writing the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max and associated filters are only showing up on the Blueair website, so we’ll have to wait for them to become available on the official site to take advantage of this offer in the UK.

There are other filter types available too: the Allergenblock filter, designed to reduce our exposure to dust allergens, pollen, and pet dander, and the Smokeblock filter, with double the activated carbon intended to remove wildfire smoke, plus heightened protection against other wildfire emissions.

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review: specs

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review: design and features

• No display
• Long-lasting filters
• Machine-washable fabric pre-filter

This is a very simple example of an air purifier, with no app support, visual display, or automatic detection – but at this price point, it’d be unfair to expect much more. The fact that the low-cost filters can last up to six months when running for 24 hours a day is certainly an attractive feature, and one thing the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max can monitor is the filter life, displaying a yellow light on the top of the unit to indicate that the filter will need changing soon, turning red when it actually does.

The outer fabric looks nice from a distance, but the finish gives away the budget cost of the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max; the fabric is a little loose, and the seam is wiggly and uneven, bulging out where it goes over the tan leather effect Blueair tag. The reason for this looseness becomes apparent as it’s not simply an aesthetic covering; it’s designed to be a washable fabric pre-filter.

I’ve never seen a design quite like this, as most air purifiers have plastic casing to protect the inner filters whereas the body of the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is simply some structural plastic sitting within the particle and carbon filter, covered in the washable pre-filter. This goes to explain its very light weight of 2.5 lb / 3.4kg but could make it vulnerable to damage.

Despite its minor flaws, it’s a nice touch that Blueair made the pre-filter part of the overall aesthetic, which has meant less material and wasted plastic, which we’re always happy to see at TechRadar. It’s also an advantage that they are machine washable and extras can be purchased in a range of colors, just in case you don’t want to wait for one to dry, or want to switch things up occasionally.

Not only is it delightfully light, it’s dinky in size, too. Measuring just 11.4 x 6.8 x 5.9 inches / ‎172 x 172 x 289mm. This cylindrical 360-degree design enables the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max to be placed in a variety of spaces, as there’s plenty of opportunity for it to pull air in.

There is no display panel on the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max, with only a power button, a fan button, a filter indicator light, and three fan speed indicator lights on the top of the air purifier. The fixed power cable extends out of the lower portion of the white plastic top section of the purifier. I found this placement odd at first but, of course, as the base is simply composed of the filters and plastic frame, this was the only logical place to put it.

There’s not much to dislike about the aesthetic of the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max. The finish along the seam of the fabric pre-filter could be better, and the cable placement looks a little unusual, but all things considered, it lives up to its name. It's satisfyingly small and lightweight, making it a perfect option for anyone wanting to relocate their purifier regularly, or for those who struggle with maneuvering things.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review: performance

• No display or smart features
• Operated quietly
• Easy to use

The Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max proved easy to set up and operate. It was essentially just a case of removing the packaging and plugging the air purifier in, job done. The touch buttons were responsive, so it was quick to turn the purifier on and off and to cycle between fan speeds. The reaction speed was satisfyingly quick when changing between fan settings, whereas some purifiers take time to slow down, even when quickly cycling past the highest setting to get back to the lowest.

Despite the lack of air quality data to review, the Blue Pure Mini Max made the air around me feel fresher quickly upon first use when running it at fan speed 2. It had quite the cooling effect straight off the bat, which I’ve not encountered with other air purifiers, with cold air blowing quite strongly through the air vents at the top of the unit. This suggested to me that the air was circulating well, but after a while, on a grey November morning in the South West of England, it made the room uncomfortably cold, so that’s worth bearing in mind if you plan to use your air purifier in the winter.

In a 13 x 16 ft / 4 x 5 meter room, the sound of the air purifier is noticeable when on its second speed setting if there’s no other sound to drown it out. The pitch of the noise is interesting: it reminded me of the sound of a blowtorch, which is ironic considering it was cooling the room down. Blueair claims that their lowest fan speed is quieter than a whisper, and while I didn’t get a reading as low as they’ve stated, it was pretty darn quiet at 26 dB. It was barely audible to me from around four feet away. If I listened hard, I could hear a low humming, but it didn’t prove disruptive in the slightest when I was trying to sleep or working away at my desk.

Naturally, the higher fan speeds were louder, with fan speed 2 giving a reading of 35 dB, and speed 3, the highest setting, giving a reading of 47 dB. This was of course much more noticeable and made my cats a little wary at first, but compared to other air purifiers, such as the Molekule Air Mini+ whose lowest fan speed was 39 dB, it’s satisfyingly quiet.

As with other low-priced air purifiers I’ve tested, the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max couldn’t remove cooking smells. It did have some impact on the intensity, however, as I noticed that the cooking odor got a little stronger once I’d switched the purifier off, so I was pleased that it managed to make a small impact at least.

Overall, using the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max was a pleasant experience. It was small enough and light enough that I could find a space for it in every room, and it worked at a low enough volume that it wasn’t distracting.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review: Also consider

How I tested the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max

• I used the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max for one week
• I tested how much of an impact it had on the surrounding air quality
• I tested its ability to tackle cooking smells

I checked how easy was to get the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max set up, how easy it was to operate, and how portable it was.

I tested it in different rooms in my home, and observed how quiet it was at night time and whether it disturbed my sleep.

I assessed its design and structure, paying close attention to quality and any sustainable elements.

I reviewed the impact it had on the air quality in my environment, and how well it handled cooking smells.

• First reviewed: November 2024
• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee

Air purifiers can be considered yet another unnecessary gadget adding to the clutter in our homes, but if you want to dull strong odors, or try to reduce levels of hayfever-causing pollen indoors, the Molekule Air Pro could actually prove helpful.

I had the pleasure of testing a unit to see how it compared to the best air purifiers on the market. I loved its simple and aesthetically pleasing app, which kept me well informed with real-time and historical indoor air quality readings, but, at this price point, I expected more features. Check out my review below for the full story.

Molekule Air Pro review: price & availability

• List price: $1,014.99 / £799.99
• Available in the US, only available via Amazon in the UK

Listed at $1,014.99 on the official Molekule website, and £799.99 on Amazon, the Air Pro is, without doubt, a premium-priced air purifier. During my time reviewing it, I did see it discounted on the Molekule website and Amazon US, with a sale price of $749.99 initially, further dropping down to $649.99 over the Labor Day sales – so it’s worth keeping an eye out for deals if you’re in the US.

I won’t lie, I winced the first time I became aware of the Molekule Air Pro's price. I felt sure it must be massively overpriced; but its FDA 510(k) Class II medical device clearance, impressive detection and responsiveness, and informative companion app have changed my tune, albeit begrudgingly.

It’s worth bearing in mind that Molekule recommends that the filters are changed every six months, with replacements costing $174.99 / £159.99, so this cost will need to be factored in, too.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Molekule Air Pro review: specs

Molekule Air Pro review: design

• Medical grade without the medical aesthetic
• Satisfying opening mechanism
• Touchscreen display

The aesthetics of the Molekule Air Pro are simple yet satisfying. The outer housing is made from substantial-feeling aluminum and medical-grade polycarbonate. A tan-colored faux leather handle is attached at the front and back of the purifier using large metal pins.

As is to be expected of a metal-cased appliance standing at 23 inches / 586mm tall and 11 inches / 278mm wide, the Air Pro weighs a fair bit at 23lbs / 10.4kg. It comes packaged in a large cardboard box with cardboard fitments – and, helpfully, the reusable pull-string bag has handles that make it easier to take out of the box.

The faux leather handle on the unit itself can happily take the Air Pro's weight, but it still isn’t the easiest to carry around. As a shorter-than-average woman with limited upper body strength, I was able to lift it and carry it up and down stairs, but I certainly didn’t look the most dignified doing it.

The top face of the Air Pro is encircled by slanted vent holes, with a black circular touch display at the center. There are five screens to swipe between. The first is color-coded according to the IAQ (indoor air quality) level: green for good; yellow for moderate; red for bad; and blue for very bad. On the second screen, the levels of VOC (volatile organic compounds), particle matter, carbon dioxide, and relative humidity in the air are detailed. Screen three has Auto Protect mode and five individual fan speeds. The filter condition can be found on the fourth screen and, finally, screen five offers various functions and settings including standby, languages, purifier details, and so on. While this method of operation is efficient, and at first the shiny finish looks nice, after some time you'll notice fingerprints on the screen and dust and debris on the Air Pro's shiny surface and inside the vent fins – which is particularly visible over the white.

The display screen automatically goes to sleep when it isn’t being used and takes a touch or two to awaken again. There isn’t a Dark mode on the Air Pro, or the option to turn off the blue light when the fan is operational. This is because it isn't possible to contain all of the UV-A light from the PECO technology, meaning that there's a subtle blue glow visible beneath the slanted vent holes.

Access to the filter is simple: gently push down on the top of the air purifier and twist counter-clockwise. This top piece will slowly rise up, allowing you to remove it and reach the filter. To replace it again, I simply needed to align the red lines on the top section and the inside of the main purifier body, before gently pushing and twisting the top section in a clockwise direction to fix it in place again.

Overall, other than being somewhat cumbersome and a bit of a fingerprint and dust magnet, the Air Pro looks and feels premium, which is only fair given its high price.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Molekule Air Pro review: features

• Good range of contaminants detected
• FDA Class II medical device clearance
• Lack of features in the app

The Molekule Air Pro offers a greater number of features than its smaller and lower-priced companion, the Air Mini+. Not only can the Air Pro detect particle matter, but it can also identify, record, and tackle more airborne nasties, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde and benzene. The levels of VOCs, PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 are detailed on the display on the top of the purifier and in the Molekule app.

The Molekule app allowed me to view the current air score, and switch between fan modes. These included Auto Protect, which has the option of running on Standard, or Quiet for night-time use, and manual speeds from one to five. It was pretty straightforward to keep an eye on air quality using the daily and weekly history, which is plotted onto a graph using colored lines to indicate the indoor air quality (IAQ) at that time. There are also colored rings below the graph that represent the different air scores, which note the number of minutes or hours the air quality was at that level over the time period.

It’s only a shame that the app settings are quite basic. With much cheaper purifiers such as the AiDot Welov P200 Pro, it’s possible to adjust display brightness, enable screen lock, and set timers and schedules without the use of third-party smart tools such as Alexa. At this price point, I expected a greater number of features. I was happy to see that there were notification settings – until I discovered that this was only to notify when the filter is nearing the end of its life. It would have been helpful to have notifications about changes in air quality, which cheaper purifiers such as the Levoit 300S provide.

One big selling point of the Molekule Air Pro, and a bit of an explanation for the sky-high cost, is the PECO-HEPA Tri-Power filter. Photo Electro Chemical Oxidation (PECO) is Molekule’s patented technology that it states can destroy viruses, bacteria, mold, allergens, VOCs, and more. This technology supposedly creates a powerful chemical reaction, which occurs when the filter is exposed to the built-in UV-A light located in the center of the Air Pro’s body, to destroy organic pollutants. This is teamed with a true HEPA filter, which is said to have a 99.97% particle-capture efficiency rate, along with a layer of carbon to help reduce odors and toxic gases.

The Molekule Air Pro has been granted FDA 510(k) Class II medical device clearance, which means that it’s suitable for medical purposes since it can capture 95% of particulate matter and destroy contaminants by exposing them to UV radiation. It is caveated on the Molekule website that this is when the purifier is operated in Standard Auto mode, or on at least fan speed two when using manual settings.

The Air Pro has an impressive working range, capable of purifying spaces up to 1,000 sq ft / 93 sq meters. This is the biggest range we’ve seen in all of the air purifiers we’ve tested to date.

• Features score: 4 out of 5

Molekule Air Pro review: performance

• Cleared odors quickly
• Some app glitches
• Slow but steady air purification

Setting up the Molekule Air Pro was relatively straightforward, I simply needed to unwind the power cable and plug it in, following the instructions on the Molekule app to get it connected. It took a couple of attempts to connect the purifier to the app, and then further attempts to get the purifier connected to Wi-Fi since it kept getting stuck, leading me to have to restart the app multiple times. It got there eventually, though.

It’s curious that an air purifier at this price doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity as well as Wi-Fi. The AiDot Welov P200 Pro is over $800 cheaper than the Air Pro, and yet it arrives with Bluetooth for instances where a Wi-Fi connection isn’t possible, meaning that you don’t miss out on IAQ data when you’re within range of the purifier.

I used the Air Pro for a couple of weeks, both in the office and in my bedroom at home. Its readings aligned with our air quality monitor, and it reacted quickly to changes in the office environment and at home. It was clear to see the changes in air quality when there were more people in the office, or when we were eating our lunch. Variations were also picked up by the purifier at home, with the air quality dipping when I sprayed on some perfume, for example.

Other than a few little niggles, the Molekule Air Pro performed well when I tested its reactions following air contamination from dry shampoo. I left the purifier on Standard Auto Protect mode to see how quickly it would detect the change in air quality, and how quickly it could clear the air. After I sprayed some dry shampoo around the Air Pro, it took a few seconds to detect the reduction in indoor air quality, causing the air score to change to Very Bad.

Unlike the Molekule Air Mini+, this change in IAQ was accurately recorded on the air quality graph in the Air Pro’s app, showing a clear spike in the level of particulate matter and VOCs within a minute. That said, it doesn’t show the reading of "very bad"; but this is likely because it was at this level for less than a minute.

A little side note: I liked how the app shows the “Top 3 offenders in your air”, which after the dry shampoo assault showed Chemicals (VOC), Microfine particles (PM1.0), and Fine particles (PM2.5).

The fan upped its speed gradually in response to the "very bad" air score, dropping to "bad" in less than a minute. At this point, the air quality graph in the app had a little wobble. Whenever I tried to view which contaminants were affecting the air score, the graph would revert to the "good" reading from earlier that hour, while still showing that the current air score was "bad" up above. This wasn’t the end of the world at the time, since I could view the detailed readings on the purifier itself; but this glitch wouldn’t be ideal if you were trying to view this detail away from home.

The fan didn’t speed up as high as I'd expected. Other air purifiers I’ve tested tended to go up to the max fan speed when a similar IAQ rating had been recorded. The fan speed of the Air Pro seemed to remain at a moderate level, so it took about 20 minutes for the IAQ to return a "moderate" reading; and a further half an hour for it to return to "good".

While other air purifiers I’ve tested have returned a reading of good IAQ within minutes, it’s worth remembering that while many of these cheaper models have the ability to filter VOCs, they can’t detect them, so their readings aren't as in-depth as given by the Molekule Air Pro.

In terms of odor control, the Air Pro did a decent job of removing the strong fragrance of the dry shampoo within 15 minutes. In the first few days of testing, I agitated an old rug in our music testing room to see how the Air Pro would respond. Its was similar to when it encountered the dry shampoo, seemingly taking a low-and-slow approach to clearing the air. As part of this test, the purifier was left on Auto Protect for a few hours, which in my opinion left an odor similar to a freshly painted room, although my colleague said it just smelt of fresher air to him. It could be the filter that gives off this odor during its first few hours, or perhaps that’s actually what our unventilated little testing room smells like once the dusty air has been handled!

Unlike the Air Mini+, I was able to sleep with the Air Pro on Standard Auto Protect mode without issue. There were no surprise increases in fan speeds that interrupted my slumber, gaining it some bonus points from me. I did find a similarity to the Air Mini+ in that when it changed from manual speed three via Standard Auto Protect to Quiet Auto Protect, it took a couple of minutes for the fan speed to reduce to a low level, despite the air score being "good".

I used a decibel meter on my iPhone 12 Pro to measure the sound level of the lowest, middle, and top fan speeds. Fan speed one gave a reading of 38dB, which is equivalent to light rain; fan speed three was 51dB, which is roughly the same volume as the noise from a refrigerator running, and the highest setting, fan speed six, was 78dB, which is as loud as a coffee grinder.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should I buy the Molekule Air Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Molekule Air Pro review: Also consider

How I tested the Molekule Air Pro

• I used the Molekule Air Pro for two weeks
• I tested it in multiple environments
• I observed its reaction to aerosols

I tested the Molekule Air Pro in the TechRadar reviews office and music testing room, as well as in my bedroom at home.

I monitored how effectively it detected and purified airborne contaminants such as dust and dry shampoo, and how well it tackled the strong fragrance of the latter.

I left it running in my bedroom overnight to determine whether it disturbed my sleep. I tested the sound levels using a sound level meter on my phone and assessed the controls and how easy it was to change the filter.

• First reviewed: August 2024
• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee