T3 Awards 2020: Blueair Classic 480i has the power to purify

This is a serious looking air purifier that does a seriously good job

T3 Awards 2020: Blueair Classic 480i is our #1 air purifier
(Image credit: Blueair)
Duncan Bell
By
last updated
in News

It's time to clear the air here at the T3 Awards 2020. Quite literally: these are the winners of our best air purifier category. Out in front for its sheer, industrial-grade air-scrubbing abilities is the Blueair Classic 480i. Those seeking something slightly more chic and compact may well enjoy the Series 3000i Connected AC3033/30 from Philips, with its tubular form and welcoming light panel.

A rather stark and industrial bit of Scandinavian design, the 480i looks as if it means business. What's great about it is that you can set it up quickly and easily, and then not really give it any further thought until it's time to change the filter, in about a year's time. 

A sensor detects how polluted your air is and goes to work to clean it, switching between its three power settings as required. On the two lower settings, the Blueair is pleasingly quiet – you can even sleep in the same room as it on the lowest setting.

You have a choice of two filter types. The standard one removes small particles and pollutants while the optional charcoal filter makes it suitable for use in the kitchen – this is especially handy if you have a combined living and kitchen area as built-in extraction alone often struggles to stay on top of burnt toast and fried foods. 

• Buy this Blueair air purifier direct from Blueair. 

•  T3 Awards 2020 – all the announcements so far.

Highly commended: Philips Series 3000i Connected AC3033/30

Best air purifier: Philips Series 3000i Connected AC3033/30T3 Awards 2020 - Highly Commended

(Image credit: Philips)

If you are after an air purifier that's a bit less intimidating in appearance, this superb and quite attractive new Philips model could be just the job. The Series 3000i functions in a very similar way to the Blueair, reacting to changes in air quality and filtering out particles, allergens and gases. The night time mode is quiet enough for most people to sleep with, as well.

Duncan Bell
Duncan Bell

Duncan is the former lifestyle editor of T3 and has been writing about tech for almost 15 years. He has covered everything from smartphones to headphones, TV to AC and air fryers to the movies of James Bond and obscure anime. His current brief is everything to do with the home and kitchen, which is good because he is an excellent cook, if he says so himself. He also covers cycling and ebikes – like over-using italics, this is another passion of his. In his long and varied lifestyle-tech career he is one of the few people to have been a fitness editor despite being unfit and a cars editor for not one but two websites, despite being unable to drive. He also has about 400 vacuum cleaners, and is possibly the UK's leading expert on cordless vacuum cleaners, despite being decidedly messy. A cricket fan for over 30 years, he also recently become T3's cricket editor, writing about how to stream obscure T20 tournaments, and turning out some typically no-nonsense opinions on the world's top teams and players.

Before T3, Duncan was a music and film reviewer, worked for a magazine about gambling that employed a surprisingly large number of convicted criminals, and then a magazine called Bizarre that was essentially like a cross between Reddit and DeviantArt, before the invention of the internet. There was also a lengthy period where he essentially wrote all of T3 magazine every month for about 3 years. 

A broadcaster, raconteur and public speaker, Duncan used to be on telly loads, but an unfortunate incident put a stop to that, so he now largely contents himself with telling people, "I used to be on the TV, you know."

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