Blueair Blue Max 3250i review: stylish and compact air purification

Blueair Blue Max 3250i review in a sentence: This elegant air purifier looks great and performs quietly and efficiently.

I’ve been a fan of Blueair products ever since I got to test out the Blueair HealthProtect 7470i model, about three years ago now. It quickly got added to our best air purifier guide as it worked brilliantly and looked pretty cool too. The only problem I had with the HealthProtect 7470i was the overall size of it. It’s a pretty chunky thing and looms large in just about any room.

So, I’ve been keen to try a variation on the theme but with more compact dimensions. The solution? Well, it’s the Blueair Blue Max 3250i, which is a much more manageable air purifier that’s ideally suited to standard-sized homes unlike the HealthProtect 7470i, which, erm, isn’t. The great thing about the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is that it comes with all of the usual quality I expect from this brand, but it’s super portable.

Blueair Blue Max 3250i: price and availability

The Blueair Blue Max 3250i is available right now and has a respectable RRP of £169. It’s an Amazon Choice product too, which means that plenty of other folks think it’s pretty good as well. However, the interesting thing about the air purifier marketplace is that it is quite crowded and, as a result, there are bargains to be had, so keep an eye out for online price reductions.

Blueair Blue Max 3250i: what is it?

The Blueair Blue Max 3250i is a domestic air purifier that comes from the same Swedish manufacturer that offers larger machines, like the HealthProtect 7470i to name but one from the range. A big draw of Blueair appliances is the design and that’s no exception with the Blue Max model. This product features svelte lines that will look great in any kind of home and there are five different colour options available too.

My test model arrived finished in the Stockholm Fog colour, which is basically a grey material that covers the bulk of the cylindrical body, topped with good quality white plastic. The dimensions ‎of 26.9 x 26.9 x 48.1 cm are nicely manageable and the weight of just 3.39kg also means this model is very easy to move from room to room as needed. It’s got a decent length mains cable at the back and sits on small rubber feet, meaning it’s nice and stable.

There’s not much to it in terms of controls, with an on/off button located on the top and the option to cycle through four fan speeds. The LED on the front indicates when the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is in operation. Meanwhile, there’s a decent supplementary app that lets you manage your air quality settings from the convenience of your sofa or bed. Inside the unit is a filter, which does of course require occasional inspections and, eventually, replacement.

Blueair Blue Max 3250i: is it any good?

I didn’t have any doubts about the Blueair Blue Max 3250i being a decent appliance as, having the larger model already, I knew of the potential. One of the best things about this machine is that there’s virtually nothing to do in terms of configuring it for first time use. I lifted it out of the box, removed it from the plastic dust bag and plugged in the mains cable, which is a decent length. To get started, there’s the power button on the top of the unit, with four fan speeds to choose from.

If, like me, you’re a light sleeper then I’d say this is the other top feature of the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. This operates at a maximum of 46 decibels, which is sufficiently quiet to make it almost unnoticeable in a bedroom even when it’s operating at full chat. Combined with the ease of set up and user-friendly controls, I think the Blueair Blue Max 3250i is an excellent little unit that looks the part too. The other key thing is its home-focused performance, with a design that is aimed at rooms of up to 48 square meters.

Blueair Blue Max 3250i: performance

I’ve been very impressed with the performance thus far from the Blueair Blue Max 3250i. It’s a step down from my larger model, but the difference seems negligible using it in exactly the same spaces around my home. Blueair claims that it replaces the air in a 48 square meter room every 30 minutes, which seems believable based on my experience with it so far. I’m really impressed with the way it also gets rid of cooking smells when I have it standing between the kitchen and living room. An added bonus for me.

As you’d expect from an air purifier though, the best performance factors are the way the Blueair Blue Max 3250i will get rid of pollen, dust and mould spores, as well as tackling smelly pets and smoke too. Blueair’s official stats state that using its HEPASilent technology, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i can capture particles right on down to 0.1 microns. Which is obviously very small indeed. The Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) is listed as 239 m³/h (141 cfm)  for pollen, as an example. Blueair models also have a natty five colour air quality indication system within the app, which lets you see exactly what it’s up to. Put something smelly next to it if you don’t believe me.

I ended up using the Blueair Blue Max 3250i via the app for most of the time, which offers convenience and added features. In addition, it’s possible to call on the app in order to make the purifier sit on standby when you’re out and then fire up when you get home. There’s also pinpoint visual data on what sort of job it’s doing. Night and Child Lock buttons on the app let you keep things safe and secure when you’re not around too. It’ll work with Alexa and Google Assistant if you’re a fan of voice control, but I found the app did fine.

Blueair recommends replacing the filter very 6 to 12 months, which is obviously going to be an additional cost, but that’s the same for any similar appliance. The great thing about this, however, is that the unit will notify you when the time comes to replace the filter, which means that it’s easy to keep getting all the benefits of optimum performance. The exterior cover is also a pre filter, which can be removed and washed when needed.

Blueair Blue Max 3250i: verdict

I love this machine and it’s certainly going to take centre stage in place of my larger Blueair model. That’s great too, but it’s a beast and isn’t very portable. The Blueair Blue Max 3250i, on the other hand, can be moved from room to room when I need it, the app lets me control the unit without even going near it and the filter life is decent enough. 

On top of that, the Blueair Blue Max 3250i should be efficient over time, with power drawing between 2.5 and 20 Watts depending on how hard it’s working. I’m also hugely impressed with the way it operates, with a decibel rate right down to 18 if it’s being used on the lowest fan setting. Yup, as far as I’m concerned, it’s another winner from the Blueair stable.