Blueair 403 HepaSilent Air-Purification System

Some of the online specs are misleading. The Blueair 403 unit (at least the one I received) actually has 4 speeds, just like the Blueair 402! Even the manufacturer's own website as of this review lists it as having only 3 speeds. The only difference between the 402 and 403 is that the 403 comes with a small electronic timer that is magnetic (you can put it on your refrigerator or on the Blueair unit itself) which shows you when 6 months are up and it's time to replace the filter. This is handy, but not really needed. So, if you can still find a 402 (now discontinued) for a good price, I'd recommend you grab it!

This is a great unit but it is a bit larger than I expected. If you have a small bedroom or office, it may look a bit imposing. It runs very quiet at the two lowest settings and even at the third setting, I found the sound soothing enough to sleep with. In fact, the first night I had it, I put it on the 3 speed setting and found the sound quiet nice and relaxing.

It works very well and is more efficient and quieter than smaller units. The design is also more proven; I compared it with a smaller unit (the 250E) and the 403 works a lot better for a number of reasons (better filter, it pre-charges the particles so that they stick to the filter, and has a larger, thicker filter). The 403 also has a deeper, more soothing and relaxing sound than the smaller unit. Because of the design, you can put things like books on top of it if you want to since it takes in and outputs air from the sides. You can also place it against a wall, something you cannot really do with the smaller 250E unit as it has the filter on the back and outputs air out the top. Also, larger units like the 500 series output air out the top (and sides) so you would not be able to put something on top of those either. I'm not saying I would use my Blueair 403 as a bookshelf or anything, just that it can be convenient to place a magazine or book or two on the top surface at times.

I will now buy a second 403 unit for my living room because I am so impressed. Having two or more of the same series in different rooms throughout the house seems a benefit as you only have one type of filter to buy for them all. However, if your living room is on the large side, you may need a larger unit (such as the 500 series so check your square footage). Note that the 500 series is *much* louder though.

All in all, this is a great unit as it performs very well is *very* quiet and well made. I feel I sleep much better with this unit on and also have much less allergy symptoms including less red and itchy eyes. Even if you don't suffer from allergies, you can still benefit from having nice fresh air all the time. My guess is that you will sleep better and feel more rested when you wake up. As for myself, the Blueair has practically been a lifesaver-I feel a lot more healthy and my allergy symptoms are virtually gone!