Is Blueair’s Classic Pro CP7i Actually $700 Worth of Air Purifier? Here’s What Happened in My Test.

5 min readDo you know how clean the air in your home is? Lots of factors can affect indoor air quality, including cooking, candles, pollutants, and pollen. That’s when an air purifier can help. Even better, the technology on these has improved significantly: Not only do they filter airborne pollutants, but they can also give you detailed readings that tell you more about the air quality in your home.I tested the Blueair Classic Pro CP7i, a heavy-duty, premium air purifier for large spaces. Along with some serious filtering power, it also offers automatic adjustments based on your air quality and a whole lot of data about what’s in your air.It’s also, as I discovered the moment the box arrived on my doorstep, rather large. I spent two weeks testing it on two floors of my home to find out if the CP7i would earn its keep.ProsQuickly cleared smoke during testingDetailed PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 readingsVery quiet at lower fan speedsEffective in large spacesEnergy Star certifiedConsLarge, heavy, and awkward to carryBoth unit and replacement filters are expensiveKey SpecsDimensions23.6 x 19.7 x 9.9 in. (H x W x D)Weight32 lbCoverage609 sq ft (4.8 air changes per hour)Filter2 particle + carbon filters; HEPASilent filtrationEnergy Star CertifiedYesWarranty1-year limited warranty; 5 years with product registration (registration must be completed within 60 days of purchase)How I Tested the Blueair Classic Pro CP7iWhile I normally use my office to test air purifiers, the Blueair CP7i seemed high-powered enough that using it in my tiny office felt like using a sledgehammer to swat a mosquito. Instead, I ran the CP7i for a week each on two separate floors of my home, moving it between my approximately 1,100-square-foot first floor and 800-square-foot basement to see how it performed in larger, open areas.Since the air quality in my home is generally quite good, I created more challenging conditions by monitoring the purifier while I cooked and by burning incense paper in my basement to introduce smoke and airborne particles. During the incense test, I recorded the CP7i’s air-quality readings every 15 minutes to see how quickly they returned to baseline. I also measured its noise output at its lowest and highest fan settings.Katie TuttleYou can easily control the Blueair CP7i via its display panel on top of the device.Setup Is Easy—Moving It Isn’tMy first thought when this arrived on my doorstep was: This thing is a beast. The CP7i is large, rectangular, and heavy, weighing in at 32 pounds. It does have wheels and a single recessed handle. However, the indent just provides grip for one hand—I would’ve liked two to get a better hold.Once it was out of the box and positioned in my living room, setup itself was quite easy; I had to snap in the filters, then pair it with the Blueair app, a process which took less than 5 minutes. Then I was ready to see what the CP7i could do.Detailed Data Without the GuessworkI was impressed by how much information the Blueair provides in a clean, readable format (this doesn’t happen as often as I’d like). The CP7i monitors PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 (three sizes of airborne particulate matter), and displays both numerical readings and an easy-to-understand color-coded air-quality indicator.You can view these readings in real time or use the Blueair app to view daily, weekly, or monthly trends. The app also explains what each type of particulate matter is, which makes all that data a lot more useful if you aren’t an air-quality expert.Katie TuttleYou can view air quality data throughout the day on the app.Katie TuttleAfter my smoke test, the Blueair CP7i was able to bring the air quality back down to normal levels.Along with this information, the app also tracks filter health and lets you adjust display brightness, set a schedule, and select among the purifier’s different operating modes, including four fan speeds, Auto, Night, and Eco. Overall, I found the app very intuitive and easy to navigate, especially when switching between modes.To do this, all you need to do is press an icon on your screen to dim the display or determine how much and how often you want your air purifier to run. Schedules are similarly easy to create, and you can tailor them down to the minute if you wish. I also appreciate being able to turn the CP7i on and off remotely through the app (which was especially convenient when I was on a different floor of my home).It Cleared My Smoke Test in 30 MinutesFor most of my testing, I kept the CP7i in Auto mode, which adjusts the fan speed in response to changes in air quality. For my smoke test, I closed the windows, turned off my HVAC system, and recorded a baseline air-quality reading before burning an incense paper in my basement.The reading started at 0 and peaked at 61, which the purifier categorized as Very Polluted. I then took readings every 15 minutes; within 30 minutes, the reading had fallen to 8, putting the air quality back in the Excellent range.I also found this air purifier to be quite responsive during everyday use. When I cooked or burned candles, it detected the increase in airborne particles and automatically increased its fan speed within minutes. It also seemed to do a good job of helping to control odors, most likely due to the activated carbon layer in its filter.For something this powerful, the CP7i is extremely quiet. Using the NIOSH sound level meter app, I measured around 35 decibels at its lowest setting. When I turned the fan up to its highest setting, it averaged 59 decibels. While that was certainly noticeable, the purifier rarely needed to run at full blast during everyday use.Katie TuttleThe Blueair CP7i is fairly large, but it can provide coverage for up to 609 square feet.Independent Testing Adds Some ReassuranceThe CP7i has also earned Asthma & Allergy Friendly certification from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL). In order to qualify, air purifiers undergo independent testing for their ability to remove and capture airborne allergens, all while meeting limits for ozone emissions.It also employs something called HINS Pure Technology, which shines 405-nanometer visible light onto the filter. Blueair says this technology can inactivate up to 91 percent of bacteria trapped there. However, as there’s no way for me to independently test this, my review is based on the CP7i’s air-filtering performance.Powerful Performance at a Premium PriceAt around $700, the Blueair CP7i is undoubtedly a significant investment, and that’s before you factor in the replacement filters. A set costs about $100, though Blueair says they last about a year, depending on your usage and air quality.While that’s a notable ongoing expense, if you break that down by month, it’s not nearly as intimidating. Still, these are things you will want to consider before committing to an air purifier that’s already at the higher end of the price spectrum.Final ThoughtsThe Blueair Classic Pro CP7i backs up its imposing size with serious performance. In my testing, it brought a smoke-spiked reading back into the Excellent range within 30 minutes, responded quickly to changes in air quality, and stayed remarkably quiet during everyday operation. At $700 and 32 pounds, the CP7i is probably overkill for a small bedroom or office. However, for large, open spaces, it does an impressive, data-driven job.Shop the Blueair Classic Pro CP7i Air PurifierMore Air Purifiers We Recommend