Blueair just launched the best looking air purifier I've ever seen – and it's time for other brands to up their design game

• The Blue Signature purifier looks like a footstool and doubles as a side table
• Various customization options including colored covers and feet
• It comes with Auto, 'AirSense' and Night modes

Blueair has just launched the best-looking air purifier I've seen, and it has left me wondering exactly why so many other models look so ugly. Even within our own best air purifier ranking you'll find more than one clinical, white plastic appliance – surely not an aesthetic you'd find in many people's living rooms or bedrooms.

In contrast, the new Blue Signature looks like a piece of furniture, which is especially apt as it can double up as one too – the top can be used as a table. (Those aware of the IKEA Starkvind table-cum-air-purifier should be reassured that this is an altogether more successful fusion, visually speaking).

As standard, the Blue Signature comes with a pale grey or dark blue-grey cover, but you can pay extra to unlock a range of other color options (including beige, taupe and dark green). You can also choose to add a metal ring base or stubby feet, the latter of which really amp up the footstool vibes.

I wrote 'cover' just then, but what I really meant was 'pre-filter', because this wrapper is the first line of defense against particles in the air. It's machine-washable, to keep it hygienic and operating efficiently.

The brand is fond of this approach – the Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max and Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max also have removable, washable covers that are available in different colors. It's a simple solution but I'm a big fan; it makes the Blueair purifiers blend far more seamlessly into a home environment filled with other soft furnishings.

Time to freshen up

What about functionality? The Blueair Blue Signature looks strong there, too. There's a rather overwhelming seven-stage filter setup, starting with that washable pre-filter, and including an electrostatically-charged particle filter and carbon to absorb gases and odors. Blueair has added 'OdorFence' a "patent-pending, bio-based technology" designed to break down gases and remove odors more efficiently.

My only slight concern is that the Blue Signature, like all of Blueair's purifiers, uses a 'HEPASilent' filter, rather than true HEPA (the brand insists it's more effective than a HEPA filter, as well as operating more quietly).

The interface on the purifier itself has been redesigned so it counts down the time to when your air will be clean. It looks like a touchscreen, which I assumed might cause problems with the whole 'doubles as a table' thing, but you can lock the display via the companion app so you don't end up changing your settings every time you go to put your coffee down.

You can set fan speeds manually, but Blueair has also included three special modes. In Auto mode, the purifier monitors air quality and responds to keep the air clean. More unusual is the AirSense mode, where the purifier automatically switches on at intervals throughout the day, even without a drop in air quality, to keep the air feeling fresh. Finally, there's a Night mode that dims the LEDs and drops to the lowest fan speed.

Blueair Blue Signature air purifier: was $449.99 now $389.99 at Amazon

This newly launched air purifier has already got a little discount at Amazon – there's 13% off, which doesn't seem like a lot, but it does equate to $60 off. It's designed to blend seamlessly into your home environment, even doubling up as a side table. It's suitable for use in large rooms, and includes multi-stage filters to remove all kinds of pollutants and odors.

View Deal

The Blueair Blue Signature is available to buy in the US now. If you head to Blueair.com , prices start at $449.99, but on Amazon there's a limited-time discount to make it a little more affordable. It's not yet out in the UK, but is due to go on sale in August. We don't have pricing details yet, but if it's in line with US pricing it might be around £330. We've just started testing it out, and will have a full review live alongside the UK launch.

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