Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i Air Purifier Review 2022

In this post, I am going to do a comparison of Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i air purifiers. You are looking at two top-end air purifiers from Blueair’s 600 series, with the 680i being the recently released model. Choosing the correct air purifier for your situation is essential, especially if you are looking at expensive models. Many have such a high price tag attached to them because of some additional convenience features, which might not be something that you really need. In terms of pure air quality improvement, you are looking at two amazing choices by Blueair.

Indoor air is becoming a bigger issue every year and air purifiers are your first line of defense. With so many different models and price tiers out there, it can sometimes be hard to choose between two or two that you like. This is why I have prepared this detailed comparison table of the Blueair Classic 605 vs Blueair 680i review.

As usual, I will first do a comparison of technical specifications, followed by a detailed side-to-side feature and effectiveness comparison between Blueair 680i vs 605. I will end the comparison by giving a short summary of who would benefit most from each of these two purifiers. My end goal is for you to get a clear understanding between the similarities and differences between Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i, and ultimately help you decide which one is the best fit for you.

Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i – Product Specifications

Let us start things off with a basic side-to-side comparison of more technical product specifications of Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i.

As you can see from the table above, Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i do not really have differences. This is because the housing unit is the exact same for both models so there is not really much that I can talk about here in terms of comparison. I can say that the unit is rather large in size and not the lightest out there. You can still move it around from room with relative ease due to the four small wheels located on the bottom of the device. You just probably won’t be taking it with you on vacation or when traveling around.

Both air purifiers also come with the same certifications, which is further proof that you are getting a very high-quality product. These are:

• Energy Star – means that the device is energy-efficient.
• AAN recommendation – recommended for asthma and allergy sufferers.
• CARB certified – given by California EPA’s Air Resources Board to all appliances because it meets the ozone emission limit of 0.05 PPM.
• AHAM verified – This is a certification given by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers for the performance and clean air delivery rate (CADR) of the device.

The last thing I want to mention is the product warranty. By default, both Blueair Classic 605 and 680i come with a 1-year warranty period, with the possibility to extend it to 5 years. All you have to do for this warranty extension is to register your air purifier with Blueair. That is it.

Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i – Comparison of Features and Effectiveness

For this section of the review, I have prepared a side-by-side comparison of Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i.

As you can see from the comparison table above, there is basically no performance difference between Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i. So it makes no sense to compare the different specifications since the numbers are the same. Instead, I will just shortly review all of the key features and what they mean for you.

Filtration system

Both Blueair Classic 605 and 680i use special air cleaning technology called HEPASilent technology, which is an advanced combination of both mechanical and electrostatic filtration. This filtration system comes with an electrostatic barrier that electrifies air pollutants and other airborne harmful particles. Once these particles are electrified, they instantly become attracted to the filter material. You can visualize this as magnets attracting each other. This air purifying method is very similar to negative ion generators, otherwise known as air ionizers.

Both have three sets of so-called DualProtection filters (kind of like a combination of a HEPA filter and Carbon Activated filter) which gives you superb cleaning capabilities, removing all particles of up to 0.05 micrometers in size. This is much more effective than the traditional HEPA filter, which can only remove particles of up to 0.3 microns. DualProtection filters are therefore suitable even for viruses and bacteria, which are usually the most dangerous and harmful air particles, effectively negating one of the biggest regular HEPA filter drawbacks.

Considering the high price tag that comes with the Blueair Classic 605 and 680i, you do get your money’s worth in the filtration system department. This innovative and superb cleaning method makes these two air purifiers recommended even for the worst allergy and asthma sufferers.

Room coverage

Nothing short of praise in this aspect. Blueair Classic 605 and 680i both have the same maximum room coverage of 775 sq. ft. (72 m2). This makes the device even more suitable for any extra-large room in your house or apartment. Not only that – it is even a possible solution for a whole medium-sized apartment.

CADR rating for Blueair Classic 605 and 680i is 500 cubic feet per minute or CFM (you should always take the CADR rating for the smallest particles, in this case, smoke), and is AHAM verified at 698 square feet. This basically means that you can trust in the air cleaning capacity of this air purifier up to 698 square feet. Blueair also did some internal testing and concluded that the Classic 605 and 680i are suitable for 775 square feet, a little bit more than AHAM suggested. Even if you do a manual CADR calculation, you get a green light.  All in all, this is absolutely fantastic and one of the top CADR rates of commercial air purifiers.

Lastly, I want to touch on the number of air changes per hour (ACH). This basically tells you how often clean air is changed in your room. I consider 3 air changes per hour (so every 20 minutes) a bare minimum, 4 is normal, and 5 air changes per hour is a bit above average (industry standard for more expensive air purifiers). If you suffer from allergies or have any respiratory issues, then you want as many air changes per hour as you can get. Both Blueair Classic 605 and 680i have 5 ACH, meaning that you get clean air delivered approximately every 12 minutes.

Noise levels

Again, there is no difference here between the Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i. Both devices have 3 different fan speeds which produce 33-44-62 decibels (dB) of noise. The maximum fan speed sound can be a little bit loud, while the minimal fan speed is decently quiet. Still, these are good numbers.

I would not recommend sleeping next to these two air purifiers with fan speed on max setting. Even a medium fan speed setting (45 dB) can be a problem if you are a light sleeper, as any noise around 45 dB has a chance of waking us up from sleep, disturbing our sleeping patterns. On the lowest fan speed setting (33 dB) you should have no issues sleeping.

If you are more curious about noise levels in connection to air purifiers, feel free to look at my other post which you can find here. There I explain different decibel levels and air purifier ranges, what to look for etc.

Control panel

Finally, we come to a part where there is a difference between Blueair Classic 605 and 680i. While most features are the same, there are two very distinct differences – automatic mode and air quality sensors.

Blueair Classic 680i comes with integrated air quality sensors that measure VOC, PM 2.5 particles, humidity, and temperature. Blueair Classic 605 does not have any air quality sensors and can not measure the above-listed things. While you primarily use your smartphone and app to control the settings (child lock, night mode schedule, LED brightness, and more), you can also do it manually through the control panel located on the device. Due to the difference in features, the control panel is also a bit different between Blueair 605 and 680i. I have included this difference below.

The other difference between Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i is that Blueair Classic 605 does not have an automatic mode, while Blueair 680i has an automatic mode. This is also quite logical, due to the lack of air quality sensors of model 605. I mean, how can you adjust air cleaning settings according to your environment if you have nothing to measure air quality, to begin with.

Automatic modes are always a very convenient thing to have in an air purifier as it optimizes your energy consumption, lowering your costs long-term. Also, you get the benefit of a hands-off approach of just letting the machine do the “heavy lifting” while you sit back and enjoy quality air in your home.

Blueair Classic 605 vs 680i – Conclusion

Classic 600 is the top-tier series of air purifiers by Blueair, and it shows. The combination of an advanced and highly effective air purifying system, huge room coverage, and no shortage of smart functions completely validates the high price tag that comes with the whole Blueair 600 series, 605 and 680i included.

That being said, there are not a whole lot of things that separate the Classic 605 and 680i models. Performance and design-wise there is no difference. You get the same unit, with the same specification and effectiveness. The difference between Blueair classic 605 vs 680i comes in the form of added smart features. More specifically, Blueair Classic 605 does not come with an air quality sensor and auto mode, while Blueair Classic 680i does come with both of these features.

So, which one should you pick?

This entirely depends on only your preferences. If you are only focused on performance and do not care about extra features that just increase convenience and ease of you, then the Blueair Classic 605 is the better choice for you. If you want a more passive & hands-free approach with automatic mode and would like to have a visual indicator of how your room air quality is changing in real-time…then I would pick the Blueair Classic 680i over the 605 models.

Regarding the relatively small price difference between these two models – it comes down to the question of “am I willing to pay this price difference for the extra convenience of an added air quality sensor and automatic mode?”. If yes, then model 680i is the correct choice, if no then stick to model 605.

Regardless of which model you choose out of the two, you are getting an air purifier with unmatched performance, which is what counts the most.

Latest price and availability of Blueair Classic 605:

Latest price and availability of Blueair Classic 680i:

Blueair 680i Review

Blueair 680i Review