Bissell Air320 smart air purifier with HEPA reviews

Bissell Air320 smart air purifier with HEPA moves the volume of air equivalent to a 1000 sq. ft. room more than once per hour making it great for bedrooms, living areas, basements, and dining rooms. Its Automated CirQulate System monitors and provides indoor air quality readings in real-time and adjusts to the appropriate fan speed. It comes with a fabric pre-filter, an activated carbon filter and a HEPA filter which captures 99.97% of 0.3 micron particles and smaller including pollen, dust, smoke, hair, and pet dander. Discover details in Bissell Air320 smart air purifier with HEPA reviews.

Pros & Cons – Bissell Air320 smart air purifier with HEPA

Pros

• Energy Star rated, CARB approved
• 3-stage filtration with high removal efficiency
• Separate honeycomb carbon filter to absorb odors and VOCs
• Intuitive design, one-button control
• The vintage design easily blends with modern interior
• Beautiful dot matrix digital display
• PM2.5 sensor and particle count display with colored AQI
• Auto night mode activated

Cons

• Fewer features, no timers or child lock
• No remote or app control
• The airflow rate (CADR) is lower in terms of price
• The unit is not AHAM verified

Specs – Bissell Air320 smart air purifier with HEPA

Filtration: Separate 3 stage fabric pre-filter, HEPA, and activated carbon filter
HEPA class: True HEPA ( 99% removal of 0.3 microns particle)
Filter life: 6 months
CADR: 136 cubic feet per minute (cfm)
Room Coverage: 205 square feet with 5 air exchange per hour
Sensors: Particle (PM2.5) sensor, ambient light sensor
Number of manual fan speed: 5
Automatic mode: Yes
Size: 14.5″W x 8.3″D x 24″H
Device weight: 18.3 lbs
Noise level: 24 – 50 dB
Rated Power: 45 Watt (0.97 Amps at 120V)
Voltage: 120 V AC 60 Hz
Model No: 2768A

Compare Bissell Air320 vs Bissell Air400

Price

The official price tag of this Bissell air320 is $329 on Bissell website, but you can get it as low as $279 in different websites, meaning a 15% OFF, if you can get promo code. The price is the same as the old Bissell air400, which still performs better than our today reviewed unit.

For around $300 you can get the Medify MA-40, Airthereal AGH550, Coway AP-1512HHS, Hathaspace Air Purifier 2.0 or TruSens Z-3000, and all boasts similar or faster fan power, real Smart Sensor and, well, much better performance rating.

Energy consumption costs

By normal usage, the Bissell air320 runs with the power consumption of 116 watts. Actually, the Bissell air320 is licensed as an Energy Star air purifier. If you use the Bissell air320 for 8 hours per day, you need to pay $41 annually.

Bissell Air320 smart air purifier with HEPA reviews

Stylish look

The design itself is very sleek modern look and feels/looks like a full premium unit. Elegant with a wood trim, smooth edges, and clean look. The discreet cord wrap on the back is a plus as it accents the room without the messy jumbled mess of visible cords.

Dimension & room coverage

The Bissell air320 is a great air purifier for a larger room. It is a pretty large unit sitting at 15.5″(W) × 8.5″ (D) × 25″ (H). It is about the size you would expect for a 1000 sq ft coverage. Considering it is only one inch taller than the air320 model and covers 200 more sq ft, I find the air320 model the better option

Build & design

The Air320 looks more like a piece of furniture with design cues from furniture of the 1960-1970s. The legs are rounded with a faux wood finish to continue the furniture theme. A single dial with a button in the center controls everything with an oversized dot matrix display hidden in the plastic on the front that indicates the PM2.5 levels. Also included is a hidden color changing light the creates a glow directly under the display with the color indicating the general air quality going from green to red (Bissell Air320 smart air purifier with HEPA reviews).

The fan has 5 speeds as well as an auto mode. Included is a PM2.5 sensor which can measure fine particles but there is no mention of a PM10 sensor to measure dust, mold, and pollen. Air is pulled into the mesh fabric on the front and filtered air exits from the top. This design means you can put the unit flush against a wall without impeding operation. It also has a cord organizer built into the back to keep things tidy. The overall build feels sturdy.

Filters

It has large an thick HEPA filter, a carbon filter of the same size, and a the front cover also serves as a fabric mesh. Replacing the filters takes seconds and no tools. The unit has a filter replacement indicator for each filter: F1 or F2 instead of the air quality readout. The HEPA filter is for particulates, including allergens. The activated carbon filter is for reducing ambient odors. The auto mode uses a dust sensor on the side of the unit, that the manual indicates it should be cleaned twice a year. The cover for this comes out with no tools.

1. HEPA filter – With the pleated High Efficiency filter, the Bissell air320 can trap 99.7% of 0.3 microns particles or larger.
2. Pre-filter – A fabric pre-filter is used to capture the large objects of pollutants, like pet hair, fur and large dust. It is washable and permanent to use.
3. Activated Carbon Filter – Engineered with actual pieces of carbon, the honeycombed Activated Carbon filter can capture odor causing gases and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

Automated Fan Speed Adjustment

But that’s not all the air quality sensor can do. The sensor works together with the device’s fan system to determine which fan speed is most appropriate. For unbelievable dirty air, the air320 will select high-speed fan mode to get rid of dust in a timely and effective manner. For less-dirty air, the air purifier will choose a more energy-efficient cleaning mode to get the job done.

CADR & ACH

The CADR of Bissell air320 is 206 Dust/ 198 Smoke/ 241 Pollen (cfm). The Pollen-free CADR rating of this Bissell air320 is even better than the Bissell air400, so if you only want an air purifier for clearing the pollen issue, you should get the Bissell air320 of this family.

The ACH of Bissell air320 is 1X to 3X. If the air purifier is running in the standard room size of 320 square feet, it can clean the room every 20 minutes. But if you put the Bissell air320 in a room of 1000 square feet, it will clean only one time per hour.

Other features – Bissell Air320 smart air purifier with HEPA

Automated CirQulate System, which is their Smart Sensor to automatically detect changes in the air quality index, then gives both digital and color-coded indoor air quality feedback to you. Moreover, it can adjusts the right fan speed automatically for you, so you can set the device and forget it totally.

You should remember to check the sensor screen, and if it’s dirty, you need to clean it with a cotton swab for more accurate readings of the product.

Bissell air320 features a Night Mode, to automatically turn off any lights on the Digital display when less lights enter the room, to create a peaceful sleeping environment.

Well, Bissell air320 comes without the Timer setting like the Bissell air400. It just has LED indicators for filter replacement, to help you know when to change the filter.

Easy operation

Functionally, the purifier takes in air from the face, pulls it through the filters and exhausts it from the top There is a single control on top. Press it to turn it on and turn it to change speed. I will say that when it is at top speed, it is as noisy as a fan over a stove, but that just means it’s working! If you have it on auto and it goes to full speed, but you need it less, you can dial the fan down– this will just take it longer to clear whatever is in the air. Normally, you can’t hear it at all, about the same noise level as a top-end refrigerator.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning the BISSELL Air320 won’t give you many challenges. You only need to dust the exterior parts and clean the pre-filter to maintain flawless air intake into the unit. This unit’s filters also require replacement at different intervals.

Reading the manual for this air purifier, manufacturer recommends changing the pre-filter every six months, the carbon filter after three months, and the HEPA filter after two months of consistent use.

Bissell Air320 smart air purifier with HEPA performance reviews

Overall operation is very simple. There are no smartphone controls or WiFi to set up. Just press the button in the middle to turn in on and then turn the dial to set the fan speed.

On low, the unit is barely audible and can be easily drowned out by regular noises in a room. On high, you will likely hear if even over a very loud TV. Thankfully you only hear the sound of air rushing, but it is still noticeable. If you keep it on one speed you could probably just tune it out after time but on auto the change can be quite abrupt. If it is anywhere near where you are cooking and is set to auto, you will know withing a few minutes if any smoke, fumes, or anything else is floating in your room as it goes into turbo for a few minutes to clean things up. Even in a 30×22 room it only takes between 15-30 minutes to get levels under control once no more pollutants are added. At that point, the pollution levels drop low enough for the automatic mode to drop the speed down to more tolerable levels.

There is a bit of a tradeoff in moving so much air in a short time but it seems quite effective in taking care of even large rooms. In most cases, the filter can keep the room clean enough that running on full speed is rare. The only downside is the effectiveness of auto mode for allergies is questionable because it sets filter speed based on measurements. If you are expecting this to automatically sense dust, mold, and pollen it would seem unlikely as it doesn’t measure that particle size.

Unfortunately, other measurement tools have not shown that not enough of the pollen has been making its way into the house lately to do a proper test even though several trees are pollinating currently. That said, if your only hang-up is a PM10 for other allergens you can always run it on manual since the filter media itself is capable of handling it. The main question is how effective auto mode actually is.

The digital readout and color light to indicate air quality are straightforward and make it easy to tell the overall air quality even from across the room without adding too much information. A thoughtful touch is when the room goes dark it turns off all lighting and displays.

Noise

One of the most astounding features of the air320 is its automated sleep-mode function. When the sun has gone down, the air320 will automatically switch to quiet mode which drops its noise production to a gentle 37-db buzz. On sleep mode, the LED lights automatically turn off to provide the user with distraction-free air-purifying.

But on any mode other than sleep mode, the air320 struggles to live up to its “whisper-quiet” title. By no means is the air320 whisper-quiet. After testing this device out, we’ve noticed that the noise production level exceeds the maximum 59-db rating. In fact, on high mode, the air320’s buzzing can drown out regular conversation volume.

Alternate of Bissell Air320 smart air purifier with HEPA

The Blueair Blue Pure 311 Auto is similar in capabilities to the Coway AP-1512HH and the two Winix models. It reduced smoke levels by 99.9% in 30 minutes on high, and by 94.2% on medium. Its Auto function, introduced to the Blue Pure lineup in late 2020, monitors your room’s air quality and adjusts the fan speed accordingly. And it has other features we like, including very quiet performance, terrific energy efficiency, and a control panel that automatically dims after you adjust the settings. It’s also particularly attractive, with a tweedlike, washable cover that’s available in several muted colors (it arrives in gray; the other colors can be purchased separately). Two minor knocks against it: The air-quality indicator lamp, a bright blue LED, shuts off only when it’s on its slowest setting, and the filters are recommended to be replaced every six months, pushing annual costs to $80, versus about $50 for the Coway and the Winix models.

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