Air Purifiers / Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) vs Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100)
Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) vs Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100)
Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100)
The highest verified CADR here, from a charged-media system you cannot switch to mechanical-only.
Wins overall by 2.9 points
Quick Verdict
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) takes this by a clear 2.9 points. The highest verified CADR here, from a charged-media system you cannot switch to mechanical-only. The Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) only makes sense if it wins on a category you care about more than the total.
The Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) and Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) are both closely matched air Purifier models, and the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) is $100 cheaper than the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) ($249.99 vs $349.99). On Sensor Quality, the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) leads (8.5 vs 1.0/10) — whether there is a real laser particle sensor resolving PM1/PM2.5/PM10 with numeric output, a vaguer 'air quality' index, an inference from a cheap VOC element, or no sensor and therefore no auto mode at all. On Coverage-Claim Honesty, the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) leads (8.0 vs 3.5/10) — the trap dimension for this category. Almost every brand derives its headline square footage from ONE air change per hour, which does close to nothing for smoke, pollen or wildfire particulate — the useful standard is 4.8 air changes an hour, and it is typically a fifth of the number on the box. A high score means the manufacturer publishes the 4.8-ACH figure prominently and it survives comparison with the AHAM Verifide room size; a low score means a big number with no stated air-change basis, or no CADR at all to derive one from.. On Quietness, the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) leads (8.0 vs 4.0/10) — measured decibels at the lowest setting you would run overnight AND at the top speed you need in a smoke event — a purifier is only useful at a speed you can tolerate. Not publishing a figure at either end costs points. Overall, the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) scores 7.7/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 4.8/10 for the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) | Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.99 | $349.99 |
| Release Year | 2019 | 2023 |
| AHAM Verifide CADR (Smoke / Dust / Pollen) (CFM) | Medify publishes smoke 239 / dust 231 / pollen 240 / PM2.5 235 CFM itself, footnoted "Smoke CADR when operating at highest fan speed". Medify's own listings display an "AHAM Verified" badge on every product — but a query of the AHAM Verifide directory in August 2026 returns the brand "Medify Air" in the brand index with ZERO currently certified models. Treat these as manufacturer figures until a directory entry appears. | AHAM Verifide: smoke 435 / dust 453 / pollen 450 CFM (ahamdir.com, model 3613111100, listed as "Pure Blue 211i Max"). The highest Verifide CADR in this file. Note that AHAM records this model's filter type as "Fabric", not HEPA. |
| AHAM Verifide Room Size (4.8 ACH) (ft²) | No current AHAM Verifide listing (August 2026), despite the "AHAM Verified" badge on medifyair.com. Medify's own 5-ACH figure is 358.5 ft² and its 4-ACH figure is 448 ft². | 674 ft² (AHAM Verifide suggested room size at 4.8 air changes per hour) — and Blueair publishes exactly 674 ft² at 4.8 ACH on its own page |
| Coverage Claim & Its Air-Change Basis | Medify's own table: 1,793 ft² at 1 ACH, 896 ft² at 2 ACH, 448 ft² at 4 ACH, 358.5 ft² at 5 ACH. The headline everywhere — site, packaging, Amazon title — is the 2-ACH number, "896 sq ft in 30 minutes". Two air changes an hour is roughly half what smoke or allergen control needs. | Blueair's own product page leads with "674 sq ft" and "4.8 air changes per hour", which is the correct figure correctly labelled. The retail listing title, by contrast, says "Large Rooms up to 3,235 Sq Ft" — that is 674 × 4.8, i.e. the 1-ACH number. Same product, two claims a factor of 4.8 apart. |
| Filter Grade (True HEPA / HEPA-Type / H13) | Medify markets "True HEPA H13" (and H14 on some SKUs). The footnote on every page reads "Tested by Intertek Lab for HEPA filter material" — the H13 grade is a claim about the media, not a whole-unit sealed-system rating. Three stages: pre-filter, H13 media, pelletised activated carbon. | HEPASilent: a two-part system that electrostatically charges particles before a loosely woven fabric media collects them, plus activated carbon. Blueair claims 99.97% of airborne particles. It is not a mechanical H13 filter and AHAM logs the filter type as "Fabric" — the efficiency comes from the charging stage as much as the media. |
| Pre-Filter (Washable?) | Integrated into the single replaceable cylinder — not separately washable | Yes — washable textile pre-filter sleeve, which is also the unit's colour panel. Machine-washable, no recurring cost. |
| Filter Cost per Year | $119.98–$179.97/yr, and Medify's own site cannot agree with itself: the MA-40 filter page sets the subscription cadence at 120 days, the purifier page sets it at 180 days, and the body copy says the filter lasts "up to 3,000 hours or 4-5 months". At $59.99 a filter that is two to three filters a year. The subscription discounts the first filter 40% ($35.99) and later ones 10% ($53.99). | $79.99–$93.32/yr — Particle & Carbon Filter $69.99 ($59.50 on subscription) with Blueair's RealTrack algorithm calling replacement at up to 9 months, i.e. about 1.33 filters a year. The AllergenBlock variant is $89.99 ($76.50) and SmokeBlock $84.99 ($72.25), pushing it to $100–120/yr. |
| Ioniser / UV / PCO & CARB Classification | The standard MA-40 has an optional ioniser (Medify's own controls list reads "Ionizer (Optional)") and Medify describes the unit as ozone-free. CARB history is instructive: the original MA-40 (EO G-21-461, 2021) and the MA-40UV are certified as ELECTRONIC devices, while MA-40-V3.0 (G-23-267) and the current MA-40-V4.0 (G-25-237, 2025-09-10) are certified as MECHANICAL. Buy the current V4.0 HEPA SKU, not a UV or ioniser variant. | HEPASilent's ion-charging stage is integral to how the unit filters and CANNOT be switched off — unlike the Coway ioniser or Winix PlasmaWave, there is no button. CARB certifies the Blue Pure 211i Max as an ELECTRONIC device (Blueair AB, EO G-23-076, notified 2023-04-19), meaning ozone-capable and tested at or below 0.050 ppm. Blueair's product page makes no ozone statement at all. Every Blueair model in the CARB list is classified Electronic. |
| Noise, Lowest to Highest Setting (dB) | Medify publishes only the sleep-mode figure, "as low as 40.5 dBA". No figure is published for the top speed. 40.5 dBA is by far the loudest quiet-setting in this file — the Levoit Core 300S-P is 22 dB and the Blueair 23 dB. | 23 dB lowest to 53 dB highest (Blueair published) |
| Air Quality Sensor | None. The MA-40's own controls list is "Preset Timers, 3 Fan Speeds, Sleep Mode, Filter Indicator, Touch Controls, Child Lock, Ionizer (Optional)" — there is no particle sensor and therefore no auto mode at any price. | Genuine multi-channel particulate sensing: PM1, PM2.5 and PM10, feeding auto mode and the app's history. One of only three units here that resolve PM1. |
| Smart Features & Offline Operation | None. No Wi-Fi, no app, no account. Fully offline. | Wi-Fi and the Blueair app require an account. Fan speed, auto mode and night mode all work from the physical dial with no internet; filter tracking, air-quality history and scheduling do not. |
| Power Draw & Annual Energy | 68W (Medify published); Integrated Energy Factor 3.6 | 46W (Blueair published); AHAM-measured 44.0W at the smoke-CADR speed and 256 kWh annual energy consumption. That is 435 CFM of smoke CADR for 44W — comfortably the best clean-air-per-watt here. |
| Warranty Terms & Conditions | Limited Lifetime Warranty with no filter-subscription requirement — unusually generous, and the reason warrantyMonths is recorded as 0 rather than a month count. Plus a 30-day home trial. | 1-year standard, extended to 3 years only if you register the product |
| Warranty | 0 months | 12 months |
| Colors | White, Black | Sand, Stockholm Fog, Moss, Limestone |
Category Scores
Coverage-Claim Honesty
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 3.5 — a 4.5-point margin on the trap dimension for this category. Almost every brand derives its headline square footage from ONE air change per hour, which does close to nothing for smoke, pollen or wildfire particulate — the useful standard is 4.8 air changes an hour, and it is typically a fifth of the number on the box. A high score means the manufacturer publishes the 4.8-ACH figure prominently and it survives comparison with the AHAM Verifide room size; a low score means a big number with no stated air-change basis, or no CADR at all to derive one from.. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Verified Clean-Air Delivery
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 6.0 — a 3.5-point margin on how much air the unit actually cleans per minute, weighted heavily toward AHAM Verifide smoke CADR over manufacturer-published figures. Self-reported CADR scores below Verifide CADR, and 'no CADR published at all' scores below both. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Filtration Quality
The Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) and Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) are level here, at 7.5/10 each. what the media is really rated at — sealed H13, True HEPA, HEPA-Type, EPA 12 or charged fabric — whether the whole machine is sealed so air cannot bypass the filter, and how much genuine activated carbon there is for odours and VOCs is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Running Cost
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) leads clearly here, 5.5 against 3.5 — a 2.0-point margin on filters, pre-filters, cartridges and subscriptions over three years, against the purchase price. Several units here cost more to feed than to buy; a high score means cheap, long-lived, non-proprietary consumables. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Quietness
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 4.0 — a 4.0-point margin on measured decibels at the lowest setting you would run overnight AND at the top speed you need in a smoke event — a purifier is only useful at a speed you can tolerate. Not publishing a figure at either end costs points. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Sensor Quality
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 1.0 — a 7.5-point margin on whether there is a real laser particle sensor resolving PM1/PM2.5/PM10 with numeric output, a vaguer 'air quality' index, an inference from a cheap VOC element, or no sensor and therefore no auto mode at all. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Freedom From Ozone & Air Chemistry
The Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.5 — a 0.5-point margin on whether the unit adds an ioniser, plasma, UV or photocatalytic stage to the airstream, whether that stage can be switched off, and how CARB classifies the device — 'Mechanical' means filtration only, 'Electronic' means capable of generating ozone and certified only as being at or below 0.050 ppm. If that is what you are buying for, the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Controls & Independence
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 6.0 — a 2.0-point margin on whether every mode works from the machine itself with no account or cloud, how good the auto mode is, filter-change access, and whether losing a remote or a login costs you function. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) if…
- • You want to spend less — it's $100 cheaper.
Choose the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) if…
- • Sensor Quality matters most to you — the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) scores 8.5/10 here (whether there is a real laser particle sensor resolving PM1/PM2.5/PM10 with numeric output, a vaguer 'air quality' index, an inference from a cheap VOC element, or no sensor and therefore no auto mode at all).
- • Coverage-Claim Honesty matters most to you — the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) scores 8.0/10 here (the trap dimension for this category. Almost every brand derives its headline square footage from ONE air change per hour, which does close to nothing for smoke, pollen or wildfire particulate — the useful standard is 4.8 air changes an hour, and it is typically a fifth of the number on the box. A high score means the manufacturer publishes the 4.8-ACH figure prominently and it survives comparison with the AHAM Verifide room size; a low score means a big number with no stated air-change basis, or no CADR at all to derive one from.).
- • Quietness matters most to you — the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) scores 8.0/10 here (measured decibels at the lowest setting you would run overnight AND at the top speed you need in a smoke event — a purifier is only useful at a speed you can tolerate. Not publishing a figure at either end costs points).
- • Verified Clean-Air Delivery matters most to you — the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) scores 9.5/10 here (how much air the unit actually cleans per minute, weighted heavily toward AHAM Verifide smoke CADR over manufacturer-published figures. Self-reported CADR scores below Verifide CADR, and 'no CADR published at all' scores below both).
- • Running Cost matters most to you — the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) scores 5.5/10 here (filters, pre-filters, cartridges and subscriptions over three years, against the purchase price. Several units here cost more to feed than to buy; a high score means cheap, long-lived, non-proprietary consumables).
Pros & Cons
Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0)
Pros
- +239 CFM smoke CADR is real firepower for $250 and beats every unit here below $340
- +Limited lifetime warranty with no registration-plus-subscription strings, unlike Alen's Forever Guarantee
- +Pelletised carbon rather than carbon-coated mesh gives it more genuine odour capacity than most
- +Publishes its coverage at four different ACH values, so the honest number is at least findable
- +The current V4.0 is CARB-certified Mechanical — no ozone pathway on the standard HEPA SKU
Cons
- −Every Medify listing carries an "AHAM Verified" badge, yet the AHAM Verifide directory shows zero certified Medify Air models in August 2026
- −The famous "896 sq ft" is a 2-ACH figure; at the 4–5 ACH that actually controls smoke it is 358–448 ft²
- −H13 is footnoted as "tested by Intertek for HEPA filter material" — media grade, not a sealed-unit rating
- −Sleep mode is 40.5 dBA. That is audible-conversation territory and the top speed is not published at all
- −$59.99 filters on a 120–180 day cadence — Medify's own pages disagree — means $120–180 a year, near the price of a whole Levoit
- −No sensor of any kind, so no auto mode: you are the air-quality sensor
Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100)
Pros
- +435 CFM AHAM Verifide smoke CADR — the most verified clean air of anything here at any price
- +44W for that output is the best efficiency in this file by a wide margin
- +Blueair's own page leads with the honest 674 ft² at 4.8 ACH, not the 3,235 ft² retail headline
- +23 dB minimum with real PM1/PM2.5/PM10 sensing driving auto mode
- +Washable fabric pre-filter doubles as the colour panel, so it costs nothing to maintain
Cons
- −The HEPASilent ion-charging stage cannot be turned off — CARB classifies the unit as an Electronic (ozone-capable) device and Blueair makes no ozone statement on the page
- −AHAM records the filter type as "Fabric": this is charged-media filtration, not a mechanical H13 element
- −The retail listing's "up to 3,235 Sq Ft" is Blueair's own 674 ft² multiplied by 4.8 — a 1-ACH number
- −1-year warranty unless you register, and even then 3 years is short next to Honeywell's 5
- −$69.99–$89.99 filters at up to 9 months is $80–120/yr, twice the Coway's $54.99
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) or Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Sensor Quality, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) or the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100)?+
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) scores higher on Sensor Quality (8.5/10 vs 1.0/10) — whether there is a real laser particle sensor resolving PM1/PM2.5/PM10 with numeric output, a vaguer 'air quality' index, an inference from a cheap VOC element, or no sensor and therefore no auto mode at all.
Which is better for Coverage-Claim Honesty, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) or the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100)?+
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) scores higher on Coverage-Claim Honesty (8.0/10 vs 3.5/10) — the trap dimension for this category. Almost every brand derives its headline square footage from ONE air change per hour, which does close to nothing for smoke, pollen or wildfire particulate — the useful standard is 4.8 air changes an hour, and it is typically a fifth of the number on the box. A high score means the manufacturer publishes the 4.8-ACH figure prominently and it survives comparison with the AHAM Verifide room size; a low score means a big number with no stated air-change basis, or no CADR at all to derive one from..
Which is better for Quietness, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) or the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100)?+
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) scores higher on Quietness (8.0/10 vs 4.0/10) — measured decibels at the lowest setting you would run overnight AND at the top speed you need in a smoke event — a purifier is only useful at a speed you can tolerate. Not publishing a figure at either end costs points.
Which is better for Verified Clean-Air Delivery, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) or the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100)?+
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) scores higher on Verified Clean-Air Delivery (9.5/10 vs 6.0/10) — how much air the unit actually cleans per minute, weighted heavily toward AHAM Verifide smoke CADR over manufacturer-published figures. Self-reported CADR scores below Verifide CADR, and 'no CADR published at all' scores below both.
Is the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) worth the price difference over the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100)?+
The Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) is the cheaper option at $249.99 versus $349.99. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Sensor Quality.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) is the better fit if you mainly care about large-room or wildfire-smoke. The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) is the better fit for aham-verifide.
What's the warranty on the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) vs the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100)?+
The Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) ships with a 0-month warranty; the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max (3613111100) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty — $239.99
Premium Option
Shark NeverChange Air Purifier MAX (HP302) — $399.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.