{"id":8435,"date":"2022-07-09T16:14:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-09T22:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housefresh.com\/?p=8435"},"modified":"2025-06-23T06:52:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T12:52:52","slug":"blast-mini-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housefresh.com\/blast-mini-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Smart Air Blast Mini review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Smart Air\u2019s story is one of humble beginnings. It all started in 2013 when founder Thomas Talhelm<\/a> was a student in Beijing, working on his PhD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air pollution is an ongoing issue<\/a> in Beijing, mainly due to smog, traffic pollution, coal burning and sandstorms. This led Talhelm to want to buy an air purifier, but he was shocked to find the cost of air purifiers was way<\/strong> outside his budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talhelm decided to take matters into his own hands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He solved his problem at a fraction of the cost by simply strapping a HEPA filter to a fan. When he posted his results online on his blog, Particle Counting<\/a>, he started to receive positive feedback and questions from folks wanting to do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, Smart Air was born. Initially, they focused on selling DIY kits (a box fan, a HEPA filter and a strap) and hosting workshops in Beijing to teach people how to build their own air purifiers.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Over time, Smart Air took the plunge and released its own line of no-nonsense, affordable air purifiers. That’s when units like the Blast Mini were introduced into the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Blast Mini MkII is the second version of the Blast Mini. When designing the MkII, Smart Air made improvements to the original MkI design. They redesigned the air outlet to increase its airflow from 1200 to 1400 m3\/hr, got rid of the metal wire guard and introduced hand twist screws to make it easier to remove the pre-filter, and upgraded the cardboard frame of the HEPA filter to make it lighter and more environmentally friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this review, I will walk you through the results of our performance tests, including how well the Blast Mini cleans the air, how loud (or quiet!) it is, how much money you will need to spend every year to keep it running, and how it\u2019s like to live with it.<\/p>\n\n\n

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How we test air purifiers<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Read our full testing methodology.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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The lowdown on the Smart Air Blast Mini<\/h2>\n\n\n
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“The Blast Mini outperformed all the units we\u2019ve tested so far. It\u2019s not loud, and although it\u2019s heavy (mainly due to its metal body), it has wheels that move it around with ease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an air purifier that will stand the test of time.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Danny Ashton, HouseFresh Founder & Senior Writer<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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\n\n<\/path><\/svg><\/span>PRICE AT SMART AIR U.S.<\/span><\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\u00a3432 AT SMART AIR UK<\/span><\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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If you want a quick summary, these are my main likes and dislikes for the Blast Mini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What we really like<\/h4>\n\n\n
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<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>It\u2019s made from metal instead of plastic, making it more durable and better for our planet.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>It has a high CADR rating of 435 CFM (740 m3\/h) \u2013 it cleaned the air in our test room in just 15 minutes.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>The filter boasts a longer life than most other brands (13 months).<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>It doesn\u2019t look out of place in my home, and I like the design of the front plate.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>It is incredibly easy to use thanks to its one-dial operation. No fluffy functions.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>Our sound tests showed it is incredibly quiet, considering how powerful its fan is.<\/span><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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What we think could be better<\/h4>\n\n\n
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<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>At 59 lbs, it ain\u2019t easy to move this device from room to room \u2014 luckily, it comes with wheels.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>The control dial sits at the back, making it difficult to access if you have the unit close to the the wall. But that also means that your kids (or your pets) won\u2019t be able to access the controls easily.<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span>Our electricity consumption test showed it is not as energy-efficient as other units (122.7 watts at its highest fan speed).<\/span><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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