Blueair DustMagnet 5440i air purifier review – a stylish design built to combat dust

Swedish brand Blueair has built up a successful reputation for delivering high-quality air purifiers for domestic and commercial settings. Their latest model range is the DustMagnet™ which pulls particulate matter, such as dust, into the unit before they settle on surfaces. 

The model uses a powerful airflow that combines with two positively charged pre-filters that capture and remove dust. The DustMagnet™ incorporates Blueair’s HEPASilent™ filtration technology. This technology uses a combination of electrostatic and mechanical filtration, which enables it to use less dense filters than rival models. Blueair has claimed this purifier can remove 99.97% of bacteria and viruses including SARS CoV-2 as well as microplastics. 

The DustMagnet™ has two models: 5240i, which can clean rooms between 20m2 and 48m2 in size, and the 5440i, which is designed to work for rooms between 33m2 and 79m2 in size. The DustMagnet™ can be paired with the Blueair app and is also compatible with home assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home. 

I tested the DustMagnet™ 5440i over a few weeks in a large living room space, trying out all of the features that could be controlled on the Blueair app. I experienced no technical or performance issues and appreciated the positive effect the DustMagnet™ 5440i had on clearing the atmosphere in our living space. If you’d like to gain a better overview of what other options are currently on the market then we recommend checking out our guide to the best air purifiers.  

Blueair DustMagnet 5440i air purifier: specifications

• Filter: Combo filter
• Noise: 30-49 dB(A)
• Power: 7-42W
• Room size: 79 m2
• Dimensions: H65 x W29 x D29cm
• Weight: 1.4kg

Jack Phillips

Our reviewer, Jack Phillips, tested the Blueair DustMagnet 5440i for a month in his living room before writing this review. He used the air purifier during evening hours on weekdays and daytime hours on weekends, enabling him to study and record notes on the appliance's performance and monitor improvements to air quality in his home.  

Blueair DustMagnet 5440i air purifier: unboxing and delivery 

On arrival, setting up the DustMagnet™ 5440i was a simple and painless process. 

The cardboard packaging is suitable for recycling as well as the plastic packaging, though for the latter it is advisable to check with your local authority waste management guidelines.

The instruction manual clearly lays out the step-by-step starter guide with images and supporting text. However, the main body of the air purifier unit comes largely ready-assembled.

The filters are quite delicate, so it’s best to slot them carefully into the model. Beyond that all you really need to do is attach the legs to the base of the unit.

Once the DustMagnet™ 5440i is set up and turned on, you can adjust the settings manually on the device, through the smartphone app, or through a voice command home assistant.

I opted for the convenience of the smartphone app, which I had no issue with connecting to the device as well as my wifi network. 

Blueair DustMagnet 5440i air purifier: first impressions

The Blueair DustMagnet™ 5440i has a stylish and modern Scandinavian design with neutral colours that can easily blend in with your surrounding furnishings. 

I found the app informative and easy to navigate. I added the Blueair DustMagnet™ 5440i to my indoor devices as well as my address, which enabled me to find out live air quality readings for my local area. 

After only a brief time using this air purifier, I noticed a clearer atmosphere with the air feeling lighter, which helped me feel more energised. I was able to see live air quality readings of the room on the app as the tracker quickly went from ‘moderate’ levels of pollution to ‘excellent’. 

The app helpfully explains how the readings are measured and what this unit of measurement means. 

Blueair DustMagnet 5440i air purifier: performance

As someone who has had an ongoing respiratory illness for a number of weeks, the DustMagnet™ 5440i made a considerable difference and dramatically improved my symptoms. I used the DustMagnet™ 5440i while I did fitness classes and the device definitely helped me feel less depleted.

Blueair claims the DustMagnet™ 5440i has the following clean air delivery rates (CADR):

• pollen 433 m³ per hour
• dust 408 m³ per hour
• smoke 391 m³ per hour

Overall, the Blueair DustMagnet™ 5440i worked superbly in our living room. The device is easy to set up and maintain with a whole host of features to suit your preferences. 

As for performance, even on fan speed 1, the DustMagnet™ was able to clear out a high concentration of particulate matter (50PM) in less than an hour. 

I found I tended to settle on using fan speed 1 as I found fan speeds 2 or 3 too loud. I also lowered the LED brightness to the dimmest setting.

The convenience of using the smartphone app enabled me to monitor the air quality in the room as well as the local area with satellite data provided by Breezeometer. I had no issues connecting the device to my wi-fi network or with Bluetooth syncing with my smartphone. 

I also noticed this purifier helped to prevent mould, which I occasionally notice in my home. 

For users who do not wish to be constantly adjusting settings, the DustMagnet™ 5440i offers an auto mode that automatically increases the fan speed when pollution levels rise and reduces speed when levels decrease. 

Operation Schedules can be set up to suit your needs including a Welcome Home feature that turns on the DustMagnet™ 5440i 15 minutes before you arrive home. 

Final verdict: Is the Blueair’s DustMagnet™ 5440i worth the money?

Overall, Blueair’s DustMagnet™ 5440i is a highly impressive device that offers users multiple features to tailor the purifier to their needs. 

The Scandanavian-style design and neutral colour scheme blended in well with our furnishings and I definitely noticed a material difference in the cleanliness of the room it was used in. This was supported by live readings on the app which would inform me if the air quality was good. 

Controlling the DustMagnet™ 5440i from the smartphone app was enormously helpful and convenient compared to manually changing settings on the unit.

I recommend the DustMagnet™ 5440i to households where pollutants are a frequent issue and particularly those who suffer from allergies or other underlying health conditions, especially minors.