Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this purifier based on it's build quality and purification capabilities, and also because of the 10 year warranty stated on the amazon page. The unit is powerful and cleans the air in my bedroom very well - within two days, it has completely relieved my sinus problems during this heavy pollen season. It also seems solidly built and it is very silent on the lowest setting (I cannot hear it over the birds chirping outside my closed window). I would rate this purifier five stars, if the warranty was not a complete scam: it states on the amazon website that there is a 10-year warranty. However, the warranty information that comes with the purifier states that there is only a one-year limited warranty, and that that warranty is only valid if you have proof that you replaced the filter after 6 months. So, if you were not to replace your filter, the warranty would be valid for only 6 months. You CAN get a 5 year warranty, and even a lifetime warranty, if you become a member of Blueair's filter subscription program, in which they send you a new filter every 6 months for $59 including shipping. You can do that by sending back their warranty card or by signing up online. I think that this program may make sense for some people, but I want to run this purifier for only about 6 months each year, as I have no sinus problems in the fall/winter, so I will use one filter every year and not one every six months. You have to dig deep into their warranty policy (also on their web page) to find out that you *MAY* qualify for an extended warranty if you purchase your filters elsewhere and keep the receipts. That wording sounds like the company will decide, though, whether you actually *DO* qualify or not if you need a repair under warranty and have purchased your filters independently. I find it ridiculous to make the warranty de facto dependent on whether or not you join their subscription program and it is deceiving to state a 10-year warranty on the amazon site when no such warranty exists and when any warranty that extends beyond six months is dependent on the purchase of somewhat costly replacement filters directly from Blueair. While I like this machine, I don't like to be deceived or suckered into a "free" 5-year warranty that actually costs you quite a bit extra if you do not run this machine full time through the year. If this company plays dirty little tricks like that upon purchase, I don't even want to know how great their customer service is when you really have a problem down the line. No blue air for me - this baby is going back. Update September 2012: I ended up keeping this unit, because the only other one that I liked was not available online. I will not change the filters every six months, and, thus, my warranty will expire at the six month date. I posted some pictures of the warranty terms and of the "FREE" 5-year warranty card that came with the unit, just so folks can make an informed decision. Update August 2013: The purifier still works fine and I have now replaced the filter for the first time after a year. The old filter still seemed to have plenty of life in it, though. One thing I like is that the machine produces a good amount of white noise when running on full speed, which is great for my dogs, who are scared of thunderstorms. They like to hang out in the room that has this filter running, because it drowns out the thunderclap quite well. I have noted that amazon now states that the purifier comes with a 5-year limited warranty, which is closer to the truth than the previously advertised 10-year warranty. I would add a star for more honest advertising, but for cutting the advertised warranty in half, they have now increased the price from the $399 I paid to $549 for the same model without an update. This price hike pushes this HEPA filter close to the price range of HEPA filters that have powerful additional filtering capabilities, like VOC or gas removal featured in some of the low-end IQAir filters.